a note from Amazon.com

by the Alliance for Technology Access (1996)

Hunter House Publishing

I keep this book by my computer at all times. Besides providing very comprehensive information on computer access solutions, it is also a great reference to assistive technology vendors and service providers. The book is written in plain language and does not require technical knowledge to understand. The first section takes the assistive technology consumer or person helping someone with computer access through the process of setting assistive technology goals, finding information about access solutions, establishing support systems, locating funding, and purchasing assistive technology. The second section of the book has questions potential users can ask to determine his or her computer access needs and links the answers with potential devices to meet those needs. The third section provides a comprehensive resource directory, including contact information for Alliance for Technology Access Centers and State Tech Act Programs, the text of the Americans with Disabilities Act, assistive technology-related organizations, national conferences, databases, and assistive technology vendors.

One does not have to have an abundance of computer expertise to work through these charts, making it helpful for consumers, parents, and others who are just beginning their journey to technology. It is also indispensable to those who work with computers and assistive technology daily.

Edited by Karen F. Flippo, Katherine J. Inge, and Michael Barcus (1995)

Paul H. Brookes

This book offers many new perspectives on assistive technology and is a welcome addition to the literature. The first section includes chapters which outline the legal foundation of assistive technology policies and exemplifies this legislation through a case study of Virginia Systems Change. The second section includes chapters on augmentative communication, mobility, assistive technology for those with vision and hearing impairments, applications of assistive technology in educational settings, assistive technology in employment, and using assistive technology to broaden recreation options for people with disabilities. The third section is what sets this book apart from other assistive technology books, with chapters discussing assistive technology training, staff development, funding, communities, and perspectives of assistive technology consumers.

This book will be especially helpful to administrators of assistive technology services and special education programs and educators and service providers working with older students with disabilities.

by Albert M. Cook and Susan M. Hussey (1995)

Mosby

Cook and Hussey's book is a bit more theoretically-oriented than others reviewed here. Looking at assistive technology from a human performance perspective, the book explores, in detail, the interaction between humans, technology, and their context in which they function. Chapter 4 offers a good discussion of assistive technology assessment, keeping all three factors in mind. Occupational and physical therapists will appreciate Cook and Hussey's examination of seating and positioning issues in Chapter 5. The book also includes chapters on augmentative communication, powered mobility, environmental control, and technology for those with sensory impairments.

This book is extremely clinical its in approach to assistive technology. Therefore, those from clinical backgrounds, such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy and rehabilitation engineering, may be more comfortable with this book than parents, consumers, or educators.

by Joseph J. Lazzaro (1996)

Addison-Wesley

Lazzaro's second book on assistive technology reminds us that man does not live by Mac alone. Many individuals with disabilities, especially those in the business world, need to access IBM compatible computers. The book explains options for making the PC's keyboard and monitor accessible and how they can be used to augment communication for people with hearing, speech, and physical impairments. A unique feature of the book is Lazzaro's discussion of ergonomics, explaining how lighting, workstations, and monitor arms can be arranged providing comfort and support to ensure that computer users with disabilities function at the highest possible level. Another unique feature of this book is that it is accompanied by a CD-ROM, which contains the full text of the book, software and demos of software which make PC's accessible, and other helpful information.

Those needing access to DOS systems will find the book and CD-ROM more helpful than those needing access to Microsoft Windows 3.1 or 95, since access options for these systems have increased in the past year and would not have been known at the time the book was written.

by Gregory Church and Sharon Glennen (1992)

Singular Publishing Company

This book would be a good resource for anyone needing assistive technology information, including special educators, regular educators, and rehabilitation professionals. It is especially good at outlining options for those with more severe physical and/or cognitive disabilities.

Lazzaro begins this book by looking at barriers to computer access for people with visual impairments, hearing impairments, and motor and/or speech impairments. He also relates computer access issues to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The second chapter offers a general overview of personal computers. Lazzaro then devotes separate chapters to technologies which assist people with specific disabilities, i.e., visual impairments, hearing impairments, mobility and/or speech impairments. Each of these chapters ends with extensive resource lists for technology for the disability addressed. The next chapter discusses the use of assistive technology on networks, in telecommunications, with CD-ROM technology. The next chapter explains the role of rehabilitation engineers, the process of training people to use assistive technology, and options for obtaining technical support. In the final chapter, Lazzaro outlines options in funding assistive technology. Lists of organizations, conferences, journals and newsletters, and state assistive technology projects are included in the appendices.

This book is unique in that it offers more information on assistive technology for people with visual and hearing impairments than other books. It does NOT address technology for people the cognitive disabilities. It is geared more toward older students and adults with disabilities entering the workplace.

Male offers a couple of different perspectives on assistive technology in her book, viewing it as a vehicle for including students with disabilities in classes with their peers who do not have disabilities. In the first chapter, she discusses the process of deciding which technology is used in the regular classroom, the access needs of students with disabilities, and the importance of collaboration among educators in including children who need assistive technology to participate fully. The second chapter takes a developmental perspective on assistive technology, looking at its use with infants through adults with disabilities. The importance of long-range planning in assistive technology service delivery is emphasized. The next chapter examines the use of assistive technology according to different aspects of the life cycle, including language development, cognitive development, play and recreation, and environmental control. In the next two chapters, the process of integrating technology into the classroom and ways in which activities using technology can impact the social development of students are discussed. Male explains the use of word processing, desktop publishing, database, spreadsheet, and telecommunications programs both in classroom activities and as tools to increase teacher productivity in the next two chapters. The next chapter gives a short overview of the use of multimedia authoring programs, such as HyperCard and Linkway, in designing individualized instruction. In the next chapter, suggestions for implementing technology into individual education plans (IEPs). The next chapter provides tips for collaborating with parents. Policy reform and dealing with change covered in the last two chapters. Each chapter has a list of activities in which readers may engage to make the content more salient.

This book would be especially helpful to educators who are including children with more mild disabilities, such as learning disabilities, behavior disorders, traumatic brain injuries, or attention deficit disorder. The focus of book may be too centered upon traditional academics for those dealing with students with severe or profound disabilities. Examples of how general educational software can be used to adapt the curriculum and enhance students' learning is a major strength of the book.

ISBN 0-534-20286-1

Lewis divides her book into three sections. The first section has chapters, giving an overview of assistive technology in special education classrooms, the process of adapting computers, ands tips for selecting software. The second section focuses on practical applications of assistive technology in the classroom, including chapters on technology in early childhood special education, using technology with students who have severe disabilities, software for specific academic domains, using assistive technology to teach writing to students with disabilities, and using multimedia, networks, and telecommunications. The third section includes chapters on augmentative communication, assistive technology for students with physical disabilities, and assistive technology for students with sensory impairments, and a glimpse at the future of assistive technology. Lewis ends the book with a glossary, list of assistive technology vendors and instructional resources such as videos and software.

This book is packed with practical suggestions for integrating assistive technology in the educational process, which would benefit both teachers of self-contained or resource classrooms and teachers who are including students with disabilities in classrooms with peers who do not have disabilities. Although some of the software hilighted has been updated and changed, the basic concepts presented endure. Teachers of students with severe disabilities and sensory impairments will find this book helpful.

by Jan C. Galvin & Marcia J. Scherer (1996)

Aspen

The authors of this book take an outcomes approach to assistive technology assessment. The most important factor, they attest, is the match between the person with a disability and the device he or she will be using. The first chapter of this book describes the process of matching people with devices and the associated issues involved. The second chapter explains devices which can be used to perform activities of daily living. The next chapter examines seating evaluation and selection of wheeled mobility aids, such as scooters and wheelchairs. In the next chapter, ways of adapting automobiles so that people with disabilities can drive are discussed. Assessment, selection, and use of augmentative communication systems is the topic of the next chapter. Then, technology for persons with vision and hearing impairments is outlined in the next two chapters. The use of AT to help individuals with disabilities participate in recreation is the next topic, followed by a discussion of using devices to help children have typical play experiences. The next chapter presents options for home and worksite modification. Computer access is the focus of the next chapter, and interactive technologies are discussed in the subsequent chapter. In the last three chapters, Galvin and Scherer make predictions concerning the future of AT, explain AT-related legislation and associated issues, and options for funding devices. This book is accompanied by the CO-NET CD-ROM, which contains the Hyper-Abledata database of AT devices, REHABDATA, a database of articles on AT, and several other documents helpful to those dealing with AT issues.

Marcia J. Scherer (1996) 2nd. Edition

Brookline

Scherer's book recounts her qualitative study of the impact of technology on the lives of individuals with disabilities, comparing the experiences those with congenital disabilities and those with acquired disabilities. Scherer's research points out that AT is not a cure-all for all difficulties faced by individuals with disabilities and that a person-centered approach is vital to individual's using AT rather than abandoning it. A MUST READ for those assessing and implementing AT solutions with people who possess disabilities.

by Jennifer Angelo (1997)

Philadelphia: F. A. Davis.

Despite the title, this book is a nice, concise introduction to assistive technology for anyone, not just rehabilitation professionals. Topics covered include: assessment, seating for wheelchairs, access methods, switches, low technology devices, powered and manual wheelchairs, augmentative communication, environmental control units, technology for young children, and funding. The book also provides information on the roles of each type of therapist (OT, PT, SLP) in AT assessment and implementation. Case studies enhance understanding of concepts.

by Denis K. Anson (1997)

Philadelphia: F. A. Davis.

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