AT/IT and Institutes of Higher
Education
David Dawson & David Klein
University of Iowa
Law, Health Policy, Disability Center
www.its.uiowa.edu/law
Best Practices Sites Resources
University of Florida Faculty Guide
 http://www.ada.ufl.edu/
University of Washington: The Faculty Room
 http://www.washington.edu/doit/Faculty/
Equal Access to Software and Information (EASI)
 http://www.rit.edu/~easi/index.htm
Berkeley The Disabled Students' Program
 http://dsp.berkeley.edu/
Virginia Commonwealth University Faculty guide
 http://www.vcu.edu/eeoaa/facada.html
For post-secondary institutions, the
guiding principle is: “What you make
available to any of your students must be
available for all of your students.” This
includes courses, housing, study abroad,
transportation, etc.
Richard Harris
Persons with Disabilities
1. Every person is unique in their strengths and
limitations.
2. A person’s strengths and limitations may change
over time.
3. Accommodation and modifying the environment
allows the person to show their strength by
decreasing or removing functional limitations.
Assistive Technology
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Any device used to remove or reduce a
functional limitation.
They may be commercial or self created
devices.
The may cost $0 - $$$$
They may be used differently by different
people.
Assistive Technology and
Accommodations
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Students may or may not use assistive technology
for classroom accommodations.
Accommodations vary with the students
Accommodations might not be used at all times.
Accommodations can be no tech, low tech, high
tech.
No Tech
No-tech solutions are those that make use of procedures, services,
and existing conditions in the environment that do not involve
the use of devices or equipment. These might include services
such as physical therapy, occupational therapy or the services of
other specialists. (National Assistive Technology Research
Institute (NATRI))
Class notes
 Text read aloud
 Highlighted text
 Synopsis
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Gesturing
 Eye gaze
 Sign language.
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Low Tech
Low-tech items are less sophisticated and can include devices such
as adapted spoon handles, non-tipping drinking cups, and Velcro
fasteners. (National Assistive Technology Research Institute
(NATRI))
Post it page markers
 Color overlays
 Magnifying Lens
 Pen or pencil grips
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Calculators
 Tape recorders
 Hi-liter pens
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Medium Tech & High Tech
Medium-tech devices are relatively complicated mechanical devices,
such as wheelchairs and CCTV. (National Assistive Technology
Research Institute (NATRI))
High-tech devices incorporate sophisticated electronics or
computers. (National Assistive Technology Research Institute
(NATRI))
 Adaptive
computers
 AT software
 Specialized STEM equipment
Electronic augmented
communication
 Embossers
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Evaluation of Student Needs
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Student works with school’s disability
service to review eligibility and
determination of accommodation and
service.
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Students’ best resource for knowing their AT
needs.
Further evaluation may be needed. This
includes hands-on trial of AT.
Student accommodations plan is developed.
Learning Disability
Accommodations
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As reported from test and student’s self
report.
Depends on the disability and the severity
May vary from day to day to time of day.
Accommodations may be needed for: In
class notes or assignments, outside
activities, or test accommodations
LD Accommodations Examples
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Extra time or secluded room
Computers or scribes
Note takers or tape recorders
Books on tape, Mp3 or readers
Talking calculators or flash cards
Reading Accommodations
Difficulty reading written instructions or directions.
Some solutions may be:
 Use text to speech readers,
 Use large print.
Difficulty reading, at lower-than-expected level.
Some solutions may be:
 Use speech synthesizers and text to speech readers,
 Use reading comprehension programs,
 Use large print with auditory cues.
Reading and Writing
Accommodations:
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Audio word processing programs
Screen magnification software
Recording for the Blind (books or textbooks on
tape)
Electronic dictionaries/spelling checkers (some
may have voice synthesizers)
Highlighters (to remember important facts or to
color pairs of numbers a different color - might
reduce chance of error in copying a long series of
numbers)
Scan and reading
Scan and Read Systems
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This may be software and/or hardware that
scans text from written material and then
reads the material aloud.
Scan and read can range from 0-$4,000
dollars.
Can have additional features for support
(magnification, highlighting, masking, MP3,
Web browsing)
Uses different types of voice engines
(change user voice and rate)
Can scan and read in several languages.
Scan and Read Systems
Problems
 Recognition rates may vary depending
on material and software.
 Not universal, not all scanners
supported, dependent on software.
