Presents different types of assistive technologies that improve accessibility to computer system for users with special needs and describes how these tools can be useful in solving educational problems.

1. Computer
Technologies for
Accessible
Education
T. Zafirova-Malcheva
P. Boytchev
[MIE 2013]
September 19-
21, 2013, Sofia, Bulgaria

2. Students with Special Educational Needs
(SEN)

3. Main Problems
perception and processing
of visual information
Visually impaired
low vision or blind
Hearing impaired
Physical disabilities
Learning disabilities
dyslexia
perception of audio
information
physical limitations of
handling control and
computer devices access
difficulties to acquire
educational material

4. Basic components of education
Hardware and software
Course materials
Teachers

5. Accessibility
Hardware
Software
Assistive technologies

6. Hardware
Alternative devices
– Braille displays
– Braille printers
– Braille keyboards
– Trackballs
– Joy sticks
– Switches
Adapted standart devices
– Large print labels
– Braille labels
– Key guards

7. Software
Operating system (OS) settings
– mouse buttons functions
– double click speed
– cursor shape, color, size
or speed
– control the mouse pointer
through the keyboard
– keyboard filters
Alternative software
– screen reader/ Text-to-
speech
– magnification software
– on-screen keyboard
– Optical Character
Recognition software (OCR)

8. Accessibility tools for Visually impaired
– adapting screen – OS
settings
– screen magnifiers
Low vision students
Blind and Low vision
students
– text-to-speech software
and screen readers
– Braille
displays, printers and
keyboard
– OCR software
– Braille stickers to
adapt standard keyboard
– ten-fingers writing
system using BDS
keyboard layout

9. Accessibility tools for Physical disabilities
– OS settings
– keyboard filters and key
guard
– virtual keyboard in
scanning mode
– alternative electronic
pointing devices
Fine motor skills

10. Make it accessible
Scanner
Printed
educational
materials
OCR
software
Electronic
text
Braille
display
Screen
readers

11. Make it accessible
Braille
labels
Standard
keyboard
BDS
keyboard
layout
Electronic
text
Screen
readers
SpeechAbility
to write

12. Computer
Technologies for
Accessible
Education
Sofia University
"St. Kliment Ohridski„
Faculty of
Mathematics and Informatics
T. Zafirova-Malcheva
tzafirova@fmi.uni-sofia.bg
P. Boytchev
boytchev@fmi.uni-sofia.bg
Doctoral conference
in Mathematics,
Informatics and Education
September 19-21, 2013
Sofia, Bulgaria