Tech Do’s & Don’ts – Preparing
Students with Visual Impairments for
Postsecondary Education
Korey Singleton, ATI Manager
Stephanie Robbins, Program Support Specialist
George Mason University
March 20, 2015
Objectives
• Why this topic?
– Transition Planning Considerations
– Increasing Opportunities for Success
• Disability Support in Higher Education
• Accessing AT in Higher Education
• Q&A
Why this topic?
• Emphasis on supports, preparation,
AND technology…
• Encourage early start…
TRANSITION PLANNING
CONSIDERATIONS
Transition
Transition planning considerations
• IEP Team…You know your students better than anyone
– How early can you start planning for transition?
– Are they headed for higher education or employment?
• Are community service providers and parents actively
participating in the IEP process?
– In addition to addressing classroom needs, there should be an
emphasis on independent living skills training (i.e., travel,
community activities)
– Should happen inside and outside of classroom/school
environment
Transition cont.…
• Adaptive technology training
– A good number of students with disabilities are only as
comfortable as their teachers.
– Expose them to the technology…latest trends
– Who’s paying??
» Where will the student get their adaptive technology? School?
Parents? State? Community?
• What are the student’s interests?
– Is the student an active participant in the process?
INCREASING OPPORTUNITIES FOR
SUCCESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Increasing Opportunities
– Best opportunity for success in HE
• Does the student know how to advocate for his/herself?
– Are they comfortable with their vision loss?
• In the classroom
– Are they aware of their own needs in the classroom? for taking
tests? (e.g., LP, audio, reader/scribe)
– Is the student proficient with technology? Internet? PPT?
– Do they have their own technology?
– Does the student stay abreast of latest changes in adaptive
technology?
– Can the student take notes independently?
– How does the student learn best? Braille? LP? Audio?
– What are they interested in studying?
Increasing Opportunities cont.…
• Does the student know how to access books?
– Bookshare.org? Learning Ally? Amazon?
– Can they access books from the library?
– Can the student scan their own materials?
• Learning Management Systems (i.e., Blackboard,
Canvas, D2L, etc.)
– Encourage communication or accessing class materials via
LMS and/or Email
Increasing Opportunities cont.…
• Does the student have a relationship with community
service providers?
– Talk to DSS counselors!
– Career planning, internships, etc...
– Mobility training/travel
– Visit college campuses!
• Talk with college students with low vision and
blindness!
DISABILITY SUPPORTS IN HIGHER
EDUCATION
Disability Supports in Higher Education
Philosophy differences…
K-12 emphasizes SUCCESS in the classroom
Higher Ed emphasizes ACCESS to the curriculum
“Access” means different things…
Type of support provided is not universal
– Different campuses offer different things. Lets look at the
numbers (overall enrollment, ~10% swd):
• NVCC (~100k)
– 6 to 8 DSS counselors across 5 campuses (~1 per campus), a deaf
services coordinator, part-time AT lab technician (Annandale campus)
• Montgomery College (~60k)
– 10 counselors, 2 student support specialists, a learning center coordinator, an
AT coordinator, a reading specialist, a learning specialist, an Interpreter
scheduler, and an ADA Coordinator
“Access” cont.…
– American (~11k)
• 3 counselors, an AT specialist, ADA Coordinator (Primary role is
Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution Services)
– GMU (~32k)
• 3 ODS counselors, 1 disability specialist, 3 admin staff members, a
deaf services coordinator, an ATI Office (5 staff), and an ADA
Coordinator
What does this mean?
•
•
•
•
Having more counselors means…
Considerations for 2yr and 4yr institutions...
Having an AT specialist/team means…
Having an ADA Coordinator means…
Overview of common accommodations and AT available to support
individuals with visual impairments in higher education
ACCESSING AT IN HIGHER ED
Where can students access AT?
• Typical:
– A workstation or set of workstations in library or
computer labs across campus
– Some institutions deliver the software via the
network (BYOD)
Common Accomodations for
individuals with visual impairments
• Alternative print formats •
– Braille, Electronic text,
•
Tactile Graphics…
•
•
• Adaptive technology
•
– Magnification devices
– Screen-reading software
– Screen-magnification
software
– Computer for taking
notes
Priority registration
Readers for exams
Notetakers
Recorded lectures
Lab or library assistants
Do’s for Accessing Printed Materials
in Higher Education
• Talk to the disability services office before applying at the
university/college.
• Ask about their document conversion or accessible text process
for students with VI. (e.g., math, tactile graphics, braille, etc.)
• Ask about low/high tech options (e.g., Is a CCTV available?)
