Examples of assistive and inclusive technology that ANU students use.
Assistive technology
Assistive technology (AT) is an umbrella term for the many different tools that students and staff with physical, cognitive, or learning disability can use to enable their day-to-day computing and to engage with their learning environments.
In education, the term inclusive technology is often used to refer to AT as well as more general technologies such as organisers or notetaking apps that can assist with learning (ADCET).
Examples of the types of AT or inclusive technologies that ANU students use include:
You can learn more about AT and which technologies are useful for specific disabilities on the ADCET Inclusive Technology webpages.
Designing for Assistive Technology
It is important to remember that AT is only effective if the environment has been designed for it. So:
- A screen reader will assist only if the digital content has been created to be navigated and interacted with using a keyboard.
- A virtual meeting session in Zoom or Teams will be accessible only if the accessibility settings have been enabled.
Assistive technology and generative artificial intelligence
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has resulted in new AT options and is being used to enhance the functionality of existing AT. Examples include:
- Otter.ai for notetaking and transcription
- An image description add-on to the NVDA screen reader.
Benefits and risks
This is a rapidly moving area and has the potential to make accessing and interacting with digital content significantly easier.
Student use of AT with integrated genAI must be taken into consideration when making decisions about genAI use for learning activities and assessments. A blanket ban on genAI use for a particular task may result in ANU not meeting its obligations under Australian legislation.