Tenemos que dejar de pensar en la tecnologÃa en términos de sustantivos (por ejemplo, PowerPoint, YouTube o Twitter) y, en cambio, pensar en términos de verbos (presentar, compartir, comunicar).
~ Douglas Fisher y Nancy Frey, Habilidades del siglo XXI
¿Qué es la tecnologÃa de asistencia y accesibilidad?
La tecnologÃa de asistencia (TA) es un término general que engloba una gama de herramientas, estrategias y servicios que permiten a un estudiante con discapacidad completar una tarea que de otro modo le resultarÃa difÃcil o incapaz de realizar.
La tecnologÃa accesible se refiere a aquella diseñada teniendo en cuenta las necesidades de diversos usuarios. A menudo, incluye herramientas y funciones similares a las de las tecnologÃas de asistencia. Por ejemplo, pensemos en los subtÃtulos… Proporcionar texto con vÃdeo o audio es una tecnologÃa de asistencia consolidada para estudiantes con discapacidad auditiva. Sin embargo, la inclusión de materiales de vÃdeo y audio también puede ser beneficiosa para estudiantes que aprenden inglés, estudiantes con un estilo de aprendizaje visual e incluso para aquellos que llegan cansados a clase y necesitan un poco de ayuda adicional. En consecuencia, la tecnologÃa accesible tiene amplias implicaciones. El Diseño Universal para el Aprendizaje nos indica que lo que es bueno para unos pocos puede serlo para muchos, y para los educadores, este es un buen punto de partida para lograr un aprendizaje accesible.
Pregúntate: ¿Qué puedo poner a disposición en el diseño instruccional desde el principio que permita a TODOS los estudiantes (incluidos los estudiantes con discapacidades) tener más éxito?
Al hablar de estudiantes con discapacidades, se hacen referencias a herramientas, estrategias y apoyos, como la «tecnologÃa de asistencia», ya que este requisito legal debe abordarse en el proceso del Programa de Educación Individualizada (PEI). Al ampliar la comprensión de cómo las tecnologÃas de asistencia y accesibilidad se superponen y se complementan, los docentes pueden brindar apoyo a TODOS los estudiantes.
La secuencia de capacitación de acceso abierto denominada " CurrÃculo accesible para TODOS " está diseñada para maestros de educación general y especial, proveedores de servicios y administradores que trabajan para lograr el acceso y la inclusión de todos los estudiantes.
Profundiza un poco más en este tema explorando los extractos del artÃculo titulado " TecnologÃa de asistencia y diseño universal: dos caras de la misma moneda" .
El Diseño Universal para el Aprendizaje (DUA) y las TecnologÃas de Asistencia (TA) están conectados a través de la idea de que las barreras pueden reducirse o eliminarse mediante un diseño instruccional intencional con raÃces en el DUA, además de proporcionar a los estudiantes las herramientas que necesitan.
¿Por qué es tan importante la tecnologÃa? ¿Para estudiantes con discapacidades?
The National Education Technology Plan (NETP, Office of Educational Technology, 2024) states, "Technology can be a powerful tool to help transform learning. It has the potential to empower students to expand their learning beyond the confines of the traditional classroom, support self-directed learning, help educators tailor learning experiences to individual student needs, and support students with disabilities. Technology also has the potential to allow students and educators to collaborate with peers and experts worldwide, engage with immersive learning simulations, and express their learning creatively. Furthermore, it has the potential to collect student performance and engagement data, providing insight into student progress and allowing educators to deploy targeted support".
Think about the quote at the top of this page. It’s not enough to provide teachers with a box of tools. Teachers need to understand how to leverage those tools using methodology that considers the variability of all learners, and how to strategically implement them to reduce the specific barriers to learning for the students they are teaching. By grounding the provision of assistive technology in the practices of universal design for learning, teachers can support the goal for students to be successful in inclusive settings.
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What is the impact for our students with disabilities?
The National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 looked at postsecondary outcomes for students nationally and found that students with high incidence disabilities who received assistive technology performed significantly better than those who did not receive assistive technology.
Students who received AT graduated at a rate of 99.8% compared to 79.6% for students who did not receive assistive technology.
Students who received AT enrolled in postsecondary education programs at a rate of 80.9% compared to 40.1% for students who did not receive AT.
Students who received AT obtained a paying job at a rate of 80% compared to 50.8% for students who did not receive AT.
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What are the mandates for providing assistive technology?
Because AT is so important for students with disabilities, there exist specific mandates for providing tools, strategies and the services that support their use. Since 1990, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has required AT devices and services be available to every student with a disability - if that student needs AT in order to receive a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). Needing AT to access an educational program can mean access to special instruction; access to the general curriculum; and/or access to extracurricular activities. In many cases, the provision of assistive technology can be the most meaningful way of ensuring students can meet more challenging objectives and experience an appropriately ambitious program.
More than one federal law addresses the requirement that schools provide AT to students who benefit from it and have equal access to their educational programs. Others include the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Assistive Technology Act of 1998, and a fairly recent Seneate Bill from California called SB 605 which gives students greater access to assistive technology.
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The U.S. Department of Education has provided new guidance about AT. Myths & Facts About Assistive Technology and Services answers many questions surrounding AT and can be very useful to teams that support students with disabilities.
Dive deeper into AT with the “Legal Basis for Assistive Technology” which includes excerpts from Gayl Bowser and Penny R. Reed's book titled Leading the Way to Excellence in AT Services: A Guide for Administrators.
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References​
Bowser, Gayl and Reed, Penny, Leading the Way to Excellence in AT Services: A Guide for Administrators, 2020.
National Center for Special Education Research, National Longitudinal Transition Study-2
U.S. Department of Education, A Call to Action for Closing the Digital Access, Design, and Use Divides, National Educational Technology Plan, 2024.
U.S. Department of Education, Myths & Facts About Assistive Technology and Services, 2024.
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