Book excerpt: For courses in Assistive Technology and Technology in Special Education. Updated with new research, content and features to address current developments in the field, this text approaches assistive technology and education in a lifespan, multidisciplinary manner by discussing the use of current technology in the fields of special education, rehabilitation, speech-language pathology, and other disciplines. Assistive Technology for People with Disabilities, Second Edition, includes eight comprehensive chapters that focus on devices and software to enhance the lives and promote the independence of people with disabilities. The textbook's content includes material that relates to most of the disability categories in IDEA 2004 and to the key concepts of the AT legislation. Featured devices and software will help the reader understand how areas such as mobility, communication, education, independent living, and access to information media affect learning and living for individuals with disabilities. Relevant foundation information is included notably, the historical perspectives of AT, assessment, universal design, and the ADAPT framework, which is a tool to help educators make decisions about appropriate AT, student needs, and the demands of the environment. Developed from the authors' years of experience teaching both K-12 students and adults, as well as their own framework for understanding assistive technology application and integrating technology into instruction, this updated text addresses assistive technology that promotes knowledge and skills, practical application and a myriad of opportunities that good technology provides for persons with disabilities. NEW! Added Personal Perspective (PP) feature at the beginning of every chapter depicts a user of AT or his or her family, Further referenced in the chapter, the PP will help the reader make connections to key content, and provide the "human side" of AT and the powerful impact it has on the lives of individuals with disabilities. NEW! The devices and software featured in this edition reflect contemporary developments in the field of AT and education. The updates are featured throughout every chapter. NEW! The ADAPT Framework has been updated in Chapter Two and is further integrated into more chapters throughout the text. An important tool to help readers make good decisions about AT devices as they relate to the user and the environmental demands, the framework is applicable and practical. NEW! Information about Universal Design has been added in Chapter Two and integrated in other chapters as appropriate. Widely accepted in the field of education as a practical, useful way to think about curricular and instructional design, AT fits logically into this framework. NEW! End-of-chapter features engage students in activities that help them to think more deeply about the material and to apply what they have learned. Discussion Questions and now the Focus On features offer opportunity for critical thinking and applying chapter concepts.