Assistive Technology LT 130 2024

Assistive Technology and Libraries Does investing in Assistive Technologies automatically create benefits for disabled patrons? In the article “Analyzing Service Divide in Academic Libraries for Better Serving Disabled Patrons Using AssistiveTechnologies”, written by Devendra Potnis and Kevin Mallary, suggests that it might not. The article notes that libraries are unable to adequately meet those patrons’ needs. “Many individuals with severe cognitive disabilities... do not receive adequate accommodations to promote success.” (Potnis & Mallary, 2021 pg 880). So what are some of the challenges academic libraries encounter when offering these services to patrons with disabilities through Assistive Technologies? (from here on assistive technology will be referred to as AT) Resource Allocation: Ensuring adequate funding and resources for acquiring and maintaining AT can be difficult. Budgets often limit the ability to update or purchase current AT devices and software. Training Experti...

Google Books has had its share of detractors, and whether or not we agree, the fact is that Google Books provides access to millions of books in the public domain to anyone who uses the site. One such title is The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. An early edition is available for free download as a PDF or EPUB, though not the very first 1901 edition. However, it does have link suggestions of where to find the edition one seeks, whether in a physical library or via online access purchase. While it does not replace academic databases, it is an easily accessible place to start research for anyone. A newer ongoing issue is generative AI. A Washington Post article from January 2024 discusses how open AI is infringing copyright by generating passages with their articles. The Times has evidence that a generative AI company has replicated exact passages of copyrighted text (Oremus, 2024). Does this mean AI can copy passages from text in Google Books next? While their scans aren’t i...

  Currently enrolled in three college courses, I find myself constantly reading e-books and articles (do I need to mention they’re online? is that not a given nowadays?) with Microsoft Edge’s Read Aloud assistive technology. Otherwise, I would zone out if my eyes had to do all the reading on a computer screen. Of importance is the fact that access to the library’s mobile technologies are what makes my learning through technological means possible. I can’t afford Audible, nor Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited (e-book) subscription, nor access to scholarly databases. But thanks to the public and college libraries, I have access to a lot of content I would not otherwise be able to access. The college’s library would be a long commute from home, but I can access its content remotely at any time of the day, any day of the week. A study begun in 2021 and still in progress seeks to demonstrate the positive outcomes that mobile technologies bring to training and information access. Modern soci...

  A study conducted in four Nigerian public universities with 151 students with visual disabilities aimed to find the assistive technology preference of the visually disabled students. According to the study, users should be involved in the procurement of assistive technology to ensure that the most suitable is selected. Students with visual disabilities also need support with these technologies and library stakeholders should communicate with students with visual disabilities on a regular basis in order to make informed decisions about what assistive technologies to obtain. This research conclusion not only applies to students in the universities in which the study was made, but all over the world. It is important for people with a disability to be able to have input on which assistive technology they will use since they are the ones who will be using it.  This video shows some recent assistive technology for visual disabilities. Works Cited Alabi, Adefunke O., and Chri...

  Adapted Literacy: Low-Tech Assistive Technology Solutions in the Library by Ashley Roane Assistive technology can help any of us meet life’s daily challenges in innumerable ways. In fact, many digital tools we utilize on a daily basis- such as voice recognition, captions, or even GPS- we take for granted and consider them more as options. But for many folks, assistive technology is essential and means accessibility.   Galyon et al. discuss ways that libraries can harness assistive technology to meet the needs of children who might struggle with literacy for different reasons. They explain this as adapted literacy and describe this as an efficient and cost effective way to improve preliteracy and literacy skills. Founded in a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, adapted literacy is meant to make reading books more accessible for all learners. The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) explains that UDLs guiding principles are multiple means of engagement...

          Post by Jennifer Fischer Google's Big Plan for Books: [Editorial]  Google Books has been under scrutiny for trying to monopolize the book industry and copyright infringement. However, if the writers and publishers of the books Google is trying to digitize and make available for millions of people reach an agreement with Google, so many out-of-print books and resources may be made available for so many readers.  The article from The New York Times,  "Google's Big Plan for Books," describes how Google's goal is to make more books more accessible to a wider audience ( The New York Times, 2009). The "out-of-print" books will be able to reach a new light; the knowledge that is contained in so many of these books that are not accessible or available to a lot of people will now become readily available. This is important for those who may not have access to a library with a large collection, or the ability to physically go to the library, grab ...