LD Tools - Assistive Technology As A Side Effect

“If you are dyslexic and you use a computer to write it is assistive technology but if you are not dyslexic and you use a computer to write with it is not?” (Richard Wanderman, 2003)

Tools (or assistive technology) are aids to the learning process for both students with and without learning disabilities. These tools in many cases were not built to accommodate students with a learning disability but as a productivity tool for everyone. That they assist people with learning disability is an unintended consequence. 

Photo by ben124.

The word processor was not designed to assist with learning disability issues, but to replace the typewriter and improve and standardize the work a secretary could accomplish in a day. Adding in a spell checker reduced one more step in the proofing process before a final document was produced. Letting the original “author” do more initial edits and corrections, allowing the “secretary” to produce the final document with minimal rework.

About a year after my office automated, my boss stood in the middle of the office and simply stated, “The reason are secretaries aren't doing anything is WE aren't giving them anything to do!”

The word processor as an assistive technology tool that provides solutions for hand writing issues, spelling issues, organization issues and with additional addins' editing and proofing.

Just because a product is not labeled as an assistive technology tool for students with learning disability, doesn't mean it isn't. In the opposite direction, tools designed for those with a learning disability can be used by the main stream population.

As technologies merge, use of assistive technology tools will no longer brand the learning disability student as “different,” but as one more person using productivity tools.

Speech recognition is now mainstream in Windows 7, spell checkers and dictionaries have been mainstream since the first word processor, mind mapping and visual organizers were developed as advanced business productivity tools, audio books and ebooks (think accessible materials) are available mainstream.

UD (Universal Design) does work for all!

More information at NPTraining.net