• If they do not have these services available, ask for other
campus resources (Assistive Technology, Library, Technology
Labs).
• Ask about university partnerships (e.g., Learning Ally,
Bookshare, AccessText).
AT for Accessing Printed Materials
in Higher Education
•
Non-Optical Aids
•
Optical Aids
•
Video Magnifiers
•
Document Conversion
from Hard Copy to
Electronic Copy
Video Magnifiers - CCTV’s
• Video magnifiers are commonly known as
CCTV (Closed-Circuit Televisions)
• Examples of Main Features
–
–
–
–
Enlarge text placed under the camera
Adjustable colors for text and background
Line markers and masking to help with tracking
Some can connect to the computer and provide
a split screen.
Desktop Model Video Magnifier
• Great for Reading Textbooks, Maps
and filling out forms.
• X-Y table for easy movement of
textbooks and tracking of text.
• Magnification between 2.7X -77x.
• Can place objects under the camera
(dissecting in biology).
• Some can connect to the computer
and provide a split screen.
Portable CCTV’s
• Portable magnifiers can easily fit in a
backpack or in most cases a purse.
• Great option for accessing printed
material in the classroom.
• Features can include:
–
–
–
–
Color Contrast
Varying Magnification Levels
Freeze Frame Option
Computer Connectivity
Sapphire
Ruby
Document Conversion (OCR)
• OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is the process
of translating imaged electronic documents to
readable electronic text that can be read by screenreaders or braille displays.
• This process can be known as “Accessible Text”.
• The OCR process is essential for students using AT
to access the materials.
DO’s for Accessing Electronic
Materials in Higher Education
• Obtain/Have access to a computer and AT before
applying to college (Local resources, DBVI, VATS).
• Become comfortable with using
magnification/screen reading software before
attending college (Training, Practice).
• Talk with disability services or assistive technology
services to find out what AT is available on campus
and what document conversion services are
available .
• Find other local resources.
AT for Accessing Electronic
Materials in Higher Education
• Examples of Electronic Materials:
– Electronic Documents (Word, PDF, PPT)
– Internet (Websites, Web Applications, Online
Articles, Library Databases, etc.)
• Screen Magnification Software
• Screen Reading Software
• Printed Braille Output
Screen Magnification
• AT for individuals with usable vision
• Magnifies the entire user interface of the
computer screen
• Built-In Magnification for PC/Mac
• ZoomText
• Features can include:
–
–
–
–
Varying magnification levels
Color Contrast
Built in Speech
Cursor/Focus Enhancements
Screen Readers
• AT for individuals with little or no usable vision.
• Screen-reading software provides speech
and/or braille output. Allows for access to the
same graphics and text as a sighted person (as
long as the technology is accessible).
• All screen readers provide navigation, however,
some have more advanced features than others.
Types of Screen Readers
– Free
•
•
•
•
Narrator (PC)
VoiceOver (Mac) – Limited to specific applications
NVDA (more features than built-ins, but still limited)
Window Eyes (Free with MS Office, full-featured)
– Paid (more advanced features)
• JAWS (most common)
• SuperNova
WebAim Screen-Reader Survey
URL:
http://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey5/
• What are people using?
-
Most used OS (Windows – 82%, Mac OS – 8%)
Most commonly used screen-reader (Jaws – 65%)
Browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox)
Mobile Device Screen Readers (VoiceOver on iOS –
over 65%)
DON’Ts for Accessing AT in Higher
Education
– …wait until the first day of class to try and learn new
technology.
– …assume that the university or college you are
wanting to attend will have the resources you need.
– …wait until the first day of class to register with the
disability services office.
– …wait until the first day of class to find campus and local
resources.
Do’s and Don’ts for Accessible Media
• Outsourcing costs run
in the thousands of $$!
• What if I need a movie audio-described?
• DO, ask for it, if it is necessary.
• DON’T assume you cannot!
SUMMARY
Other questions…
• How are issues addressed as it relates to LMS/Online
Learning Tools?
• Is there AT training available?
• Is there any support for mobility training?
• Are your web resources accessible?
Summary
• Bottom line!!
*Students (w/ support from IEP Team,
Parents, etc.) should come up with their
own list of questions specific to their
needs/goals in and out of the classroom.
Questions & Answers
Contact Information
Assistive Technology Initiative (ATI)
George Mason University
Aquia Building, Room 238
Hours: M-F, 8:30am-5:00pm
Office Phone: 703-993-4329
E-mail: ati@gmu.edu
Web:
http://ati.gmu.edu
Presentation Link:
http://ati.gmu.edu/training/presentations/