Expert introduces new tools in assistive tech

The Governor’s Developmental Disabilities Council yesterday concluded its two-day technical assistance training which addressed the need to equip institutions with an updated knowledge on assistive technology for persons with disabilities as mandated under new special education laws.

According to visiting AT expert from Oregon Gayl Bowser, majority of the nation’s population are only starting to learn about this technology.

Ms. Bowser, the statewide assistive technology coordinator at the Oregon Technology Access Program, said AT tools are essential to enhancing learning skills of adults and children with disabilities.

But despite its assistive role, one thing that AT tools cannot do, according to the expert, is make its users “smarter.”

She added that although it helps make learning faster, it will not increase the intelligence quotient of persons with disabilities.

“So it all depends on the adult and the child, and how much they can learn from it. These are tools to help you do things that you already know about,” said Ms. Bowser.

“So if a very smart child whose blind uses the tools, it will help him learn very fast because it is the seeing that’s keeping him from learning. But if one is retarded and the brain doesn’t work too well, the gadgets won’t improve one’s learning comprehension,” she added.

In the CNMI, individuals with disabilities are slowly being introduced to a wide range of AT devices though not as advanced as the tools utilized in more developed areas in the mainland.

Talking calculators and knock sensors are only some of the tools currently being used by persons with disabilities in the Northern Marianas.

In the states, AT is more sophisticated in that it makes use of special computer software to assist the blind who are visually impaired to view the screen. “There is a special type of word processing program which allows the blind to type what they want and if they push the right button, the computer will read what was typed,” Ms. Bowser explained.

During the RESNA Technical Assistance project training on assistive technology and the individuals with disabilities education act, individualized family service plan and individual plan for employment yesterday, teachers, school aides, occupational and speech therapists, and parents learned more about the simplicity and complexity of AT devices in the modern world.

According to GDDC AT Project Coordinator Celia Lamkin, adults and children in the CNMI are slowly becoming aware of alternative work options available to them through the new devices.

AT devices can be anything from a simple tool with no moving parts to a sophisticated mechanical/electronic system.

Simple mechanical devices are often referred to as low tech tools while computer-driven or complex AT may be called high tech.

Ten percent of CNMI’s population roughly consist of persons with disabilities.

According to latest statistics, there are approximately 800 documented individuals with developmental disabilities. (MM)