Is Technology Just a Crutch?

Is technology just a crutch?

A justification I frequently hear from educators about why a student should be denied a technology accommodation such as text to speech (to help a student read) is that "it is just a crutch" or, "they should learn to read the regular way." If technology is just a crutch, for those who have never worn glasses and are approaching or are beyond their 40th birthday, I have a challenge for you: stop using your reading glasses, because they are just a crutch!

Reading glasses are such a commonplace technology that business has removed almost every barrier to accessing them. No longer does a person have to go to an optometrist or ophthalmologist to get a prescription for an optician to fill. Drug stores, book stores, and even Costco not only sells these "assistive technologies" for less than twenty dollars, but they also provide reading charts to help you self-diagnose your necessary prescription.

Every time an educator claims that assistive technology is just a crutch, he or she is making a pejorative comment that is a form of disability harassment and discrimination. If a person does not wish to educate a community of diverse learners, it is time for that person to find a different line of work.

I am currently scheduling speaking engagements on how to facilitate changes in schools. Please contact me for more information or to schedule a presentation at 847-446-1251 or email me at techpsych@techpsychologist.com.

To read more information on this topic, see my new family-friendly book, Tech Psychologist's Guide, ISBN 978-1-60264-089-4.

You can find my book at my publisher: VirtualBookWorm.com: http://tinyurl.com/yto7gz