For example, Audioboo is a flexible and free way to create short audio materials for visually-impaired learners. Quizlet has a well-integrated audio capability to read aloud all the text that the set-creator has typed in.
The visual elements of linoit and padlet may appeal more to those whose language is not so assured (e.g. ESOL learners)- the same goes for the cartoon and short video tools we have looked at. Cartoons can be used to get across quite complex messages, but the format requires brevity and clear language - beneficial to all, but particularly hearing impaired or dyslexic learners.
From my Research project:
Legal requirements
"Anticipatory provision of adaptations, resources and processes for inclusivity is now a requirement of public bodies, under the Equality Act 2010. UNESCO has recently published a report outlining many examples of innovative ICT practice involving people with disabilities – there is no shortage of information about how it can be done.
Each learner is unique, and as in
healthcare, the remedies and solutions that work for one person may not suit
another. It is tempting for tutors and
administrators to assume that a learner with visual impairment, say, will
automatically benefit from the provision of a screen magnifier that is already
installed. However, that learner’s
degree of impairment may require a different approach.
The JISC (formerly the Joint
Information Systems Committee) assistive technology specialist division TechDIS
suggests that “In reality, the best solution for a user may
not necessarily be a single assistive technology.” Several different hardware or software
additions may need to be combined for the best effect. In judging which combination to use, there
are 3 factors involved:
·
Does it work?
·
Is it the most economic use of effort and time?
·
Will the learner use it? (Harrison, 2004)
The
JISC TechDis accessibility pyramid model illustrates some of the
subtleties involved in creating the right solution for the user. To be a
successful solution, in addition to the factors above, it has to:
- Work for that particular user.
- Be available for the user wherever they happen to be working.
- Be socially acceptable to the user.
(Harrison, 2004)
The last point above stems from an
increasing awareness of the “social
model of disability” – which is a development on from the traditional medical
model of disability. How disabled you
feel depends in part on how others treat you, and how society views people with
disabilities or learning difficulties. It is important is to ensure that a
learner does not feel in any way stigmatised by the need to use assistive
technology – providers should try to make it as discreet as possible. (Niace E-guidelines 2007). One way to achieve this is to have assistive
software pre-installed or made available without great fuss. Capturing as much
useful information at initial assessment as possible is key to the success of
this approach.
Any change from the “normal” set
up of equipment and software usually
results in slowing down a learner’s rate of work, so it is important to
determine the amendments that work as fast as possible in the circumstances,
and make allowances in other respects also. As Sue Harrison explains, “many
disabled learners will not be able to effectively access mainstream
technologies without specific adaptations of software or hardware and where this
is the case teachers/lecturers need to be aware of the high cognitive load,
patience and emotional energy needed to make the technology work and adapt
the teaching and learning accordingly where possible.” (Harrison, 2004)
McNaught also points out that only by experimenting with the lower cost
and more readily available adaptations, can a user and his/her helper work out
what features and tools are missing from these and determine the true benefit
of buying fully-featured commercial software.
Alistair McNaught’s model looks at
the Trade-off between availability and functionality in software, and arrives
at a similar conclusion – adapt the solution to the learner, not the other way
around.
“...there may be a trade off between
widespread availability of simple solutions and more limited availability of
fully featured solutions. For maximum independence, users should be comfortable
with different tools and strategies.”
(McNaught, A. 2011)
Visually-impaired learners
A wealth of software exists to support visually-impaired people, from free to
high-cost. For adult learning, the simplest option would be to work with the
accessibility options of existing software, or use simple techniques to improve
the appearance of a screen of information for a partially sighted user.
This can be enough, but when it is not,
frustration is the result, as I found when attempting to adapt a standard
monitor for two learners with visual impairment. In that instance, the course was so short
that by the time a full-featured magnifier programme could be installed, it was
almost over. This highlights the
pressing need to have easily installable magnifier software available for any
workstation.
Windows in all its versions offers
the chance to change the screen colours, the size of text and buttons and to
make the mouse pointer more visible.
