Universal Access with Adaptive Technology Discussed at 14th CSUN Conference

Citation

Coombs, N. (1999), "Universal Access with Adaptive Technology Discussed at 14th CSUN Conference", Library Hi Tech News, Vol. 16 No. 8. https://doi.org/10.1108/lhtn.1999.23916had.001

Universal Access with Adaptive Technology Discussed at 14th CSUN Conference

David Johnson, Column Editor

Universal Access with Adaptive Technology Discussed at 14th CSUN Conference

Norman Coombs

[Ed: LHTN congratulates Dr Norman Coombs, Professor Emeritus, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), as the Strache Leadership Award honoree, the highest honor of the Center on Disabilities. The award was presented at the 14th Annual International "Technology and Persons with Disabilities" Conference of the Center on Disabilities, March 16, 1999. We are proud to have been given the honor of publishing Dr Coombs' report on that same conference, which follows below.

Most people know Norm as the Chair since 1993 of the EASI group (Equal Access to Software and Information) within the American Association of Higher Education. In this position, he has influenced many others to take up the cause of greater accessibility of information for persons with disabilities.

Norm has spoken and written widely and passionately, in this country and abroad, about accessible technology for people with disabilities. He continues to advocate accessibility through EASI's Internet courses. A former Strache Leadership Award honoree, Dr Larry Scadden, says this of Norm: "When the history of accessibility of information technology is eventually written, the contributions of Norm Coombs will be a part of it."

Norm is a man of many talents. As Chair of the History Department at RIT in the 1960s, his interest in civil rights led him to create and teach courses in African-American history and to author a book, Black Experience in America. Though officially retired from RIT, he still teaches one course on distance learning over the Internet and others on African-American history.]

Introduction

The Center on Disabilities at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) sponsors what is, undoubtedly, the largest annual conference on technology and disabilities. The Center and the Conference have been founded and directed by Dr Harry Murphy. Harry's energy and enthusiasm are amazing, and he has a professional staff that puts on a well-organized and friendly conference. This year there were well over 3,000 participants, over 200 exhibitors and a full schedule of workshops and presentations running from Monday morning, March 14, through noon on Saturday, March 19, and filling both the Hilton and Marriott hotels at the Los Angeles airport. The Center on Disabilities has a Web site outlining its services at CSUN and containing the papers from the conference at http://www.csun.edu/cod

The keynote speaker was Ted Kennedy Jr, who works in disability law. Kennedy commented that technology will help people with disabilities, especially those with severe disabilities, to be seen as ordinary people. He asked, "What is it that people with disabilities want?" He replied, "The same as everyone else. To have a job, raise a family, contribute to our community. I feel that technology will help to dispel a lot of the myths and fears in society today." Further, he contended that these technologies would help society as a whole and not merely those with disabilities.

Covering this mega conference in a single report is impossible. The only way to get its full impact is to go to the Web site and read all the papers and look at the Web sites of all the exhibitors which are linked to the conference. Even then, you miss the excitement and enrichment of personal encounters with people from around the world. You miss the hands-on experience of "playing" with all the technology on display. Therefore, this report will only look at the presentations which focused on disabilities and distance learning. EASI organizes a track of related topics within the CSUN conference, and this year the topic was distance education. This report will cover both the EASI presentations and other distance learning presentations from the conference.

Colleges and universities are rushing into offering courses at a distance. Many find that these "distance" technologies provide unique communication opportunities and include some of these technologies as part of regular campus courses. This immediately raises a question about using the term "distance learning"; one of the alternative terms in use is "distributed learning". Whatever the term, it is important to be aware that we are talking about computer and/or telecommunication mediated communication that goes beyond anything like traditional distance education. The fact that technology is used in the communication provides both opportunities and problems for the inclusion of students with disabilities. On the one hand, the technology usually can be adapted or designed to more readily include these students on an equal playing field. On the other hand, improper design can erect new barriers to participation and education for these learners.

The Cyber Cafe

E.A.B. Draffan from the University of Sussex described the creation of the "Cyber Cafe" using universal design to include students with sensory disabilities in online discussions. Draffan found that the interface needs of special students were "invariably the same" as those of all students. The interface to the computer-mediated communication, if it was to promote accessibility, had to be intuitive in order to promote rapid learning and enjoyment. The success of such online learning exchanges was highly dependent on the particular software being used. Blind students may tire from listening to synthetic speech. Learning disabled students may need to supplement text with audio for better learning. If audio is used, it must be transcribed for the hearing impaired. But if multimedia are integrated skillfully into an online communication, they can meet the needs of different sensory disabilities and, at the same time, they can enrich communication for persons with different learning styles. In short, it takes thoughtful planning by a teacher to use the technologies to meet everyone's needs.

