Case Study: Pedro

Pedro is a graduate student at State University. Pedro has been diagnosed with Glaucoma, which classifies him as Legally Blind (Visual acuity of 20/200 or worse). Pedro has called you to see how you may assist him with increasing his ability to use computers. He has a good working knowledge of computers and possesses very good keyboarding skills. However, he is unable to see small objects on a computer screen and thus cannot verify what he has typed. What can Pedro use to help him access computer output?

Solution: Due to Pedro's visual impairment, he cannot access a computer without assistive technology. To access the computer, Pedro would most likely need to use either a screen magnifier or a screen reader. Screen magnifiers have the ability to enlarge objects on the screen up to 36x's their standard size, however studies have determined that magnifying objects greater than 6x's the standard size on a computer screen can actually have a negative effect on the user. Because of his visual acuity level, Pedro would most likely need to magnify objects greater than 6x's the standard size. Because of this and his good keyboarding skills, a screen reader is likely a better option. Screen reading software will read objects, menus, and documents on the screen aloud to Pedro. It will also read as he types, providing Pedro an audio confirmation of what he has entered. Screen reading software is driven by key combinations. Pedro's keyboarding skills indicate that he will be able to use this type of software to access the computer to successfully participate in his graduate curriculum.

Case Study: William

William is a student with multiple disabilities. He has a physical disability that prevents him from grasping a pencil due to the pencil's small diameter. This physical disability also causes him to fatigue quickly when writing. William also has dyslexia, making writing a difficult and taxing cognitive task. What assistive technology can William use to improve his ability to complete writing assignments?

Solution: Providing William with a pencil grip alleviates the problem of not being able to grip a pencil, however it does not address his physical fatigue when writing or his cognitive disability. In this case, William should be provided with a high tech option such as voice recognition software. This software will allow William to write without physically using his arms, thus preventing fatigue. By automatically spelling words correctly, it will also help William increase writing speed and quality, which is lacking due to his cognitive ability. Also, the playback function will provide an audio means of double checking his work without having to rely on his reading skills. In this case, the added expense and training adequately benefits the user.