I thought that lis-link members might be interested in or want to
respond to the following email sent to some lists concerned with
dyslexia and other disabilities.
How much do your own policies deal with "invisible" disabilities?
Regards
Ian Litterick
www.dyslexic.com
www.iansyst.co.uk
Our page on Dyslexia Friendly Libraries is at
www.dyslexic.com/library.htm
-----Original Message-----
From: Judith Stansfield [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 25 June 2004 11:20
To: BDA Forum
Subject: [bdaforum] ICT support in Libraries and Learning Centres
For some time I have been aware of the big impact that the Disability
Act
has had on making schools, libraries, learning centres and other public
places more accessible to people with disabilities. This is a good
thing!
However, I am interested to find out what support is provided for people
with 'invisible' disabilities.
Some relatively simple IT interventions can be very effective in making
text
accessible to people who have problems with reading.
This may be physical - they need a clear font / coloured text or
background
/ larger text.
There may be problems with reading difficult words or retaining the
information in a long sentence because of short term memory problems.
The numbers of people with invisible disabilities who could be helped to
become more independent users of public facilities are potentially far
greater than those with physical or visual differences.
I am interested in finding out what local provision is being made and am
asking these questions:
1. Are screen reading programs and headphones provided on each computer?
2. Is it easy to change the colour of text/background on the screen?
3. Are there easy-to-use guidance sheets/tapes on how to use these
facilities?
4. Is there a good selection of leisure talking books? - non-fiction as
well
as fiction?
5. Can a student access talking textbooks? (There are copyright
implications
here)
6. Are there classes that look at a person's individual literacy needs
and
help them to develop technology strategies to get round the problems?
There is something of a chicken-and-egg situation here as libraries and
learning centres need to know what provision ought to be made, but they
are
not asked for it until the potential users know what they should ask
for!
My local experience of approaching providers has been positive so far -
they
are interested to know what could help - so if you want to use my
questions
to check out your own area, please do - and I would be interested to
hear
what happens!
Cheers
Judith
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Judith Stansfield
SEN ICT Consultant
NASEN ICT Group
BDACC Reviews and Literature Editor
http://web.onyxnet.co.uk/Stass-onyxnet.co.uk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Yahoo! Domains - Claim yours for only $14.70
http://us.click.yahoo.com/Z1wmxD/DREIAA/yQLSAA/G.ewlB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to:
[log in to unmask]
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bdaforum/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[log in to unmask]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
---------------------------Disclaimer---------------------------
Unless obviously public, this email is confidential to the intended
recipient(s). If you received it in error please tell the sender and then
delete it. We check emails from dyslexic.com and iansyst.co.uk, but you
should virus check incoming emails. Emails do not always represent our
official policy or a contract. Errors and omissions are excepted.
iANSYST Ltd, Fen House, Fen Road, CAMBRIDGE, CB4 1UN. T +44(0)1223 420101;
Fax +44(0) 1223 42 66 44; [log in to unmask]
