ATIT and Institutes of Higher Education

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AT/IT and Institutes of Higher Education
David Dawson David Klein University of
Iowa Law, Health Policy, Disability
Center www.its.uiowa.edu/law
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Best Practices Sites Resources

• University of Florida Faculty Guide
• http//www.ada.ufl.edu/
• University of Washington The Faculty Room
• http//www.washington.edu/doit/Faculty/
• Equal Access to Software and Information (EASI)
• http//www.rit.edu/easi/index.htm
• Berkeley The Disabled Students' Program
• http//dsp.berkeley.edu/
• Virginia Commonwealth University Faculty guide
• http//www.vcu.edu/eeoaa/facada.html

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For post-secondary institutions, the guiding
principle is What you make available to any of
your students must be available for all of your
students. This includes courses, housing, study
abroad, transportation, etc. Richard Harris
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Persons with Disabilities

• Every person is unique in their strengths and
  limitations.
• A persons strengths and limitations may change
  over time.
• Accommodation and modifying the environment
  allows the person to show their strength by
  decreasing or removing functional limitations.

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Assistive Technology

• Any device used to remove or reduce a functional
  limitation.
• They may be commercial or self created devices.
• The may cost 0 -
• They may be used differently by different people.

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Assistive Technology and Accommodations

• Students may or may not use assistive technology
  for classroom accommodations.
• Accommodations vary with the students
• Accommodations might not be used at all times.
• Accommodations can be no tech, low tech, high
  tech.

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No Tech

• No-tech solutions are those that make use of
  procedures, services, and existing conditions in
  the environment that do not involve the use of
  devices or equipment. These might include
  services such as physical therapy, occupational
  therapy or the services of other specialists.
  (National Assistive Technology Research Institute
  (NATRI))

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Low Tech

• Low-tech items are less sophisticated and can
  include devices such as adapted spoon handles,
  non-tipping drinking cups, and Velcro fasteners.
  (National Assistive Technology Research Institute
  (NATRI))

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Medium Tech High Tech

• Medium-tech devices are relatively complicated
  mechanical devices, such as wheelchairs and CCTV.
  (National Assistive Technology Research Institute
  (NATRI))
• High-tech devices incorporate sophisticated
  electronics or computers. (National Assistive
  Technology Research Institute (NATRI))

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Evaluation of Student Needs

• Student works with schools disability service to
  review eligibility and determination of
  accommodation and service.
• Students best resource for knowing their AT
  needs.
• Further evaluation may be needed. This includes
  hands-on trial of AT.
• Student accommodations plan is developed.

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Learning Disability Accommodations

• As reported from test and students self report.
• Depends on the disability and the severity
• May vary from day to day to time of day.
• Accommodations may be needed for In class notes
  or assignments, outside activities, or test
  accommodations

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LD Accommodations Examples

• Extra time or secluded room
• Computers or scribes
• Note takers or tape recorders
• Books on tape, Mp3 or readers
• Talking calculators or flash cards

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Reading Accommodations

• Difficulty reading written instructions or
  directions.
• Some solutions may be
• Use text to speech readers,
• Use large print.
• Difficulty reading, at lower-than-expected level.
• Some solutions may be
• Use speech synthesizers and text to speech
  readers,
• Use reading comprehension programs,
• Use large print with auditory cues.

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Reading and Writing Accommodations

• Audio word processing programs
• Screen magnification software
• Recording for the Blind (books or textbooks on
  tape)
• Electronic dictionaries/spelling checkers (some
  may have voice synthesizers)
• Highlighters (to remember important facts or to
  color pairs of numbers a different color - might
  reduce chance of error in copying a long series
  of numbers)
• Scan and reading

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Scan and Read Systems

• This may be software and/or hardware that scans
  text from written material and then reads the
  material aloud.
• Scan and read can range from 0-4,000 dollars.
• Can have additional features for support
  (magnification, highlighting, masking, MP3, Web
  browsing)
• Uses different types of voice engines (change
  user voice and rate)
• Can scan and read in several languages.

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Scan and Read Systems

• Problems
• Recognition rates may vary depending on material
  and software.
• Not universal, not all scanners supported,
  dependent on software.
• Voice output is unclear at time for some names.
• Sometimes hard to scan bulky books.

