Assistive Technologies and UDL

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Assistive technologies will always have a role in the education of learners with disabilities. Children with physical or language disabilities need properly designed wheelchairs, adaptive switches to control devices, or speech synthesizers. Universal design for learning will not eliminate the need for personal assistive devices.

However, exclusive emphasis on assistive technologies places the burden of adaptation on the learner, not the curriculum. The idea that students must procure or "be prescribed" special individual tools whenever they cannot use standard curriculum undermines learning for everyone. Exclusively print-based tools and methods, uncaptioned videos and software, undescribed images and posters, create barriers for some learners and limit options for everyone.