Social Predictors of Assistive Technology Proficiency Among Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments
Valerie S. Morash, Yue-Ting Siu · 2016 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing · doi:10.1145/2999569
Summary
This study investigates why only about 40% of Teachers of students with Visual Impairments (TVIs) integrate assistive technology into their practice, despite AT being critical for K-12 students' educational engagement and predictive of positive postsecondary outcomes. Previous attempts to improve AT adoption by focusing on preservice training have been unsuccessful, likely because technology evolves faster than training curricula can adapt, and the diverse needs of students with visual impairments make comprehensive device-specific training impractical. The researchers propose that TVIs' AT proficiency is better predicted by their identification with a pro-technology community of practice (CoP) than by formal training or years of experience. A CoP involves three dimensions: sharing a toolkit of practices and resources, investing in a shared domain of interest around accessibility issues, and actively interacting with community members through questions, anecdotes, and mutual support. The study surveyed 505 North American TVIs (494 American, 11 Canadian), presenting four realistic classroom scenarios involving students with low vision or blindness who need access to printed handouts, computer screens, textbooks, or internet research. For each scenario, participants answered questions measuring their proficiency across four AT dimensions (Choose, Fund, Ability, Integrate) and their CoP identification across three dimensions (Practice, Domain of Interest, Community). The survey was validated through expert review, pilot testing with 33 TVIs, and demonstrated acceptable internal reliability.
Key findings
The study found a significant positive correlation (Spearman's ρ = 0.49, p < 0.001) between TVIs' estimated AT proficiency and their identification with a pro-technology CoP. Critically, this relationship was strongest among TVIs with lower AT proficiency and lower CoP identification (r = 0.40 for 59% of participants in the "low CoP" range versus r = 0.20 for "high CoP" participants). This suggests that connecting isolated, low-proficiency TVIs to supportive professional networks could have the greatest impact on improving AT adoption. Neither preservice AT training nor years working as a TVI significantly predicted AT proficiency. This finding challenges the common assumption that more coursework or experience automatically improves technology competence. Instead, ongoing social connections that help teachers navigate new devices, find funding sources, and integrate AT into lessons appear more valuable than front-loaded training. Among survey dimensions, funding and integration questions proved more difficult than ability questions, while community questions were harder than practice and domain-of-interest questions. This indicates that TVIs struggle most with securing resources for AT and with finding time to engage with professional communities—both systemic barriers rather than individual skill deficits. Notably, 80% of participants were itinerant teachers who travel between schools and often work in isolation, with 25% reporting no other TVIs in their district.
Relevance
This research has direct implications for AT developers, school administrators, and anyone concerned with getting assistive technology into the hands of students who need it. The finding that social networks matter more than formal training suggests that merely creating better AT or offering more workshops is insufficient—developers must also foster communities where teachers can share implementation strategies, troubleshoot problems, and learn about new tools from peers. For accessibility practitioners, the study highlights that technology adoption is fundamentally a social process. Teachers who feel connected to a community that values AT are more likely to choose it, secure funding for it, learn to use it, and integrate it into lessons. Online communities, email listservs, and platforms that enable TVIs to share lesson plans and "cheat sheets" may be more effective than traditional professional development. The study also reveals a gap in understanding document layout concepts among some students who are congenitally blind—reminding practitioners that spatial and visual concepts require explicit teaching. For organizations deploying AT in educational settings, the research argues for creating social infrastructure alongside technical solutions: user forums, mentorship programs, and recognition that teachers working in isolation need different support than those in well-resourced schools for the blind.
Tags: assistive technology · visual impairment · special education · teacher training · community of practice · K-12 education · professional development
Standards referenced: IDEIA