Computers, Disabilities and Education

Use of a computer for students with disabilities focuses on the second principle of the UDL, providing multiple means for art and expression. Computers fall under a specific principle of flexibility. They can be adapted in a variety of ways in order to accommodate each student’s specific need.  The following chart is a summary of some of the options available for students with disabilities.

 

Student Characteristics	Features of operating systems	UDL guideline feature
*Difficulty of fine motor skills	voice/mouse/keyboard	Choices for computer method
Limited range of motion
visual impairments
*Left-handed or one hand	mouse repositioning	accommodate left and right handed
*hand-eye coordination/visual	enlarge Icon/adjust mouse speed	precision and accuracy of user
impairments/ hand tremors/ mild
motor issues/cognitive disabilities
*tracking difficulty/limited range	ability to adjust the speed or timing	pace adaptability
of motion/poor fine motor control	of the mouse

 

Click on this site for more resources on this UDL principle.

 Reference:

Dell, A. G., Newton, D. A., & Petroff, J. G. (2012). Assistive technology in the classroom (2nd ed., pp. 163-172). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Enhancing Communication

The difference between students who are deaf and those that are hard of hearing is the former has very little if any, functional hearing.  Hearing impaired students face obstacles daily in the classroom like following lectures, background noise, poor acoustics and poor voice quality. Even if student wears an aid he/she is more sensitive to noise caused by heaters and air conditioners.  Class discussions are also a problem as well and watching a video.

Assistive technology for hearing impaired students aids in success in the classroom.  An assistive learning device (ALD), reduces background noise and also amplifies the teacher’s voice.  The fire alarm that has a flashing strobe light allows hearing impaired students to be aware of a fire.  An FM system has a small transmitter worn by a teacher that has a direct connection to a student’s hearing aid. A high quality listening environment is known to have an impact on academic performance of students that are hard of hearing.






                                                       

Helpful Resources for UDL

This site http://ada.osu.edu/resources/fastfacts/Guided-Notes-Fact-Sheet.pdf  discussed the importance of the guided notes style of teaching versus the passive note taking style. Students can be engaged by listening and writing the notes as the lecture takes place. This is especially helpful for students who struggle with note taking. This falls under the UDL category of providing options for physical action.

On the website www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/  I found loads of information that was helpful for educators and parents.  As you browse the site you are able to locate videos, books and suggestions for implementing the UDL framework into your classroom.  One particular link that seemed like it would be helpful for the exchange of information between educators is http://udlexchange.cast.org.

The site www.washingtonedu/doit/Brochures/PDF/equal_access_udi.pdf  discusses the similarities and differences between UDI and UDL. Although closely related, the differences lie in the modification of the curriculum (UDI) versus the construction of the curriculum. Both frameworks set out to properly educate the student with his/her specific learning needs or preferences.

The Curriculum Barrier Tutorial website was helpful to me and is quite “teacher friendly” http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/classprofiletutorial.cfm.  This site allows an individual to create a student situation and then provide accommodations to assist him.  The format allows educators to think through the process in order to affectively help his/her own students.

 One resource http://www.udlcenter.org/implementation/examples/examples that provides not only the UDL and each of it checkpoints but examples and sites  that are related to each.  As a teacher you can click on the checkpoint and then browse through the site that would be most helpful for you. Below is one site that corresponds to checkpoint 6.4 Monitoring progress.

 

Strengths and Weakness in UDL

In researching the UDL framework I have found that my strongest areas fall under both providing Multiple Means of Representation and Multiple Means of Engagement. The skills fall specifically under options for perception, recruiting interest and self-regulation.  I am always thinking of new ways to present materials to children so that they will absorb the information using their senses.  I have found that lessons designed with physical activity not only engage the student but also allow them to comprehend the material being taught.  Not only special education students but all students need to learn coping skills. These skills carry over into the “real” world.

Within the framework of UDL, I find my greatest weaknesses lie under the category of Multiple Means for Action and Expression specifically under optimizing access to tools and assistive technologies. My goal for this course is to become confident in the use of all technology.  I am already experiencing more confidence in using the computer!