Budgeting for Assistive Technologies
By Rosita Njeumi
Introduction
Education is a basic human right; everyone should be able to learn in the way that is best for them, but that is not usually the case. Technology helps assist in learning for those K-12 and onward. New devices for learning are not cheap and require schools to budget for their usage every year. Those with developmental disabilities (DD) need curated assistance, and assistive technology (AT) can facilitate learning. This technology is designed to address specific barriers learners with disabilities may face when they interact with their materials. Examples of assistive technology include speech recognition, text-to-speech, and screen readers [1]. Unfortunately, differing approaches to educating may not be used due to lack of funding and resources.
Cost of Assistive Technology
Learners with disabilities might have access to assistive technology and devices at school but not at home due to cost [3]. AT can be very expensive; a single device could cost $20,000 or more. Paying for assistive technology and devices may require insurance, out-of-pocket costs, loans, and/or borrowing equipment [1]. This cost does not include the maintenance of such technologies or the cost of fixing damaged materials. If a school needs multiple devices, the cost could skyrocket, and thus the funding might be allocated for measures that are less expensive.
Types of Assistive Technologies for Education
A single device cannot address the needs for all students; multiple devices are needed for the care of varying student needs. Students who have visual impairments would need screen readers, braille displays, and magnifiers and CCTVs enabling them to see and understand text in a way that they can learn better. Students with hearing impairments would need hearing aids and cochlear implants, FM listening systems, and captioning and real-time transcription to let them hear along with others to not have them be left behind. Students with physical disabilities need alternative keyboards and mice, speech recognition software, and assistive switches and joysticks. This way they are still able to navigate through the materials. Students with learning disabilities would need text-to-speech software, graphics organizers and mind mapping tools, and word prediction software. This approach allows students to learn in a manner that aligns with their individual capabilities [2].
Funding Education for Special Needs
Funding from the federal government comes in different forms. The main funding for those with developmental disabilities and intellectual disabilities comes from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which provides for professional learning and collaborative planning related directly to the provision of special education [3]. Under this act is an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that gives students specialized instruction, services, and support to help them learn in the general classroom. This is different from a 504 plan, which helps to remove learning barriers not just for those with specialized needs. This is covered under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a civil rights law [4]. Other than the federal government, a lot of funding comes from individual states and communities; in fact, local school districts contribute the largest share of special education funding in most communities [6].
Other Federal Funding
Schools could utilize parts of federal funding that have a broader usage. For example, Title IV, Part A, provides funds that may be used for professional development for the effective use of data and technology, academic assessments, career and technical education, and family and community engagement [3]. This could be used to train teachers on how to better utilize newer assistive technologies and help families use that in their own homes. There is also Title VII. Impact Aid is a highly flexible funding stream for eligible school districts serving federally connected children. Districts may use Impact Aid funds at their discretion, including professional learning [3]. If permissible, this could be used to get more assistive technologies and skills acquisition for educators. If a school is tapped out of those resources, they could apply for public, private, or state-specific grants or use state-specific funding for education.
Budgeting for the Better
The most expensive part is hiring and retaining personnel. It is vital that the most qualified candidates are hired at any school to suit the needs of the special education sector. The outcomes of service delivery can only be as good as those who deliver the services. Those educators have to go through ongoing training and professional development to keep them updated with best practices. However, it is difficult for districts to be competitive in hiring and retaining qualified, effective special education teachers. Some have argued schools should use contract employees to provide special education services, rather than making big budget investments in permanent staffing, which can relieve districts of the burden of recruiting and managing specialized workers [5]. This is one possible way to free up some money in a school’s stretched budget.
Methods that can be used to reduce costs include subscription services, cross-departmental collaboration, and use of free/inexpensive resources. Considering that assistive technologies are expensive, some schools looking to maximize resources may benefit from using subscription-based assistive technology models that would allow them to have access without the full commitment of the long-term costs of having these technologies. Many leading-edge accessibility tools are available as software-as-a-service, often including updates and technical support at a predictable monthly cost [7].
To even further reduce costs, the licensing for screen readers, magnification tools, and cloud-based note-taking software can be bundled. Without having to purchase several different licenses, districts can test out their usage to see if it is the best fit for their needs [7]. In addition to that, open-source classrooms like Khan Academy offer free courses in multiple subjects using accessible formats.
Staff can also help mentor other staff on their strategies to keep learning and using technologies effectively.Teachers can upload accessible resources, create quizzes with descriptive text, and organize coursework into modules [7]. By keeping a pool of knowledge within the organization, others are made aware of the resources and how to successfully use them to help their own students or other staff deepen their understanding.
Many platforms provide free or discounted versions of their software for educational institutions. Canvas, Microsoft 365, and Google Workspace already have built-in features to address some accessibility concerns like speech-to-text. The preexisting technology, like Microsoft computers, is useful. NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA), for instance, is a reliable screen reader for Windows computers. It reads what is on the screen and navigates digital content using speech or braille output [7].
Limitations
In order to use alternative sources, the collaboration of administration, educators, and support staff is crucial. Not every school district can be efficient in implementing and improving their systems. There have to be some people who are checking that despite new measures, rules and regulations are still being followed. Some teachers may not want to participate in skills training, but that is up to the school to mandate that of them. Data needs to be collected to ensure that the cost initiatives are effective, but that in itself costs money to have to pay a staff member or other professional for such a task. Instead of helping the staff, some measures could make the staff still feel overworked and burnt out.
Conclusion
Assistive technologies do not have to be impossible to obtain, but in order to make them more readily available, schools have to strategically use resources available with their funding to make it more possible for those in special education to benefit.
References
[1] Shinn, L. (2024). How to control costs of assistive devices. BECU. https://www.becu.org/blog/how-to-control-costs-of-assistive-devices
[2] ISchoolsNetwork. (2024). Assistive technology 101. Inclusive Schools Network. https://inclusiveschools.org/resource/assistive-technology-101/
[3] US Department of Education. (2024). A Call to Action for Closing the Digital Access, Design, and Use Divides 2024 National Educational Technology Plan. https://portal.ct.gov/das/-/media/das/ctedtech/publications/2025/2025-used-oet-archive/netp24.pdf
[4] Belsky, G. (2024). What is an IEP? www.Understood.org. https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-is-an-iep
[5] Peetz, C. (2025). How Schools Make Up for the Feds” Unfulfilled Special Ed. Funding Commitment. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/how-schools-make-up-for-the-feds-unfulfilled-special-ed-funding-commitment/2025/02
[6] Where Special Education Funding Comes From (And Why It Matters). (2026). Council for Exceptional Children. https://exceptionalchildren.org/blog/where-special-education-funding-comes-and-why-it-matters
[7] Blindness, N. E. L. V. (2025). Affordable Accessibility Tools for Schools on a Budget: Essential Solutions for Inclusive Learning - New. New England Low Vision. https://nelowvision.com/affordable-accessibility-tools-for-schools-on-a-budget-essential-solutions-for-inclusive-learning/
