Business and Financial Services

INTRODUCTION

            Assistive technology refers to the collective process of design, development and deployment of hardware and software systems, with the intent to facilitate people with disabilities and enhance their functional performance[1]. There is a considerable amount of research being conducted in this particular field targeted at production of innovative methodologies and devices, which not only aid the impaired with every day tasks, but also help them in the learning and skill development process.

            Assistive technology finds its application at school in the form of various tools and techniques that assist the disabled students to improve their in class performance including knowledge absorption and personality development. With the advent of assistive technology, it has become possible to a great extent for the less fortunate to overcome the otherwise inevitable impediments in the learning process.

CLASSIFICATION

  The available support rendered by the technology can be classified as falling under three categories, depending upon the extent of support required and the available financial resources[2]. This includes Low, Mild and High assistive technology devices. Low assistive technology devices include support gadgets that do not involve electronics and do not require a battery for operation. Such devices easy to operate and are low in cost. Mild support strategies rely on simple electronics. These devices are not heavily dependent upon technological advancements. High assistive devices are electronically sophisticated. These employ modern day techniques as image processing, signal analysis and logic design to achieve the desired functionalities. Such devices require a processing unit. As a result, these are designed to work on a computer or in conjunction with an embedded processor or a microcontroller. The cost of such devices is significantly high, as is the complexity and effort involved in development process.