Journal 10

Disabled Bodies, Able Minds: Giving Voice, Movement, and Independence to the Physically Challenged. Diane Curtis.

This article is about the amazing technology available to disabled students today. Technologies to help students, who cannot speak, now be heard. Technologies that can enable a student with limited use of arms and legs, to now be able to play an instrument. Technology today allows students who could not communicate to be able to write stories. Years ago, Braille enabled Helen Keller to learn multiple languages and earn college degrees. Today, technology is enabling students who are paralyzed to communicate.

1. What technology is available to help disabled students? TACLE (Technology and Augmentative Communication for Learning Enhancement) is a computer that can be hooked up to a headband that senses movement on a child’s eyebrows. The computer then says the words the student chooses. There are many types of speech-generation technologies that now enable students to communicate their needs and desires.

2. What else does this technology enable disabled students to do? Most importantly, it enables disabled students to do their own work, take their own test, and do their own research. It allows them to use their own brainpower to accomplish things they never could have done in the past. They can go to college and even have their own careers.