What children with disabilities use at home: between NHS provision and the private market
Assistive technology for children with visual impairments, motor difficulties and communication needs has improved significantly. What the NHS funds, what parents buy, and the gap between them tells a complicated story.
By Wistl Editorial · · At Home
For children with disabilities, the distinction between EdTech and assistive technology is not always clear. A child with a visual impairment using screen reading software to access educational content is using both simultaneously. A child with cerebral palsy using eye-tracking technology to communicate and to complete schoolwork is using a device that is therapeutic, educational and communicative at the same time. The boundaries between health, education and technology that structure public funding do not map cleanly onto the lives of children who need all three at once. NHS provision of assi