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CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE ON USING ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS

Kurt L. Johnson, Ph.D., C.R.C., Associate Professor and Head,
Division of Rehabilitation Counseling
Project Director, U.W. Assistive Technology Resource Center
Internet: kjohnson@u.washington.edu

Dagmar Amtmann, M.A., Project Manager
Assistive Technology Resource Center
Internet: dagmara@u.washington.edu

University of Washington, Box 357920
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and University Affiliated Program
Seattle, WA 09195-7920
Voice/TTY/Message: (206) 685-4181, FAX (206) 543-4779

Web Posted on: December 8, 1997


BACKGROUND

In 1994, the Assistive Technology Resource Center at the University of Washington began developing an electronic information system which focuses on assistive technology for use by people with disabilities, health care professionals, and others (Johnson & Amtmann, 1996). The information system uses a combination of the World Wide Web (WWW), electronic mail, and an electronic discussion forum to provide information about assistive technology (AT), discuss AT issues, and facilitate exchange of experiences and knowledge regarding AT. Consumers have been an integral part of planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating the information system since its inception. To ensure consumer participation in the electronic forum, eight consumers, most of whom have cerebral palsy, use power mobility and use augmentative communication devices, were introduced to electronic mail. Initial technical assistance (including the provision of some hardware and software) and continuing support was provided. Five of the original eight consumers have been acting as "community consultants" for the assistive technology electronic network, sharing their experiences and opinions about assistive technology issues. All of the community consultants have also incorporated electronic mail into their everyday lives, using it for social interactions, school assignments, and ordering supplies. We provided additional training to four community consultants in the use of the World Wide Web (WWW) and Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) programming. Two individuals who received the training have been able to utilize the WWW to secure employment, to enhance their educational options and to improve access to social interactions and recreation. Although in this presentation we limit the discussion to the experiences these two individuals, the elements of their experience are shared by many other members of our community.


PRESENTATION

The development of the World Wide Web has simplified the dissemination of information and has resulted in an explosion in electronic publishing. The ability of the WWW to offer not only formatted text, but also graphics, video and sound, has made information on the WWW much more attractive to people from all walks of life. Because electronic publishing on the WWW involves relatively simple programming, virtually anyone can become a WWW publisher. WWW publishing gives some people with functional limitations greater access to information than would otherwise be available to them.

The WWW can also be used to find and network with other people who share similar interests, issues, and situations. These similarities do not necessarily need to be centered around disability issues. In fact, using the WWW may make an individual's disability irrelevant or not immediately obvious. Individuals with different types of functional limitations might be able to participate in electronic training activities, for example distance learning offered via the WWW, that would otherwise be inaccessible. The WWW also provides unique opportunities for people with disabilities to assume the roles of leaders and instructors. When a distance learning program is carefully designed to ensure accessibility, disability-related barriers to participating fully in traditional educational programs are significantly lowered if not completely removed. These same benefits are true for traditional, on-campus courses offered on-line. (See the distance learning WWW site at the University of Washington for an example of using the WWW as a vehicle for interactive distance learning at http://weber.u.washington.edu/~instudy/credit.htm.)

Scott Palm and Steve Harper are two adults born with cerebral palsy who use power mobility and augmentative communication. Steve uses Morse code generated by a head switch to access the computer and Scott uses his Liberator with direct selection as an interface. Both have attended community college and Scott is in the process of transferring to the University of Washington. We assisted them in gaining access to the WWW (including assistance with acquiring and installing the necessary software and hardware). Scott and Steve have both been trained in how to use the WWW and how to program using HTML. Two weeks after the training, they both published personal WWW pages, offering information about themselves, as well as marketing their skills and advertising their availability for work. Both Scott and Steve began to use the WWW to access the local and worldwide "electronic community." In Seattle, for example, using the WWW one can easily check which movies are playing, the times they are showing, and read movie reviews. One can also participate in a variety of social forums, find out the schedule of sporting and art events, obtain tickets on-line, check out bus schedules, seek advice about income taxes, reserve books or videos from the public library, or seek information about assistive technology and related disability issues (c.f., http://weber.u.washington.edu/~atrc/). This "community access" provides an extraordinary economy of effort for people with mobility, speech, or other limitations.

Scott and Steve have both found that they have increased their social contacts through the use of the WWW. Scott has made several friends on-line, one of whom traveled from Canada to visit with him in Seattle. Scott is in the process of planning a trip to Canada and he reports that this relationship has been a source of continuing enjoyment for both Scott and his friend. Steve is an ardent sports fan and has found that he can participate in sports chat forums and engage in discussions which would be difficult otherwise due to communication barriers. He also is able to purchase tickets to sporting events on-line for himself, and as gifts for his friends.

