In the wake of news that the National Security Agency is collecting vast amounts of digital data about the online activity of U.S. citizens, the federal government has said the program — known as PRISM — is crucial for homeland security. Of course, not everyone agrees.

The specifics of a secret government surveillance program called Prism are still being uncovered, but last week it was revealed that for the past six years, the National Security Agency has been collecting people’s emails, photos and videos from companies like Google, Apple and Facebook.

For many students with special needs in New York City, this school year marks the fist time they joined others in a regular classroom setting. With this integration comes the need for assistive technologies to help level the playing field.