Article
Why I study assistive technology
Why and how I was inspired to study assistive technology and why I am so passionate about topics related to accessibility
When I published the first version of this post on why I study assistive technology back in 2017, I had written it as a response to frequently asked questions that I had received about why I was interested in such a niche topic as an undergraduate and what exactly studying assistive technology would mean for my future career prospects. I love talking about assistive technology, so much so that I started a website where I’ve shared hundreds of posts about the topic, but I’ve updated this post to include more behind the “why” of what inspired me to study assistive technology starting as a high school student and why I am pursuing a PhD in this amazing field.
When did you decide to study assistive technology?
When I was fourteen years old and in the ninth grade, a series of internal errors within my school district led to a delay in receiving textbooks for my first semester of classes. In an effort to track down the missing textbooks, my parents contacted AIM-VA, the state organization that provides accessible textbooks to students with print disabilities to see if they had any further information. My parents began to tell the staff member from AIM-VA about how discouraged I had been since I had experienced a significant vision decline recently (along with additional neurological symptoms later confirmed as Chiari Malformation) and how not having textbooks or consistent access to large print materials had made things even more difficult. The staff member suggested that my parents and I attend an upcoming event at George Mason University that centered around going to college with a disability and assistive technology, and that they thought it would help me feel more optimistic about my situation.
A few weeks later, I was walking around the basement of the Johnson Center on the George Mason campus and was surrounded by tables showcasing different low vision assistive technology devices. While I had been diagnosed with low vision at age three, I didn’t have much prior exposure to high-tech assistive technology and had no idea that there were so many ways for me to access information— or how much I had really been straining my eyes to read the “large print” materials at school. I ran from table to table exploring video magnifiers, high-contrast text, large print displays, accessible books, keyboards, accessibility settings for mainstream technologies, and so much more, smiling the entire time and excitedly showing my family all of the cool things that were there. In this environment, conversations focused on what I could see, what I could do, and how I could use assistive technology to make things not just easier, but to make them possible, instead of focusing on the textbook-sized gap in the classroom or questions about what I couldn’t see or comments about how I shouldn’t do something.
Before this event, I had thought about what I wanted to do as a future career, and was considering something that would let me work with computers/technology or that would let me help others. As I stood inside the Johnson Center, I realized assistive technology was the perfect opportunity for me to blend both of these interests. I started telling everyone that I would be coming back to George Mason University and studying assistive technology, because I wanted to make the world a better place for people with visual impairments like me.
Related links
- Receiving Accessible Educational Materials With NIMAC and AIM-VA
- Two of Everything: Living With Double Vision
- How I Explain My Brain With Chiari Malformation
Who inspired you to study assistive technology?
After I returned from the event at George Mason University, I excitedly told several members of my support team that I wanted to learn everything I could about low vision assistive technology, including the Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI) and the school district’s assistive technology (AT) specialist. Both were very excited that I had developed an interest in this topic, but said they didn’t think there were very many resources for low vision assistive technology, as most of the focus was usually on braille and nonvisual access. One person even said they weren’t sure if there was such thing as low vision assistive technology, and that it was usually reserved for people with less usable vision or who were less “high-functioning” than I was. Even if they didn’t have many resources to share with me, this TVI and AT specialist would always ask me if I had learned something new or interesting, and encourage me to share things that I learned so that they could pass along these tips to other students, and my other support team members like my case manager, parents, and paraprofessionals would do the same.
Even though I was perceived as “high-functioning”, my teachers were often overwhelmed with trying to create accessible materials, organizing digital workflows, or would tell me they had no idea how to teach a student with low vision because they had limited support or not enough time to make things accessible. With the encouragement of my parents and special education staff, I would research potential solutions and suggest ways they could be implemented in class to make things easier for my teachers and write down different things I had tried that had worked well for me to share with teachers. On the last day of my senior year of high school, one teacher that I had never met challenged me to write down everything I had learned about attending this high school and applying to college with low vision and suggested that I start a blog after reading what I had written.
Another key inspiration in studying assistive technology was an interaction I had with another individual, who had dropped out of school because they had been unable to receive accessible materials and did not have access to assistive technology for their visual impairment. Based on the 2016 American Community Survey results interpreted by Cornell University’s Employment and Disability Institute (EDI), over 50% of individuals identified with visual impairments reported having a high school diploma/GED or less education, while 30% reported having some education or an associate’s degree. Only 15.7% of individuals identified with visual impairments have a bachelor’s degree or higher. I am privileged to have not only graduated high school, but to have graduated with two college degrees (so far!), and I want to use this privilege to advocate for others living with visual impairments and promote access to assistive technology that can be used to help achieve goals related to education and employment.
