Week 2 Blog Post: Accommodation Tools in Technology
Week 2 Blog Post: Accommodation Tools in Technology
I'm absolutely fascinated by the tools and simple extensions that are used to make accommodations for special needs.
My mother recently retired from working 42 years for the Department of Veterans Affairs as a computer programmer, and it was always interesting to hear about the accommodations that were made for members of her own team. She worked with a diverse group of individuals, and some needed special assistance in order for them to perform their jobs. For instance, she worked with one individual who was blind, so he was given a braille keyboard and printer. She also worked with an individual who was born with one arm, and also used a special keyboard. He was one of the fastest keyboarders on her team.
This technology existed years ago, and it's astonishing to see how much more we've advanced, and how quickly we have advanced. The fact that there is an add-on that allows the computer to read to you is great for those who are blind, hard of seeing, or even for those who might have a migraine and can't deal with a bright computer screen.
I also loved reading about programs for those with dyslexia. As nearly everything is online now, we should have accommodations to make reading easier. Dyslexia is more prominent than I realized. I was speaking with a friend this past weekend, who I've known nearly my entire life. I never new he had dyslexia growing up, but has learned to manage it. Had he had access to extensions such as this, it could have made school much easier for him, especially at a young age when learning to read. These simple accommodations can be life changing for people with any sort of limitation.
I'll never forget when I first saw a video posted online of a young color blind boy who was given a special pair of glasses that allowed him to see in color. He burst into tears when he put on the glasses and realized he could see the world in color.
Similarly, have you ever seen a video where a baby is given a cochlear implant, and it is turned on for the first time? Even young babies who can't speak will beam with smiles as they hear their mother's voice for the first time. What an amazing world we live in.
Though special glasses, and cochlear implants are incredible, they can be expensive. It's wonderful to see that when it comes to technology, a lot of these extensions are free for users, as they should be. We need to expand our offerings so that everyone can have these special accommodations at their fingertips, and I'm thrilled to see there are so many tools available today.
I'm absolutely fascinated by the tools and simple extensions that are used to make accommodations for special needs.
My mother recently retired from working 42 years for the Department of Veterans Affairs as a computer programmer, and it was always interesting to hear about the accommodations that were made for members of her own team. She worked with a diverse group of individuals, and some needed special assistance in order for them to perform their jobs. For instance, she worked with one individual who was blind, so he was given a braille keyboard and printer. She also worked with an individual who was born with one arm, and also used a special keyboard. He was one of the fastest keyboarders on her team.
This technology existed years ago, and it's astonishing to see how much more we've advanced, and how quickly we have advanced. The fact that there is an add-on that allows the computer to read to you is great for those who are blind, hard of seeing, or even for those who might have a migraine and can't deal with a bright computer screen.
I also loved reading about programs for those with dyslexia. As nearly everything is online now, we should have accommodations to make reading easier. Dyslexia is more prominent than I realized. I was speaking with a friend this past weekend, who I've known nearly my entire life. I never new he had dyslexia growing up, but has learned to manage it. Had he had access to extensions such as this, it could have made school much easier for him, especially at a young age when learning to read. These simple accommodations can be life changing for people with any sort of limitation.
I'll never forget when I first saw a video posted online of a young color blind boy who was given a special pair of glasses that allowed him to see in color. He burst into tears when he put on the glasses and realized he could see the world in color.
Similarly, have you ever seen a video where a baby is given a cochlear implant, and it is turned on for the first time? Even young babies who can't speak will beam with smiles as they hear their mother's voice for the first time. What an amazing world we live in.
Though special glasses, and cochlear implants are incredible, they can be expensive. It's wonderful to see that when it comes to technology, a lot of these extensions are free for users, as they should be. We need to expand our offerings so that everyone can have these special accommodations at their fingertips, and I'm thrilled to see there are so many tools available today.
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