CUDE

Thousands of specialized hardware and software products available today allow individuals with a wide range of abilities and disabilities to productively use computing and networking technologies (Closing The Gap, 2002). However, assistive technology alone does not remove all access barriers. Described below are examples of access challenges faced by students and instructors in typical distance learning courses.

For some people with visual impairments the standard size of letters on the screen or printed in documents are too small for them to read. Some people cannot distinguish one color from another. Fortunately, specialized hardware and software can make computer systems usable by individuals with visual impairments.

Input

Most individuals who have visual impairments can use standard keyboards, but large-print keytop labels are sometimes useful, particularly when they are learning to type.

Providing Braille materials for students, faculty, and staff who request them and for whom this accommodation is considered reasonable is typically considered the responsibility of the postsecondary institution. Schools differ in processes established for creating Braille materials. In many schools, students who wish to request academic accommodations must register with a campus disability services office and provide proper documentation of their disabilities.

The content of library materials should be accessible to all patrons, including those with disabilities. It is best if printed research resources are available in a variety of formats (e.g., Braille, audio, tactile graphics, large print, electronic text). A system for enlarging print, such as a closed-circuit TV or other camera system or a large magnifying glass, can be of use to someone with low vision.

The keyboard can be the biggest obstacle to computing for a person with a mobility impairment. Fortunately, those who lack the dexterity or range of motion necessary to operate a standard keyboard have a wide range of options from which to choose. Pointers can be held in the mouth or mounted to a hat or headgear and used to press keys on a standard keyboard. Repositioning the keyboard to the floor can allow someone to use his feet instead of his hands for typing.

Low vision is used to describe a loss of visual acuity while retaining some vision. It applies to individuals with sight who are unable to read a newspaper at a normal distance of viewing, even with the aid of glasses or contact lenses. People with low vision often need adaptations in lighting and/or enlarged print to read something. There are two specific types of low vision:

Many universities offer training in assistive technology and the design of accessible technology as individual courses and/or as part of certification programs. Whether you want to pursue a degree or certificate or just take one course, be clear about the outcomes you desire and the methods of instruction you prefer. Some courses focus on book learning; others include active learning, with adequate time to master new skills. Many programs have at least an aspect of online education; some are offered only as distance learning programs.

Speech recognition software converts words spoken into a microphone into machine-readable format. Speech recognition products can provide an appropriate computer input method for some individuals with a wide range of disabilities.

Adaptive technology can allow a person with a mobility impairment to use all of the capabilities of a computer. While it is helpful to recognize the specific limitations of an individual, it is more important to focus on the task to be completed and how his abilities, perhaps assisted with technology, can be used to accomplish the goal or task. Work closely with the person with a mobility impairment to first determine what he needs or desires to accomplish by using a computer.

Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act, which took effect in 1996, requires telecommunications products and services to be accessible to people with disabilities to the extent access is "readily achievable," meaning easily accomplishable, without much difficulty or expense. If manufacturers cannot make their products accessible, then they must design them to be compatible with adaptive equipment used by people with disabilities, where readily achievable. Examples of products Section 255 covers include telephones, pagers, fax machines, modems, and telephone company switching equipment.