|
|
Disability Support Services - Resources/Links |
|
|
|
Students and Community Information |
DSS is one of many services offered to students who need assistance during their academic career. Some other services that may be of help are: Tutoring Centers that ready to assist you Links to other State resources Community Services for the Blind and Partially Sighted Hearing, Speech & Deafness Center Learning Disability Association of Washington Washington Assistive Technology Act Program Washington State Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Washington State Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) Washington State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) Washington State Mental Health Division (MHD) Washington State Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH)
Transportation Resources King County METRO Accessible Transportation
Links to Federal Laws Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 508
Helpful information for our community A Quick Look at Assistive Technology
How to approach a person with a disability by Cassie Lucarelli If you observe that an individual has a visible disability, do not let that stop you from approaching them. Approach them like you would any other human being. If they are blind, a simple tap on the shoulder or arm along with a simple "Excuse me" is usually sufficient in getting their attention. DO NOT TALK DOWN TO THEM LIKE THEY HAVE NO INTELLIGENCE.Grabbing them isn't a good idea either; in most cases, they'll have a poor first impression of you. Also, remember that for the most part, the disability is what it is and nothing else. For instance, don't yell in the ear of a person with a visual impairment like they're deaf or exaggeratedly point out nearby objects to a deaf person as if they couldn't see them. In many cases, individuals who are hearing impaired can read lips. Also, don't ask the friend of the individual questions about them; or in a store/restaurant situation, don't ask their friend what the deaf person wants. They're perfectly capable of speaking for themselves. For instance, as a cashier in a store, if you see a blind person waiting to check out or looking for something, ask them directly or inform them that they're next in line, perhaps along with a tap on the shoulder. Inform them of their total charge and not their companion. Finally don't worry about being politically correct to the extreme. For instance, it's ok to say to ask someone with a visual impairment if they would like to go "see" a movie. More likely than not, they would love to, and don't worry about changing the verb for them. If anything, the person will feel more integrated (to be honest, extreme political correctness in those areas is really annoying). Other "etiquette" advice in regards to individuals with visual impairments, if you see that a collar is turned funny, there's a spill on the clothes, or any other appearance-related issue they don't appear to notice, please inform them, especially if you're friends with them. It's better for them to know and remedy the situation rather than to walk around all day looking weird and perhaps enforcing stereotypes. Concerning invisible disabilities, just because someone has one (i.e., a learning disability) it doesn't mean that they're not intelligent. In fact, you don't have to do much research to find that some very brilliant and successful people, past and present, have had to deal with a variety of "non-visible" disabilities. Again, do not talk down to them or assume that they can't do certain things. It's always better to ask than to assume.
A Quick Look at Some Assistive Technology by Cassie Lucarelli There are many different types of assistive technology for individuals who are blind or visually handicapped. A variety of devices and software offer synthetic speech, large print, and refreshable Braille. Main hardware and software are priced from the high hundreds to mid thousands; however, these products can be obtained at no cost or discounted rate through DVR or other state and federal programs that provide disability services, if the individual is eligible. Here is a description of a few key products, along with web sites you can check out to find more info. Jaws for Windows (DSS has this software on selected computers) Made by Freedom Scientific, Jaws for Windows is speech software, compatible with Windows systems starting at 98, (although the more recent, the better. XP is the best.) Semi-conversational synthetic speech reads information displayed on the screen as needed, and recognizes and identifies standard design elements such as frames, tables, menus, dialogue boxes and links and buttons on web pages as the user navigates. Jaws can be set to announce everything the user types or just highlighted text on the screen. Different keystrokes are used to carry out commands that would normally be initiated with a mouse. There are a number of voices the user can choose from, along with languages. Jaws is also offered in several other languages by default including Spanish and French. It’s compatible with magnification programs such as ZoomText, and note-taking devices for the blind which will be discussed later. More information about Jaws for Windows can be found at http://www.freedomscientific.com. GWMicro offers a similar product known as WindowEyes, along with their own line of note takers and PDA’s, similar to those mentioned below. For more information and