Tech Do’s & Don’ts – Preparing Students with Visual Impairments

for Postsecondary Education

Korey Singleton, ATI ManagerStephanie Robbins, Program Support Specialist

George Mason UniversityMarch 20, 2015

Objectives

• Why this topic? – Transition Planning Considerations– Increasing Opportunities for Success

• Disability Support in Higher Education• Accessing AT in Higher Education• Q&A

Why this topic?

• Emphasis on supports, preparation, AND technology…

• Encourage early start…

TRANSITION PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS

TransitionTransition planning considerations

• IEP Team…You know your students better than anyone

– How early can you start planning for transition?– Are they headed for higher education or employment?

• Are community service providers and parents actively participating in the IEP process?

– In addition to addressing classroom needs, there should be an emphasis on independent living skills training (i.e., travel, community activities)

– Should happen inside and outside of classroom/school environment

Transition cont.…• Adaptive technology training

– A good number of students with disabilities are only as comfortable as their teachers.

– Expose them to the technology…latest trends – Who’s paying??

» Where will the student get their adaptive technology? School? Parents? State? Community?

• What are the student’s interests?

– Is the student an active participant in the process?

INCREASING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Increasing Opportunities– Best opportunity for success in HE

• Does the student know how to advocate for his/herself?

– Are they comfortable with their vision loss?

• In the classroom

– Are they aware of their own needs in the classroom? for taking tests? (e.g., LP, audio, reader/scribe)

– Is the student proficient with technology? Internet? PPT?– Do they have their own technology?– Does the student stay abreast of latest changes in adaptive

technology?– Can the student take notes independently?– How does the student learn best? Braille? LP? Audio?– What are they interested in studying?

Increasing Opportunities cont.…• Does the student know how to access books?

– Bookshare.org? Learning Ally? Amazon? – Can they access books from the library?– Can the student scan their own materials?

• Learning Management Systems (i.e., Blackboard, Canvas, D2L, etc.)

– Encourage communication or accessing class materials via LMS and/or Email

Increasing Opportunities cont.…

• Does the student have a relationship with community service providers?

– Talk to DSS counselors!– Career planning, internships, etc...–Mobility training/travel– Visit college campuses!

• Talk with college students with low vision and blindness!

DISABILITY SUPPORTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Disability Supports in Higher Education

Philosophy differences…

K-12 emphasizes SUCCESS in the classroom

Higher Ed emphasizes ACCESS to the curriculum

“Access” means different things…Type of support provided is not universal

– Different campuses offer different things. Lets look at the numbers (overall enrollment, ~10% swd):

• NVCC (~100k)

– 6 to 8 DSS counselors across 5 campuses (~1 per campus), a deaf services coordinator, part-time AT lab technician (Annandale campus)

• Montgomery College (~60k)

– 10 counselors, 2 student support specialists, a learning center coordinator, an AT coordinator, a reading specialist, a learning specialist, an Interpreter scheduler, and an ADA Coordinator

“Access” cont.…

– American (~11k)

• 3 counselors, an AT specialist, ADA Coordinator (Primary role is Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution Services)

– GMU (~32k)

• 3 ODS counselors, 1 disability specialist, 3 admin staff members, a deaf services coordinator, an ATI Office (5 staff), and an ADA Coordinator

What does this mean?• Having more counselors means…• Considerations for 2yr and 4yr institutions...• Having an AT specialist/team means…• Having an ADA Coordinator means…

ACCESSING AT IN HIGHER ED

Overview of common accommodations and AT available to support individuals with visual impairments in higher education

Where can students access AT? • Typical:

– A workstation or set of workstations in library or computer labs across campus

– Some institutions deliver the software via the network (BYOD)

Common Accomodations for individuals with visual impairments

• Alternative print formats– Braille, Electronic text,

Tactile Graphics…

• Adaptive technology – Magnification devices– Screen-reading software– Screen-magnification

software– Computer for taking

notes

• Priority registration• Readers for exams • Notetakers• Recorded lectures • Lab or library

assistants

Do’s for Accessing Printed Materials in Higher Education

• Talk to the disability services office before applying at the university/college.

• Ask about their document conversion or accessible text process for students with VI. (e.g., math, tactile graphics, braille, etc.)

• Ask about low/high tech options (e.g., Is a CCTV available?)• If they do not have these services available, ask for other

campus resources (Assistive Technology, Library, Technology Labs).

