Assistive technology : Empowering students to achieve their best
Partner
Open The Windows
Country
North Macedonia
Participating Organisation
Open The Windows
Target
This story concerns a child with physical disability due to cerebral palsy who came to the Centre for Assistive Technology at the age of five and in the meantime is doing a bachelor’s degree in special education and rehabilitation.
Technology
The educator used assistive technology and started with the use of joystick as a substitute for a standard mouse. In addition they used a trackball, touchscreen monitor and large button Cyrilic-supported keyboard. The use of these assistive devices led to the use of a standard laptop of the user. The educator used these devices in order to provide to the user enough resources so the user can achieve educational goals suitable for her age.
Experience and Outcomes
The user achieved the educational goals for her age and she started using laptop – standard computer thanks to the use of assistive devices that she used through the work with the educator.
Innovation
The innovative practice in this story is that children with cerebral palsy started using a standard computer/laptop thanks to the use of the assistive devices and assistive technology such as joystick, trackball, large button keyboard and touch-screen monitor. Thanks to that she is now enrolled in higher education, more specifically as a Bachelor Student at the Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation. Her goal is to become a Special Educator and Rehabilitator which will share her knowledge with assistive technology with other children and persons with special educational needs, so that they can also achieve their goals.
Replicability
This activity was organized by the Centre for Assistive Technology as part of the Association “Open the Windows” and it is consolidated practice because the Centre offers support to children and persons with special educational needs through the use of assistive technology.