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Writing Accommodations

• Difficulty in ability to compose sentences due to
  errors in vocabulary, grammar, or spelling.
• Some solutions may be
• Use work prediction software,
• Use spelling software,
• Use writing composition programs.
• Difficulty communication of meaning to writing.
• Some solutions may be
• Use writing composition programs.
• Use voice recognition programs,
• Use software that allows graphics to be
  interpreted as words

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Voice Recognition Systems

• This allows the user to control part or all of
  some computer by using voice.
• Mac and IBM
• Can increase speed of typing accuracy.
• Can be used for all functions of a computer.
• Can be used by person with CP, LD, and stroke.
• Read back feature
• Low cost

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Voice Recognition Systems

• Problems
• False advertising
• 10 hours frustration 1 hour production
• Large investment of time needed to have good
  voice profile.
• Changes in your voice may decrease accuracy.
• Never 100 accurate

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Lecture Accommodations

• Tape recorders or micro tape players
• Note takers
• Notes provided by the instructor or other student
• Printed materials - double-spaced and with larger
  print
• Note and reference materials available in other
  forms
• Seating modification

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Test-taking Accommodation

• Quiet environment
• Extended time
• Test on the computer
• Reader, scribe or oral tests
• Double-spaced, with large print
• Index cards, blank paper, and/or ruler (help keep
  place on line)
• Tape recorder (to hear what is on the test /or
  to dictate answers)
• Use of a proctor to rephrase test questions that
  are not clear to the student

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Vision Accommodations

• Difficulty seeing small text or small cursor.
• Some solutions may be
• Increased size of text or cursor
• Use magnify screen.
• Increase monitor size
• Use screen enlargement software.
• Unable to see images or text.
• Some solutions may be
• Use screen readers and speech synthesizers
• Use refreshable braille displays.

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Vision Accommodations

• Provide text books, reading lists and syllabi in
  advance to permit time for transferring into
  alternate format
• Flexible seating assignment
• Tape recording of lectures and class discussions
• Handouts in the medium that the student prefers
• Handouts in contrasting colors
• Read aloud any text on blackboard or computer
  presentation (PowerPoint)
• Provide handouts in advance of backboard or
  computer presentation in medium that the student
  prefers
• Magnification software/hardware

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Magnification software/hardware

• Can range from low tech to very high tech
• Computer magnification 1X 16X
• Range in types of magnification (lens, half,
  full screen)
• May have additional features (voice, color
  filtering, Internet)

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Deaf or Hard of Hearing

• Instructors maintain effective communication with
  students.
• Students who are deaf or hard of hearing are not
  all alike.
• Some are extremely adept at reading lips and
  others are not some communicate orally and
  others use sign language, gestures, writing, or a
  combination of these methods.

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Deaf or Hard of Hearing Accommodations

• Always speak directly to the student, not to the
  student's sign language interpreter
• Repeat class questions before answering
• No more than one person speaks at a time
• Avoid speaking while doing other tasks or writing
  on the blackboard.
• Use captioned videos whenever possible. When
  showing uncaptioned videos, slides, or movies
  provide an outline or summary in advance

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Hearing Accommodations Examples
        Having proctor/administrator use
microphone (FM loop)         Putting test-taker
in private room         Putting test-taker in
front of room         Facing student who reads
lips         Posting time prompts in
writing         Providing interpreter for sign
language         Providing real time capturing
of all verbal noises
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Communication Accommodations
  Students with speech impairments may
communicate in various ways. Some students speak
with their own voices, but slowly and with some
lack of clarity other students write notes,
point to communication boards, use electronic
speech-synthesizers, or communicate through
assistants who interpret their speech to other
people.  
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Communications Accommodations

• If possible meet with student before first week
  of class to talk about accommodations.
• Listen to person if you do not understand them,
  ask.
• Talk to person, not communication assistant.
• Every person has their own voice.

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August 2001, North Carolina State Assistive
Technology in Higher Education Survey Report

• Screen Readers Jaws - 61 (84.7)
• Screen Magnification Zoomtext - 65 (90.3)
• OCR/Reading Kurzweil 3000 - 40 (55.6)
• Speech Recognition Dragon Naturally Speaking - 58
  (80.6)
• Word Prediction TextHelp! - 35 (48.6)
• Mouse Alternatives Kensington Trackballs - 34
  (47.2)
• Alternative Hands-Free Input HeadMouse - 6 (8.3)
  
• Writing Tools Inspiration - 32 (44.4)