AccessSTEM

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.

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:

There is often confusion over the terms "hearing impaired," "hard of hearing," "deaf," and "deafened," both in definition and appropriateness of use.

Hearing impairments alone generally do not interfere with most computer use. However, alternatives to audio output can assist the computer user who is deaf or hard of hearing. For example, if the sound volume is turned to zero, a computer may flash the menu bar when audio output is normally used. When sound is used on web pages and other electronic media, individuals who are deaf cannot access the content unless captions or transcriptions are also provided.

Yes, and there are several options you can choose from.

Develop policies and procedures that ensure access to lab facilities, computers, and electronic resources for people with disabilities, and demand that accessibility be considered in the procurement process.

Although a lab cannot be expected to have specialized equipment on hand for every type of disability, provide equipment that you anticipate will be used and/or is available at relatively low cost:

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?

Although the problems are by no means universal, students who are fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) may sometimes struggle with written English. According to the Oregon Disabilities Commission's website for their Deaf and Hard of Hearing Access Program (DHHAP), ASL is the first language for many ASL users, and English is a nonnative, second language. Because there is no written form of ASL, there are no newspapers, magazines, or books written in ASL.

Designing a lab that is universally accessible begins with the physical environment of the facility. Considerations for making a computer lab facility more accessible include the following: