Assistive Technology Tools

In the article “Assistive Technology Tools: Writing” by Kristin Stanberry and Marshall H. Raskind, they discuss the different assistive technology (AT) tools and how they are used in order to help people, specifically students that are struggling with writing. There are a variety of tools that provide aid in regards to writing, one being the abbreviation expander, which is a software that enables the user to create, store and re-use abbreviations for phrases. Another tool that is beneficial is the paper-based computer pen, which records and links audio when one writes. This allows the person to listen as well as keep track of their notes, helping not only with writing, but also reading and listening.

The article’s main argument is to give a run down of all the possibilities in regards to assistive technology tools, as to who needs it and which tool will be the most beneficial. In both Stanberry and Raskind’s article, it focuses on the technological determinism a little more than the cultural determinism factor. Stanberry and Raskind focus on writing about the many different technology devices that were invented and its purposes as a result of helping a specific need that a person requires in order to improve their writing but also improves communication in general. They discuss the importance of why they made the tools and how each tool comes from previous ideas. However, they don’t discuss the history of how the tools became known or the challenges and conflicts they’ve been through to get to where there are today. They also do not discuss the outcomes of those who received the devices and whether or not it was successful and if so, what were the results? The article’s focus was to educate to whom it may concern, with less emotion and more factual.

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/assistive-technology-tools-writing