with disabilities including those who are blind or visually impaired. Using a
respected, evidence-based process to make decisions about AT for students who
are blind or visually impaired provides a more standardized approach to AT,
including meeting unique needs within the diverse range of blindness and vision
impairment.
The WATI process originated in 1993 in Wisconsin at the request of school
districts who needed assistance in complying with the AT requirements of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) through an "…evaluation of
the student's need for assistive technology in their customary environment"
(Gierach, 2009, p. 12). The WATI process is used world-wide for determining the
need for AT among students with disabilities, including those who are blind or
visually impaired, and is a comprehensive process of assessment for providing AT
to students who need it. Although this article discusses the WATI process for
students who are blind or visually impaired, WATI may be used for any student
with a disability. The goal is to introduce the WATI process as a systematic
method to collect, provide, and evaluate evidence-based data to accurately select
AT, so IEP teams and other professionals make better AT decisions for students
with disabilities including those who are blind or visually impaired.
Why use the WATI Process? The WATI Process is a concrete source of
evidence-based data that supports the development of the IEP, and supports student
