Working Together: Students with Disabilities and Computer Technology

SUMMARY:

This article provides ways to provide computer assistance for students with different and specific disabilities. For students who may have mobility disabilities, there are ways that the computers or desks can be altered to accommodate their needs.  For example, for students who only operate with one hand, there are keyboards that are designed just for left or right hand users.  There are also ways to turn off key repeat for students who cannot lift their fingers off of a key quick enough that my be accidentally inserting more of a letter than they want.  For students who cannot operate with a keyboard at all, there are replacements for that as well.  For students with extreme mobility disabilities, there are speech input computers.  For blind students, there are Braille keyboards as well as "speech output" programs for them.  There are also Braille printers available for these students.

This article also provides ways to help students with speech, hearing and specific learning disabilities.

MY THOUGHTS:

I think that all teachers need to be very aware of all the technology that is out there and available for students with disabilities.  I feel that it is important for teachers to become more aware of their students disabilities and accommodate them in any way they can to provide and equal learning environment.  Also, becoming aware of technology that is out there for students with learning disabilities will benefit both the student and the teacher because it will help the students learn and it will help the teacher reach that student.  A lot of time can be spent on ways to help students with learning disabilities that don't work but becoming aware of ways that have been proven to work will save time and energy. 

Burgstahler, Sheryl.  (1994).  Working Together: Students With Disabilities and Computer Technology.  New Horizons For Learning, Retrieved from

http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/technology/burgstahler.htm