Can information technology function as assistive technology?
Yes. The same electronic tool can, in some situations, be both IT and AT. For example, a laptop computer is information technology. However, if the laptop computer is purchased to help a student with a disability write because he cannot hold or manipulate a pen, it is assistive technology as well. Similarly, a text-to-speech software program purchased for a person who is blind is both AT because of its specific use and IT because it meets the definition of information technology. To determine if IT is also AT, rather than focus on the tool itself (for example, a computer or software), consider its function in a specific situation. If its purpose is to compensate for a limited function or provide access to information that a person with a disability may otherwise be unable to access using standard equipment or procedures, it is AT.
Other examples of IT functioning as AT include the following:
- A PDA used by a person with a memory impairment to remind her of scheduled events. In this case, the information technology (the PDA) functions as a memory prosthetic (AT) to improve the functional capabilities of the person with a cognitive disability.
- A web version of a book used by a person with limited use of his hands and arms as an alternative to the printed version because he is unable to turn the pages of a printed book.
