Special Needs in the Online Environment

By Tammy McMullen

Possible Special Need Issues

• Blindness or low vision• Hearing impairment• Mobility impairments • Learning disabilities• Health impairments. • Any other issue….

What to do for online learners?

• New Trend…. Universal Design– Definition: according to the Center for Universal

Design, "is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design" (http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/about_ud/about_ud.htm).

Universal Design Principles

• Equitable use • Flexibility in Use. • Simple and intuitive. • Perceptible information. • Tolerance for error. • Low physical effort. • Size and space for approach and use. • universal design easy guide.pdf

Applying Universal Design

• Universal Design is proactive in making sure that all can have access to whatever….

• University of Arkansas of Little Rock created 10 steps for development of online courses using Universal Design.

10 steps toward designing an online course

Step 1: Develop content first, then design.Step 2: Provide simple, consistent navigation.Step 3: Include an accommodation statement. Step 4: Choose CMS tools carefully. Step 5: Model and teach good discussion board etiquette.Step 6: Use color with care. Step 7: Provide accessible document formats.Step 8: Choose fonts carefully.Step 9: Convert PowerPoint™ to accessible HTML.Step 10: If it's auditory make it visual; if it is visual make it auditory.http://ualr.edu/pace/tenstepsud/

Accomodations

• Universal Design is proactive… Accommodations are reactive.

• When we know what type of student(s) we have, we need to create accommodations.-Use of adaptive technology-Varied assignments-Whatever necessary to allow a student equitable access to class.

Mobility Impairment

• Make sure work space is conducive for computer use. If you are long distance, make sure student has someone to help them create a useable work space.

• Tips: plug all technology into one power strip.Use a track ball or expanded keyboard. Morse code input devices

Blindness and Low Vision• Braille keyboard or using regular keyboard• Speech output systems read the screen.

Computer speech synthesizers speak the text.• Can get Braille software that will print out

translation of screen text into Hard copy. • For Low Vision – adjust screen color and/or

screen resolution

Hearing or Speech Impairments

• Speech synthesizers allow students to participate in class discussions

• Word Processing helps hearing impaired with writing skills

• Closed Captioning can help for audio.

Specific Learning Disabilities

• Ear plugs or headphones for student sensitive to other noises.

• Software such as TrueKeys that helps with spelling for students with language learning issues.

• Software such as Kurzweil that read text to students.

• Color shields are helpful for color gradient issues.

Adaptive Technologies

• Word Processors• Reading Systems – Kurzweil, WYNN• Phoenetic Spelling devices – Franklin

Dictionary, TrueKeys, YakYak• Speech Recognition – Windows, Dragon• Personal Organization Managers – Outlook• Alternative Pointing Systems- Joystick,

HeadMouse

10 Indicators

• UW created list of 10 indicators to measure your course with to see if you have made the class accessible to those of disabilities.

• http://www.washington.edu/doit/Resources/dlp_access.html

Resources

• http://www.washington.edu/doit/Resources/technology.html

University of Washington has done an amazing job laying out resources for implementing Universal Design on web pages, distance learning, etc. This resource is one that people elsewhere continued to refer back to.