Recognizing the special needs of elementary school children whose disabilities are so severe they have limited mobility, speech, or hearing abilities, students at Thomas Jefferson formed TJ’s Assistive Technology Club (ATC) to use their technology skills to provide support for a group of these children, their teachers, and caretakers. Over a period of more than 12 years, members of the ATC have designed books, enhanced instructional materials, developed games, and implemented specially designed software programs for use with the children’s specialized communication devices. One example is a tablet with an app that allows a nonverbal child on the autism spectrum to speak and learn vocabulary through touching symbols on the tablet screen.

Initially, the materials created by the members of the ATC were given to the special education teachers to use in their classrooms. Eventually the Club members began meeting with the younger children via video conferencing. The TJ students were then able to realize the fruits of their labor and to make personal connections with the children. During these weekly video conferences, Club members share colorful, educational online games and other materials they created to meet specific needs of the children. Members of the ATC write original stories or re-write existing books that the children can read themselves, adding animations and other engaging features that the developmentally disabled students can recognize. Often, the TJ students read books to the children using “cartoonish” voices to amuse their listeners. Their elementary buddies look forward to seeing their friends and quickly learned how to say, “goodbye friend love” on their communication devices.

Many of the disabled students live in group homes where they have minimal interaction with older, nondisabled young people. In turn, the TJ students may have little interaction with students with special needs. Marty Dubin, ATC faculty sponsor, wrote, “It’s heartwarming to see the TJ students take leadership during these sessions as they work with, encourage, and laugh with their elementary buddies. Although the materials helped further the younger students’ instructional growth, it was the friendships that developed that made a difference in their lives. This direct connection has laid the foundation for mutual understanding/caring/support and brought down the barriers that existed between these two groups of students.”

Members of the ATC work collaboratively, doing much of their tech design work on weekends. When they were grappling with their design of a 3D-printable electronic toy, Club President Anisha Jain recommended using larger buttons. Other club members suggested additional innovative solutions that made their toy more accessible and fun for the elementary school children. “As we worked,” Anisha recalls, “I realized technology should prioritize those in marginalized communities, starting with consideration of diverse opinions and experiences to create solutions that meet many needs with precision.” Through working with the disabled students, Anisha said she has gained an understanding of how people acquire language, and she believes language is at the root of communication, understanding, and peaceful interactions among people.