 Voice output is unclear at time for
some names.
 Sometimes hard to scan bulky books.
Writing Accommodations
Difficulty in ability to compose sentences due to errors
in vocabulary, grammar, or spelling.
Some solutions may be:
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Use work prediction software,
Use spelling software,
Use writing composition programs.
Difficulty communication of meaning to writing.
Some solutions may be:
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Use writing composition programs.
Use voice recognition programs,
Use software that allows graphics to be interpreted as words
Voice Recognition Systems
This allows the user to control part or all of
some computer by using voice.
 Mac and IBM
 Can increase speed of typing accuracy.
 Can be used for all functions of a computer.
 Can be used by person with CP, LD, and
stroke.
 Read back feature
 Low cost
Voice Recognition Systems
Problems
 False advertising
 10 hours frustration = 1 hour production
 Large investment of time needed to have
good voice profile.
 Changes in your voice may decrease
accuracy.
 Never 100% accurate
Lecture Accommodations :
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Tape recorders or micro tape players
Note takers
Notes provided by the instructor or other student
Printed materials - double-spaced and with larger
print
Note and reference materials available in other
forms
Seating modification
Test-taking Accommodation:
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Quiet environment
Extended time
Test on the computer
Reader, scribe or oral tests
Double-spaced, with large print
Index cards, blank paper, and/or ruler (help keep place
on line)
Tape recorder (to hear what is on the test &/or to dictate
answers)
Use of a proctor to rephrase test questions that are not
clear to the student
Vision Accommodations
Difficulty seeing small text or small cursor.
Some solutions may be:
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Increased size of text or cursor
Use magnify screen.
Increase monitor size
Use screen enlargement software.
Unable to see images or text.
Some solutions may be:
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Use screen readers and speech synthesizers
Use refreshable braille displays.
Vision Accommodations
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Provide text books, reading lists and syllabi in advance to
permit time for transferring into alternate format
Flexible seating assignment
Tape recording of lectures and class discussions
Handouts in the medium that the student prefers
Handouts in contrasting colors
Read aloud any text on blackboard or computer
presentation (PowerPoint)
Provide handouts in advance of backboard or computer
presentation in medium that the student prefers
Magnification software/hardware
Magnification software/hardware
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Can range from low tech to very high tech
Computer magnification 1X – 16X
Range in types of magnification (lens,
half, full screen)
May have additional features (voice, color
filtering, Internet)
Deaf or Hard of Hearing
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Instructors maintain effective communication
with students.
Students who are deaf or hard of hearing are not
all alike.
Some are extremely adept at reading lips and
others are not; some communicate orally and
others use sign language, gestures, writing, or a
combination of these methods.
Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Accommodations
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Always speak directly to the student, not to the
student's sign language interpreter
Repeat class questions before answering
No more than one person speaks at a time
Avoid speaking while doing other tasks or writing
on the blackboard.
Use captioned videos whenever possible. When
showing uncaptioned videos, slides, or movies
provide an outline or summary in advance
Hearing Accommodations
Examples
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Having proctor/administrator use microphone
(FM loop)
Putting test-taker in private room
Putting test-taker in front of room
Facing student who reads lips
Posting time prompts in writing
Providing interpreter for sign language
Providing real time capturing of all verbal
noises
Communication Accommodations
Students with speech impairments may communicate
in various ways. Some students speak with their own
voices, but slowly and with some lack of clarity;
other students write notes, point to communication
boards, use electronic speech-synthesizers, or
communicate through assistants who interpret their
speech to other people.
Communications Accommodations
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If possible meet with student before first
week of class to talk about
accommodations.
Listen to person; if you do not understand
them, ask.
Talk to person, not communication
assistant.
Every person has their own voice.
August 2001, North Carolina State
Assistive Technology in Higher Education Survey
Report
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Screen Readers Jaws - 61 (84.7%)
Screen Magnification Zoomtext - 65 (90.3%)
OCR/Reading Kurzweil 3000 - 40 (55.6%)
Speech Recognition Dragon Naturally Speaking - 58 (80.6%)
Word Prediction TextHelp! - 35 (48.6%)
Mouse Alternatives Kensington Trackballs - 34 (47.2%)
Alternative Hands-Free Input HeadMouse - 6 (8.3%)
Writing Tools Inspiration - 32 (44.4%)