Assistive Technology

Read more about the technology students with disabilities use, including physical devices like wheelchairs, as well as digital tools
Black students using laptop in the lab with white female teacher- including a female student with special needs.
E+/Getty
Special Education Using Technology for Students in Special Education: What the Feds Want Schools to Know
Assistive technology can improve outcomes for students in special education, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Alyson Klein, February 5, 2024
4 min read
Elementary age boy using computer.
E+ / Getty
Classroom Technology Q&A This School Leader Believes AI Could Transform Education for Students With Dyslexia
AI could revolutionize how people with dyslexia navigate K-12 schools, said a school leader who works with children with the condition.
Alyson Klein, November 22, 2023
3 min read
A young, culturally diverse elementary student is typing on a laptop as she sits at her desk. There are diverse kids blurred on either side of her working on laptops.
E+/Getty
Classroom Technology Teachers Want More Tech Support for Students With IEPs and 504 Plans
The findings come as the percentage of students in special education increases.
Lauraine Langreo, September 15, 2023
3 min read
Blue silhouettes of two faces look  toward each other with a speech bubble and a thought bubble between them to represent communication.
DigitalVision Vectors
Special Education Q&A This Teacher Helps Students With Disabilities Find Agency Through Communication
An award-winning special education teacher shares insights on pandemic recovery and building agency for students with disabilities.
Evie Blad, January 31, 2023
5 min read
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Equity & Diversity Webinar
Enabling More Equitable Educational Opportunities
Equity was a priority for school systems prior to 2020; however, the pandemic has focused attention on the continuing need to create more equitable education environments.
Content provided by Microsoft
Image of a child interacting with a teacher through the computer.
E+
Reading & Literacy 5 Ways to Remotely Support Students With Dyslexia
The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the needs of students with dyslexia, but also made it more difficult to support them.
Corey Mitchell, February 11, 2021
7 min read
Special Education Are Students With 'Reading Barriers' Ready to Start the New School Year?
Benetech, which oversees a federally-funded initiative to provide accessible texts, says teachers are more likely to see their students as prepared if their technology needs are met.
Christina A. Samuels, September 19, 2018
1 min read
Special Education Website Accessibility: Ten Things School Districts Should Know
The Education Department's civil rights office is looking at school districts' websites for accessibility issues. How should you prepare your website so that it's available to all users?
Christina A. Samuels, August 3, 2016
8 min read
Special Education Opinion Dyslexia and the Power of Teacher Expectations
All teachers need to understand that dyslexia is a mechanical disability, not an intellectual one.
Kyle Redford, May 16, 2016
5 min read
Special Education Opinion Don't Wait: Six Simple Ways to Support Your Struggling Learners Tomorrow
"These modifications all embrace the principles of UDL (Universal Design for Learning) which caution against teaching to the imaginary average student. The truth is, our classrooms are full of students who are difficult to categorize because they present quirky profiles."
Kyle Redford, February 17, 2016
6 min read
Special Education Seattle Settles Lawsuit Over Ed-Tech Accessibility
The National Federation of the Blind, a co-plaintiff in the lawsuit, says the agreement to make the Seattle district's online materials accessible is a "model for the nation."
Michele Molnar, October 1, 2015
3 min read
Special Education Accessibility Concerns Delay $30M Amazon E-Book Contract in N.Y.C.
New York City schools postponed action on an Amazon contract for creating an online storefront where educators will buy e-books, after the National Federation of the Blind raised questions about it.
Michele Molnar, August 28, 2015
4 min read
Special Education School Boards Group Disputes Recent Guidance on Communication Supports
The federal government is using a California special education case to try to create guidance that applies to every state, says the National School Boards Association.
Christina A. Samuels, March 10, 2015
3 min read
Special Education S.C. Charters Agree to Accessibility Changes After Federal Investigation
The Education Department's office for civil rights said that the district needed to make courses fully accessible for the 9,000 students enrolled in online schools.
Christina A. Samuels, March 20, 2014
2 min read