Availability of Assistive Technology to Students with Disabilities

The quality of assistive technology (AT) services forms the foundation of its use. Factors such as:

• lack of information
• lack of effectiveness monitoring
• inadequate education
• unrealistic expectations

can affect AT user satisfaction and the extent of AT use and/or abandonment (Larsson and Lidström, 2019). A literature review by McNicholl et al. (2021) found that insufficient education, unavailability of appropriate devices, lack of external support, and difficulties in processing large amounts of information negatively impact the use of AT in higher education. AT training should be provided for both teaching and non-teaching staff at higher education institutions.

Despite increased use and benefits of AT, students with disabilities still encounter inaccessible educational resources and accommodations. Many students have unmet needs due to limited AT availability, funding constraints, and insufficient training opportunities. Although students with disabilities are equally motivated to participate in higher education as their peers without disabilities, they often lack the necessary resources and knowledge. Managing the specificities of their disability while studying often leads students with disabilities to feel they must work harder than others (Zorec et al., 2024).

Research by McNicholl et al. (2023) showed that access to appropriate assistive technology plays an important role from both educational and psychosocial perspectives for students with disabilities. The results indicate that access to appropriate AT can affect student learning, increase well-being and academic performance, and have a positive effect on competence, adaptability, and self-esteem.

The participation of students with disabilities in research aimed at gaining insight into the quality of services and the availability of AT during their studies provides a realistic view of this important factor, as it contributes to the quality of studying. In Croatia, such research remains very limited.

In the study by B. Bašić and L. Bilandžić (2023), students with muscular dystrophy highlighted that assessment for selecting appropriate AT is difficult due to a shortage of qualified professionals who could facilitate the process for those needing AT. Participants noted that they are often left to fend for themselves and must rely on personal commitment and self-education when choosing AT. They also identified the following factors that hinder the procurement of the desired assistive device:

• financial difficulties
• long wait times for delivery
• inability to test AT that meets their needs
• significant self-reliance in obtaining information about available AT.

Persons with disabilities in Croatia are entitled to aids, which include assistive technology (although not explicitly mentioned), and exercise this right based on the Rulebook on Orthopaedic and Other Aids (NN 62/2019). The Rulebook does not include, for example, AT for communication (augmentative and alternative communication) or other forms of AT used by persons with disabilities today, so they must finance these independently or with the help of donations, making its amendment necessary.