Developing Web-based Distance-Learning Courses for the AAC Community

Russell Thomas Cross of the Prentke Romich Company outlined a planned, Web-based training course for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) users. This was partly inspired by a successful mentoring program between AAC youths and adults using e-mail. It was also conceived as a way to provide training to a widely dispersed population. The International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) has developed an online information resource that includes design features to allow people with special needs to access it.

Augmentative and alternative communication technology is growing and offers many possibilities. It is in the specific area of Distance Education that the Prentke Romich Company (PRC) is interested.

As an international company, it provides courses worldwide on a variety of topics, ranging from specific device operations to peer-tutoring for individuals who use voice-output communication aids. The logistics of delivering such training packages is formidable. The field of Augmentative and Alternative Communication may seem large to those working in it but, as a proportion of the general population, those people who have need for training courses are relatively few and geographically scattered. Thus, a major issue in offering training is gathering enough people in one location at a mutually convenient time. So, in an effort to extend and improve training support services, PRC is investing in a new program to develop Web-based Distance-Learning courses for this special population. The diverse communication modes offered by the Internet uniquely suit it to provide connections for people with augmentative and alternative communication needs.

Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology

Online mentoring is an important component of project DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology), supported by a National Science Foundation grant and directed by Sheryl Burgstahler at the University of Washington.

Most DO-IT mentors are college students, faculty, practicing engineers, scientists, or other professionals who have disabilities. Protégés are high school students who are making plans for post-secondary education and employment. They all have disabilities including vision, hearing, mobility and health impairments, and specific learning disabilities. Frequent electronic communications and personal contacts bring DO-IT protégés and mentors together to facilitate academic, career and personal achievements. New mentors are given tips for getting started. They include:

• •

  Get to know each protégé. What are his or her personal interests? Academic interests? Career interests?

• •

  Introduce yourself. Share your personal interests, hobbies, academic interests, career path.

• •

  Explore interests with protégés by asking questions, promoting discussion, pointing to Internet and other resources.

• •

  Encourage participation in DO-IT activities and try to attend activities when possible.

A high school student with a disability may not know any professional in his or her town who has a disability. Role models and nurturing guides are important for all of us. Having a mentor with whom a student can identify is significant. The Internet makes it possible to network people when that may not be possible geographically. Mentors promote personal, academic and career success. Electronic communication facilitates communication for people with a wide variety of disabilities. For example, participants who have speech impairments or are deaf do not need special assistance to communicate via electronic mail. Those who cannot use the standard keyboard because of mobility impairments use adaptive technology to operate their computer systems. Besides one-to-one e-mail, DO-IT sponsors listserv discussions among students with similar interests and/or needs.

The DO-IT program received national recognition with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mentoring "for embodying excellence in mentoring under-represented students and encouraging their significant achievement in science, mathematics, and engineering". It was also showcased in the President's Summit on Volunteerism and received the National Information Infrastructure Award. DO-IT has a Web site with information about its activities as well as providing important general resources: http://weber.u.washington.edu/~doit

The PLANEMATH Program

Lewis Kraus of InfoUse described the PLANEMATH Program, which is a three-year project entitled "An Internet-Based Curriculum on Math and Aeronautics for 4th-7th Grade Children with Physical Disabilities". This innovative distance learning project was made possible with funding through a cooperative agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This project has created online lessons and activities on math and aeronautics aimed at improving education and career options for children with physical disabilities. This project has developed a unique program, based on existing curricula, available materials and assistive technology, and uses the Internet to support an interactive education experience. The online lessons and activities have been useful to students in mainstream, general education and special education settings.

This project was based on two basic awarenesses:

1. 1.

   Around the fourth grade, current mathematics curricula are highly reliant on students' ability to use manipulables such as paper and pencil, calculators, or three-dimensional geometric models.

2. 2.

   Physically disabled children may not consider or be prepared for career possibilities in aeronautics or the importance of mathematics in pursuing these careers.

The project is located on the Web at http://www.planemath.com and contains lessons and provides mathematical exercises using examples from aeronautics that are accessible by children with physical disabilities. The lessons are based on national mathematics standards and aeronautic content guidelines. The Web site houses information for teachers and parents, provides opportunities for users to find out more about aeronautics from role models, and has links to other related Web sites in mathematics, disabilities and aeronautics. The program assumed that it should augment existing learning materials rather than be a comprehensive mathematics curriculum.

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics provided the mathematics content which needed to be covered. Aeronautics curricula were reviewed for age-appropriate content that could be taught with mathematical concepts. Math content covered includes estimation, measurement, number sense and numeration, whole number computation, whole number operations, geometry, statistics and probability, patterns and relationships, and fractions and decimals. Aeronautics content covered includes history of aerospace, kinds and uses of aircraft, parts of an airplane; why airplanes fly, weather, instruments and navigation, and airports. Clearly, this was not merely a "feel good" program. It used topics that would inspire students while guiding them into real content in math and science.

