Providing Access to Computers: Using What You Have

Continuing with my last post, I have been reading more of my textbook and continuing to learn about assistive technology. My topic for this post will be universal design features and other accessibility features that are provided in operating systems, specifically those relevant to students with disabilities. Not every feature is applicable to every student, therefore computer access solutions must be decided on a case-by-case basis according to each student's specific needs.

The computer industry wanted to sell as many computers as possible and they quickly realized that to do so they needed to make their computers usable by a variety of people. Therefore they have adopted the concept of universal design into their operating systems. It is a great thing that they did because it has greatly benefitted students with disabilities. Also, it makes things a lot easier and less time consuming for teachers having these resources right at our fingertips already built into the computers.
Lets take a look at some examples of features & what students they would be appropriate for...
Control computer with mouse or keyboard: perfect for students who have poor fine motor control, limited range of motion, or difficulty visually tracking mouse pointer.                            
Receive information by reading or listening: text-to-speech supports students with reading disabilities or attention deficits.
Enlarged icons: low vision, visual perceptual issues, hand tremors, poor fine motor control, and cognitive deficits.

Here are some additional operating system features provided for students with disabilities.

• Keyboard Modifications & Mouse Control: StickyKeys, Slow Keys, MouseKeys
• Replace auditory prompts: Visual Signals, Icons, or Captions
• Display Settings: High-Contrast Color Schemes & Screen Magnification

Check out the short tutorial below about the Microsoft Ease of Access Center. The Ease of Access Center allows you to configure the computer to meet individual users needs. My personal favorite is the narrator, which reads aloud the text on screen. This is something that I would love to try with my kindergarteners who are just learning to read!

Amy G. Dell, Deborah A. Newton, Jerry G. Petroff. Assistive Technology in the Classroom: Enhancing the School Experiences of Students with Disabilities. (Chapter 7) 2012. Second Edition.