Transcript Internet_and_the_Handicapped - California State University, Los

INTERNET AND THE DISABLED
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There are different types of disabilities; some due to genetics
and some because of an event.
Disabilities overall fall under the following categories:
1) Cognitive: Learning disabilities or memory issues.
2) Physical: Amputations and deformities, or neural
damage.
3) Sensory: Visual issues or deafness.
The second type of disabilities listed makes the individual
incapable of inputting to a digital device using a keyboard.
The remedy to the last category can be software like screen
readers or programs that talk and mimic the shape of the
human lips and mouth as the program talks.
One example of such software is Peedy the Talking Parrot.
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“Ethics always create law. Law create ethics”
Philip white says.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states
that all programs at school must be accessible to
the disabled individual.
Individuals can NOT be discriminated against on
the account of sex, race or color; therefore all
equipments must be accessible for every one.
Section 508 is about the computer information and
amended in 1986 says that web access like video
and online intellectual material must be made
available to every one.
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Depending on the type of disability different people might need different
type of help and also could be limited in different ways.
When the issue is about the Internet the intellectual material must be in a
format understandable by every one.
For Blind people there should be recorded lectures or the material in the
format of sound so that they can still communicate with the digital
device.
Blind people can also be web developers, but how we limit them comes
from the very same respect.
Someone with visual impairment can be trained to do Java scripting or
work with SQL databases, but they should be limited of working with
graphics???
Working with graphics needs someone to have a good sight, and without
that power no good results can be delivered.
Someone who is deaf can be trained to work with graphics and produce
good graphical products, but must not be working with sound and to
make music and sound for the Internet. This is analogous to a person on
wheelchair teaching Jujitsu or Kung Fu.
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Helping the disabled individual not only helps the
handicapped person, but it also help the non-disabled.
Making an intellectual material available in different
formats gives every one the ability to have access to
information in a variety of ways. Recording lectures for the
blind and publishing them to the Internet is something that
both the disabled and the non-disabled can benefit from.
Writing lectures in to manuscripts for the deaf helps the
non-disabled review the material and have a hard of copy of
the intellectual good. Making the educational data to
individuals with impairments also helps the non-disabled
excel in the subject of the matter as well.
The handicapped because of some disabilities must not be
allowed to perform certain tasks such as a blind person
doing graphics for web development.
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Philip White, Office for Students with Disabilities.
California State University Los Angeles( May
13th 2010).
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