User Perspectives on Assistive Technology in Educational Settings.

Rose1 is an 11-year-old fifth-grade student in a small city in the Pacific Northwest. She is tiny and pretty, with long, shiny, dark hair, usually pulled back in a ponytail, sparkling blue eyes, and an engaging smile. She has cerebral palsy. She is unable to walk unassisted, but because she can support herself briefly with her arms, she is self-mobile in a variety of ways. Rose gets around her home by crawling and can pull herself up onto the couch. Handrails have been installed in the hallway to permit her to walk if she wishes. At school she uses a walker with wheels a couple of times a week to exercise her legs and arms. The central component of Rose's mobility system is her motorized wheelchair. This is Rose's second power chair, recently purchased to replace one she had used for 6 years. The new chair features a customized seating system, electronic, programmable controls, and a joystick that swings out of the way to allow Rose to pull close to tables and desks of standard height. Rose also has a standard or manual wheelchair, which she uses when her power chair is being repaired or when accommodations are not available to transport her power chair. Wheelchairs are a common sight at Rose's school, which houses the Orthopedically Impaired Program for the district. Although new wheelchairs generate a great deal of interest and are viewed almost as status symbols, in general nondisabled students and teachers regard them simply as tools students with physical disabilities use to propel themselves around the school. Because Rose's upper body also is affected by cerebral palsy, she uses a number of adapted devices to expand her access to her environment and help her function independently. Adapted pencils, eating utensils, scissors, and other common tools permit Rose to function nearly independently when she eats and does school work, at home and at school.