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

 

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 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.