By: Carolyn Gardner
As John was exploring new technologies making it possible for blind
people to "read" information, I was teaching adult basic education at
Linn-Benton Community College. Many of
my students had previously been struggling students in high school and were now
preparing to take the GED test to earn a high school equivalency. The GED covers five subject tests (literature,
social studies, science, math and language arts). My
students had to spend the most time studying to pass the math and the language arts
tests.
Luckily, my classroom was blessed with several computers. I discovered fairly soon that students of all
ages liked computers and found it easier to learn using computers rather than using
printed books. When I saw the
technologies making books accessible to blind people, I realized how powerful a
multi-modal approach to information could be.
I was fortunate to get a small grant to purchase some software such as
the Kurzweil reading system, TextHelp to help with writing, and Inspiration
with organization for writing. I found many
wonderful tools and activities on the web, but much was not so useful. Much K-12 software was difficult for adults
to use. Most had complex interfaces that
were more distracting than helpful.
Sometimes the game which was the reward for completing the assignment
was harder for my adult learners than the actual activity.
I could go on and on about useful software and, of course, today there
is much more software available than there was 14 years ago. The biggest problem then and still today is
that software is designed to be accessed by people with good vision and hearing,
often requiring good hand-eye coordination as well. This unfortunately leaves
out many people. I would like to see all software designers use their software
blindfolded, then with ear plugs. Oh
yes, for good measure perhaps they should try it using an alternative
keyboard. This might help to develop
software that could be used by everybody.
