Group items tagged

How People with Disabilities Use the Web The following scenarios show people with different kinds of disabilities using assistive technologies and adaptive strategies to access the Web. In some cases the scenarios show how the Web can make some tasks easier for people with disabilities.

Thank your for posting this article Sherry. It gives us a view into the lives of people who had to find a way to function in the world of business as well as in the classroom. The reporter who after years of working normally, had to finally resort to the use of voice recognition in order to continue doing his job. The student wiht dyslexia who had to find a way to keep up with the rest of the students. The student found text to speech software helplful. This student found sites with graphics helpful, however, there were still some limitations. If the graphics were animated it was difficult to focus. These details are impereative to the function of independency to the person who is experiencing the disability. We need to remind our selves that the world is not black and white...there is a lot hidden in between what we are able to see.

It is amazing how we take web accessiblitity for granted. Being color blind is a disability that is not talked about often but is a hindrance for people searching the web. We find that things that are highlighted or pointed out show up in red for an attention getter, but for those who can not see reds, some websites could not be utilized by color blind people. Style sheets is something I am not familiar with at all, but this article made me aware of something that is available for color blind individuals.

Assitive technology for students with learning disabilities is the main focus of this article. It is geared to parents and educators alike. The related articles are also helpful.

I like this article for the fact that it first introduces Assistive Technology (AT) to any parent. I've found that many of the parents I work with are sceptical about trying something new simply because they lack adequate information. Knowledge is power is what we teach our students, but far too many parents limit themselves and hinder the growth of their child due to ignorance. AT doesn't cure or eliminate learning difficulties, but it can help your child reach her potential because it allows her to capitalize on her strengths and bypass areas of difficulty. AT compensates for a child's learning deficits and equips a child to be able to reach more of their potential towards success.

I found this article to be a wealth of information to parents and educators alike. I am going to print this out for my teachers as we are a private school we aren't required to follow 504's and IEP's- although we do our best. I think sometimes teachers who don't work specifically with students that have LD forget that there are so many issues that students face. Articles like these are great points of reference.

The ipad is beig used to help autistic students communicate. I had an autistic students two years ago. He was not able to speak clearly and could not follow directions very well. He was a sweet boy and loved to spend time in the computer. It was the only place where he could produce and made him very happy.

The assistive technology cited in this article applies not only to autistic children and adults but to children with other disabilities. As I was reading, I could think of some of my students who would benefit from the technology listed here.

Maria, This assignment requires that the links posted here take us to sites or articles focused on the barriers to Web 2.0 access, faced by people with disabilities. To meet the assignment requirement, the linked webpage must directly talk about Web 2.0 techniques, or at least using the internet. A website or article about assistive technologies is useful in general, but it does not meet the requirements for this assignment.

This article from PCMag.com discusses the adoption of Google Apps for Education at New York University and Northwestern University. The adoption is being challenged by the National Federation for the Blind, because of its inaccessibility to visually impaired and blind individuals on these campuses. 

The American Association of School Librarians' guide Standards for the 21st Century Learner states , "Learning is enhanced by opportunities to share and learn with others. Students need to develop skills in sharing knowledge and learning with others, both in face-to-face situations and through technology."

I am very impressed with the text-to-speech software offered by this company. It offers support for English Language Learners as well as those with physical challenges and other disabilities that slow down their ability to learn to read and write.

It's great to hear from someone who has had experience with it. I know this link isn't exactly what Carmin wanted for this assignment because it didn't specifically mention it would help with Web 2.0 tool barriers but I wanted to share it because it can help people read websites and so much more. Thanks, Tina.

Kathleen, I had to spend a few minutes searching the site, but I found a page in the site that lists reading Web content as a Kurzweil feature. So it does meet the requirements. http://www.kurzweiledu.com/ki-3000-v12-windows-features.html I highlighted the related text in the page. If you turn on your diigolet -- you will see the highlighted text.

A translation of this article is available in French - External Link - courtesy of Ideose - External Link. Many of you likely remember Christopher Reeve, famous as an actor, and later famous for his condition of quadriplegia and his unrelenting activism on behalf of spinal cord injury research. This article talks about all of the different types of motor disabilities and all of the various ways that these folks can access Web 2.0. I have included this because people frequently overlook people with motor disabilities and using Web 2.0

Tina, I was very interested in the article about motor disabilities. It is extraordinary that he lived that long after his accident. Technology is a form of a miracle for people who have access to it to improve their quality of life. However, there are barriers for thoshe who cannot afford it. Students with disabilities have a right to be provided with the neccessary Web 2.0 tools or assistive technology needed to help them function academically and socially.

LD OnLine is the leading website on learning disabilities, learning disorders and differences. Parents and teachers of learning disabled children will find authoritative guidance on attention deficit disorder, ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dysnomia, reading difficulties, speech and related disorders.

This article was written by a student who is faced with learning disabilities. Within the paper she discusses challenges faced with certain aspects of technology and her authentic assessment of how she utilized certain tools.