AT Considerations for College Age Students

Thus far my blog has been a conglomeration of research, experimentation and explanation of experiences within my limited realm of AT in the educational environment. I work with elementary age children, thus it is only natural that I transcend my research and applications to the environment and population I work with. While it is important to be relevant with research, it is important to think about the long standing goals and objectives for your students. IEP's are legal documents that are honored until students exit the secondary education program. All of the planning, servicing and diligence of appropriate AT use and considerations no longer stands when a student enters the college setting. Due to this, students who enter the university setting must be fairly independent and advocates for themselves when it comes to AT usage at the collegiate level.


A critical tool almost every college uses (regardless of disabilities) is a computer. Computers can be used by students inside and outside of the college classroom.  The computer can offer a variety of AT services and tools, as well as having an adapted keyboard for easier note taking, depending on the student.  Section 504 and ADA state that colleges must provide reasonable accommodations to make their programs accessible to students with disabilities.  Some examples of this are:

-students who struggle with reading and writing 
-students who are hard of hearing- use of an assistive listening system for lectures (fm system) 
-students who are blind- a Braille reader, printer, and translation applications so student can produce written assignments 
-students who are in a wheel-chair- scheduling first in order to be on a first floor classroom 
-students who are deaf- providing sign language interpreters

References:

Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive Technology in the classroom: Enhancing the School Experiences of Students with Disabilities. Pearson.