Assistive Technologies in Higher Education for Special Education

Assistive technologies used in the field of special education in higher education are tools and resources developed to support the learning processes of students with disabilities. Additionally assistive technologies are designed to help students overcome their barriers, facilitate their access to educational materials, and improve their learning experience. For example, commonly used assistive technologies include software that reads the text on the screen aloud for visually impaired students, subtitled texts, or sign language technologies for hearing-impaired students. These assistive technologies enable students to access electronic documents, web pages, and other digital content. Assistive technologies are also designed for students with motor skills limitations. It is used when students have speech impediments or writing difficulties. It allows students to express their thoughts by converting spoken words into text. There are many software and applications designed to support students’ learning processes, for example, interactive math software that helps solve math problems or language learning apps that support language learning. These are special materials used to develop students’ manual skills, tactile perception, and sense of touch. For example, materials using the Braille alphabet, where letters and numbers can be felt by touch, help visually impaired students develop their reading and writing skills. The variety of assistive technologies used in higher education is quite high. Since each student’s needs are different, it is important to use these technologies to provide student-specific education and support. In addition, with the continuous development of technology, new and more effective assistive technologies are expected to emerge. In this study, detailed information is given about assistive technologies used in higher education.