The project established criteria for designing its Web pages for maximum accessibility by students with a wide variety of disabilities. One feature was providing a parallel text-only version with non-scrolling pages for students using screen reading software. Other features included using consistent placement of hot links which makes page navigation simpler for everyone. Browsers facilitate the needs of some groups by permitting the user to set font, color and page size adjustment.

SNOW: SPECIAL NEEDS OPPORTUNITY WINDOWS

Greg Gay and Laurie Harrison from the Adaptive Technology Resource Centre of the University of Toronto presented the work of the SNOW: SPECIAL NEEDS OPPORTUNITY WINDOWS which is on the Web at http://snow.utoronto.ca The SNOW project, hosted by the Adaptive Technology Resource Center at the University of Toronto, was launched as a part of a "Technology Incentive Partnership Program" funded by the Ontario government. The partnership includes resource and research centers such as The Adaptive Technology Resource Center, University of Toronto and the Center for Learning Technologies and Ryerson Polytechnical University, and schools which are devoted to the education of students with special needs, such as the Bloorview MacMillan School Board of Education, which works with children who have physical disabilities, and the Ministry of Education and Training, Provincial Schools, a network of eight Government-funded schools for students with special needs. The partners also include the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.

Computer hardware, software and Internet connections are appearing in classrooms everywhere. At the same time, more and more students with special needs are taking part in the "regular" school activities. Educators are asked to integrate these learners into their mainstream classrooms. As a result, teachers are under pressure to find technology-based solutions and provide adapted curriculum for use by these students. Even if they are fortunate enough to have had some training in the area of special education, they inevitably face questions about identification of appropriate assistive technology, provision of adapted programming and classroom strategies for accommodating special needs students.

The SNOW project Web site has been developed to address the needs of today's educators, by providing immediate access to the information and resources they need. SNOW offers the following services:

1. 1.

   educational and professional development programs;

2. 2.

   resource materials for students with special needs; and

3. 3.

   delivery of curriculum resources in accessible formats.

The Canadian National Institute for the Blind has provided a number of works of fiction which are in the public domain to the project. These have been converted to HTML for easy access via the Web, and many have been enhanced with the addition of images linked to detailed descriptions to showcase implementation of this accessibility feature. They have also created audio files that are both educational and entertaining, to demonstrate multi-modal presentation of information. Also a partnership with TVOntario has given the SNOW development team access to a number of educational videos. The addition of a descriptive sound track to video clips provides information that would otherwise only be available to a viewer who is sighted. This enhancement of the video allows students who are blind to benefit equally from video formats. There is also a new partnership with WebCT, the software company providing the framework for delivery of their online courses. Implementation of these courses highlighted the need for a development tool which automates accessible design. By working with the software programmers at WebCT in the creation of such a tool, they expect to raise awareness of this issue and set a new standard in this highly competitive field.

To date there have been over 60,000 visitors to the SNOW Web site, conducting research, participating in courses, contributing and collaborating via online forums. The SNOW project has become an important part of the Province of Ontario's educational community.

Distance Education and Individuals with Disabilities

Ron Stewart of the Northwest Center for Technology Access at Oregon State University described a comprehensive program established in Oregon for students with disabilities to be fully included in its distance learning programs. After an extensive study of the topic, Oregon State University established a set of policies outlining its obligations for its learners. These are reflected in its guiding principle: "Any student with a disability who participates in the Distance Education programs of a college or university must be guaranteed equal and equitable access to the program". Where access is not possible for essential reasons, students have the right to some alternative material that is accessible such as Braille instead of a Web presentation.

All local sites receiving distance learning deliveries must be wheelchair accessible. All Web pages must be constructed in an accessible format. Web pages need to be designed to be accessible across multiple platforms (speech output, screen enlargers). If media are embedded into pages an accessible alternative must be provided in the form of descriptive text or captioning.

Interactive video courses must take into consideration the possibility of a number of accommodations which may affect the structure and logistics of the course, such as placement of overheads, interpreters and real time captioning of the presentation. Alternative format versions of all class materials must be made available.

When students request materials in Braille or large print, the policy specifies that these must be provided in a timely manner. The policy also guarantees the availability of alternative testing in whatever medium is most appropriate for the disability and the subject- matter. These include oral tests, tape-recorded tests, extended time, a reader or writer, alternate style of test (essay instead of multiple choice), computer assisted testing, appropriate testing environment and adaptive technologies.

