Access through Adaptive Computer Technology and Website Design

March 5, 2004 Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC) presentation on Post Secondary Adaptive Technologies in Rend Lake

The March 5, 2004 8:30-9:15 a.m. Presentation for IACAC is concerned with Post Secondary adaptive technologies, Transition Issues, Text Conversion, and Distance Interpreting.

Your presenter for this event are:

Michael Whitney

Michael Whitney heads adaptive technology and accessible web creation for Disability Support Services at SIUC and is also the coordinator of the Adaptive Computer Technology & Website Design HECA grant project. In addition to his MA in Rehabilitation, Whitney has completed training on designing universally acceptable web resources and an assistive technology applications certificate program offered by the State University of California Northridge. He will discuss and demonstrate some of the common adaptive technologies utilized by students with disabilities.

Kathleen Plesko

Kathleen Plesko, M.S. Rehabilitation, directs SIUC's Office of Disability Support Services. Plesko is an expert in disability accommodations in higher education settings. She will discuss and delineate the provision of mandated accommodations in real and electronic classrooms. As an important counterbalance, Plesko will briefly profile the "new" disabled students, those with invisible disabilities, including cognitive and psychiatric conditions. She will also address the movement toward distance interpreting and e-text.

Topics of Discussion and Presented Technologies

Technologies used by students in order to access academic information

• Dragon Naturally Speaking dictation system
• Read Please reading system
• Arkenstone Open Book scanning system
• Jaws screen reader
• Refreshable Braille
• Microsoft Screen Magnification
• Sip-N-Puff Mouse
• Microsoft On-Screen Keyboard
• Cyberlink Brainfingers Brain Actuated Technology