note taker comparisons, go to www.gwmicro.com. Electronic Note Takers There are several different kinds of note takers available with voice output and/or a refreshable Braille display, a block of 20 to 40 tiny eight-dot cells of tactile pixels that pop up accordingly in the form of Braille dots. (Six of these dots make up the standard Braille cell, while the bottom two dots are primarily used as a tactile cursor.) The Braille Note (provided by Humanware) is a PDA type device featuring both voice output and Braille display. A nine-button keyboard (one button for each of the six dots of the Braille cell which are pressed in different combinations for different characters, along with a backspace, a return key, and space bar) is the primary means of input. This device contains a word processor, a “book reader” where electronic books can be downloaded via an external floppy drive, flash card or Internet connection, a clock and stopwatch, a calculator, a calendar, and more advanced Internet and mainstream computer-related options on newer versions. It can be hooked up to a printer or Braille embosser via serial, parallel, and infrared ports, and USB and wireless ports on newer units. Fore more info regarding the Braille Note, go to www.humanware.com. Units can be purchased with either the aforementioned nine-button keyboard or the standard computer laptop keyboard. As previously mentioned, Freedom scientific and GWMicro offer similar lines of products, along with some that have only speech output with both types of keyboards, and one put out by GwMicro that has an additional LCD display. Almost all devices can be synchronized with standard PC’s and utilized as either a remote speech synthesizer or Braille display for the computer. Newer units may also be hooked up to a computer monitor, so that a sighted person may read what is being typed on the unit. Kurzweil Text-to-speech software Kurzweil 1000 is text-to-speech software that when utilized with a scanner equipped with OCR (optical character recognition software), scans and reads most clearly printed material. The text can then be edited and saved in a number of different formats. The software may also be used to read images of documents and electronic texts in PDF format. It may also be used with an embosser to produce Braille copies of documents. All the translation work is done through the program, and the Braille embosser is just needed for the output. (DSS has this software on selected computers) Kurzweil 3000 is similar software geared towards those with learning disabilities. Texts may also be read aloud, but the software will not speak outside of reading mode, unlike Kurzweil 1000 which will announce everything if the user wants it to. For more information regarding Kurzweil, please visit http://www.kurzweiledu.com/ The Victor Reader (DSS has this equipment available for check out) The Victor Reader is a device that reads digitally encoded audio texts on compact disk that are in formats ranging from MP3 to DAISY (a format specifically designed for such machines). Different sections can be bookmarked or skipped as needed with the help of a synthesized voice that announces the page number, section title, etc. The Victor Reader is seen as a step up from books on cassette that have to be manually rewound and fast-forwarded for long periods of time to find the right spot. There are different models geared towards leisure and professional reading, and the most advanced version has an additional recording capability. Victor is also available as software for a standard PC. For more information, go to www.humanware.com. Franklin Language Master (DSS has this available for checkout) The Franklin Language Master is a handheld talking dictionary that can be found at some electronics retailers. It contains the Webster Dictionary (not sure which addition), a thesaurus, grammar guide, word games, and other learning tools. Screen font and contrast can also be adjusted. The price ranges from roughly $130-180, depending on means of purchase, and can be found and bought at www.franklin.com. You can also find multilingual talking dictionaries there. The Trekker The Trekker is a sleek talking GPs system, specifically geared toward individuals with visual handicaps. Maps are loaded into the device via flash card. The user can plan trips and receive “turn-by”turn” directions as they travel. For more information and a list of distributors, go to www.humanware.com. GPs software may also be obtained from the same website for the aforementioned Braille Note. MobileSpeak: speech Software for Cell Phones MobileSpeak is the equivalent of Jaws for cell phones. The speech software is capable of reading everything from phone book entries to text messages. The user can access many of the phone’s functions such as the alarm clock, calculator and e-mail. The software can be installed via wireless or infrared port on a PC, or through software found on the CD that comes with the compatible phones. For more information about the product, compatible phones, and distributors, please visit http://www.codefactory.es/mobile_speak_smartphone/mss_devices.htm |
Jamie Hatleberg, Director,
Jean Carlson, Program Holly A. Leonard, Program Coordinator, ext. 2668
Lindbloom Student Center,
Main number:
Greater Eastside:
Tacoma: TDD: (253) 288-3359 FAX: (253) 288-3471 |
| Last updated on: 02/14/2012 |
| Copyright© 2009 Green River Community College. All rights reserved. | |
 |
Contact |
