Assistive Technology Services

Assistive technology (AT) refers to any device, equipment, or system designed to help individuals with disabilities perform tasks they may find challenging due to their physical, sensory, cognitive, or mental impairments. The goal of assistive technology is to enhance independence, improve quality of life, and enable individuals to participate more fully in various activities.

Assistive technology can be high-tech (like digital apps or specialized equipment) or low-tech (such as simple tools like grab bars or pencil grips). It’s meant to increase accessibility and inclusivity for individuals, enabling them to do things independently that they might otherwise struggle with.

Some of the Assistive Technology areas our office offers includes:

Note-Taking

The C-Pen uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to scan text and playback audio taken in the scanned text materials. C-Pens are checked out to students on a case-by-case basis who have qualifying disabilities.

Literacy

Read & Write for Education is a literacy support tool with nearly 30 different functions used to boost reading and writing skills. From reading aloud text on websites, emails, and documents to making sure you are using the right verb tense, Read & Write improves your literacy. Read&Write is available for Windows, Mac, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, iPad, and Android. Teachers and students can use Read&Write on their laptop, tablet, or Chromebook.

E-Text

E-text, short for "electronic text," refers to any text that is stored, displayed, or transmitted in a digital format. Unlike printed text, e-text is meant to be read on electronic devices such as computers, e-readers, smartphones, or tablets.

Speech-to-Text

Dragon Naturally Speaking Version 13 is the speech recognition software that types the text you speak into your computer. This allows you to put the text you need into websites, emails, and documents. Dragon lets you use your computer hands-free by letting you speak your commands.  

Dragon is provided to students on a case-by-case basis who have qualifying disabilities.

Assistive Technology Lab

The Assistive Technology, (AT) Lab is partially funded by the Dorothy Broyles and LIVE Foundations. This is a place where students can study in an accessible environment.

The AT Lab is:

• Located on the Pocatello campus in the Rendezvous Center Room 137. 
• Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Available to all ISU students and staff.

In the Assistive Technology Lab we provide many digital tools that support those in the ISU community.

Explore the options above and schedule a consultation with a Disability Services specialist by calling at one of our many offices listed below.