This paper examines federal policy, legislation, and adjudication related to assistive technology for students with disabilities. It considers the expanded mandate for assistive technology in IDEA 1997 and its implications, including costs and benefits. Recent federal court decisions, hearing decisions, and Section 504 rulings addressing assistive…

This study compared the effectiveness of spaced retrieval (SR) and a modified cueing hierarchy (CH), for teaching persons with dementia a strategy goal involving an external memory aid. Training of 25 persons with dementia found that the SR procedures resulted in significantly more goals being attained and maintained at both 1-week and 4-months…

A study assessed whether a program involving simple hand-movement responses combined with optic microswitches and followed by preferred stimuli would be successful with two persons with multiple disabilities (ages 11 and 30). Data showed participants reached fairly high levels of responding during intervention and retained their achievement…

This article provides information about the hardware components and speech-processing strategies of cochlear implant systems. The use of assistive listening devices with cochlear implants is also discussed. A brief description of surgical procedures and the initial activation of the device are also presented, along with programming considerations.…

This article reviews some of the existing technology that assists children with low vision in their ability to use environmental cues. It provides recommendations for modification of color and contrast, illumination, space, and time. A chart lists technological assists for environmental cues and vendor information. (Contains references.) (CR)

This article describes Internet sites relating to special education with a global perspective. The Web Accessibility Initiative is described, as is the current standard for Web accessibility: "Bobby Approved". Webable, a provider of Web accessibility technology, the Archimedes Project, and a Web site for translating languages are also…

Three studies examined the computer needs and concerns of Canadian postsecondary students with disabilities. Data detail differences in students' and disability service providers' perspectives, which computer technologies students need and use, what advantages and disadvantages these have, what factors help or prevent students from using these…

Uses the results of a series of empirical studies of the computer-related needs and concerns of students with disabilities and the individuals responsible for providing services to them to discuss evolving issues, provide a list of resources, and make practical recommendations about what postsecondary personnel can do to facilitate access to…

Purpose: We investigate whether psychological control, conceptually framed within the life-span theory of control by Heckhausen and Schulz, drives assistive device use in visually impaired elders. In particular, we expect the two primary control modes differentiated in the life-span theory of control (i.e., selective primary and compensatory…

This paper reports the findings of a national survey that collected data describing the selected facilities and services of 137 randomly selected institutions of higher learning. The survey was sent to the Directors of services for disabled students of the sample institutions. The findings indicate that only 7% of the institutions of higher…

This article seeks to inform physical educators of a variety of teaching considerations when engaging a student with a cochlear implant in a physical education class. It provides the general physical educator with: (1) background information including statistics; (2) a general device description with safety precautions for the student with a…

Kim Charlson believes everyone should live life to the fullest no matter what their handicaps. Blind since early childhood, she chose librarianship because, as a braille reader and avid user of talking books, she wanted to be "in a decision-making capacity in the library field and influence the direction of library services for people with…

Johnston argues that the impact of science and technology on the Australian Deaf community threatens the viability of the community; this entails that the scientists have a moral duty to record and preserve Auslan for posterity. This response analyzes Johnston's moral imperative through the application of intrinsic and extrinsic values, suggesting…

My response to Johnston's (2004) "W(h)ither the Deaf Community?" is theoretical in nature and sociological in perspective. I comment on how Johnston's particular concern for the possible demise of Australian Sign Language (Auslan) in Australia's currently transforming social and medical context surrounding childhood deafness is legitimate but…

Children typically learn in classroom environments that have background noise and reverberation that interfere with accurate speech perception. Amplification technology can enhance the speech perception of students who are hard of hearing. Purpose: This study used a single-subject alternating treatments design to compare the speech recognition…