The Oregon State distance learning program is designed for delivery to a number of regional sites scattered around the state rather than primarily planned for delivery to the students' homes. This means that the university is responsible for providing adaptive technologies at all of these sites. These technologies consist of magnification systems and optical scanning systems which allow a user to access printed material in the case of a profound visual disability. Another area that must be addressed is the needs of the deaf and hearing impaired. Hearing enhancement systems can be installed in a room or a personal device can be utilized. Captioning technology needs to be incorporated into all video programming.

Stewart pointed out that one of the most important decisions that a campus has to make is to define who is responsible to pay for accommodations whether equipment, software or personal help. If this is not done in advance of having a student needing assistance, the institution will waste important time in institutional politics when it should be providing service. Another policy is needed to govern the development of system-level guidelines for: the procurement of equipment, software, maintenance and repair; the development of a centralized repository of adaptive software and hardware; and the development of a mechanism for the timely delivery and installation of required accommodations. All of this can be accomplished by the creation of a systemwide committee to oversee that the accommodation requirements of individuals with disabilities are actually fulfilled.

Stewart also noted that providing adaptive information technology equipment and software is not as expensive as many believe. The university studied the cost of supporting a student who is blind through a four-year degree. Without adaptive technology, the cost averaged nearly $10,000; with adaptive technology it dropped to $1,500. Not only does adaptive technology provide the student with more independence and better prepare the student for the workplace, but adaptive technology is cost-effective for the university.

Enhancing Web Instruction Using Streaming Audio and Video

This presentation by Richard Banks and Norman Coombs presented the work being done by EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information) using multimedia as part of its online workshops. EASI provides workshops on:

1. 1.

   adaptive computing and information technology;

2. 2.

   universal Web design; and

3. 3.

   providing tools and strategies to enable students and professionals to follow careers in science and math.

Over the past year, EASI has begun using streaming audio and video on the Web. In fact, EASI put some of these CSUN presentations on the Web in audio. EASI's multimedia is on its Web site at http://www.rit.edu/~easi

Many Internet users with disabilities fear the growth of multimedia on the Web. Frequently the video does not have enough meaningful voice description to permit a blind user to follow the action. Deaf and hearing impaired users had previously seen the Internet as a very "friendly" medium. However, the growth of audio and video threatens to shut them out of useful resources. Multimedia frequently switches between relying on visual information and then audio information and shutting out both the deaf and blind in turn.

EASI believes that multimedia, when used creatively, can include everyone. Its ability to provide many communication modes means that information can be provided in redundant formats. Videos can be captioned. They also can include video description for the blind or the voice information can include enough information that a blind Web user can "picture" what is happening. Besides including people with different sensory disabilities, redundant information reinforces learning for everyone. Because different people learn differently, good instruction will use redundant communication channels to better accommodate all learning styles.

Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic

Steve Noble from Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D) outlined an experimental project to deliver textbooks over the Internet. RFB&D has traditionally produced audio recorded books on tape. More recently, it also has provided some books in a digital format. This project involves a more advanced type of digital book as well as Internet delivery.

Storing information in digital formats permits a number of ways to access and use it. The new format includes actually storing the book both as a digitized audio recording of a human reader and, on the same disk, an electronic version of the book that can be manipulated in a word processor or similar software. The user can toggle between these two versions depending on need. For plain reading, the human voice is the most pleasant. Students with learning disabilities have a strong preference for the human rather than a synthesized voice. But, when the student wants to check a word for spelling or other accurate information, the student can jump to the electronic text. The other scenario is the student does a search of the text for some word or phrase. Having located a spot in the text, the student may then switch to the human voice for listening to the content.

One of the questions being studied in the test is to learn how many contact points need to be made between the two formats ­ should they be linked by chapter, by paragraph, by sentence, or by word? One advantage of linking on the word level is that a student with a learning disability could be looking at the text on the computer screen, listening to the human voice, and the actual word being spoken could be highlighted on the monitor.

Librarians will want to watch for developments from this project. In the near future, colleges and universities will be able to obtain these new format books for students with disabilities and retrieve them over the Internet.

Conclusion

The CSUN conference had twice as many presentations on distance learning as those discussed here. They covered non-academic training, grade school science and math, Internet mentoring and a statewide university distance learning program. The national rush to use distance learning is mirrored by an interest in mainstreaming students with disabilities into these programs. As is true for all students, distance learning holds both advantages and disadvantages for this population. The concern, however, is that distance learning systems may be hurriedly put into place without planning for the access needs of students with disabilities. The Department of Education Office of Civil Rights has made it clear that access is mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act. It warns that colleges that erect inaccessible systems will have to undergo costly retrofitting. Work such as was demonstrated at this conference reflects that much serious work is being done to see that the distance learning design does include everyone.

Norman Coombs is Professor Emeritus, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Chair of EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information). nrcgsh@rit.edu