Children require access to the information tools that are an integral part of both learning and our economy. This is especially true for children with special needs. Computers with the capacity for internet access are the obvious point of access for all of this wonderful information, educational resources, and vocational training and orientation. Among the many obstacles that have up to now impeded access to the internet are the cost of the technology and what I call the "geek factor” (discussed further below). The cost factor is obvious. Computers can be budget busters. In a time when some students, such as in Washington D.C. (see post from 12/26/05) are going through half a year without books, no less computers, access to the internet may appear a luxury for some. The unfortunate reality, however, is that books AND access to the internet are equally essential.
As reported in the Christian Science Monitor, a joint effort between researchers at MIT, Google, Advance Micro Devices and other corporate sponsors, in conjunction with the United Nations, have been working on developing incredibly cheap, durable laptop computers for use in developing countries and in the United States. The current cost of production is estimated to be around a $130 per unit, but it is expected that within the next year, $100 laptops will be in production and distribution in the United Stares and around the world. The laptops run on a free Linux operating system that is considered incredibly sturdy and not as subject to Windows systems’ “bugs”. For areas of the world where there is no electricity, the computer will come with a hand-crank battery.
According to news reports, several states, including Massachusetts, South Dakota, and New Mexico, plan to supply every student with their own laptop. In Indiana, the proposal is for every student to have a PC computer on his or her desk. Massachusetts’ Governor Mitt Romney has indicated that he is interested in supplying each student (approximately 500,000) with the $100 laptop computers that are in development at MIT. It would appear that the time has come to contact your respective governor and State Educational Director and lobby for them to follow the lead of these states.
Cost is not supposed to be a prime factor in providing needed assistive technology to children with special needs. The harsh reality is that many districts will come up with creative ways to avoid supplying computers on grounds other than cost when the real reason is the expense. Only the most intransigent districts will continue making such arguments, at least with regard to laptops, when these low cost devices become commonplace.
If every student has a laptop, and if it is a required part of school (as it is in many colleges and law schools), there will no longer be the stigma of being a "geek" for using it. This "geek factor" has come up frequently where I have advocated successfully for a laptop at the parents’ request, only to have the child reject its use because it would further single him or her out from the crowd. With any luck, in the near future, laptops will become part of the educational landscape, benefiting of all students, especially those that need it the most. Now if we could only have fully accessible websites, but that is a discussion for another posting.