Blanket policies limiting screen time can make it more difficult for students with disabilities to access the assistive technology they need for individualized services and accommodations, according to an article in K-12 Dive.
Assistive technology ranges from a low-tech pencil grip to high-tech voice recognition software. In addition, students with conditions like diabetes may need devices to monitor their health.
Access barriers to assistive technology have always existed, but they have “gotten slightly worse” since some districts have limited technology use, says Denise Marshall, CEO of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates.
“Any blanket policy could run afoul of” the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, says Marshall.
IDEA guarantees qualifying students with disabilities access to assistive technology if their individualized education program team determines they would benefit from certain tools, devices and technology.
Limited knowledge among school staff about how assistive technology can help students with disabilities and rapidly changing technology can hinder use of assistive tech, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report.
About 17% of U.S. students qualified for either IDEA or Section 504 (a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in programs that receive federal financial assistance) services in 2021-22, according to the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Policies curtailing screen use should emphasize exceptions for students with disabilities whose IEP or Section 504 plan gives them the right to access devices or technology, say some advocates and organizations.
Proposals applied bluntly strip away assistive technology for students with disabilities, adaptive programs that identify early on struggling readers, and in many rural and low-income communities access to high-quality, individualized instruction, said the Software & Information Industry Association in a statement.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services urges schools to “limit screen use by assigning work in books or on paper whenever possible” — with exceptions for students who need devices because of an IEP, a Section 504 plan, health monitoring or emergency circumstances.
Schools should consider the quality of technology and practical implications, says Meredith Coffey, senior policy and operations associate at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. “Too much low-quality school screen time is a real problem for students’ academic growth, social development, and digital safety.”
K-12 Dive
