Assignment 9 1

Josebe Dominguez

Edu 214

November 25, 13

Touch Screens

Assistive technology is redefining what is possible for people with a wide range of

cognitive and physical disabilities. In home, classroom, workplace, and community,

assistive technology is enabling individuals with disabilities to be more independent, self-

confident, productive, and better integrated into the mainstream. Technology is making it

possible for children with disabilities to do more for them. A child who cannot use their

hands can operate a computer with a switch and an on-screen keyboard. A child with speech

problems can communicate using a portable electronic device that speaks. These are just a

few examples of the wide variety of equipment, called assistive technology.

The assistive technology that I chose was touch screen monitors. Touch screen

monitors and related software enable a traditional monitor to emulate a touch screen. Touch

screen is a powerful tool for students with disabilities because they may display graphics

that the student can touch to enter commands and make software selections. Special

software can display the image of a computer keyboard on the screen so that keys or

commands can be pointed to and clicked on. Whether hardware- or software-based, touch

screen technologies can improve the life of many children.

Thanks to iPads, and digital tablets spreading touch screen technology, parents and

teachers of children with mental disabilities can turn something as simple as snack time into
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a teaching moment. Some schools are using iPads or similar tablets that display touch

screen to help communicate with its non-verbal students and develop social and

organizational skills in other children.

Touch screens are also valuable in accommodating users with physical issues that

might make a traditional mouse and keyboard setup difficult to use. Users with arthritis, for

instance, may have difficulty manipulating a mouse or typing on a standard keyboard,

making traditional computing tasks difficult. Directly accessing icons on a screen, however,

may be much easier for a user with physical challenges, especially when paired with a

stylus or other pointing device to enhance the interface.

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References

TECHNOLOGY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. (2007). In Encyclopedia of

Special Education: A Reference for the Education of Children, Adolescents, and Adults
with Disabilities and Other Exceptional Individuals. Retrieved from
http://ezproxy.library.csn.edu/login?qurl=http%3A%2F
%2Fwww.credoreference.com/entry/wileyse/technology_for_individuals_with_disabilities

touch screen. (2006). In High Definition: A-Z Guide to Personal Technology. Retrieved
from http://ezproxy.library.csn.edu/login?qurl=http%3A%2F
%2Fwww.credoreference.com/entry/hmhighdef/touch_screen

Interactive Input Devices. (2003). In Computer Graphics Companion. Retrieved

from http://ezproxy.library.csn.edu/login?qurl=http%3A%2F
%2Fwww.credoreference.com/entry/cgraphicscomp/interactive_input_devices