Access through Adaptive Computer Technology and Website Design

October 18, 2005 - SIUC SPED 430 (Disabled Youth) - Disability Support Issues and Adaptive Technology Trends in Post Secondary Education

Your Coordinators for this event are:

Kathleen Plesko

Kathleen 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 discuss fundamental course requirements and how they can limit the need to provide accommodations, particularly in the area of testing. She will briefly profile the "new" disabled students, those with invisible disabilities, including cognitive and psychiatric conditions.

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.

Expected Topics of Discussion and Presented Technologies

Our October 18, 2005 presentation is a review of the need for special educators to be prepared for today's students with disabilities. A review of accommodating students with disabilities as well as an update of adaptive computer technology that will be given as an instructional opportunity scheduled to run from 4:00 to 5:30 a.m. At an hour and a half long, it will be a cursory introduction to the general issues persons with disabilities face on a day to day basis as well as the types of technology we employ and the concerns about equal access to information that dictate our work here at SIUC-DSS. Goals for this presentation are as follows:

• Make the general populace aware of various disabilities and the issues (personal, societal, environmental, etc..) that are commonly attached to the disabilities
• Expose participants to the practices we here at SIUC-DSS employ to help enable students with disabilities in their daily lives
• Present common adaptive technologies utilized by persons with disabilities

Technologies Covered

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