Assistive Technologies for Differently Abled Students

Abstract

Education For All is a global concept aimed at achieving the objectives of reaching every citizen in the world irrespective of gender, religion, economic class, age, disability, and other discriminations. ‘No child left behind’ should be a global educational reform. India, with its New Education Policy 2020, strives to fulfill the commitment towards and equitable and inclusive education system. Equity and inclusivity in education will bring together children, youth, and adults to become efficient citizens of the nation. A large proportion of children in India belong to differently- abled group, who are still struggling to receive basic literacy in their life. The efforts made by countries around the world towards the education of this group are ever increasing now. In this context of education of special children, the researcher explored the various tools and technologies available, and their use. This paper focused on the growth of assistive technologies (ATs) in India and elsewhere, the awareness of these technologies among the students and the actual use. The data was collected from various literature available on ATs, the source organizations developing these technologies, and the government resources. The findings revealed the significance of assistive technologies, their relevance in inclusive classrooms and use. The paper suggested the ways in which assistive technologies can be more effectively incorporated in the education system to make it more meaningful and how both the teachers and students can become more competent in solving their educational needs. During COVID outbreak, the online teaching- learning system has revolutionized the creation, development and distribution of assistive technologies. It was suggested in the paper to make these technologies affordable, economical and easy to use for students belonging to differently- abled groups. This study was conducted by the author to analyze the awareness and use of Assistive technologies by students of teacher training course in Aligarh. The sample consisted of a total of 150 students. The data was tabulated and systematically analyzed, with the help of Microsoft Excel. The following results were obtained based on the objectives of the study: