Issues of equivalent access to computer technology for the disabled student in the classroom

Abstract

The use of adaptive equipment for the disabled student has been of increasing interest for special education teachers. In the last few years the ubiquitous presence of computers throughout all levels of the curriculum and the passing of federal laws improving the education of the disabled have created a need for schools of education to include the study of this topic in the preservice program. Specifically Public Law 94-142 1 provides that disabled students are educated in the most normalized setting possible, with access to all appropriate services and resources provided to non-disabled children. As a result of this law many school districts have increased the amount of mainstreaming of handicapped students. Teachers in conventional classrooms will be teaching increasingly more disabled students and thus will need to be prepared to offer them the same computing resources as their other children. To do this well they need to be exposed to the use of adaptive equipment, software and other specialized technology. The preservice program is an appropriate place to provide this training. Computers in the classroom hold great promise for adding to the choices, participation and productivity of disabled students. Computers also have the potential to become the greatest new handicap disabled students will have to face. There are many programs enabling blind students to process text using voice synthesis, that teach hearing impaired students to move their vocal mechanisms and produce speech, and programs to allow physically handicapped students to write, speak and control devices in their environments. These programs, and other assistive devices, perform a great service to disabled students. Computers can also present imposing barriers to disabled students. From automatic bank tellers to public telephones we see equipment designed by people who are not sensitive to the needs of the handicapped. As these devices become more widespread a growing potential exists for the exclusion of the disabled population in the daily activities that the non-handicapped take for granted. Educators must play an important role in preparing disabled students to overcome such barriers, preparing the next generation of designers to be aware of the needs of the disabled, and communicating the problems of the disabled to all users of todays technology innovations. This paper will review some of the most positive technological applications for disabled students as well