UDL ~ Accessing the continuum of AT for Computer Access

On my continued journey of discovery about UDL ~ Assistive Technology (;AT) across its continuum of low cost/low tech to high cost/high tech will now be reviewed. Specifically I will be using the text book, Assistive Technology in the Classroom. I will be using the Chapter 8 focus questions to guide my post.
"Each student;s needs must be considered individually and a decision made only after the student has had an opportunity to use the assistive technology in his or her natural environment"  (Dell, et. all, page 204)
This is where AT gets interesting, inventive and sometimes, expensive!
Brief look at low tech and the students receiving the benefits:

Low-Tech                Student in Need of Benefit
1) Large Letters        ~ Vision/Perception Issues
2) Keyguard             ~ Need Targeting/Wrist Support
3) Moisture Guards   ~ Tendency to spill or Drool

Input Alternatives: mouse, track balls, joy sticks, heat-pointing, eye-gaze systems
The costs and precision increase across the continuum
These options target students with varying degrees of motor control combined with varying degrees of cognitive ability.
This YouTube video is a child using a keyboard overlay.  An overlay can be standard or customized to meet a student's specific needs.

Keyboard alternatives /  Students Receiving Benefits:

1) Expanded Keyboards ~~ Helps students with poor vision; poor fine motor skills; need a large target area.

2) One-handed Keyboards ~~ Helps students who have good dexterity in one hand; willing to learn new keyboard layout.

AT Device Mouse Emulator / Student Receiving Benefits                                            

1) Trackballs / Range of Motor skills & range of motion

2) Touch Screens / Young need direct intuitive interface

3) Head-Pointing Systems ~ Cannot use hands; have excellent head control

AT OutPut Device / Student Receiving Benefits

1) Screen Magnification ~ Vision Impairments

2) Screen Readers ~ Vision Impairments / Reading Difficulty

3) Refreshable Braille Display ~ Blind Students

To see a multitude of these AT alternatives in use, you have to watch "Mr. P", as he explains and demonstrates why he "loves assistive technology!" (you will see lap tray, partner assisted scanning, single switch, quadrant row/column scanning, high tech voice output) 

Resource:

Assistive Technology In the Classroom: Enhancing the School Experiences of Students with Disabilities, Second Edition 2012 by Amy G. Dell, Deborah A. Newton, Jerry G. Petroff,  Pearson