Microsoft Office Word or OpenOffice documents can be made instantly more
readable by using the “web layout” view and an increased zoom level.
At the Acorn Centre for people with
disabilities in Heston, vital keys are signposted by the simplest of technology
– blobs of sticky tack! This was enough
for a learner to be able to locate important keys. Alan Stewart, the tutor there, has understood
the tradeoff between cost and convenience well! (See Appendix 1)
Learning to touch-type is a very
useful skill, and there are typing tutors available free or at relatively low
cost that are specifically designed for partially sighted or blind users. Examples are Azabat Typing tutor and
TypeFaster Accessible Tutor.
EduApps is ... particularly
suitable for Adult Education learners, as it is a free collection of tried and
tested accessibility applications that can be made available on USB memory
stick, requires no installation to the host PC, and can be taken around to
different centres or used at home.
Hearing-impaired learners
Online activities and e-learning
can provide a more equal platform for hearing-impaired learners to display
their skills, and email and text messaging are beneficial for in- and
outside-class communication.
I discovered this when working with a
learner whose regular signer was unable to attend – using email “chat” enabled
us to complete some assessment work satisfactorily.
As written English may be a second
language (after British Sign language, or indeed a different mother tongue),
adapting resources to simplify language will benefit the hearing-impaired
learner, and often most of the rest of the class too.
Limited dexterity
Windows allows for changes to mouse
and keystrokes to limit the effects of shake or tremor (StickyKeys, mouse
cursor slowing).
Assistive Software has been developed that allows text entry with the minimum
of mouse movement, or with a small selection of keystrokes for those who have
only limited range of movement in their fingers. Examples are: Qwriting from www.oatsoft.org – a predictive text writer
using an onscreen keyboard. JoytoKey
and Joystick2Mouse 3 are programs from www.oatsoft.org
that can allow a user to control the mouse and keystrokes using a gaming-style
joystick or videogame controller.
Dyslexia
Support often takes the form of
adaptation of printed and screen-based resources to simplify or modify for
easier reading, or by the provision of coloured overlays. Reading pens are an example of assistive
hardware – the pen is a mini-scanner that scans text and announces the words it
sees.
At West Thames College, Julie Bennett
mentioned the preferred software option called ReadWriteGold, from
TextHelp.com, which is available as a toolbar for all workstations, and thus
can help any student regardless of whether they consider themselves dyslexic or
not. The social stigma of use is reduced.
Other Issues
For Hounslow Adult Education
service, cost of equipment and software may be the first consideration.
Secondly, how easy it is to make the services available in different venues, or
to several different users at a time. Thirdly, how long it takes to learn how to
use the services; for short 12 week courses this would be a significant
factor. Tutors would require
training/briefing, and learners would need time to get familiar with it in use.
Restrictions placed on networked
computers deny tutors permission to alter settings for accessibility or
installing applications. Applications that can run from memory stick without
installation may get round this to some extent, but the technical support
team’s co-operation will be crucial in improving accessibility provision in ICT
teaching rooms.
“EduApps” [online]
2011 JISC Regional Support Centre available from
http://www.rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk/eduapps/index.php Accessed 9/5/11
Harrison, S 2004 “Dyslexia
and the use of Assistive Technology” [online] PowerPoint presentation. Available
from http://www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/techdis/resources/detail/learnersmatter/AccessibilityPyramid
Accessed 10/5/11
McNaught,
A. “Getting to grips with assistive technology”
[online] PDF document.
Available
from http://www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/techdis/resources/detail/learnersmatter/Getting_Grips_Assistive_technology
Accessed
10/5/11
Nightingale
C and Stevens S “e-guidelines 10 - Using
e-learning with deaf learners”
2007 Leicester: National Institute of Adult
Continuing Education
“Equipment for deaf learners” 2007
RNID Information PDF document [online] Available from http://www.rnid.org.uk/information_resources/factsheets/equipment/factsheets_leaflets/
Accessed 9/5/11
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