Self-Assessment does not mean trying to do everything all by yourself. It does mean that you make the decisions based on the information you get from other people.

The Team Approach has been used as a formal process in school systems and rehabilitation processes. Members of such teams can include:

• The Person needing the Assistive Technology
• Family Members and/or Caregivers
• Educational and Related Service Professionals
• Experts on Assistive Technology

You don't need to set up a formal system but it is a good idea to involve other interested people. Someone who is good with computers will be a big help in installing software and helping you evaluate it. They don't need to have an advanced college degree. In fact, a lot elementary and middle school kids have amazing computer skills because they have been using them all their lives. The public library, local adult education programs and Vocational Rehabilitation or Department of the Blind counselors can be good sources of information and assistance.

This approach has proven successful and effective when the person needing the technology makes the final decision based on his/her goals and values. It is much less successful when the "experts" make the decision.

With or without a "team", self-assessment should be approached systematically, the SETT Plan provides a useful format and has been used successfully in elementary and secondary school systems. SETT stands for: Student, Environment, Tools, and Tasks. We've adopted the framework for adults using distance learning to acquire skills for returning to or advancing in the workplace. We've changed the "Student" to "Self" but we'll use the other categories to examine all the aspects in the context of gaining access to Web.

The SETT Framework was first introduced at the Closing the Gap Conference on the Use of Assistive Technology in Special Education and Rehabilitation in October of 1995, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.