5 Thoughts about Hopkins' 10 Ideas for Assistive Technology in the Library

The first idea on Hopkins' list is to talk to the special education teachers, which so happens to coincide with my exploration into this week’s assignment. I couldn’t get in touch with the assistive technology person in the Newburyport school district, so I talked to my sister who is a special education teacher there instead. She gave me a lot of information about the assistive tools she uses in her classroom.  

The past two weeks of doing this investigation into assistive technology has really gotten me excited. I learned from my sister that their technology integrator teaches drop in classes to introduce the new assistive technology tool (sort of like a library instruction class). At one of my observation sites, the LMS is also the technology integrator and in charge of assistive technology. It is my dream job to do both!

The article by Hopkins stressed a lot about the importance of assistive technology allowing students with disabilities to have independence, set goals, and build self-esteem. I connected this to the privacy that is inherent in the library. Assistive technology and universal design ensure that everyone can navigate the library with independence to ensure their research and reading history can be as personal as possible within the school setting.

Here are five thoughts I have in response to the article: 

1. To have assistive technology is to dabble in marketing. As Hopkins (2006) explains, a piece of equipment is only as good as it’s being used. It is essential, therefore, for the LMS to advertise what assistive technology is being offered in the library. Both students and teachers need to know what is available.  
2.  Money is always a constraint. Hopkins mentions budget and grant options as well as utilizing free-trials with vendors before making a purchase. I think this highlights the importance of advocacy. The money will not appear magically. The LMS needs to advocate why the purchase of a new assistive tool will help students and teachers.  
3.  The library is for everyone, so the assistive technology in the library is not limited to IEPs. I understand due to budget constraints that schools may only offer a piece of tech to certain students. However, if something is offered at the library and bought from a grant, it opens up the access to everyone.  
4.  Start with low-tech tools to build up the assistive technology collection. From calculators to magnifying glasses and pencil grips, these can be checked out to students and marketed to the school as part of the assistive technology offered at the library. Begin small with inexpensive tools while waiting on the grants and other funding for the high-tech tools.  
5. Addressing access to assistive tools happens in community. Four of the ideas on Hopkins’ list involve collaborating to some degree with others to learn about the ways assistive technology can be better integrated into your library. I especially liked her idea about visiting other libraries and attending conferences to learn from others.

About the images this week:

Both were created using the Canva Dream Lab with the prompts: "girl reading a book using a magnifying glass" and "boy listening to an audiobook."
 

Reference: 

Hopkins, Janet. “School library accessibility: the role of assistive technology.” Teacher Librarian, 2004, 31 (3), 15-18.