1. DEVELOPING AN ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY INTAKE EVALUATION
Wink Harner
Texas AHEAD
2019

2. INTRODUCTION – Who are you?
Who are you? What office do you work in?
What is your career path?
Why are you here? Specifically, in this workshop?!*
What do you hope to gain from this workshop?
Do you love/are you afraid of technology?
Can you think of a situation where access to assistive technology would’ve made all the difference?

3. WHAT IS ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY?
Definition
Assistive Technology is any item, piece of equipment or product system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. Simply stated, Assistive Technology is tools and resources used by individuals with disabilities to help improve their quality of life and increase their independence.
SOURCE:

4. IS THERE A “ONE SIZE FITS ALL” SOLUTION?
- All students who need text-to-speech will use Kurzweil or Read &
Write (because that’s what we have).
All students will use Natural Reader with Paul’s voice (because that’s what we have)
All students with a TTS accommodation get a print-to-file alt text in Kurzweil
Because it’s easy (for us)
Because no one’s asked for a better file structure
All students get a PDF publisher image file
Because it’s electronic, therefore “accessible”
NO, there is no one size fits all!

5. TYPES OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
HIGH TECH:
Juliet Braille embosser
CCTV
CART equipment set up for remote transcriptions
open site license for Dragon NaturallySpeaking
learning system software packages such as Kurzweil, Read & Write, Wynn Wizard.
Portable document cameras
Assistive listening devices
Can you think of others?
LOW TECH:
What about "there's an app for that" solution?
Is there equivalent open source software?
Example: JAWS / NVDA
EQUIVALENT = provides the same or the same level of access
Example: using screen color overlays through the accessibility settings vs. providing colored transparency sheets
Browse through a dollar store, an office supply or a hardware store and think about several items which could be utilized as a low tech solution.

6. Assistive Technology Categories Mind Map
Reading
Writing
Notetaking
Dictation/Speech-to- Text/Speech Recognition
Mind Mapping/Brainstorming, Organization/Task Management
Time Management/Distraction Free
Research Tools
Study Skills/Aids
Vision
Hearing, Communication
Built-In Accessibility
SOURCE:

7. FREE & LOW COST TECHNOLOGY FOR EVERYONE Augsburg College

8. CHOOSING HIGH TECH vs. LOW TECH
The purpose of AT is to remove or reduce the effects of functional limitation.
When discussing AT, the conversation often centers on the most recent, most complicated, and most expensive technologies.
Such discussions often neglect low tech AT options that could be a better fit.

9. BENEFITS OF HIGH TECH vs
BENEFITS OF HIGH TECH vs. LOW TECH most recent, most complicated, most expensive vs. low tech + a better fit
HIGH TECH
LOW TECH
High brand name recognition
Costly
Require extensive training
Depends on individual needs and abilities
Readily available
Do not require extensive training
Depends on individual needs and abilities
SOURCE:

10. CASE STUDY - Choosing Low Tech vs High Tech
Case Study: Mary has a disability that inhibits her ability to grasp small items, such as pencils, due to their diameter. She has no other physical or cognitive disabilities that effect her ability to write. To help Mary compose papers, one AT solution to consider is voice recognition software. This would allow Mary to write by dictating text into the computer without having to grasp a pencil. Although this would be an effective solution, accommodation could be achieved with a low tech solution. A more practical accommodation would be to put a pencil grip on a pencil, which would increase the diameter of the pencil to a size, allowing Mary to better grasp it, and allow her to write. This is a better solution for Mary because it would allow her to use her abilities, cost significantly less than voice recognition software, and would not require training.
SOURCE:

11. CASE STUDY - Choosing High Tech vs Low Tech
William is a student with multiple disabilities. He has a physical disability that prevents him from grasping a pencil due to the pencil's small diameter. This disability also causes him to fatigue quickly when writing. William also has dyslexia, making writing a difficult and taxing cognitive task. Providing William with a pencil grip alleviates the problem of not being able to grip a pencil, however it does not address his physical fatigue when writing or his cognitive disability. In this case, William should be provided with a high tech option such as voice recognition software. This software will allow William to write without physically using his arms, thus preventing fatigue. By automatically spelling words correctly, it will also help William increase writing speed and quality. Also, the playback function of this software will provide an audio means of double checking his work without having to rely on his reading skills. In this case, the added expense and training benefits the user.
SOURCE:

12. REMEMBER: ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL!
When determining someone's AT needs:
Low tech options may work for some while others require high tech solutions.
Recommending a high-tech technology when low tech would be sufficient is not cost-effective, and does not tap into the user's abilities.
Conversely, providing someone with low-tech technology when high tech is necessary may save money, but it does not provide the individual with the tools necessary to reduce his or her functional limitation(s).
People with disabilities are individuals and have individual needs, even if they have the similar disabilities.
Each individual user's needs, abilities, and limitations determines which type of technology is most appropriate, not their disability category. 
SOURCE:

