Assistive Technology
📋 What it is
Assistive technology — screen readers, AAC devices, wheelchairs, hearing aids — removes barriers so everyone can participate.
🗣️ Coach says
Assistive tech is any tool that removes a barrier: a screen reader voices text aloud, an AAC device gives voice to someone who doesn’t speak, a wheelchair provides mobility, captions and hearing aids open sound. These aren’t "special" extras — they’re access, the same way glasses are. Good design plans for them from the start.
🧠 Memory hook
Assistive tech = access, not "extra." Screen readers, AAC, wheelchairs, captions remove barriers.
😂 Giggle
Braille is a language you can really feel.
No, seriously, that's exactly how it works.
😲 Whoa!
Many everyday inventions — the typewriter, texting, audiobooks, voice assistants — were first created as assistive technology.
✅ Quick check: What does assistive technology do?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
It removes barriers so people can participate — like a screen reader voicing text or an AAC device giving voice.
Assistive tech provides access, the same way glasses help someone see.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Try a built-in accessibility tool on a device (captions, text-to-speech, zoom) and see what it opens up.