What is Assistive Technology ?
Assistive Technology (AT) is any item or piece of equipment that is used to increase, maintain or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities in all aspects of life, including at school, at work, at home and in the community. Assistive Technology ranges from low tech to high tech devices or equipment.
LOW TECH
are devices or equipment that don’t require much training, may be less expensive and do not have complex or mechanical features.
Examples:
handheld magnifiers
large print text
using paper and pen to communicate
canes and walkers
reachers/grabbers
specialized pen or pencil grips and much more
MID TECH
devices or equipment that range in the middle of the continuum may have some complex features, may be electronic or battery operated, may require some training to learn how to use and are more expensive than the low-tech devices.
Examples:
talking spell checkers
manual wheelchairs
electronic organizers
Closed Caption Televisions (CCTV’s)
amplifiers
books on CD
environmental control units (ECU)
alternate mouse or keyboard for the computer and much more
HIGH TECH
refers to the most complex devices or equipment, that have digital or electronic components, may be computerized, will likely require training and effort to learn how to use and cost the most.
Examples:
power wheelchairs and scooters
digital hearing aids
computers with specialized software such as voice recognition or magnification software
electronic aids to daily living
digital hands-free headsets
voice activated telephones
communication devices with voices
bluetooth integration
digi-drive technology (operating a vehicle with a joystick)
RESOURCES
