Assistive Technology 101

A plain-language introduction to what assistive technology is, who it helps, and how the right tools and supports can be identified and used.

What Is Assistive Technology?

Assistive technology (AT) is any tool, piece of equipment, software program, or product system that helps a person with a disability increase, maintain, or improve their ability to do everyday things, such as communicating, moving, seeing, hearing, reading, writing, learning, working, or managing daily life. The term also covers the services that help a person choose, get, and use that technology. AT can be as simple as a pencil grip or as advanced as a speech-generating device controlled with the eyes.

Assistive Technology Devices and Services

The federal Assistive Technology Act describes AT in two parts:

Assistive technology devices are the items themselves, whether bought off the shelf, modified, or custom-made. A device can be hardware, such as a switch, a wheelchair, or a hearing aid, or software, such as a screen reader, a text-to-speech program, or a communication app.

Assistive technology services are the supports that make a device useful. They can include evaluating a person's needs, selecting and obtaining technology, fitting and customizing it, maintaining and repairing it, training the person and the people who support them, and coordinating AT with therapy, education, or rehabilitation services.

Examples of Assistive Technology

AT ranges from low-tech tools, which are usually simple and need no power, to high-tech tools that use electronics or software. A few examples show the range:

Communication: picture communication boards; speech-generating devices and communication apps for tablets and smartphones.

Vision: magnifiers and white canes; screen readers and screen magnification software.

Hearing: visual alerts and amplified phones; hearing aids, captioning, and remote microphone systems.

Mobility: canes, walkers, and grab bars; manual and power wheelchairs.

Computer and device access: keyguards and built-in accessibility settings; adaptive keyboards, switch-operated devices, and eye-tracking systems.

Reading and writing: reading guides and pencil grips; text-to-speech software and word prediction and speech-to-text tools.

Memory and organization: visual schedules and checklists; reminder apps and digital timers.

Daily living and the home: reachers, adapted utensils and dressing aids, and ramps; smart home controls for lights, doors, and appliances.

Who Can Benefit From Assistive Technology?

AT can help anyone whose disability, injury, health condition, or age-related change makes certain tasks difficult, including people with physical, sensory, communication, learning, cognitive, or developmental disabilities. AT is used across the lifespan: by young children in early intervention, students in school and college, adults at work and at home, and older adults who want to keep living independently. When the match is right, AT can increase independence, reduce reliance on others, and support fuller participation in education, work, and community life.

How Is Assistive Technology Chosen?

Choosing AT works best as a process, not a single purchase. A good match considers the person, the tasks they want to do, the environments where the technology will be used, the person's access method (for example, touch, keyboard, switch, voice, or eye gaze), and the features of the tools being considered. Trials before purchase, training, and follow-up make success more likely. Many everyday tools can be tried and adopted directly, while more complex or higher-stakes decisions often benefit from a structured assessment. For a closer look at this process, see AT Assessment & Selection.

Depending on the setting, the team may include the person, family members or caregivers where appropriate, educators, therapists such as speech-language pathologists and occupational or physical therapists, and assistive technology practitioners, including those who hold the RESNA Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) credential. Who may conduct an evaluation varies by setting and funding source.

Because people, tasks, and environments change, AT should be reviewed over time to confirm it still works well.

Who Pays for Assistive Technology?

Funding depends on the person's age, setting, needs, and eligibility. Possible sources include school districts, when a student needs AT to receive an appropriate education; Medicaid, Medicare, or private health insurance, when coverage rules are met; state vocational rehabilitation agencies, for employment goals; employers, as a workplace accommodation; state AT program financing; and nonprofit organizations, grants, or personal funds. For an overview of these options, see Funding Assistive Technology.

Where Can You Try or Borrow Assistive Technology?

Every U.S. state, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories have a state assistive technology program funded under the federal Assistive Technology Act. These programs commonly offer device demonstrations, short-term device loans so a person can try equipment before buying it, device reuse programs that provide previously owned equipment at reduced or no cost, and financing programs, along with information and training. To find your program, use the AT3 Center's state AT program directory.

Assistive Technology at School and at Work

For children and students, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) uses similar definitions of AT devices and services, and an IEP team must consider whether a student needs them. For more, see Education, IDEA & IEPs. At work, AT can help an employee perform job tasks and use workplace technology, often as part of a reasonable accommodation; see Employment & Workplace Accommodations.

Assistive Technology and Digital Accessibility

Assistive technology is used by the person. Digital accessibility is about whether websites, documents, apps, and other digital content are designed so people can use them, including with AT such as screen readers, switches, or voice control. Both matter, because even well-matched AT cannot fully overcome content that was not built accessibly. For more, see Digital Accessibility.

CONTINUE EXPLORING ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

This page provides a broad, beginner-level introduction. For deeper coverage, see Communication & AAC, Vision & Low Vision, Switch Access, and Accessible Gaming, or browse every guide by category in Topics.

AUTHORITATIVE RESOURCES

For the federal definitions of assistive technology devices and services, see 29 U.S.C. 3002 (Assistive Technology Act definitions). For an overview of the federal Assistive Technology Act program, see Assistive Technology from the Administration for Community Living. For help connecting with state Assistive Technology Act programs and technical assistance, see AT3 Center. For federal guidance on assistive technology devices and services for children with disabilities under IDEA, including the Myths and Facts document, see Assistive Technology Devices and Services for Children With Disabilities Under the IDEA from the U.S. Department of Education. For a global perspective, see the World Health Organization's Assistive technology fact sheet.

ABOUT THIS PAGE

This page is provided for general educational purposes and is maintained by The Accessibility Clinic® Inc. Assistive technology needs vary by individual, task, environment, and goals, so the examples described here do not constitute individualized recommendations. For an individualized evaluation, see AssistiveTechnologyEvaluations.org. Last reviewed October 31, 2026.