Assistive technology is a term used to encompass software and
devices that help disabled individuals accomplish tasks that may have
been difficult or nearly impossible for them to do before. Sometimes a
device is developed with Assistive technology (AT) in mind during the
design process. Other times a device can be adapted to suit the needs of
individuals with particular disabilities. The market for a specific
need can drive the development of products to fill that need. The Apple
iPad has become a great tool for disabled individuals. Many apps have
been developed that help make life easier for users with adaptive needs.
iPad Apps
Many independent developers are making applications for the iPad that
are designed to assist people with disabilities. Apple Computers lists
on their official website their commitment to accessibility for
everyone. In fact there are accessibility tools built into the iPad as a
standard feature at no extra cost to the purchaser. VoiceOver, a screen
reader application, and screen magnification, are helpful for visually
impaired users. Sticky keys, slow keys and mouse keys can make it easier
for users who have different types of physical dexterity issues.
iPad Design
The open face design of the iPad
makes it a great design element for Alternative Augmentative
Communication (AAC) use. AAC users are speech impaired and communicate
though the use of specially designed electronic devices. The iPad has
been found to be a good tool for this use. Many users have come up with
creative ways to mount the iPad on their wheel chair holders and trays.
Vendors are slowly catching up with this need and designing carrying
cases and holders for this specific need. The built-in gesture interface
improves on the one on the iPhone. Allowing the user to use several
fingers at once to control application, and resize or rotate the viewing
area. Many users have their own specially designed keyboard that they
use for input. The iPad can accept both USB and Bluetooth input devices.
Mark The Geek is a tech writer and gadget enthusiast.
Approximately 20% of the world's population is living with at
least one disability. A majority of times, these disabilities restrict
the individual from completely benefiting from the resources of the
Internet. Many businesses have a Web page on the Internet that has some
type of limitation for someone with a disability. Businesses that do not
maintain accessible Web sites are ignoring a vital portion of the
population and because business owners rely on Web designers, it is the
Web designer's responsibility to create accessible Web sites. Web
designers use a variety of techniques to ensure Web sites are accessible
for users with disabilities; including, visual impairments, physical
impairments, cognitive impairments, and hearing impairments.
People with normal vision are able to view images, understand visual
cues, and understand the symbolic meanings' of colors and shapes.
However, people with vision impairments cannot always understand the
images and colors presented to them from a Web page. There are different
types of vision impairments that effect users of a Web site in
different ways. Web designers need to consider different levels of sight
impairments when designing a Web site. People with sight impairments;
including, no vision, limited vision, and color blindness have different
accessibility needs that should be designed for accordingly.
Accessibility for individuals with vision impairments include;
resizing text, color contrast; including, alt and skip text, and
compatibility with screen readers. Color contrast includes using colors
that compliment each other and font colors that are easily legible. For
example, text background and font color that are too similar are
difficult or impossible for people with colorblindness to differentiate.
Colors must also have the ability to be changed to black and white or
magnified without distorting. Text size is an important factor for
people with limited sight. Small font on a Web site can be very
difficult to read and should have the ability to be enlarged. Elderly
people that require reading glasses would have difficulties reading
small text and find using the site cumbersome. When there are images on a
Web page, they should be labeled with an alternative information
source, known as an alt tag or alt text. Alt text allows assistive
technology devices to read a Web site and interpret images
appropriately. Skip text triggers assistive technology devices to skip
the content. This is used with repetitive, non-critical information like
the logo of the site on pages other than the home page and for menus
that are found in multiple locations on the same page.
Hearing is another classification of a disability that can affect the
way a person receives information from a Web site. The technologies
used on the Internet enable people to watch videos, listen to music, and
use other types of audio devices. Web designers should implement
technology and methods that allow people with hearing disabilities to
obtain information using a different mode. Hearing Impairments can be
compensated for by using accessibility strategies related to any type of
audio on the site; specifically audio that communicates information.
For Web pages that contain audio information, a caption alternative
should be available for people who need it. If there is video embedded
into a Web page, this too should have a caption alternative for people
with hearing disabilities. These alt tags can work similarly to those
used for individuals with vision impairments as they are not seen by the
sighted user but can be accessed by assistive technology. Providing a
transcript for Web pages that provide podcasts will help a site be more
accessible.
Accessibility methods designed to assist users with physical
impairments can be more complicated to implement. The site should be
designed so that users can access and navigate the entire Web site using
multiple modes of input. For example, a site that can only be navigated
using a mouse may not be accessible to a person with Cerebral Palsy if
he or she uses keystrokes to navigate the Web. Web developers should
program their Web pages so that it can be navigated using keyboard
strokes, along with mouse input, to navigate the site and its menus.
This will provide multiple input modes for people with physical
disabilities. A Web site must also be error tolerant and have consistent
pages and menus.
Web accessibility for individual's with cognitive and learning
disabilities is the most difficult to design for. It is difficult to
recommend design methods that will benefit all users with cognitive and
learning disabilities. This area is complex and its population is larger
than those with physical and sensory disabilities combined. Web sites
should be designed with simple and clear navigation menus keeping page
layout consistent and error tolerant. Clear language and the utilization
of minimal text will also greatly benefit users with cognitive
impairments.
