Assistive Technology

Assistive technology enables and promotes the inclusion and equal participation of people with disabilities in all forms of society. The primary purpose of assistive technologies is to maintain or improve the functioning and independence of the individual, thus promoting their well-being. Assistive technology enables people to live healthy, productive, independent and dignified lives and to participate in education, the labor market and civic life like all other citizens.

The association for assistive technology “Open the Windows” is focused on promoting assistive technology and digital inclusion in the field of education and learning difficulties for children and young people. Assistive technology in our association helps people with a variety of disabilities – from cognitive problems to physical disabilities and students with learning disabilities often experience greater success when they are allowed to use their abilities (strengths) to work around their disability through assistive technology.

Assistive technology can increase a child’s self-confidence as well as a sense of independence. Children who go to school are often overly dependent on their parents, siblings, friends, and teachers for help with their homework. The use of assistive technology has proven that children can experience much greater success by working independently.

What types of learning problems are addressed by assistive technology?

Assistive technology can respond to many types of learning difficulties. A student who has difficulty writing can compile a report from school, dictating it and turning it into text with special software. A child struggling with math can use a handheld calculator to maintain a score while playing a game with a friend. And a teenager with dyslexia can benefit from assistive technology that will read aloud the training manual of his employer. There are various tools available to help students who are struggling with:

Listening

Certain assistive technology tools can help people who have difficulty processing and remembering spoken language. Such devices can be used in a variety of settings (eg, Lecturing or meeting with multiple speakers).

Mathematics

Assistive Math Technology is designed to help people who are having difficulty organizing, aligning and copying math problems on paper. With the help of visual and / or audio support, users can better set up and calculate basic math problems.

Organization and memory

Assistive technology tools can help the student organize and keep track of his / her calendar, schedule, to-do list, contact information and various notes. These tools allow him to manage, store and download such information with the help of special software and handheld devices.

Reading

There are a wide range of assistive technology tools available to help individuals struggling with reading. While each type of tool works a little differently, all of these tools help with presenting text as speech. These tools help facilitate decoding, fluency reading and comprehension.

Writing

There is a wide range of assistive technology tools available to assist students struggling with writing. Some of these tools help students bypass the actual physical task of writing, while others facilitate proper spelling, punctuation, grammar, word usage, and organization.