What is Assistive Technology?

Assistive technology or AT are products, equipment and systems that enhance learning, working, and daily lives for persons with disabilities. AT can be any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of persons with disabilities. Different disabilities require different assistive technologies.

Many people use assistive technologies to improve their daily lives.  Some of these technologies are quite noticeable, and some of them are so streamlined into the way a person lives that they are hardly noticeable at all. Assistive technologies are important to understand as a component of accessibility because “making something accessible” often is another way of saying “optimizing the item so it can be used with an assistive technology.”  For example, a properly created (accessible) digital document is optimized for use with a screen reader, which is an assistive technology.

While assistive technologies are important to understand, they are also frequently misunderstood. Here are some of the misconceptions surrounding AT.

• Assistive technologies solve all problems for the user.
  • Sadly, there are no silver bullets out there that can solve all the issues a person may have in daily life.  Assistive technology can assist, but it can’t remove all barriers.
• Assistive technology is always “technological” and therefore not appropriate for some users, especially the very young or the elderly.
  • In fact, assistive technology does not have to be a digital solution at all. A common and very useful assistive technology for people who are blind includes the “long cane,” which has no digital components. Even when assistive technology is digital, it may be very simple to use.  Don’t be afraid of the concept of assistive technology simply because it contains the word “technology.”
• All XX people use XX assistive technology.
  • This is a big misconception. While many assistive technologies are associated with particular impairments or groups of people, it is not universally true that all people in a particular class necessarily use or benefit from the same assistive technologies. For example, not all people who are blind read Braille and by extension, they don’t use refreshable Braille displays either. Assistive technologies are individual choices and just because something worked for one person in a certain situation, it does not necessarily mean it would work for someone else.
• Assistive  technologies are always accessibly designed.
  • No! In fact, many assistive technologies are designed only with a particular impairment in mind rather than being universally designed for anyone to use. It can be surprising if you are working with a technology and you realize that it is not fully accessible even though the intent of the product is to improve accessibility for a particular task.
• It’s important to have the newest assistive technology.
  • Not necessarily.  The best assistive technologies are ones that are used. As people consider the best AT for their needs, they need to weigh initial cost, the cost of use and upkeep, and the ease of use.  Sometimes the “newest, best thing” is simply not the best option.
• Using assistive technology is “cheating.”
  • No.  This is simply untrue.  Assistive technologies assist people so they can stay independent, productive, and part of the larger society.