Using Technology with Disabled Students: It Makes a Difference

USING TECHNOLOGY WITH DISABLED STUDENTS: IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
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* Introduction
Disability, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), is a dynamic, complex, and multidimensional impairment that presents physical and social barriers to an individual’s performance in society. It encompasses various circumstances such as blindness or deafness, to congenital conditions like spina bifida or cerebral palsy, as well as severe rheumatoid arthritis or dementia (WHO, 2017). Some disabilities are not obvious and visible to bystanders but still this impedes the individual from his or her daily functions. The diversity of disability results in different levels of difficulties in activities of daily living, also in most cases affecting an individual’s independence. Due to this, persons with disabilities often suffer from inability or difficulty in integrating themselves in the community, due to factors which include their impairment/s, the negative stigma and discrimination, and the inaccessibility of the environment. Not all disabilities are permanent, some can be temporary, or situational (Al Shammari, n.d.). An example of temporary disability is a broken leg that needs casting for a few months to heal and will be able to function normally after the given span of time, while for situational disability, the difficulty in performing daily activities come from a specific event being a new parent, or distracted driving. These two types of disability allow restoration, however, for persons with a permanent disability, this means that they would have to adapt and compensate in order to survive, live life, and reach their full potential.
Technology refers to any equipment or machinery that is produced using scientific knowledge. It has many definitions but generally speaking, technology is applying science to accomplish practical tasks (Dell, Neutron & Petroff, 2012) This is related to the everyday life of human beings because it makes various daily activities easier, it aids in the aspects of life that needs problem-solving skills, and it helps extend the scope of human reach, exploration, and knowledge. Technology is beneficial to mankind, and it may not be as obvious to everyone but each one of us uses technology. It is easily associated with the pieces of machinery in factories or various industries, especially those that are involved in manufacturing and production. It is also involved and actually made way for scientific explorations in space, as well as the deep seas, and earth. But for the typical human beings, examples that are more relatable would be the internet, which is used for long-distance communication, information dissemination through different social media platforms, research, entertainment, etc. Aside from this, more prehistoric technological inventions are tools made up of wood, stones, bones, or whatever is available in their environment, and the discovery of fire. These discoveries and technological advancements during its time were used for the survival of prehistoric men, for them to make shelters, hunt for food, and fend themselves from predators present during their time. Technology is connected with humanity bec...