7 Assistive Technology Tools That Support Students with Disabilities

 "Assistive technology (AT) is available for students with disabilities who require hardware, software, or specialized equipment to enhance their functional abilities in the classroom" (Stockton University , Accessibility Toolbox).  For students with disabilities, these tools enhance learning, improve focus and 

supports academic success. After reading about the Accessibility Toolbox on Stockton's website, I would like to highlight seven useful tools that can help assist students who have disabilities. One, Read&Write. This is an online program that supports students who have difficulties reading and/or writing. 

 It includes features such as text-to-speech,  a picture dictionary, and speech-to-text. Why is this important? It is not only a tool for students who have disabilities but also very useful for English Language Learners. 

Secondly, the program Glean. Glean is a note taking app that allows students to record audio and annotate them later on. You can also flag important parts, organize notes and play the audio back while you are studying. This program is perfect for students who struggle with note taking and studying, 

Third is Dragon Naturally Speaking, this program is great for turning text to speech. The students take oral notes. This is perfect for students who have mobility difficulties, learning disabilities or just comes up with ideas verbally. 

Next is a C-pen reader which is a handheld device that reads printed text out loud which makes it incredibly helpful for students with dyslexia. It has the ability to scan documents, books and worksheets along with translates the text as it is speaking. 

JAWS also known as Job Access With Speech is a screen reader designed for readers who suffer from vison loss. It will read the text on the screen and enables navigation without a mouse. Using this program, students are able to access websites, word documents and PDFs independently. This boots autonomy for students who are blind. 

Rocketbook Beacons turns a traditional whiteboard into a smartboard. These tools allows students scan and save their content. 

Lastly is the Smartpen, this will allow the student to record everything their professor says as they are taking down notes and then play it back in sync with the written notes. These are amazing for students with ADHD, Auditory Processing Disorder or for anyone that prefers listening back to the lecture as they are taking notes. 

These are all amazing tools that can benefit any type of student and can be provided with Stockton's Learning Access Program.