Getting Started with your School

Look for Alternatives to the High Cost Technologies

Consider the awareness of your colleagues and administrators; they might not feel comfortable with technology or its cost. As you learn more, share what you have learned. Recognize that the cost of assistive technology can be a challenge for school districts and that there may not be local expertise.

Post-ITT guides students through research of assistive solutions. Those solutions don't have to be the most expensive to be effective. For example, computer software that reads text on the screen can cost as much as $2,000. Similar software (without some attractive bells and whistles) may already be on your computer or, as is the case with ReadPlease™ software, downloaded for free. Expensive software and hardware accommodations are not always necessary? In many cases, the solution may be as simple as a pad of sticky notes, a high lighter, or a donated computer with a word processing program. It is important is to get students thinking about what they can use to make learning possible.

Many Students Will Need Your Support and Encouragement

When we developed these Activities, we asked a group of students how likely they would be to independently visit an assistive technology center. Most said that they would find this difficult. Recognize that exploring AT through visits and in-person interviews may be difficult for some students because it requires:

• them to disclose (or at least imply) that they have a disability,



• learning about a subject (technology) that has its own set of fears, and



• going someplace new to speak with unfamiliar people.

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