Making IT Work: Collaborating for Universal Access at Liberal Arts Colleges

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Making IT Work Collaborating for Universal
Access at Liberal Arts Colleges

• WABASH COLLEGE
• NOVEMBER 14-16, 2003

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ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY SURVEY

• Presented to Disability Service Providers,
  Faculty and Administrators
• Of the GLCA and ACM Colleges
• March 2003

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Disability Service Providers SURVEY 1

• Does your institution have a separate office for
  disability services?
• If not, what office provides these services?
• How many students are identified with a
  disability on your campus?
• Is this greater, the same, or smaller than the
  average number over the past 5 years?

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Disability Service Providers SURVEY 1

• 5. What technology exists on your campus to
  serve students, faculty and staff with
  disabilities?
• Does your institution currently provide any
  web-based programs or services? If so, please
  list.

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Disability Service Providers SURVEY 1

• Do you have a policy on web accessibility?
• What is the greatest barrier to serving
  individuals through the use of AT?
• What would be most helpful to you in meeting the
  AT needs of individuals with disabilities?

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RESULTS OF SURVEY 1

• Eleven respondents
• From Ten Colleges

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Separate Disabilities Office
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Location of Services for students with
Disabilities

• Office of academic support services (3)
• Learning Center
• Academic Advising
• None at present
• Student support services

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Number of Students with Disabilities
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Comparison average of students served Over the
past five years
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• Variety of disabilities
• Mobility Impairments
• Visual Impairments
• Learning Disabilities
• Hearing Impairments
• Speech Impairments
• Seizure Disorders
• Mental Illness

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A Variety of Assistive Technology Options

• 19,000 different types of technology from over
  2,000 manufacturers
• The greatest consideration is the match between
  needs and proven technologies
• Remember not all the technologies are high tech
  solutions

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• Work with users to learn about what types
  technologies they need
• 99 of everything that you need is available off
  the shelf
• Find others already working with these
  technologies

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DEFINITION OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

• Assistive technology is a tool for expression
  and communication, including all the materials
  and types of presentations we can access, from
  the textbook lecture with the chalkboard and
  overhead projector to the teleconference with
  videotapes, computers and laser disks.
• Technology for Adolescents and Adults with
  Learning Disabilities.
• Gregg, Gay and Curtis (RIT.edu).

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• Technology assists individuals with learning
  disabilities to become more empowered by
  encouraging autonomy, flexibility and
  independence across environments
• Whether one is using a low-tech solution (i.e.,
  tape recorder), or a high tech device (i.e., word
  processor), the crucial variable is the match
  between the individual person, the context, the
  task and the tool.

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SAMPLE LOW TECH ACCOMMODATIONS

• Enlarged print formats
• Extension of time on tests
• Breaking tasks into small, sequential steps
• Tape recorder
• Note takers
• Utilization of verbal direction (oral or written)

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SAMPLE HIGH TECH ACCOMMODATIONS

• Modified key board
• Modified mouse pad
• Dragon Dictate or Power Secretary
• Text to speech/OCR software
• Talking calculator
• Switches/Overlays
• Specialized LD software

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Available Technology
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Available Technology
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OTHER AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGIES

• Real time captioning software
• High speed scanner
• Interactive video system
• Assistive listening devices
• Portable keyboards (i.e. Alpha Smart)

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"The power of the web is in its universality.
Access by everyone regardless of disability is an
essential aspect."   Tim Berners-Lee, W3C
Director and Inventor of the World Wide Web
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Web Technology Available
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Examples of Web Based Programs

• Blackboard discussion forums
• Departmental and classroom web-site links
• E-recruiting
• Career services links to internships and
  employment opportunities
• Course registration and schedules on-line

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Barriers to Providing ATAccommodations

• Limited knowledge about technologies available
  and which software is best to address current
  needs
• Last minute or infrequent requests from students
• Lack of funds for purchasing AT

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Barriers to Providing ATAccommodations

• Difficulty in determining which technologies will
  serve the broadest number of students
• Lack of time for training and keeping current
  with changing technologies

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Barriers to Providing ATAccommodations

• Identifying greatest needs and allocating funds
  in the most cost effective manner to address
  these needs
• Identifying training and support resources

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Ideas for Enhancing AT Supports

• Identify current needs is critical
• Identify one person on campus as the point
  person for AT resources
• Identify funding sources
• Offer training program for new students with IT
  staff

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Ideas for Enhancing AT Supports

• Keep current on information regarding recent
  technologies
• Share tools and strategies with other similar
  sized schools network with other schools to
  broaden knowledge base

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Ideas for Enhancing AT Supports

• Hands on exposure to AT currently in use on other
  campuses
• Identifying state AT projects that can provide
  both education and training

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Faculty, Administrators and ITs SURVEY 2

• Please identify your primary role on campus.
• What technology exists on your campus to serve
  students, faculty and staff with disabilities?
• Have you had prior experience with Assistive
  Technologies?

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Faculty, Administrators and ITs SURVEY 2

• Where is the AT located on your campus?
• Who do you go to when you need assistance with AT
  questions?
• Do you know of AT that is not available presently
  on your campus that would help provide access to
  programs and services?
• Are you familiar with the concept of Universal
  Design?

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RESULTS OF SURVEY 2 Ten respondents From
Five Colleges
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Respondents Included

• One professor
• Three curricular technology specialists
• One reference librarian
• One media support specialist

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Respondents Included

• One web services manager
• Two library IT consultants and
• One director of Instructional Technology

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Available Technology
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Available Technology
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Previous AT Experience
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Available Service Locations
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Sources for Training/Support
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What is Universal Design?
The intent of universal design is to simplify
life for everyone by making products,
communications, and the built environment more
usable by as many people as possible.
Accessible structure being constructed
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Knowledge of Universal Design
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Examples of Universal Design

• All course-related website development workshops
  offered on campus have a section on universal
  design. In addition, Blue Team academic
  computing support for the Humanities and Social
  Studies provides accessibility plug-ins for
  Macromedia Dreamweaver on all lab machines,
  faculty who use Macromedia Dreamweaver
  machines, and staff machines.

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UD Examples Continued

• IOLUG (Indiana Online Users Group) had a program
  several years ago on designing library web pages
  with disabled users in mind. As a result, we try
  to build library web pages that have a text
  option, when relevant, for use by character
  recognition readers.
• All student utilities that are web based follow a
  universal template.