Reflection on Augmentative and Alternative Communication and Non-Visual Desktop Access.

 

Reflection on Two Assistive Technologies: Augmentative and Alternative Communication and Non-Visual Desktop Access (NVDA)

Due to evolving classroom environment, technology plays a significant role in making education accessible to all regardless of the challenges to learn. Assistive technologies which I strongly believe it to be effective when it comes to inclusive education, catering to the diverse needs of learners. It empowers the person with disabilities to be independent of their learning and let them engage more actively in learning. Assistive Technologies helps bridge the gap in accessibility regardless of ability to learn. I can assure that it tailors to the diverse learning needs in Inclusive Education. So, I explored two Assistive Technologies used in Inclusive Education: Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and Non-Visual Desktop Access (NVDA).

I came to know that the AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) is an Assistive Technology designed to help people having difficulty in speech and communication. Its primary objective is to enable effective communication irrespective of their physical and cognitive abilities. I gained insights that this Assistive Technology is beneficial to people with disabilities like Cerebral Palsy, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down syndrome as well as people who suffered brain damage and stroke. It was enticing for me to know that AAC electrical devices for speech can be wore on the body as well as attached to the wheel chair. It has the caliber to synthesize speech that has customization features that allows the user to communicate effectively.

I came to a better understanding that AAC devices which can be both aided as well as unaided serves various purposes and are really beneficial for the person with disabilities. The benefits I found were: it helps improve socialization, regardless of their difficulty in speech, they can express what they want to share and let’s other know about their needs and wants. The students with disability become academically competent, self-sufficient and feel productive. AAC devices improves the quality and living of life. The students got the caliber to engage in decision making in a society.

 In Inclusive Education, though used in other countries school, institutions and Universities, what I thought of when I came across this assistive technology was with better planning and allocation of budget on buying this Assistive Technology in Bhutanese Classroom Setting will really be handy and crucial in shaping the learning of people with physical and Cognitive Disabilities. I was also struck by this idea that it will be helpful if we purchase this AAC Assistive Technology it will really include and provide equity education for all. The best example that comes to my mind when saying buying it was the Wangsel Institute of Deaf where the people with deafness are communicating through the means of Sign language. I believe it won’t be in vain because rather than the Unaided AAC in the Classroom, one can let them have access to aided AAC devices like tablets or laptops. I heard we also have ample of people with Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome, so it really will cater to their need of communication and interaction.

 

 

 

 

The second Assistive Technology was NVDA (Non-Visual Desktop Access is a software package which is 100% free of charge where the accessor need not have to have any subscription plans and pay a single penny. I came to know that it is specially designed for people with vision impairment and blindness to interact with the window operating systems and many third-parties application. It supports popular applications of web browsers like Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Office Programs such as words and excels and many more. The interesting feature of NVDA that I discovered was it has a built-in feature of text synthesizer supporting 55 languages and other third-party voices. The text formatting feature automatically announces the errors in spellings, grammar, font size and style. Furthermore, I knew that it automatically announces the text under the mouse and optional audible indication of mouse position. It also has support for many refreshable braille displays, including input of Braille via braille displays that have a braille keyboard. There is also easy to use talking installer. All in all, having known the features, what I recommend is that it is really a helpful assistive technology that will assist the visually impaired students which makes learning more engaging and having the ability to excel in academics just like the students without disability of vision. Ethically, the students will feel valued and be optimistic in learning. They will feel good that they were standing behind the most ethical screen reader available for their access developed by blind for blind.

I can well link the utilization of assistive technologies to the Inclusive Education Classroom in our Bhutanese Context. In schools and universities, if we have people with vision impairment, they we can either install the software in laptop which is free of cost and let him/her use it for writing down notes and learning or either install it on the desktop of the ICT lab and take classes in the ICT lab if required. I believe that NVDA is effective for the student with visual impairment and will be able to learn like any others. As Per the NVDA data on users, it has about 100,000 users which is a lot and I feel it is beneficial to have access to NVDA too in Inclusive Schools in our country too.

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

All in all, Assistive technologies like AAC and NVDA play a vital role in inclusive education by allowing students with disabilities to communicate, engage and learn in a complete manner. Their application in Bhutanese classrooms can foster equality, autonomy, and active participation, enabling each student to be successful regardless of their challenges.

                                         References

NV Access Limited. (2025). NVDA: Non-Visual Desktop Access. https://www.nvaccess.org/

Otsimo Editorial Team. (2023, July 25). Special Education. Otsimo.

https://otsimo.com/en/ultimate-aac-guide/