The WWW has provided enhanced access for Scott and Steve to on-campus education. Frequently, class projects can be produced and submitted electronically. Both Scott and Steve have been able to fulfill class requirements by doing research on the WWW and creating a web page which summarizes their findings and links to resources used. Communication among students and between students and instructors is commonly supplemented by email exchanges. This allows students with disabilities limiting their ability to use verbal communication or physically attend all classes to more fully participate in class discussions. To provide Scott and Steve with more independence and flexibility, assignments, readings, and other instructional materials can be scanned and placed at the WWW site. This allows a student who does not have the dexterity to manipulate print materials to read independently on-line from any location that provides on-line access. Previously, Scott and Steve had to visit the disabled students services lab on campus to gain access to the readings and textbooks. Now they can work on homework assignments at home and at their convenience. We would like to note that copyright issues may have to be addressed to accomplish this. It has been our experience that publishers generally allow scanned materials to be placed on an unpublished WWW site for purposes of accommodating disabled students, especially if it is clearly noted that the material is copyrighted. Some publishers are willing to provide the text on disk which eliminates the need for scanning, but for those who are unable to place the disk in the disk drive without assistance, posting the contents on the WWW site means complete independence in accessing the material. For those who are covered by the amendment of the copyright law (House Resolution 3753, Public Law 104-197, codified at 17 U.S.C. section 121) passed in 1996 (and entities such as disabled student services appear to be covered by the law) the requirement for obtaining permission from the copyright holder (for instance a text book publisher) is waived if the materials are distributed in specialized formats (including digital text) exclusively for use by blind or other persons with disabilities. Using the WWW for publishing and sharing experiences and expertise via electronic mail has helped Scott and Steve develop communication and leadership skills. This has allowed us to hire both Steve and Scott as guest instructors for an on-line undergraduate course in Speech and Hearing Sciences offers instruction in clinical issues in augmentative and alternative communication. Steve and Scott were hired to provide students with the consumer perspective on augmentative and alternative communication issues, and to share their experiences with the delivery system and augmentative communication technology they are familiar with. Scott and Steve introduced themselves on-line, describing their communication systems and offering a short biography. They then participated in the on-line class discussion responding to the students' questions and comments. Students enrolled in the course have reported that receiving instruction from users of augmentative and alternative communication devices has been a tremendous learning experience. Both Steve and Scott reported that they enjoyed their roles as instructors and felt that the electronic medium put them on an equal footing with the class participants in terms of communications. It is important to note that due to transportation issues it would have been difficult if not impossible for Scott and Steve to participate as guest instructors and engage in the class discussion on the University campus. Steve and Scott live outside of the Seattle metropolitan area, where public buses are not all equipped with wheelchair lifts, so securing transportation to Seattle would have been difficult and/or costly. Using the on-line course format offered a win-win option for all involved: it allowed participants to gain full and convenient access to Scott and Steve's expertise and perspectives and it allowed them both the opportunity to influence current and future service providers by sharing their views. In addition to obtaining income from working as a guest instructor, Steve has used his HTML programming skills to obtain part-time employment as a paid developer and maintainer of WWW pages.

The WWW can serve as a tool to increase the level of independence and participation for some individuals with disabilities. However, the WWW also presents potential barriers to access to on-line information and networking if issues of accessible WWW design are not addressed. It is essential that information on the WWW be accessible to people with different kinds of functional limitations, so that people with all types of disabilities can create and modify their own WWW pages for business, educational, networking, and entertainment purposes. It is the legal and ethical responsibility of educational institutions to make certain that on-line instruction is accessible to students with disabilities. Guidelines for making your WWW site accessible, as well as examples of accessible sites, are available on the WWW (for more information on the topic visit the Trace Center WWW site at http://www.trace.wisc.edu/world/web/index.html).


CONCLUSION

Use of the WWW can dramatically improve access to education, community, and employment for people with limitations in their speech, mobility, and dexterity. People with whom we work have observed that when they communicate using an electronic medium, others react to what they say rather than their disability. They can compose their communication at their convenience since most electronic communication occurs sequentially. They also can achieve an economy of time and energy by completing routine "administrative" tasks (e.g., bill paying, scheduling) on-line. Presenters of information on the WWW must ensure that their materials are accessible to people with all kinds of disabilities.


REFERENCES

Johnson, K.L. & Amtmann, D. (1996). "Think Globally, Network Locally: Developing On-Line Communities to Make A Difference." Proceedings of Annual Conference on Technology and Persons With Disabilities, Los Angeles, CA: California State University-Northridge.


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The Assistive Technology Resource Center is supported by grants from National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research #H224A30006 (funded through the Washington Department of Vocational Rehabilitation) and the Health and Human Services Administration on Developmental Disability #90DD0307.

We wish to thank Steve Harper and Scott Palm for their willingness to share their perspectives and experiences. We also wish to acknowledge the importance of assistance, dedication, expertise, effort, and continuing support provided by John Elmer and other staff of the Shoreline Community College Disabled Student Services.