• Ask about university partnerships (e.g., Learning Ally, Bookshare, AccessText).

AT for Accessing Printed Materials in Higher Education

• Non-Optical Aids

• Optical Aids

• Video Magnifiers

• Document Conversion from Hard Copy to Electronic Copy

Video Magnifiers - CCTV’s

• Video magnifiers are commonly known as CCTV (Closed-Circuit Televisions)

• Examples of Main Features – Enlarge text placed under the camera – Adjustable colors for text and background– Line markers and masking to help with tracking– Some can connect to the computer and

provide a split screen.

Desktop Model Video Magnifier

• Great for Reading Textbooks, Maps and filling out forms.

• X-Y table for easy movement of textbooks and tracking of text.

• Magnification between 2.7X -77x.• Can place objects under the camera

(dissecting in biology).• Some can connect to the computer

and provide a split screen.

Portable CCTV’s

• Portable magnifiers can easily fit in a backpack or in most cases a purse.

• Great option for accessing printed material in the classroom.

• Features can include:– Color Contrast– Varying Magnification Levels– Freeze Frame Option– Computer Connectivity

Sapphire

Ruby

Document Conversion (OCR)

• OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is the process of translating imaged electronic documents to readable electronic text that can be read by screen-readers or braille displays.

• This process can be known as “Accessible Text”. • The OCR process is essential for students using AT

to access the materials.

DO’s for Accessing Electronic Materials in Higher Education

• Obtain/Have access to a computer and AT before applying to college (Local resources, DBVI, VATS).

• Become comfortable with using magnification/screen reading software before attending college (Training, Practice).

• Talk with disability services or assistive technology services to find out what AT is available on campus and what document conversion services are available .

• Find other local resources.

AT for Accessing Electronic Materials in Higher Education

• Examples of Electronic Materials: – Electronic Documents (Word, PDF, PPT)– Internet (Websites, Web Applications, Online

Articles, Library Databases, etc.)• Screen Magnification Software• Screen Reading Software• Printed Braille Output

Screen Magnification

• AT for individuals with usable vision• Magnifies the entire user interface of the computer

screen• Built-In Magnification for PC/Mac• ZoomText• Features can include:– Varying magnification levels– Color Contrast– Built in Speech – Cursor/Focus Enhancements

Screen Readers

• AT for individuals with little or no usable vision. • Screen-reading software provides speech and/or

braille output. Allows for access to the same graphics and text as a sighted person (as long as the technology is accessible).

• All screen readers provide navigation, however, some have more advanced features than others.

Types of Screen Readers

– Free• Narrator (PC)• VoiceOver (Mac) – Limited to specific applications• NVDA (more features than built-ins, but still limited)• Window Eyes (Free with MS Office, full-featured)

– Paid (more advanced features)• JAWS (most common)• SuperNova

WebAim Screen-Reader Survey

URL: http://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey5/

• What are people using?

- Most used OS (Windows – 82%, Mac OS – 8%)- Most commonly used screen-reader (Jaws – 65%)- Browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox)- Mobile Device Screen Readers (VoiceOver on iOS –

over 65%)

DON’Ts for Accessing AT in Higher Education

– …wait until the first day of class to try and learn new technology.

– …assume that the university or college you are wanting to attend will have the resources you need.

– …wait until the first day of class to register with the disability services office.

– …wait until the first day of class to find campus and local resources.

Do’s and Don’ts for Accessible Media

• Outsourcing costs run in the thousands of $$!• What if I need a movie audio-described?

• DO, ask for it, if it is necessary.• DON’T assume you cannot!

SUMMARY

Other questions…

• How are issues addressed as it relates to LMS/Online Learning Tools?

• Is there AT training available?

• Is there any support for mobility training?

• Are your web resources accessible?

Summary

• Bottom line!!

*Students (w/ support from IEP Team, Parents, etc.) should come up with their own list of questions specific to their needs/goals in and out of the classroom.

Questions & Answers

Contact Information

Assistive Technology Initiative (ATI)George Mason UniversityAquia Building, Room 238Hours: M-F, 8:30am-5:00pm

Office Phone: 703-993-4329E-mail: ati@gmu.eduWeb: http://ati.gmu.edu Presentation Link:

http://ati.gmu.edu/training/presentations/