Braille in the Techno Age

Summary:

The article, "New Technologies Engage Students With Disabilities," documents the incredible rise of assistive technology devices for students with disabilities. Fifty years ago, students with vision impairments went to special schools for the blind. These days, students like Kyle Beasley carry around an iPad hooked up by bluetooth to a special braille translator that allows him to access the internet, read textbooks, and do just about anything anybody else can do with a computer.

The availability of technology to change the lives of people with disabilities has risen enormously in the last ten years, according to the article. Now, school districts hire special people to keep track of technological advances and match them to students with disabilities. The second half of the article tells the story of Ms. White, whose job it is to identify technology and advocate for its use with students in her district. She has an amazing amount of success stories, and sees technology as empowering her students to succeed in school and in their lives.

Response:

The article is a very positive one that seems to emphasize the power of technology to make the world a better place, especially for students with disabilities. And, when I read about the braille device that pops up new braille on a pad to correspond with whatever is on the screen (and communicates via bluetooth), I am entirely convinced that certain technologies can change lives. Part of me does wonder how much every student needs an iPod, a laptop, and special software, or how cost-effective it is to deliver that to each student.

I would like to see some critical perspectives in the article. I would like to know what the opposition to these technology programs - especially the ones that buy laptops and iPods for studetns with mild learning disabilities - has to say. It seems like there is a line between life-changing and merely convenient, and I wonder where school districts draw it.

Citation:

Shultz, F. (2012). New technologies engage students with disabilities. Education Week.