# Amid School Techlash, Accessibility Advocates Worry About Exclusion
Parents and advocates for students with disabilities worry that growing skepticism about technology in schools could harm the children who depend on it most. Schools nationwide are restricting device use and screen time, responding to parent concerns about distraction and mental health impacts. But for students with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, and other conditions, technology often enables classroom participation and independence.
Keri Rodrigues, a mother of five boys, four of whom receive school accommodations, represents this tension. For her children, screens are not a distraction but a bridge to learning. Assistive technology helps students with dyslexia access text, allows those with motor disabilities to participate in writing assignments, and supports students with ADHD in organizing their work.
The current "techlash" reflects legitimate concerns. Research shows excessive screen time correlates with sleep problems and anxiety in teens. Some schools have banned smartphones and returned to paper-based learning. But advocates caution that blanket device restrictions ignore the documented benefits of educational technology for disabled students.
The Americans with Disabilities Act does not explicitly mandate technology access, but Section 504 requires schools to provide accommodations that ensure equal access to education. When schools eliminate technology without considering individual student needs, they risk violating those obligations.
Education experts suggest a more nuanced approach: schools can restrict recreational screen use while protecting assistive technology access. Text-to-speech software, speech-to-text tools, and specialized apps for executive function are not luxuries but necessities for many learners.
The challenge lies in implementation. Teachers and administrators need training to distinguish between device use that distracts and technology that enables participation. Parents of disabled students report that staff often lack awareness of how certain accommodations work or why they matter.
Advocates urge schools to involve families with disabled children in policy decisions about technology