Assistive Technology Primer
The definition of assistive technology that was included in P.L. 100-407, (The Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act) was modified slightly in the federal regulations for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (PL 101-476) to make the definition more applicable to children with disabilities:
Assistive technology means any item, piece of equipment or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of children with disabilities. Source: Federal Register, August 19, 1991,p. 41272.
The federal regulations went on to state that an array of services also is included when considering applications of assistive technology. Such services include activities such as evaluation of a person’s needs for assistive technology devices, purchasing or leasing assistive technology devices for people, designing and fabricating devices, coordinating services offered by those who provide assistive technology services, providing training or technical assistance to a person who uses assistive technology, and training and technical assistance to those who work with people who use assistive technology devices, such as teachers or employers.
Source: http://natri.uky.edu/resources/fundamentals/defined.html#definition
To learn more about Assistive Technology explore the following authoritative resources:
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Assistive Technology Training Online Project ( http://atto.buffalo.edu/) is a great first stop for those new to Assistive Technology looking for an easy to understand yet comprehensive overview of Assistive Technology.
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National Assistive Technology Technical Assistance Partnership (NATTAP) ( http://www.resna.org/taproject/at/statecontacts.html) provides technical assistance to the 56 state and territory assistive technology programs as authorized under the Assistive Technology Act of 1998, as amended (P.L. 108-364).
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