USE OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION: MAKING ROOM FOR DIVERSE LEARNING NEEDS

USE OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION: MAKING ROOM FOR DIVERSE LEARNING NEEDS

Arina Budyakova

Graduate, Belgorod State University,

Russia, Belgorod

ABSTRACT

The concept of inclusive education has brought with itself the much-needed share of equality in approach for the education of the ’disabled’ by giving them a leveled field to rightly exhibit their differential abilities, proving themselves capable enough to learn and perform together, at par with their non-disabled peers. And with this shift in approach, there also emerges the need and challenge to tailor the teaching strategies or the means of instructional delivery in the inclusive classrooms, to address the diverse learning needs of all learners in an equitable manner.

Keywords: assistive technology, diverse learning needs, accessibility, equality.

Students with disabilities are found to be frequently trapped in a vicious cycle of exclusion from education, society and mainstream development programmes due to lack of necessary support and the means for equal participation. Effective technology integration can help provide all learners the ability to access the general education curriculum, offering them multiple means to complete their work with greater ease and independence in performing tasks that they were formerly unable to accomplish, or had great difficulty in accomplishing.

Acknowledging the capabilities or ’differential abilities’ of all learners, the education of children with special needs in inclusive schools becomes more of a shared responsibility between the different stakeholders involved, demanding a shift in attitude, availability and accessibility of infrastructure, pedagogy, need-based methods and materials for instructional delivery, assessment and evaluation; and the much evident issue of acceptance and accommodation at all levels in the education system. Addressing the individual learning needs of all children, youth and adults, with a specific focus on those vulnerable to marginalization and exclusion; inclusive education as an approach implies all learners, with or without disabilities, to be able to learn together through access to common pre-school provisions, schools and community educational setting with an appropriate network of support services, which can be possible only in a flexible education system that assimilates the needs of diverse learners and adapts itself to meet these needs, ensuring that all stakeholders in the system are comfortable with diversity and see it as a challenge rather than a problem. Technology has great potential in providing access for all learners, and the ability to access the general education curriculum. Assistive technology is a generic term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for individuals with disabilities and includes ’virtually anything that might be used to compensate for lack of certain abilities’ ranging from low-tech devices like crutches or a special grip for a pen, to more advanced items like hearing aids and glasses, to high-tech devices such as computers with specialized software for helping dyslexics to read.

The success and applicability of an assistive technology device is measured by its actual usage, ease in accessibility by its users and in their satisfaction in interaction with their environment. It is essential to ensure that the assistive devices are need-based, inexpensive to produce, purchase and maintain, easy to use, and effective, which can be ensured by the direct involvement of the potential users at each stage of designing and development.

1. Suitability to Users and their Environment - The devices should be compatible with the users’ aspirations, emotional needs, and ways of life, and with their culture and local customs; unobtrusive by local standards, and physically comfortable from users’ perspectives. It should assure user safety, be useful in a variety of situations, and be durable, dependable and reliable especially in rural areas, remote areas and rugged conditions, and compatible with the ground surface and other conditions of a user’s physical environment.

2. Inexpensive and Easy to Purchase - The devices should be low in purchase price. Government and/or NGOs can also support in the provision and purchase of the devices, free of charge or at subsidized rates. The devices should be easy and affordable to assemble or produce and maintain, so that keeping the devices in working order would require minimal resources and can be repaired with the use of locally available materials and technical skills.

3. Easy-to-Use - The devices should be easily understandable by users with limited exposure to technology, portable (easy to move from one place to another), and easy to operate without prolonged training or complex skills. Depending upon the differential abilities of the learners, and the context and feasibility of the approach, assistive provisions in education can help assist students with disabilities in learning, and a collaborative effort in the use of assistive devices, assistive technology, resource room support and innovative educational strategies to promote and sustain inclusion can support these students to learn at par with their non disabled peers in inclusive educational settings.

Disability is seen to have more serious consequences for those students, who struggle with a ’dually- disadvantaged’ life amidst additional handicapping conditions besides ’disability’, like poverty, thereby having limited access to rehabilitation services and assistive devices. Trapped in a vicious cycle of exclusion from education, society and mainstream development programmes, without appropriate information, assistive devices and support services, such students lack the means for equal participation in education and development. The resulting lack of skills is a barrier to meaningful employment opportunities later in life, further perpetuating the cumulative disadvantages. Assistive technology can help in meeting these ’disabling’ needs by addressing the ’functional barriers’ confronted by individuals with disabilities, including the sensory, cognitive, learning and physical disabilities.

Training Students and Acknowledging Expectations/Attitudes

Students need to be supported in learning to use the technology to be able to successfully access it; otherwise the results may prove to be even worse than having no access to the technology at all. The perception and attitude of the students with disabilities regarding the assistive technology is one of the deciding factors in its selection and sustainable usage. And if the process is perceived by them to be too cumbersome and time-consuming, there are chances of considerable resistance from the students, which with regular training should be positively modified to aid in efficient learning. An effective orientation to the functioning of the assistive technology; balanced exchange of opinions; discussion of the benefits, expectations and limitations, goals, and inhibitions about using the technology or the specific software should be planned, resolved and executed for a better inclination and motivation for the students. A system for referrals to local agencies or experts, besides the consulting support at schools and colleges, as well as considerable support from parents and educators should be ensured. Sufficient practice with apt applications to relevant tasks like assignments for classes should be planned, besides the necessary evaluation of the students, their environment and the available tools, to determine the appropriate assistive technology to use in any specific setting for the successful incorporation of technology. As far as possible, similar applications and adaptations of technology should be considered for students at both their school-setting as well as their home, taking the parents of students with disabilities as well as the students themselves as equal partners in the decision- making and implementation process

Accessibility is a celebration of diversity, and a crucial factor in ensuring students’ participation in the learning process. Access to information, awareness, mainstream education curriculum, learning materials, assistive devices and the necessary support services can help students with disabilities in learning at par with their non-disabled peers in the common classroom, breaking down all barriers which prevent them from having equal access to quality education. Researches confirm the positive outcomes of inclusion in education, which is found to promote effectiveness in educational practice, delivering positive educational outcomes for children with disabilities in inclusive settings. Regular schools with an inclusive orientation are found to be most effective in combating discriminatory attitudes, building an inclusive society and achieving education for all.

Assistive technology should not be viewed by educators within a ’rehabilitative’ or ’remediative’ context, but as a tool for accessing curriculum, and exploring out means to help students achieve positive outcomes. For the proper and optimum use of assistive devices, it is essential to ensure need-based assessment - considering the applicability of the technology and its effectiveness; a sound development plan - ensuring student centered goals and proper identification in the plan of the devices needed; successful implementation - through action-oriented approach to check the feasibility and effectiveness of the technology, with effective monitoring and periodic review. There is a distinct need for researchers, practitioners, and other stakeholders in the system to identify ways to encourage the development of tools and strategies for technology integration, and strive to work together on issues surrounding the use of technology, for effective inclusion of students with disabilities within the general education environment, ensuring that they are entitled to the same high standards and effective instruction that is available to the non-disabled students. It is essential to focus and build on the strengths and capabilities of the students, with the necessary support and assistance, to give more room to their abilities in order to address their ’disabilities’.

References:

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