Dear Colleagues,
Following a useful and informative conversation this morning with Andy
Clarke at Computability, I would like to take this opportunity of putting
the record straight. You will recall that Andy wrote a thought provoking
letter on December 8th which was responded to by Alan Muller amongst others.
In Andy's letter there was a (unintended) suggestion that ACE, Foundation
and others (?) were undermining Andy's professional integrity in the context
of one of his assessments. Clearly, this is how Alan and no doubt others
interpreted it subsequently. Of course, we agree with Andy that there is no
'single best', all systems have their merits and that the client's
preferences are crucial.
I am categorically assured by Andy that the reaction caused by his letter
was never intended. Bteween us we have clearly established that the 14 year
old in question was never seen by the ACE Centre and that in all likelihood
the only contact we had with his parents or school would probably have been
via a phone call. Following my phone call to him, Andy accepts that ACE
Centre staff would:
i) never make any recommendation for any software (particularly for switch
driven keyboard and mouse emulation)over the phone or without seeing the
child first.
ii) always respect the preferences of the client.
iii) always discuss (over the phone, via e-mail or at training sessions)
the merits of all special access software in an impartial and unbiased manner.
I, therefore, feel reassured that no harm was intended by Andy, even though
his message may have left itself open to some misinterpretation.
By way of a postscript to this episode you may be interested to know that
the CALL Centre's long awaited publication "Special Access Technology"
(funded by The Viscount Nuffield Auxiliary Foundation) will be published in
the New Year. This offers an in-depth analysis and explanation of this
field including the different approaches to on-screen keyboard and mouse
emulation. An absolute 'MUST' as a belated Christmas stocking filler for
anyone interested in this field! It will be available either in paper
version from the CALL Centre (and probably ACE) or on the WEB (address as
yet unpublished). Watch this space!
The ACE Centre Advisory Trust
Waynflete Rd.
Headington
Oxford OX3 8DD
see us on http://www.rmplc.co.uk/eduweb/sites/acecent/ or
http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~ace-cent/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
Tel +44 (0)1865 763508 Fax +44 (0)1865 750188
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