Featured Articles
Axel Schmetzke, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Library
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
It is questionable whether the architects of the Wisconsin idea, which inspired and shaped university extensions all over the country, were including people
with disabilities in their thinking when they proposed to make education more available to the community at large. There is no indication in the pertinent
literature that this was the case.
However, regardless
of whether people with disabilities were included or not, it is likely that they were among the beneficiaries of the extended programs.
Robert Perkins
School of Education
University of Charleston, SC
Several pieces of legislation provide mandates for colleges, universities and other institutions to provide equal access to their programs and facilities.
This project's original objective was to attempt to find an efficient way to deliver services to students with visual disabilities. Specialized equipment
was to be housed in a teacher education technology lab. The second objective was to help pre-service and in-service teachers to incorporate assistive technology
into their teaching and curricula. This case study describes the attempt made by the University of Charleston=s dual purpose program of providing services
and technologies to its own students, while at the same time exposing the professionals of tomorrow to the world of assistive technology.
Steven Landau, President of Touch Graphics
Karen Gourgey, Director of Baruch College Computer Center for Visually Impaired People
Researchers have long understood the value of tactile presentation of pictures, maps and diagrams for readers who are blind or otherwise visually impaired.
However, some practicalities have always limited the usefulness and appeal of these materials. It is often difficult for a blind individual
to make sense of tactile shapes and textures without some extra information to confirm or augment what has been touched.
Labeling a drawing with Braille is one way to accomplish this, but since Braille tags must be large and have plenty of blank space around them to be legible,
they are not ideal for use with fairly complex or graphically rich images. Also, reliance on Braille labeling restricts the usefulness of tactile graphics
to those blind or visually impaired persons who are competent Braille readers.
Design and Implementation of Web-Enabled Teaching Tools
A book edited by Mary Hricko, Kent State University, USA
The primary objective of this book is to explore the myriad issues regarding web accessibility, specifically focusing on those areas that cover the design
and implementation of web-enabled teaching tools. Thus we need a collection of scholarly research works on web accessibility which will address a vast
number of issues ranging from the fundamental definition and basic concepts of universal design to case studies of experiences on application of web accessibility.
Accessibility of Web-Based Information Resources for People with Disabilities
A special issue of Library Hi Tech, with guest editor Axel Schmetzke, Ph. D.
Information Technology, Accessibility, and Distance Education
A special issue of Information Technology and Disabilities