Learning Objectives. AT Goals. Assistive Technology for Sensory Impairments. Review Course for Assistive Technology Practitioners & Suppliers

Transcription

1 Assistive Technology for Sensory Impairments Review Course for Assistive Technology Practitioners & Suppliers Learning Objectives Define the purpose of AT for persons who have sensory impairment Identify types of vision loss common to persons using AT devices Identify types of hearing loss common to persons using AT devices List and describe the AT devices used by persons with sensory impairments AT Goals Create equal access in acquiring information, making choices, achieving functional independence, gaining education, and participating fully. Think in terms of ALL areas of AT: Mobility Computer use Communication: Telephone use, TTY, AAC, Assistive Listening devices EADLs 1

2 Matching AT with the Consumer Individualized: goals, skills and abilities, plans for the future. Results of assessment Type and degree of visual or hearing impairment Cognition Language Physical skills Social and cultural context Daily living skills and physical environment Additional considerations Presence of other impairments Current adaptive strategies The cultural context The physical setting context for AT use: Worksite, K-12, higher education, home management The requirements of these settings Other Professionals on Team Medical recommendations from the ophthalmologist (physician) or optometrist (eye glass/contacts specialist) Medical recommendations from the physician or an audiologist (specialized in hearing aid technology) Rehabilitation Counselor Rehabilitation Teacher or Classroom Teacher Orientation & Mobility Instructor 2

3 Let s look at Hearing Loss Greatest impact is on communication with others Deaf culture American Sign Language Deafness is not viewed as a disability by some in this community Oral Lip reading and contextual clues Hearing aids - support residual hearing AT for Hearing Impairments Assistive Listening Devices Visual or tactile alarms Visual or tactile phones, doorbells Captioning on TV Computer Visible alerts IR Assistive Listening Device Visual alert for phone or doorbell AT for Hearing Impairments: Education FM Loop systems Typed notes No tech solutions Facing your communication partner FM Loop system Pocket Talker 3

4 AT for Hearing Impairments: Employment Telephone use TTY Meetings Assistive listening Real-time captioning Real time captioning No-Tech to Low-Tech Hierarchy Get the listener s attention before you speak. Talk face-to-face, remind them to watch you. Speak at a normal level, clearly and slowly. Don t chew or smoke when speaking. Reduce background noise e.g. radio,tv. When misunderstood you should rephrase, not repeat. Clue the listener in to your topic e.g. I m talking about Use assistive listening devices when available keep a Pocket Talker handy Vision Loss Greatest impact is taking in information presented in a visual format Print, media - TV, movie and computer display ATM, voting machines, info kiosks Different experience for those with congenital blindness and late onset or acquired blindness Affects education, employment, physical independence & community living 4

5 AT for Visual Impairments Low/No tech aids Increased lighting or contrast Magnifying lenses Braille and Tactile markers High tech aids Computer-based adaptations: Screen magnifiers/text enlargement, Refreshable Braille, Screen Readers, OCR (Optical Character Recognition) CCTV (Closed circuit TV), note takers, tape recorders, etc. Low Tech Solutions Lighting, magnifiers, and large displays Visual Impairments: Alternatives to AT A human reader or note taker Analog and Digital recordings Photocopy enlargements Large print or Braille publications Out in the community: ATMs, soft drink machines, transportation, signage, controls, etc. 5

6 High Tech: Computers Personal Computer Monitor and Printer: Size and Resolution Color and contrast variables Point (size) type, Percentage enlargement High Tech: Computers Personal Computer Keyboard: Need familiarity with home row, F keys, Number pad Typing test for determination of accuracy & speed Keyboard Modification Braille Keyboard High Tech: Computers Personal Computer Mouse manipulation Enlarge cursor Keyboard shortcuts 6

7 High Tech: Computers Personal Computer Alternate notifications for auditory alerts. Computer: Monitor Control Panel settings change the operating system Size Contrast Font choice Spacing Text-to-speech Computers: Monitor Alternative Outputs Refreshable Braille display Totally substitutes for the monitor. Sits near the keyboard on the top of the CPU. Pins in the display rise and drop as the highlighting cursor moves through the text to form Braille characters 7

8 Refreshable Braille Display Computers: Monitor Screen Reading or Text-tospeech software Uses a speech synthesizer or sound card and pronunciation rules to read text displayed on monitor. Offers navigation help read menus dialog boxes operating system commands. Computers: Printer Braille Printing Embossers punch Braille characters into stiff paper and are usually noisy. Braille documents are very large. Can print on both sides of the paper. Large Print hard copy Determine size needed for visual deficit Determine the most readable font serif or san serif. 8

9 Braille Printer Computer: using the computer to read scanned text Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology makes it possible to turn hard copy into digital text. Useful for reading paper documents or text not in electronic form. A backup is needed in case of OCR errors. Converts text to Braille or large print, too. User needs ability to sequence steps so consider the user interface. Stand alone or a computer based systems. OCR or Optical Character Recognition Open Book (Freedom Scientific) and The Reading Edge (Telesensory) 9

10 High Tech: Note takers & Organizers Available with Braille or QWERTY keyboards Available with Braille or synthesizer output or both Holds and organizes notes, stores addresses, a calendar, calculator, timer, etc. Need the ability to sequence steps of the task Note Takers: Braille & QWERTY High Tech: CCTV Closed Circuit TV TV camera mounted toward the table. Allows access to many visual tasks: reading, writing, fine motor skills. Lower learning curve than computer Change the contrast, color and size. Simple on/off operation. 10

11 Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) AT Assessment Follow-up Include Employer or School Tech Team Do current technologies offer more function or independence? What is the client comfort level with modification of current technologies? How will the technology be implemented? Who will provide training? When does the client require reassessment? Other Applications Some of this AT applies to: Learning Disabilities Highlights text as it is read Increasing the distance between lines of text. Aging Decreased visual acuity as a normal part of aging Increased frequency of macular degeneration. Baby-boomers will increase demand leading to decreased cost 11

12 Dual Diagnoses Blindness and deafness combined severely affect Interpersonal communication Ability to form relationships Ability to take in information Special techniques have been developed like manual alphabet, alphabet glove, and Braille word books. Greatest emphasis on consistency in teaching and interaction. Dual Diagnoses Assistive technologies: Braille TTY Talking glove Dexter: a robotic hand that can finger-spell typed text Speech to Braille systems. Convert sign language to text to Braille 12