Assistive Technology in the Classroom

Everyday in our country, there are millions of people who need some type of assistive technology to go to school, work, or just to live independently. Especially in our public school system, there is a need for assistive technologies to help give each individual child an equal opportunity to have their learning needs met. Fortunately, our government has also recognized this need and the importance of funding for assistive technology. A monumental act was passed that affected assistive technology programs in every state. On October 25, 2004, President Bush signed the Assistive Technology Act of 2004, setting a landmark precedence for Assistive Technology programs all over the country. The text of the actual law can be found on this site. The AT Act of 2004 was actually the final in a series of Acts set on helping with assistive technology. Previous acts were declared in 1988 and 1998, but in 2004, the most grandiose leap was made to ensure that vital funding never goes away for AT programs. For this reason, this act in 2004 was not the first provided funding, as every state had previously had Assistive Technology Act Programs due to the earlier acts; however, under the original language, funding for these vital programs was due to cease in 2004, according to RampWeb, which can be found here. The purpose of the AT Act of 2004, specifically, was to amend previous acts, ensuring that the funding would not be stopped. Millions of people could rest easy, knowing they would not be losing their independence or much needed services and devices. Because of the previous nature of the 1988 and 1998 acts, supporters had to lobby Congress every single year to ensure the proper funding was given. Now, with the passage of this act, that funding will stay available, according to Access World, whose words can be found here.

Specifically, this Act states that under law, every single state receives a certain grant that funds an Assistive Technology Act Project or Program, according to Access World. The Projects in each state do numerous things for thousands of people, including providing services to people who have disabilities throughout their entire lives. With no age limit on the act, the smallest kindergarten child to the oldest senior citizen can both receive the help they need. Another push of the 2004 Act was to standardize assistance across all states, and Access World (found here), said that more consistent, reliable services are being provided across the board. Regardless of how you look at it, success is definitely the result for people with disabilities who need this assistance. The provisions are expansive, as the Assistive Technology Act Projects in each state are able to provide things such as low-cost loans for equipment and devices, actual demonstrations of new technologies that are more efficient, as well as the knowledge and resources to get this information out to the public. According to the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability, found here, some additional provisions of the act are to increase access to assistance, programs of repair and exchange, technical assistance and training, and public awareness of the severity of this need. Through the help of an Advisory Council in each state, these provision have far reaching effects, and are literally changing the lives of millions across the country.

So what does this mean for educators and future participants in the educational system? According to Deborah Buck, even teachers are covered under this act to receive the technology they need to help those students with disabilities in their classroom. A main goal of education is to try and provide an equal, fair opportunity to learn for each and every student that comes in the halls of your school. This act provides much needed access to technology to assist students in that type of fair learning environment. The supporters at RampWeb argue that this piece of legislation is a grand representation of the support Congress and the President are pledging, and also their commitment to help those who are in need of this type of assistance. With improvements like this to the law on the side of those in need, the possibilities are almost endless in assisting them to live their lives independently and truly achieve their full potential.

SITES
http://www.ataporg.org/atap/atact_law.pdf
http://www.rampweb.com/Accessibility_News/ATAP.asp
http://www.afb.org/AFBPress/pub.asp?DocID=aw060109
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/disability_Legislation/ata.shtml
http://www.ncdae.org/activities/papers/carol/atapnews.htm