Volunteer Work

Today I put my application in to volunteer for the Northeast Association for the Blind (NABA). Two things were interesting about my application. First, they asked if I had any volunteer experience. I had to say "no" but I qualified it by saying "not recently". I did several volunteer jobs when I was a teenager but of late I haven't really given back to the community the way I think I should. Second, they asked why I was interested in volunteering for NABA. I said that I was interested in helping out, learning about the blind community, and giving back. All true. But is it for them or me?

Assistive Technology Definition

The Assistive Technology Act of 1998, US Public Law 105-394, defines an assistive technology device as "any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, this is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities." ¹ The definition is broad and inclusive, as befitting a law on assistive technology. Any device that aids a person with a disability should be recognized as assistive technology.

To promote my own better understanding and research, I have to categorize devices in my mind. I break down Assistive Technology (AT) into high-tech and low-tech devices. A hearing aid would be high tech because it involves electronics and a ear horn would be low-tech because it does not. I would further break down high-tech devices into those which require computational processing, i.e. a computer, and those that don't. The hearing aid would not, whereas a speech-to-tech device would. It is the computational assistive technology devices which interest me most.

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(1) http://www.section508.gov/docs/AT1998.html

Write About It

I'm going to be researching assistive technology this term. I'm also going to be writing about assistive technology in this blog and in more academic pieces. Writing is important for a PhD student. Since one learns to do something by doing it, I'll be learning to write by writing. I guess learning isn't exactly the write word. I wouldn't be a PhD candidate if I couldn't string together at lease a few paragraphs. But a dissertation is a lot more than a few paragraphs. So to increase my writing skills, I've gotta write.

It is therefore my goal to write in this blog three to five times a week this term. Just a few paragraphs on what I'm studying. Or, if a particular article, observation, or topic really hits me, perhaps more. The objective is to write. If you get a chance, let me know how I'm doing by commenting on this blog.

Observation, Discussion, Demonstration, and Investigation

Being a tech person, I find "things" fascinating. I look over technologies which are new to me, trying to ascertain their full range of uses. I watch as they are used. I ask for explanations and demonstrations. Sometimes I find these technologies so cool that I have to have them. The iPhone is just such device. But most of the time I just find them fascinating.

Of late I find myself with a heightened awareness of the "things" people with disabilities use. Some of these things fascinate me. When the bus kneels and produces a lift for people with mobility problems, I think that's cool. I saw a man with vision problems using a cane to get around and I wondered how he worked it. Technology doesn't have to be high tech to fascinate me. I've yet to see anyone use the headphone jack at an ATM but I think it's a good idea to have it there. I have to try it myself some time.

Getting to my point, this term my study of assistive technology will involve observations of the technologies in action. It will involve discussions with those that use assistive technology and those who produce it. My research will involve demonstrations of technology tools like those presented at the "Low Vision Technology Fair" in my Albany, NY. And, of course, my investigation will involve a review of literature.

Choice of Study Topic

Yesterday I outlined my objectives for this term. Today I want to answer the question: "Why assistive technology?" I have, at this point, three reasons to want to study assistive technology.

First, it's a condition of my educational leave from DoDDS, the Department of Defense Dependents Schools. When I requested leave, I agreed to study assistive technology because it was an area identified by the school system as being essential and in critical need. DoDDS states it's first goal as increased student achievement and seeks to have every student reach his full potential. To this end, resources have been committed to providing the tools necessary to assist those with disabilities. Furthermore, DoDDS hires and trains people to see that assistive technology is used in the most effective manner to meet Goal One. I plan to support teachers, staff, and students in this endeavor when I return to DoDDS.

Second, I was recently diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease, RP. I'm slowly losing my vision and want to know what tools will be available when I need to call upon them. Not a very altruistic reason but often times it is the challenges in our path that lead us in new directions. Assistive technology is a new direction for me. I may never need the services of this technology and, if I do, the technology will surly have changed when I need it. Still, best to get in on the ground floor of technology and see how it grows.

Finally, I think that many of the technologies invented to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities can end up assisting all students. For example, I've seen a speaker system employed in classrooms in which a student has hearing difficulties. The teacher wears a microphone and her words are amplified to assist the student with a hearing disability. But the other students also hear the amplification. And when a student is chosen to read aloud or talk to the whole group, he uses the microphone to be heard. Using the microphone can focus the attention of all students on who is talking; passing the microphone can signify that it is another student's turn. There are affordances to assistive technology that should be explored and used for the benefit of all students.

First Day of Class

Today is the first day of the Fall 2009 Term at the University of Hawaii. Students enrolled in traditional and online classes will receive the course syllabus today. Within the syllabus the objectives of the course will be outlined and, most likely, the professor will spend a good part of the first class discussing how the objectives will be met. I'm enrolled in an independent study class, ETEC 699. On this first day of class, I'm going to outline my course objectives.

1. Know what assistive technology devices are available to aid people with disabilities.
2. Comprehend how assistive technology is used in everyday living.
3. Apply the usage of assistive technology to meet educational goals of individuals with disabilities.
4. Analyze the use of assistive technology by people with disabilities within educational settings.
5. Synthesize assistive technology uses into the broader goal of educating all students using the most appropriate means.
6. Evaluate the use of assistive technology to improve education.

Wow, these are some lofty goals! Borrowing a phrase from politicians, I reserve the right to revise and extend my objectives. It's going to be a good term.