Assistive Technology (AT) is defined as any item, piece of equipment, product, or system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.

One of the tools that is being used quite a bit by many college students is the Livescribe Smartpen which can record audio and match it up with hand written notes, creating a multimedia file that is really useful for reviewing course content, studying, and more.

Another set of tools that many students find helpful is the My Study Bar application, which combines many free and helpful tools and makes them easy to launch and run, even from a portable drive. 

Both of these tools are described briefly here, but there are also videos on the accessibility site computer user training page.

DSS has a wide variety of Assistive Technology (AT) available for student use including laptops, scanners, magnifiers, assistive listening devices, recording devices, notetaking systems, ergonomic keyboards and mice, ergonomic furniture, and more.

In addition to hardware, DSS also has a variety of adaptive software programs available through computer access across campus.

If you would like to learn more about customizing your computer to improve accessibility contact our office by calling 786-4530 or emailing aydss@uaa.alaska.edu.

See the DSS Handouts page for quick tip cards and technology overviews.