ATiA - Assistive Technology Industry Association
The ATIA is a not-for profit membership organization of manufacturers, sellers, and providers of technology-based assistive devices and services. ATIA members are active in providing assistive technology for the gamut of disabilities:
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Blindness and low vision
- Deafness and hard of hearing
- Computer access problems
- Communication disorders
- Mobility impairment
- Mounting systems
- Learning disabilities
- Cognitive disabilities
- Web accessibility
- Augmentative and alternative communication devices (AAC)
AT FOUNDATIONS
Legislative Policies
This investigation was conducted prior to the 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which mandated that assistive technology (AT) be considered for all students who receive Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). It serves as the baseline against which a current NATRI investigation of ATpolicies of State Departments of Education is being compared. The results of that analysis should provide evidence about the impact of the IDEA mandates related to AT
IDEA ACT
IDEA ACT STATES : http://www.gpat.org/
As defined in IDEA, an assistive technology service is:
Any service that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, and use of an assistive technology device. The term includes-
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The evaluation of the needs of a child with a disability, including a functional evaluation of the child in the child’s customary environment;
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Purchasing, leasing, or otherwise providing for the acquisition of assistive technology devices by children with disabilities;
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Selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, adapting, applying, retaining, repairing, or replacing assistive technology devices;
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Coordinating and use other therapies, interventions, or services with assistive technology devices, such as those associated with existing education and rehabilitation plans and programs;
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Training or technical assistance for a child with a disability or, if appropriate, that child’s family; and
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Training or technical assistance for professionals (including individuals or rehabilitation services), employers, or other individuals who provide services to employ, or are otherwise substantially involved in the major life functions of children with disabilities.
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT
NCLB states that children who need accommodations including AT in order to participate are to be provided with them, however it’s up to individual states to determine what accommodations are allowed without rendering the results unreliable or invalid. NCLB also encourages the development, dissemination, and promotion of appropriate accommodations to increase the number of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who are tested against grade-level academic achievement standards.
Rehabilitation Act
UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING (UDL)
Universal design for learning (UDL) is a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn.
http://www.cast.org/our-work/about-udl.html#.WDJ11RLx4_M
The UDL Guidelines, an articulation of the UDL framework, can assist anyone who plans lessons/units of study or develops curricula (goals, methods, materials, and assessments) to reduce barriers, as well as optimize levels of challenge and support, to meet the needs of all learners from the start. They can also help educators identify the barriers found in existing curriculum.
Three primary principles guide UDL—and provide structure for the Guidelines:
To learn more, click on one of the Guidelines below.
I. Provide Multiple Means of Representation
PerceptionLanguage, expressions, and symbolsComprehension
II. Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression
Physical actionExpression and communication
Executive function
III. Provide Multiple Means of Engagement
Recruiting interestSustaining effort and persistence
Self-regulation