Disabilities
I am a Senior Girl Scout working on "The Lure of Language" Interest Patch. (Technology Section, #3)What types of software is out there for people with disabilities?
Fri Sep 11 10:54:17 1998 from
EPW Researcher
Disability software/hardware question
This is a Public Domain quotation from a National Oceanographic and Administration's diversity report from a workshop. It discusses software/hardware for people with disabilities. One of the highest barriers to hiring and integrating people with disabilities into the federal work force is myths and misconceptions about adaptive technology. Dinah Cohen of the Computer and Electronic Accessibility Program, (CAP) Department of Defense, discussed this ground breaking program. All adaptive equipment acquired by DOD entities must be purchased through this centralized office. Money for these items is obligated under a separate budget line, eliminating any perceived extra expense as a hiring barrier. One-stop product research and cost review have dramatically reduced the time and expense of product acquisition with corresponding increases in employee productivity and supervisor satisfaction. A mentoring program for high school and college students has been developed. CAP is responsible for all adaptive hardware and software used by these individuals. For classes longer than two days, readers are provided. Ms. Cohen strongly stressed that all training films purchased by a federal organization must be closed captioned. A center has been developed where items can be seen and "test driven" before purchase.
Note: this link was deleted because it was outdated.
Wed Oct 7 08:22:38 1998
Gossamer
Unix!
Do any of you use Unix instead of Windows or the Macintosh? Have you even heard of it? You probably don't know it, but Unix is the system that most of the computers that run the internet use! And it's the system that computers used when the net was "invented". I use a sort of Unix called Linux on my computer at home - it's not quite as "user friendly" as Windows, but I'm the sort of person that likes to tinker ... and Linux has another great advantage - it's free!!
http://www.linux.org/
Wed Oct 7 08:30:46 1998
Gossamer
Software for People with Disabilities
There's LOTS of software for people with disabilities! Windows and the Mac even come with some built-in now - go into the Windows "control panel" and look for Stickey Keys and some other things (sorry I don't know exactly, I only ever saw it once - I don't use Windows!) that help people who can only type with one hand. If you can't type at all, you can use DragonDictate and other voice-software to "talk" to your computer instead of typing. Or if you can't see, there is software to enlarge the screen or even to read out what's on the screen if you're totally blind. Have you even seen Stephen Hawkings on TV? He has software so he can press one button and it constructs words and sentences and then speaks them! I think that's totally amazing ... imagine if he'd lived 20 years ago, he wouldn't be able to communicate at all, since he can't talk or hardly move. Imagine what the world would be missing out on ...
Wed Oct 7 17:11:03 1998
Lindsy
quality of website
I am not sure if you want feedback on your description of the software or the software itself, but since I know nothing about computers I'd just like to say that this seems like a very informative and impressive website for a group of high schoolers. My only suggestion is to keep it from being too technical and overwhelming, after all, it's purpose is for explanations and simplicity, right? Good luck.
Sat Oct 10 20:50:31 1998
M E C
games
I learned how to play oh no more lemmings. I would like to create computer games.My favorite computer game is pro pinball.
Thu Oct 15 15:16:14 1998 from 207-172-49-1.s1.tnt14.ann.erols.com
Info. from a U. Washington- Do-It announcement
Educational Technology Conference in 1999-Northwest U.S.
K-20 educators from throughout the Northwest will gather in Seattle March 17-20 for "Electroglyphs : Communication with Tomorrow", the 1999 annual conference of the Northwest Council for Computer Education. Scheduled Thursday and Friday are over 150 hour-long concurrent sessions designed for educators ranging from the novice to the experienced user of computers and related technologies. Whole and half-day workshops are available Wednesday and Saturday. Other highlights include a large exhibits area and the Northwest Student Showcase where students demonstrate how they are using technology in the classroom. The NCCE conference offers an incomparable opportunity for Northwest educators to discover how to use technology to enhance student learning. Additional information is available on the NCCE website (http://www.ncce.org/), via e-mail (NCCE99@wce.wwu.edu), by telephone (360-650-4760), and by FAX (360-650-6526). %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% % Cathy F. Parise % % Educational Technology Program Supervisor % % Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction % % P.O. Box 47200, Olympia, WA 98504-7200 % %
http://www.ncce.org/