Africans with learning disabilities and assistive technology
Africans with learning disabilities and assistive technology
Marcus Rashford of Manchester United tweeted in 2020 that reading and books are cool. However, this is not always the case.
Mary*, a dyslexic Nigerian, responded to Rashford's tweet about her reading difficulties. And within minutes, his supporters in the United Kingdom chastised her, pointing out how technology has simplified learning for people with dyslexia and other learning disabilities such as dyscalculia and dysgraphia.
According to a 2017 World Bank study conducted in 19 middle- and low-income countries, three out of every ten disabled children are never enrolled in school, and more than half of those who do enroll do not complete primary school.
Similarly, while one in every six disabled children is literate, only two complete their secondary education.
Africans with learning disabilities
Learning disabilities are neurological conditions that impair children's and adults' ability to acquire and process information.
According to the American National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), learning disabilities impair children's ability to comprehend and use spoken or written language, perform mathematical calculations, coordinate movements, and focus attention.
Africa on the Blog, a blog dedicated to African social issues, describes how some Ugandan schools turned down a dyslexic boy due to his learning disability (LD).
Another study indicates that the number of slow learners and children with learning disabilities (LDs) is increasing in Africa; however, estimating the number in some countries is nearly impossible due to insufficient data.
According to a World Health Organization (WHO) fact sheet, only one in every ten people who require assistive products has access to them.
According to the International School of Disability Studies (ISDS), the majority of people with LDs go undiagnosed. As a result, their families are not well informed about providing the necessary care and support.
Perhaps Mary typifies the average African who is unaware of the existence of learning disabilities or lacks the knowledge necessary to obtain assistive technology.
Fejiro, a young adult diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in 2016 — a common disorder that coexists with learning disabilities — says, "I'm unfamiliar with assistive technology." When I read, I rely on ebooks and web searches, but I am prone to distraction. I will not lie; studying is difficult.”
As a result, some individuals with LDs are labeled as stupid or other derogatory terms.
Oladoyin Idowu is the founder of One Word Africa, an African initiative dedicated to dyslexia. As a person who struggles with dyslexia, she stated that teachers referred to her as stupid, which affected her self-esteem.
She dropped out of school and did not return until she developed an interest in interior design.
Dare*, a young Nigerian in his mid-20s who has conducted online self-diagnosis tests, explains, "Last year, I discovered that I might have dyslexia and ADHD." Perhaps this is why I struggled in school and ultimately dropped out. I'm not familiar with assistive technology.”
While children with learning disabilities often struggle in school and are more likely to withdraw, assistive technology (AT) can help make learning easier by developing or improving children's capabilities.
What is assistive technology (AT) and how does it work?
The Assistive Technology Industry Association defines assistive technology as "any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product system that augments, maintains, or improves the functionality and capabilities of individuals with disabilities."
AT alleviates difficulties associated with learning disabilities in the areas of listening, writing, reading, math, organization, and memory. And it ranges from low-tech solutions such as specialized writing instruments to high-tech solutions such as iPads customized to a child's unique learning needs.
Hardware such as the voice amplifier and speech generator, software such as text-to-speech systems, and inclusive to specialized learning materials and curriculum such as modern devices with specialized apps all contribute to learning.
Accessible assistive technology
Text-to-speech AT
When read aloud to children and adults with learning disabilities such as dyslexia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), this software assists them in comprehending texts.
This approachable form of AT has been shown to improve decoding, word recognition, reading fluency, and reading comprehension. It is, however, only beneficial for individuals who retain information through listening rather than reading.
Similarly, it assists individuals with dyslexia and dysgraphia with reading, writing, studying, and organizational skills.
Hsin-Yu Chiang and Karen Jacobs state in a 2009 study that this type of AT enhances children's work perception and makes their writing more expressive. NaturalReader, Ivona, and iSpeech are a few examples of this.
Speech-to-text AT
Writing entails both low-level transcription skills such as handwriting, spelling, punctuation, and grammar and high-level composition skills such as planning, content generation, and revision.
As a result, this type of software transcribes words for individuals who have dyspraxia or dysgraphia.
The software is believed to increase students' productivity by allowing them to avoid typing or handwriting.
This type of assistive technology (AT) helps children with learning disabilities improve their word recognition, spelling, and reading comprehension skills.
Other assistive technology tools
Individuals with learning disabilities benefit from tools such as audiobooks and publications, abbreviation expanders, electronic math worksheets, proofreading programs, information/data managers, optical character recognition, variable speed tape recorders, word prediction programs, talking calculators, speech recognition programs, speech synthesisers/screen recorders, and alternate keyboards.
WHO describes how technology is assisting people with learning disabilities in living healthy, independent, and productive lives in a 2018 fact sheet. Additionally, it emphasizes their full participation in education, the labor market, and civic life, demonstrating that learning disabled individuals can recognize, unleash, and achieve their full potential.
Why do we need assistive technology?
Learning disabilities do not impair intelligence; rather, they impair one or more of the cognitive processes involved in learning.
As a result, utilizing assistive technology can help an individual improve their learning abilities in areas such as math, reading, writing, organization, abstract reasoning, long and short-term memory, attention, and time management.
Idowu explains why she adopted AT: "I use assistive technology, and it truly simplifies my life." My notes are scanned and converted to audio using the Speechify app and OneNote Immersive Reader. Additionally, I can upload my notes to them. Grammarly, QuillBot, and The Mind app are all programs I use.”
Besides that, having a strong support system as a person with a learning disability is beneficial.
“I cannot overstate the importance of having a strong support system — people who genuinely care and want to help. “I have a friend who assists me in restructuring, proofreading, and editing all of my writings,” she notes.
She continues, "There was a time when I experienced physical panic attacks prior to writing an exam." I was terrified, and the situation was on the verge of becoming a public nightmare, but my friends took the initiative and assisted in resolving the situation.”
There is no cure for learning disabilities at the moment. However, AT has been shown to improve learning for children with learning disabilities, as demonstrated in this study in which students with learning disabilities dictated using Dragon — a speech-to-text tool.
The outcome demonstrated a sizable impact, demonstrating that assistive technology eliminates barriers associated with learning disabilities.
There are no known causes of learning disabilities. However, they have been linked to preterm birth, maternal illnesses, and complications during childbirth, all of which reduce the oxygen supply to the child's brain; they are also hereditary in some cases. They are not, however, the result of witchcraft activity.
With no cure in sight, children with LDs can maximize their potential and achieve success with the assistance of a strong support system and assistive technology.
