ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
TRAINING FOR BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED INDIVIDUALS: EFFECTIVE METHODS AND
MATERIALS
Presenter(s)
Laurie Merryman
Iowa Department for the Blind
Day Phone:
515—281—1399
Fax: 515—281—1263
Email: merryman.laurie@blind.state.ia.us
Presenter
#2
Michael Barber
Iowa Department for the Blind
Day Phone: 515—281—1305
Fax: 515—281—1263
Email: barber.michaei@blind.state.ia.us
Presenter
#3
Shan Sasser
Iowa Department for the Blind
524
Fourth Street
Des Moines LA 50309
Day Phone: 515—281—1333
Fax: 515—281—1263
Email: sasser.shan@hlind.state.ia.us
This presentation discusses Project ASSIST’s online
training results to date, lessons learned, and effective methods and materials
for assistive technology training for blind and visually impaired individuals.
Presentation Proposal
This presentation focuses on effective assistive technology training methods
and materials. We will discuss Project ASSIST’s
experiences in providing training via distance learning and in preparing blind
test takers for the Microsoft Office Specialist exams. In addition, we will
offer effective solutions to the common challenges in assistive technology
training for blind and visually impaired individuals. Finally, we will spend a
brief amount of time outlining the project’s future activities.
Background
For nine years, the Iowa Department for the Blind’s Project ASSIST with Windows
program has offered in-depth computer training to blind and visually impaired
individuals. We have offered numerous tutorials for self—study and several
online courses that prepare students for the Microsoft Off ice Specialist
certification exams. As part of our online effort (ASSIST Online), we have
conducted thirty online Microsoft Office courses and two Train the Trainer
workshops. Since January 2005, we distributed over 400 tutorials worldwide.
Project
ASSIST is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Institute on
Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).
Trials
and Tribulations of Certification Exams A significant finding from our work on
preparing students for the Microsoft Office Specialist certification exams is
that those
students who had previous experience on the computer had greater success on the
exams. We had anticipated being able to successfully prepare a beginner-level
computer user for the certification exam. However, successful completion of the
exam requires that the student not only be knowledgeable of the tested material
and able to complete4tasks in a timed environment, but also able to
troubleshoot technical problems that may arise during the exam. Whereas we
found that a beginner student was capable of learning the content, inexperience
made them more vulnerable to the inaccessibility of the exams. Indeed, many of
those who tailed a certification exam listed problems with the accessibility of
the certification exam as a cause for the failure. Some problems included nonworking
keystrokes, system crashes, and resistance to accommodations, such as
installation of screen reader software and use of a reader. In our presentation
we will detail problems and issues blind test takers encountered and offer
recommendations for overcoming them.
Assistive
Technology Training Challenges Meeting Demand Time and travel are constant
challenges for assistive technology trainers and the clients they serve. In
most circumstances, for a training to occur either the trainer must go to a
client’s home or place of employment or the client must travel to a center.
Trainers are often responsible for providing individualized training to
numerous clients, which involves time and expense. As a result, instruction is
intermittent with little follow—up.
Diversity
of Training Needs
Keeping current with technology is another issue for trainers. Because clients
have different training needs, trainers must be well versed in mainstream
software and hardware as well as assistive technology. Some clients require
JAWS training and others need ZoomText or OpenBook. One client may require in-depth training on Word
while another needs to focus on Excel. Further, clients may require training on
other devices, such as scanners, PDAs, or cell phones.
In
addition to educating clients, trainers and other disability service
professionals need to be able to offer potential employers information on the
assistive technology available and demonstrate its use. Researchers studying
employment of persons with visual impairments have found that employment
success is greater when VR professionals make efforts to identify, obtain,
install, and train potential employees in a timely manner.
Diversity
of Client Skills
Just as clients have diversity in the technology on which they require
training, clients come to training with a wide variety
of skills. One client may have worked on computers for years and needs to learn
how to use proprietary software at his place of employment. Another client may
not have ever touched a computer before and is intimidated by technology. While
tailoring training to a client’s skill is feasible for one—on—one training,
most trainers do not have the luxury to provide ongoing one—on—one training and
must use group training instead. Group training allows the trainer to reach
more clients in a shorter amount of time but poses problems when the clients in
the group have widely diverse skills.
Developing
Training Materials
Many trainers struggle with developing effective training materials that will
supplement and reinforce the training they provide. Writing an effective lesson
plan to organize a training session is a complex task. Developing an activity
assignment that can assess skills requires a lot of time, thought, and
preparation. Training materials are just as important as the trainer, as they
allow the client to obtain additional practice and learn to use the technology
in the trainer’s absence.
Assistive
Technology Training Solutions
Effective Strategies, Methods, and Materials ASSIST staff will address these
challenges by providing attendees with tips, strategies, and methods for
providing assistive technology training. We will discuss how trainers can
utilize distance learning in their training. We will also offer tips and methods
on preparing lesson plans and training materials. Further, we will give
participants training templates and samples developed by other trainers.
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