13. Low Tech Organizational Strategies
Color: Many people with LD are very visual, and color-coding notes, homework, or text to be read (with highlighters or other colored pens or markers) can help decode a monotonous visual field.  Underlining and highlighting a passage of text can help make the process of reading more "active", and aid in retention.  You can also purchase highlight tape for marking important passages. The tape can be removed from the pages of a book when you are done with it.
"Post-it“ colored notes:  useful for "tabbing“ relevant text in a book or notebook.
Day Planner:  A good way to store names, addresses, appointments, and "to-do" lists. 
Wall Calendar:  Pick one with large spaces to write in. Useful for seeing important deadlines in time to do something about them.
Source:

14. RESOURCES IN YOUR STATE
TEXAS ACCESS TECH:
ACCESS CENTERS for tech demos:
RESOURCES in Texas:

15. UNDERSTANDING THE AT EVALUATION PROCESS
Understand the evaluation process for students that were evaluated in high school
Learn about different types of AT assessments and evaluations
Gain specific knowledge on the Lifespace Access Profile -
Find the Right Tools:  Evaluation Comparison Worksheet:
UKATII Assistive Technology Toolkit:
The SETT Framework Source:
QIAT – Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology -

16. INDICATORS TO CONSIDER FOR EVALUATION
Consideration of Student’s AT Needs
Assessment of Student’sAT Needs
Where is AT in the Student’s IEP?
AT Implementation
Evaluation of Effectiveness of AT
Administrative Support for AT
Support for AT Professional Development
SOURCE:

17. LAYING THE GROUNDWORK: CREATE 3 SHORT QUESTIONNAIRES
A 5 question self-evaluation for students
A 5 question evaluation for AT evaluators
A 5 question evaluation for campus-wide access
(example: JAWS, NVDA, PDF Power Converter, Dragon Naturally Speaking, Kurzweil, Read & Write, others?)
Open site licenses? Open Portal Access?

18. LAYING THE GROUNDWORK: CREATE A LEARNING STYLE QUESTIONNAIRE
The DVC Learning Style Survey
Written by Catherine Jester, Counselor, Diablo Valley College
Learning Styles Profile
University of Arizona

19. What do the results suggest about assistive technology solutions?
Visual learners prefer to learn by seeing graphs or text.
Auditory learners prefer to learn by hearing or speaking.
Kinesthetic learners prefer to learn by doing, touching, or moving.
Learning Preferences are just that – Preferences. Everyone learns using some combination of ALL of these ways!
SOURCE: University of Arizona

20. KEY QUESTIONS TO PURSUE
What should the student ask themselves about their functional limitations and what technology/technology skills they might need?
What key questions should assistive tech evaluators examine in determining appropriate software/hardware/apps for campus?
For Disability Resources offices or AT labs?
For instructional designers?
What are some key questions to ask in addressing a campus-wide install:
open site licenses
open portal access
campus server capacity
Writing AT into the department’s Strategic Plan

21. INTAKE EVALUATION BASED ON
Documentation
Self-report from student
Q&A on learning styles
Observation

22. SET UP PRELIMINARY TECH EVAL
Has the student used tech in the past?
Is the student comfortable & knowledgeable with general computer & phone tech?
Do they need specific additional training and support?

23. ASK ABOUT ENVIRONMENT WHERE AT WILL BE USED
Where used?
Dorm, bus, car, library?
When?
How often?
Internet access needed?
Other questions to ask?

24. SET UP TRAINING & FOLLOW UP SCHEDULE
How is your campus set for AT training & support?
Your office? An AT lab?
Support and availability elsewhere on campus?
Who is responsible for the training? The follow-up?
- System set up for checking out & checking in loaned equipment?
Do you have a schedule for follow up Q&A with the student?
Use PLUS / DELTA format – What do you like? What would you change?
* Example: PLUS: I like following along with the highlighted
text while listening to the text to speech read aloud;
DELTA: I prefer listening to a female/male voice.

25. LEARNING STYLES ASSESSMENT
SOURCE: University of Arizona: documents/Learning%20Styles%20Assessment%20and%20Scoring.p df
Using the example from the University of Arizona, what do the results of the learning styles assessment suggest about assistive technology solutions?
Visual learners prefer to learn by seeing graphs or text.
Auditory learners prefer to learn by hearing or speaking.
Kinesthetic learners prefer to learn by doing, touching, or moving.
Learning Preferences are just that-Preferences. Everyone learns using some combination of ALL of these ways!

26. Take the parts apart. Adapt as needed. Credit your sources!
Thank you! Wink Harner 2209 SE 145th Avenue Portland OR