For many years the DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Center has coordinated Internet activities at selected summer camps. DO-IT staff and program participants teach campers how to send messages to their friends and family with e-mail, use the Web for fun and education, and create web pages.
There are many benefits to being a mentor to a student with a disability. Mentors' personal communication about their hard-earned experiences contributes to the personal, academic, and professional growth of students with disabilities, many of whom may not have seen themselves as professionals. In this way, mentors contribute to the participation of students with disabilities in fields in which they are traditionally underrepresented - science, mathematics, and technology.
DotsPlus Braille is a two dimensional Braille format designed to express complex mathematical equations in a format similar to standard print math notation. DotsPlus Braille allows standard Braille and tactile graphical math symbols to be used simultaneously within spatial equations in a form identical to that used in standard printed math documents.
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:
It is often reported that mentor support can help students with disabilities reach their social, academic, and career potential. Mentors provide direction and motivation, instill values, promote professionalism, help students develop leadership skills, and share relevant experiences. Students with disabilities can benefit from relationships with peer and adult mentors who have similar disabilities. DO-IT has supported an e-mentoring community for students with disabilities since 1992.
A 504 Plan is a plan developed to ensure that a child with a disability, identified under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, attending an elementary or secondary educational institution receives accommodations that will provide access to the learning environment.
We often hear about the problems young people with disabilities face - physical obstacles, social rejection, academic failure, and medical crises. Yet some people do overcome significant challenges and lead successful lives. What does "success" mean to them and how do they achieve it? What internal characteristics do these individuals possess, and what external factors have been present in their lives? What advice do they have to help young people build personal strengths to overcome the challenges they no doubt will face?
Test taking poses challenges for many students. However, for individuals with disabilities, test taking can present insurmountable obstacles. Student needs vary greatly and depend on specific disabilities and types of tests. Besides traditional tests and papers, instructors should consider group work, demonstrations, portfolios, and presentations as options for demonstrating knowledge.
A virtual keyboard is software that is used to emulate a standard keyboard. A picture of a keyboard is displayed on a computer screen and the user points and clicks on the pictures of keys to enter text. Switches activated in a wide variety of ways make use of the most appropriate muscles for the individual user. Virtual keyboards allow computer use by people with significant mobility impairments.
The World Wide Web has rapidly become the dominant Internet tool, combining hypertext and multimedia to provide a network of educational, governmental, and commercial resources. Much of its power comes from the fact that it presents information in a variety of formats and also organizes that information through hypertext links. Because of the multimedia nature of the web, combined with the poor design of some websites, many Internet surfers cannot access the full range of resources this revolutionary tool provides. Some visitors experience the following:
