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.
To experience watching a multimedia product without the ability to hear, turn off the volume on your television set. Some programs, such as sporting events, are fairly easy to follow by watching the visual display. Others, such as news programs, make little sense without audio. To make this content accessible to those who are deaf, a sign language interpreter or text captioning can appear on the screen. Captioning is more common because not all individuals who are deaf know sign language and there isn't one standard version of sign language.
People who are blind cannot access the visual content of a video production unless the content is available in audio format as well. Being aware of this access issue during the design phase of a product can result in speakers or narrators voicing enough of the content to allow a person who is blind to follow along. This is particularly important for educational programming and products used with large audiences where it is generally unknown what visual impairments audience members may have.
To maximize success in college, encourage students with disabilities to do the following:
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.
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:
The term modification is defined as an adjustment to an assignment or a test that changes the standard of measurement for the task. A modification is not the same as an accommodation. An accommodation is the practice of making the assignment or assessment more accessible to the student with a disability through changes in formatting, timing, setting, scheduling, and/or presentation. An accommodation does not change the standard of measurement for the task, only the accessibility of the task.
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.
Although each situation is different and the student is the best source of information regarding useful accommodations, the following are some accommodations that should help to make the laboratory safer for students with mobility impairments and the other students in the class as well: