Assistive Technology on the Network at the University of Florida This paper was presented at the 1996 CAUSE annual conference. It is part of the proceedings of that conference, "Broadening Our Horizons: Information, Services, Technology -- Proceedings of the 1996 CAUSE Annual Conference," page 5-2- 1+. Permission to copy or disseminate all or part of this material is granted provided that the copies are not made or distributed for commercial advantage. To copy or disseminate otherwise, or to republish in any form, requires written permission from the author and CAUSE. For further information, contact CAUSE, 4840 Pearl East Circle, Suite 302E, Boulder, CO 80301; 303-449-4430; e-mail info@cause.org. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY ON THE NETWORK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA Donald R. Grossman Coordinator for Assistive Technology Mark P. Hale Director of CIRCA University of Florida The Assistive Technology Learning Lab The University of Florida is proud to lead the way in making learning resources available to all students regardless of disability. To maintain this high standard, the Office for Students with Disabilities and the Center for Instructional and Research Computing Activity (CIRCA) have joined to help students reach their academic goals through a comprehensive selection of exciting assistive technology resources. WHAT IS ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY? Assistive technology (AT) refers to any device or technology that allows an individual with a disability to interact with his or her environment more effectively. Assistive technology includes devices as simple as a Braille ruler and as complex as a computer operated entirely by speech. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY AT UF The majority of AT resources at the University of Florida are designed to let persons with disabilities interact with computers and the data and resources available through computers. Though many of these AT devices can benefit anyone, they can be divided by the disability groups for which they were primarily intended. These groups include; Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Mobility Disabilities, Blind/Visually Impaired and Specific Learning Disabilities. The following provides a few examples of technology solutions to disability issues. DEAF/HARD OF HEARING-- Computers are visual and consequently friendly to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, but there are times when auditory signals, such as"beeps", convey important information. For such occasions, UF has software such as SeeBeeps (IBM) which gives a visual cue when the computer beeps. MOBILITY DISABILITIES -- Interacting with computers through the conventional mouse/keyboard setup can be difficult for individuals who have limited use of their hands or arms. UF has several hardware and software solutions. "Alternative keyboards" are keyboards designed to be operated more efficiently, by one hand or by a few fingers. UF has several "keyboard mapping" programs which modify the keyboard to eliminate the use of certain keys or the need to depress multiple keys at one time. "Voice recognition systems" such as DragonDictate (IBM) and PowerSecretary (Mac) are also available. These systems allow the user to operate the computer and input data solely through the use of their voice. BLIND/VISUALLY IMPAIRED-- There are numerous programs and devices available to assist people who are blind or visually impaired in interacting with computers and printed material. "Screen enlargers" such as MAGic (IBM) and inLarge (Mac) increase the size of the material on the screen for easy reading. "Screen readers" such as JAWS (IBM) and OutSpoken (Mac) are software packages that work with "speech synthesizer" boards to give the computer speech capability. The material on the screen is read aloud by a synthesized voice, thus eliminating the need for sight. Tools such as "screen readers" and "text scanners" also allow individuals to see and hear the information simultaneously, greatly increasing the potential for long-term learning. SO WHAT MAKES THIS SO DIFFERENT? It's On "The Net" Throughout campus, CIRCA has a network of Public Labs which make PCS and Macs available for student use. This Public Lab network includes an entire menu structure dedicated to AT options. On any workstation in any Public Lab a user can access,load, and use a variety of AT software packages, making every workstation more accessible to individuals with disabilities. UF has the first and largest known multi-site network that gives access to multiple AT options. Software packages include MAGic,JAWS. Access DOS. HANDIKeys, and HANDIWord to name a few. The list of available packages is constantly expanding and CIRCA- supported computers are always being added. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY LEARNING LAB The Assistive Technology Learning Lab is a fully functioning computer lab showcasing all of the assistive technology options available at UF. The Learning Lab is an accessible computer lab designed specifically for the use of students with disabilities. The Learning Lab is also a site for training and orientation. TRAINING AND ORIENTATION In the Assistive Technology Learning Lab, students and staff learn what AT options are available and appropriate for them and how to use that technology effectively. Then students take that training to use the assistive technology available on the Public Lab network. At the Learning Lab individuals without disabilities also learn about available AT. Professionals and students from fields such as education, rehabilitation, speech therapy and occupational therapy, learn about AT options for their students, clients andcustomers. These individuals learn about AT through tours, lectures and individual instruction making them more knowledgeable, efficient and effective in their fields OTHER AT LABS In addition to the Assistive Technology Learning Lab and the available AT on the CIRCA supported computers, UF has several "mini-labs" which feature computer and non-computer assistive technology. These "mini-labs" contain "text scanners","CCTVs" and computers with appropriate hardware and software. The mini-labs are conveniently located across campus. MOBILE ACCESS The University of Florida is currently working with Arkenstone and others to provide verbal output of a campus map system on a notebook computer. This should enable persons with visual and processing issues to be better able to navigate campus unaided. Be sure to visit our home page and we look forward to hearing from you. e-mail: astec@grove.ufl.edu home page: circa.ufl.edu/circa/astec/hpol.htm Donald R. Grossman Coordinator for Assistive Technology 520 CSE Building University of Florida Gainesville, Florida 32611 DRaGon@condor.CIRCA.ufl.edu