Sara: My First Encounter with Assistive Technology

Upon my first year of teaching, I encountered a student who utilized assistive technology in my classroom. Sara (name has been changed for the obvious reasons) was classified as a special-needs, or SPED student who is able to function and perform in a mainstream classroom. For the most part, Sara was a bright student. She understood most concepts and ideas covered in class, and had incredible social skills, often having to be told to stop talking or walking around.

Sara was born with a hearing disability, so for most of her life, she relied on the hearing aide to function at home and in school. I remember the first day of class when she walked to the front of my desk and casually plopped onto the desk what appeared to be an attachable microphone. She nonchalantly explained to me her situation, and it was obvious that this was something she did at the beginning of every school year. The attachable microphone had become a routine.

The first few days were a bit awkward; I walked around in class with a miniature microphone attached to my shirt, so she heard everything: my instructions, my lectures, and my occasional mumblings. The other students had what I called a staring problem, which only made the situation more uncomfortable. Fortunately, they got over it in less than three weeks.

Still, as I look back on it, I am glad that I was able to encounter such an experience. Our public school system often stunts the growth and development of our youths by depriving them of the necessary tools needed to enhance their learning environment. We never have enough books for the students, and we can’t even provide them with computers to expand and improve their knowledge and skills in technology.

I was moved and touched to see that despite our island’s dour education situation, many students nationwide are afforded the opportunity to utilize assistive technology. For example, people with limited hand function may use a keyboard with large keys or a special mouse to operate a computer, people who are blind may use software that reads text on the screen in a computer-generated voice, people with low vision may use software that enlarges screen content, people who are deaf may use a TTY (text telephone), or people with speech impairments may use a device that speaks out loud as they enter text via a keyboard.

It only further proves that although some of us are born with personal handicaps, we should never give up on ourselves. With the continual growth and development of new and emerging technologies, it is ridiculous not to realize your goals, your hopes, your dreams.