School age children with disabilities who need assistive technology (AT) devices and services to benefit from their education may be entitled to it--free of charge--from their school districts. The type of AT that a student may need varies from simple and inexpensive (e.g., pencil grip) to more expensive devices (e.g., amplification system).
Below are explanations of the federal laws that provide these benefits and how AT may be accessed through each of them.
The IDEA is the primary mechanism by which students with disabilities acquire the AT they need to benefit from their education.
Also provided are:Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act defines an "individual with a disability" more broadly than the IDEA, and can sometimes help students receive services--including AT--who are not covered by the IDEA. Two provisions of the ADA offer additional protections for students in public schools.