# Amid School Techlash, Accessibility Advocates Worry About Exclusion
Keri Rodrigues, a mother of five boys, watches closely as schools nationwide pull back from classroom technology. Four of her sons receive school accommodations, and screens are not a luxury for them—they are essential tools. Her experience highlights a tension at the heart of the growing backlash against educational technology: while some families and educators worry about screen time harming students, others fear that removing tech from schools will harm students with disabilities most.
The "techlash" has gained momentum in recent years. Parents concerned about device dependency, sleep disruption, and mental health risks have pushed schools to reduce or eliminate tablets, laptops, and smartboards. Some districts have reversed one-to-one device programs. Others have adopted screen-free curricula in early grades.
These efforts address real concerns. Research links excessive screen time to attention problems and sleep issues in young children. Teachers report that constant connectivity distracts students from deep learning. These critiques deserve serious consideration.
But accessibility advocates like Rodrigues warn that blanket tech restrictions ignore students who depend on digital tools to participate fully in school. Text-to-speech software helps students with dyslexia. Voice-recognition programs support students with motor disabilities. Video captions assist deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Assistive technology often requires the very devices that techlash campaigns target for removal.
The debate exposes a deeper question: How can schools balance legitimate concerns about technology overuse with the reality that technology enables inclusion for students with disabilities?
Some education leaders argue the answer is not elimination but intentional use. Schools can limit recreational screen time while protecting access to assistive technology. Districts can adopt evidence-based device policies that distinguish between passive consumption and active learning tools. They can train teachers to use technology purposefully rather than by default.
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