Last but not least, my parents have also served as a profound inspiration for me to study assistive technology, as they have always pushed for inclusion and taught me to advocate not only for myself, but for others who may not be in a position to speak out. Both of them have dedicated their lives to advocating for others, and if it wasn’t for them, I would probably still be waiting for those ninth-grade textbooks to come in!
Related links
- Ten Lessons My TVI Taught Me
- My Talk At A Future Date: What I Wish I Learned About AT Before Starting College
Where did you study assistive technology?
Keeping the promise I made when I was fourteen, I earned a B.S. in Computational and Data Sciences and a minor in Assistive Technology from George Mason University, which is one of the only universities in the country to provide undergraduate students with the opportunity to take assistive technology coursework. I have loved all of the faculty and staff members that make up the assistive technology department, and was able to learn through a mix of virtual classes, attending in-person conferences and events, and just showing up in people’s offices or email inboxes to ask a question about something I was curious about. My bachelor’s degree is in data science because I love learning about accessible data visualizations and how emerging technologies can be used to support accessibility and inclusive design, and I enjoy developing my own applications and projects that can be used to help others.
Since I love assistive technology so much, I also earned a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction: Concentration in Assistive Technology from George Mason University as well, which provided me with opportunities to further explore topics I was interested in, such as the intersections of designing for ocular and neurological visual impairments (also known as CVI).
As a true “full circle” moment, many of the professors and staff members that teach in the assistive technology department or work with students at the university were attending the conference where I announced to everyone that I would be returning to GMU to study assistive technology, and the AIM-VA staff member who answered the phone for my parents became one of my all-time favorite professors. I’m so glad to have their support as I continue my studies in a PhD program as well!
Related links
What do you want to do with assistive technology?
I tell people that my ultimate goal is to “take over the world” with assistive technology, in the respect that I want to make the world a more accessible place and ensure that individuals with visual impairments don’t just live with their condition, but that they are able to thrive and pursue personal, professional, and educational goals. I love writing and sharing what I have learned with others, conducting research on topics related to low vision access, as well as working on high-tech and emerging technologies that can be used in accessibility contexts. My dream role would be something that allows me to share my writing with others, learn from other individuals with visual impairments and amplify their perspectives on accessibility, and develop tools that can be used as assistive technology, especially for students and educators.
My favorite part of developing assistive technology projects and resources is the reactions of the people who use them, and the moment when they realize that accessibility and usability were considered from the start, not treated as an afterthought. To make something accessible and to practice inclusive design is the greatest way to show users that I care about them, that I want them to be part of the conversation and the community, and that their disability should not be a source of frustration- quite simply, I want my users to feel the same way I did when I was standing in the Johnson Center basement, and use their feedback and experiences to push for further innovation in technology. I love taking what I have learned about assistive technology and incorporating it into my daily life where I can not only introduce this same technology to others but work to make it even better.
So, why do you study assistive technology?
Quite simply, studying assistive technology has given me an opportunity to do everything I want:
- I want to be the resource I needed when I was younger and showcase ways that technology can be used to help people with disabilities
- I want other students to be able to focus on learning and spending time with their friends, not trying to figure out how to make things accessible and missing out on other opportunities in the process
- I want to learn more about assistive technology in a variety of contexts, including designing/implementing tools for people with multiple disability areas and others who have been traditionally excluded from mainstream technology market
- I want every person to have access to the tools and skills that they need to thrive. I want them to be able to come home from school or work and be able to do their favorite things, whether that is cooking a delicious recipe, watching TV, playing a video game, creating a craft project, or something else entirely.
- I want to be a part of closing the employment gap for people with disabilities and ensure that people have access to meaningful employment.
- I want to empower individuals with visual impairments to achieve more than they ever thought was possible
- I want to make a difference.
I love what I do in the field of assistive technology, and the amazing communities of practice I have developed with others who share their talents and passions with others. Assistive technology has changed my life in so many ways, and I am honored and privileged to continue working and researching to help change the lives of others as well.
This post on why I study assistive technology is written by Veronica Lewis, M.Ed. and reposted with permission from Veronica With Four Eyes.
Published July 2017. Updated July 2025
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