Assistive Technology for students with Deaf-Blindness

            There are many unique children in this word, some more unique than others. I have chosen to discuss children with the uniqueness of being blind and deaf. Yes, some would say it’s not called being unique as much is it is just called a disability, but I believe it just makes them different and unique. Blind- deafness is a title given to a person who cannot see or hear. It’s usually one or the other and it makes it easy for people who are blind to be able to learn by hearing, and people who are deaf usually learn my seeing. Being both makes learning is a bit hard.

            In school one way that teachers are able to communicate is through an object called a DBC. It is made up of a Braille Note mPower with a Perkins or QWERTY keyboard. The way this item works is that there is a Braille keypad, display, and a cellphone. The student is able to type using the Braille keypad, which is then displayed on the screen of the telephone for the teacher to see. The teacher is then able to respond on the cellphone, which is then translated in Braille back to screen for the student to read and respond. Yes, it takes more time then working with a student that doesn’t have a disability, but every child deserves to learn.

            There is also an ALD, which is an assistive learning device that schools are starting to adapt. At times children are able to receive this learning device and can start to hear a little bit more than usual. The problem that was found in this device was that the sound to the child could be limited by distance. If there is more than one student the teacher is bound to turn their back or walk away, and the student will start to not hear the teacher. Also a lot of background noises when the teacher isn’t close enough. So to solve this problem they started to place something like a PA system in the classroom while the teacher wears a microphone. This gives the teachers voice more volume and helps it to sit over everything.

            I believe that over time they will eventually find a way for children to feel vibrations as they do Braille. This would stop them from having to buy technology and possibly place something on the desk that causes vibration and a faster response. It would be interesting and very nice to see another way for these children to communicate one that is not slow and gives them a better education experience.

References

http://www.tsbvi.edu/materials-on-deafblindness/2141-assistive-listening-devices

http://documents.nationaldb.org/products/dviqanindya.pdf

https://nationaldb.org/library/page/2062