e-Learning/ICT Activities and difficulties with Vision
Remember, disability is a highly individualised experience. People with the same disability may have very different capabilities and/or needs, so it is always best to discuss any adaptations to practice, the environment or equipment directly with the disabled person themselves rather than making assumptions about what adjustments may be suitable.
People who are blind or have a significant visual impairment will not be able to access e-learning in the same way as others; however, the availability of IT and specialist assistive software and technology can make a huge difference to learners with visual difficulties. So long as students can be sent information in electronic format, this can be ‘read’ out loud by software on their PC. Some students will use touch typing on a PC to communicate via email or Skype, for example, and others may have a Brailled keyboard.
Teachers should familiarise themselves with the essentials of accessible web design - there is great deal of guidance on good practice in developing accessible web pages available ( insert url here!)
Note that the inclusion on web pages of images that do not have ‘alt tags’ (brief pop up descriptions of the image/picture), and/or graphs and charts, can severely hamper the accessibility of web pages, as screen readers work best with plain text.
Assistive Technology:
There are two kinds of AT available – ‘Low Tech’ and ‘High Tech’.
‘Low Tech AT’ includes simple aids that normally cost little or no money. For example, a PC with spell check and thesaurus can support many students. Alternatively, by simply changing the ‘accessibility’ options on a Windows based PC, information can be made more accessible. Other items, such as hand-held magnifiers or study lamps, can improve access for students with a visual impairment.
Examples of assistive technology for blind/visually impaired students:
Scanning and Reading Software
Examples Include: ‘Kurzweil 1000’ and ‘Kurzweil 3000’ Kurzweil 1000 is a screen reading tool for blind and visually impaired users. It works on a personal computer in conjunction with a scanner to convert the printed word into speech. It allows the student to edit scanned documents. Typed text is spoken aloud as the student types. Kurzweil can even speak a highlighted section of text before the student cuts, copies or pastes. Kurzweil 3000 allows text to be scanned from a paper source and read back by the software while the student listens. The student can highlight important information and annotate the document.
Screen Reading Software
Examples Include: ‘HAL for Windows’ and ‘JAWS for Windows’ These applications have been designed for people who are blind to facilitate access to the Windows environment and the Internet, which is very graphical in nature and not particularly user-friendly. This software enables the blind student to use keyboard short cuts to read toolbars and document content.
Screen Magnification Software
Examples Include: ZoomText Xtra' This software magnifies the image on a computer screen to enable students with visual difficulties to see the screen more clearly. Screen magnification often requires a larger monitor. This allows sufficient information to be displayed on the screen for the student to continue to make sense of the data and its relationship to the document as a whole.
Braille Translation Software
Examples Include: Duxbury; Duxbury Braille Translation Software is a package that converts written text to Braille.
Large Computer Monitors
Examples Include: 17" - 21" These are an important equipment item for visually impaired students, particularly if they are using screen magnification software, as it will ensure a larger proportion of information can be viewed on screen at any one time.
CCTVs
These provide enlargement for paper based text and are invaluable to students who wish to read handouts or use books without the need for enlargement by photocopying. The use of CCTVs is often essential for visually impaired library users as it allows them to skim text and select relevant sections, which they may wish to enlarge by photocopying later. This allows much more independent research and saves considerable expense in wasted copies.
Scanners
When used in conjunction with read-back software as mentioned above, scanners are invaluable for any student who experiences reading difficulties for whatever reason.
