Washington State Department of Services for the Blind

Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology (AT) includes both devices and services. A device is any item or piece of equipment used to maintain or improve the functional capabilities of a person with a disability. Many high-tech and low-tech devices are now available to assist people who are blind or visually impaired with daily living tasks, communication, education, work, and recreation. Examples include: Velcro; adapted clothing and toys; computers; seating systems; powered mobility; augmentative communication devices; special switches; assisted listening devices; visual aids; memory prosthetics; and thousands of other commercially available or adapted items.

AT services support people with visual disabilities or their caregivers to help them select, acquire, or use AT devices. Such services also include functional evaluations, training on or demonstration of devices, and purchasing or leasing of devices.

Many jobs can be accommodated through the use of AT to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of a job. There are resources available to businesses to assist in the process of identifying appropriate types of AT, as well as funding options. In many cases, the cost of the accommodation will be the responsibility of the employer, however, in some instances additional resources may be available.

Most workers who are blind or visually impaired require no special accommodations, and the cost for those who do is minimal or much lower than many employers believe. Studies by the President’s Committee’s Job Accommodation Network have shown that 15% of accommodations cost nothing, 51% cost between $1 and $500, 12% cost between $501 and $1,000, and 22% cost more than $1,000.