Focus On Users

Focus on Users

Richard Harris

2:15 May 18, 2004

FDR, Jerry Lewis, the ADA and E-text books

Has been doing this for 31 years.

Need to know more about technology, legalisms, what publishing has to do –

This next stage we are at has the very most promise for providing the actual kinds of independence and inclusion and full equality of disabled students.

Mythology has surrounded the disabled.  The Tech promise today is the greatest it has ever been.

• Should not lose sight of end point – students with disabilities
• As long as we wrestle with language we will wrestle with how we view people.
  • Much of the negative context of language held us back.
  • Then we used Euphamisms
    • Differing abilities
    • Print impaired
    • Alternate learners
    • Discredited auditory acuity characteristics
  • Suggest a People First Language
    • Bob who is blind
    • Woman who uses a wheelchair
    • Susan who has cerebral palsy
  • Have moved from negativism to ambiguity
• If employment is best indicator of quality of life
  • Persons with disabilities – 64% unemployed
  • Women – 80% unemployed
  • Answer lies with education and training
• Antecedents of e-texts
  • People readers (Helen Keller, Anne Sullivan)
  • Braille
  • Talking books
  • Edison voice writers
  • Tape recorders
  • Kurzweil reading machine
• E-Text
  • Scanning
  • CD-Roms
  • Publisher’s files
• Quality, efficient access to print means
  • Independence
  • Dignity
  • Student competency
  • Increased employment prospects

Some advocacy groups don’t feel free market will solve the problem.  What do you feel?

I’m optimistic – maybe too Pollyanna.  We don’t begrudge the actual costs of getting things done.  But, then again, I’m not a business person either.