A letter from the CEO

Today, there are all manner of technological tools available to enable people to be more active in their community. The problem, however, is that technology is expensive.

That expense goes beyond the purchase price. There are many additional costs that need to be considered and budgeted for if technological tools are going to be embraced.

A recent article on "Technology Aids for Inclusive Classrooms" 1 provides an example of the promise and the problems associated with incorporating assistive technology into classrooms. The article cites the fact that technology can help children with a wide variety of disability types be included in the classroom with other students. However, it goes on to point out how teachers and staff will need to be trained in the proper use of that technology for it to be effective. Technology is also imperfect. Things break down and when they do, there are maintenance costs involved in getting things up and running again.

In addition, there is the rapid pace of technological change to consider. Technology becomes obsolete as soon the next generation is developed. If people with disabilities are to be equal members of the community, they will have to keep pace with changing times as much as everyone else.

To make the use of technology more feasible, people - particularly members of community organizations who want to be more inclusive in their practices - need to budget for the real costs of technology. That means being able to see beyond the purchase costs and building a budget that takes implementation and maintenance costs into account. Do the research and crunch the numbers carefully. Because when people begin to build more appropriate budgets for their technological tools, they will avoid the pitfalls of unexpected costs that contribute to later financial struggles.

Remember; assistive technology is an investment. But it's not just an investment in a product, it's an investment in people…and the return is a more inclusive community.

For more information on how to plan to incorporate assistive technology more effectively, check out the following articles on the web:
http://www.summitcollaborative.com/NPQ_Cost_Technology.html
http://www.techsoup.org/articlepage.cfm?ArticleId=197&topicid=11
http://realgar.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/river/river13.html

1. Article 4: ''TECHNOLOGY AIDS FOR INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS" Source: Author: Howell, Richard; THEORY INTO PRACTICE, Winter 96, Vol.35 Issue 1, p58, 8p. as found at http://www.geocities.com/nycnyc12065/article_4.html