Specific accessibility guidelines have been designed to direct Web
designers, but they are not required to be used by commercial
businesses. As laws change, it will become more important for Web
designers to understand the various categories of disabilities and the
techniques and guidelines to allow for the creation of an accessible Web
site. Now is the time for Web designers to begin educating themselves
about designing accessible Web sites for a variety of disabilities so
they are prepared for the time when Web accessibility is mandatory.
Mike Barkas is a Web developer for Binary On A Wire, an internet
technology company providing Web development and hosting services. http://binaryonawire.com
For Web site consultations and to learn how to make your business Web site work smarter visit http://barkas.com
Technology has a way of skidding from science fictions' past
into the present like Michael J Foxs' Delorean in “Back to the Future”.
Remember those sliding doors in Star Trek on the U.S.S. Enterprise? We
take them for granted now. And every time I see someone flip open a cell
phone and talk to someone, I expect to hear them say “Beam me up
Scotty.” The day of live streamed video mail is coming soon -very soon.
Every science fiction movie I ever saw had someone talking to someone
else from a TV screen and we all laughed, yet today I heard that our IT
department is supplying built in web-cams standard on all newly issued
laptop models.
I had a real wide-eyed moment today and I have to share it with you. I
watched our doctor wave a Dr. McCoy-Star Trek-type “tricorder” over my
sons chest. “What IS that?” I had asked. The doctor explained that it
would “re-align the electrical impulses that were out of sync so his
respiratory infection could heal.”
“Seriously?” I thought to myself. This was real. My son thought it
tickled and the doctor did the treatment until the levels on the front
showed the body had re-calibrated. Just when you think you are getting a
handle on things, something new pops up and surprises you.
I am a specialist in assistive technology. I see new things that come
out on the market all the time. I have been following the research and
development of mapping the neuro-network of the brain to pinpoint the
combinations of impulses and electrical frequencies that make up hand,
wrist and arm movements. There are studies right now on how to re-create
these impulses in “bionic” arms that replace severed ones. The research
will allow our human brain to operate the new appendage by thought.
I was at a national convention this fall where I sat and had an eye
gaze unit wirelessly track my retina from four feet away. As I looked
around, the cursor on a large flat computer screen moved in the same
direction. The cost was huge, but the technology was there for someone
who is severely disabled and wants to access life through a computer.
I'm sure I saw Tom Cruise do that in a movie a couple of years ago.
There is no way any one person can know it all about any niche in
technology anymore. The world is becoming more and more specialized. We
have specialized services within specialized niches that are in
specialized markets of specialized companies. It can get pretty crazy. I
have heard predictions that there will come a time when a person with
my job in general assistive technology will not be able to be an
assistive technology specialist anymore. They will have to focus on a
sub-category because the specialization will be so intense.
How does this apply to parents of children with disabilities? If you are a parent, You need to know a couple of things:
1. You should be comfortable in knowing that you can't learn it all.
Don't put yourself through guilt and frustration over this fact. Just
get an overview of the services and equipment your child may need. Be
prepared to say “I don't know but I can find out.” That is my biggest
phrase. I have learned how to find a needle in a haystack on the
Internet when it comes to AT. I spend a great deal of my time online
researching equipment, treatment, therapy or definitions and
descriptions of medical disorders. Be ready to see the Internet as your
best friend. There is so much information out there it is staggering.
Most people hate to waste time searching for information. They want
it done for them. If you have a child with a disability, start searching
and asking. There are answers out there. I don't even pretend to think
or want to bluff you into thinking that I know all there is. “All there
is” changes every day. If I were to comment on occupational and
physical therapy supports, new treatment for seizures and ADHD with
neurofeedback for children using computer games and slot car race
tracks, simulating virtual reality on the TV with a Wii, and so on, we
would be here for the next 2 years – and by then 70% of what we knew
would be obsolete and new technologies would have taken over.
2. There are new and limitless possibilities for young children with disabilities.
Where we are headed is going to be amazing. The textbooks need to be
re-written on how we serve children because of the impact of technology
in every aspect of education and special needs service delivery. If you
are a parent of a small child today, the advances in technology to
support are going to be incredible. It is a good time to be alive. You
have options no one had before you. There is technology to support your
child that is amazing. Take some time to look search blogs, forums and
pod casts that talk about technology in education, assistive technology
and trends in alternative medicine for neurofeedback. The technology
associated with alternative medicine is gaining more respect as time
goes on and shows great promise as it becomes a hybrid in collaboration
with traditional medicine and treatment.
I imagine by the time you read this, I'll need to be writing a second
edition. That's OK. As long as I don't expect to ever catch up, I can
relax and find the things that work. That is what serving children with
assistive technology is all about anyway. Finding out what works to
support kids.
Lon Thornburg is an expert in education and assistive technology. Go to http://www.nolimitstolearning.blogspot.com for daily posts on asistive technology information for the disabled child and those who know or care for them.
