Posts

From Classrooms to e-Accessible Classes: Making e-Learning Inclusive

This post from blogger Lucy Greco  who writes about accessibility in education for the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict), is an articulate reminder that the technology and tools used in online classes may all too easily exclude students with disabilities.

Today’s fastest-growing trend in education is online teaching (or the resultant e-learning). As instructors want to reach out to audiences around the globe, they find that online education makes their classrooms virtually limitless. Academics everywhere are turning to the Internet as their new classroom. Students around the world are now able to take classes at the university of their choice without having to travel. However, for students with disabilities there are perils in online education which may almost outweigh the benefits. Students with disabilities may be excluded from this online experience when universal design principles are not followed.
 

Not All Students Are Treated Equally in Today’s Digital Era

Recently I ran across an article in the August 7, Huffington Post by Sean Devine, CEO of CourseSmart, the world’s largest provider of eTextbooks and digital course materials.

Writing about the truly digital age that today’s students live in  Devine  has this to say

“Many colleges and universities are trying to capitalize on students’ technological prowess, introducing a variety of device integrations and technology adoptions on their campus. Technology allows for a level of interaction and customization not previously possible and can substantially lower costs for students. Unfortunately, not all students are treated equally in the digital era. Students with print-related disabilities are often ignored and stuck using archaic learning resources strictly because many in the higher education ecosystem have blatantly neglected this student population.”

As CEO of CourseSmart, Devine is not exactly a disinterested party about e-books but he  is correct in asserting that it is the responsibility of every player in the higher education environment —  from  administrators, faculty, to technology providers  — to make sure that all students, including those with visual impairments, can benefit from today’s technology and receive the best education available.

To read the full article, visit the permalink: A Call for Accessible Technology in Higher Education

Back to School Apps from the Assistive Technology Blog

With the start of school in mind, the Assistive Technology Blog has identified several great apps for the IPhone, IPad and IPad Touch that could be helpful for the coming school year. Apps featured include Bookshare’s Read2Go  DAISY ebook reader for iOS and Prizmo. (Prizmo can convert a picture of a document into text which can be read using text-to-speech).

To read the full post visit: Back to School Apps