Personally, Gjolmesli, who is considered legally blind, favors Freedom Scientific’s JAWS Screen Reading Software above other assistive technologies.
“JAWS serves as the interface between a blind person and the information being written to a computer screen,” said Jerry Marindin, federal account manager. “It helps in navigation by adding features for all types of situations, which help overcome the problem of not being able to use a mouse to click on items. It also helps in creating and editing documents, spreadsheets, eMails, and all types of business applications someone might use at work, school, or home.”
The Windows version of JAWS was released in 1995 and since has been used in thousands of colleges, businesses, and homes. Marindin said JAWS allows users to interact with any PC using the same keyboard that a sighted person is accustomed to, and feedback comes to them in the form of synthesized speech or Braille via a specially designed piece of hardware called a Refreshable Braille Display.
“It’s very comprehensive, [and] you can do a lot with it,” said Gjolmesli. She said that under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), schools and businesses are required to offer disabled workers comparable assistive technologies. JAWS is one such software program that easily “evens the playing field” for many students with disabilities.
“If you’re creating something, it needs to be accessible,” she said. “People … by now should know that.”
Autism Navigator Program
Gjolmesli said the Pacific Northwest has a higher rate of autism than the national average. Researchers have speculated that environmental or chemical toxins are to blame for the prevalence of autism, though research is still inconclusive.
Whatever the true causes of autism, educators must work to reach this unique student group and create pathways to college completion and success.
In 2010, Gjolmesli launched a pilot of the Autism Navigator Program (ASN) after she noticed several of her students on the autism spectrum failing after taking on a full course load.
“I decided to do a program with 13 students, and I had a control group. We hired four part-timers, and we divided [students among them]—and after significant training, we developed a program of best practices,” she said. “We’d work once a week with these students, because they tend to get overwhelmed and sometimes misinterpret assignments.”
Gjolmesli said she is particularly drawn to students with autism, because they’re direct, honest, and non- manipulative. She enjoys unlocking each student’s potential.
“I believe that people with disabilities have been marginalized for way too long,” she said. “[Through ASN], we’re able to show [the autistic students’] intellect.”
Today, ASN has nearly 50 students enrolled, and their GPAs continue to rise. Gjolmesli said that “common-sense things,” like organizing assignment calendars and checking in on students to guarantee they are grasping course material, are hugely helpful.
“Everybody [is always] saying ‘no, you can’t’ all the time,” said Gjolmesli. “Well, why can’t you? You just have to learn to think differently.”
It’s no secret that today’s students rely heavily on computers, yet computer skills that are second nature to some students are very difficult or even seemingly impossible for others to master.
Nuance Communications’ Dragon Naturally Speaking (DNS), a speech recognition software program, is commonly used with the autistic students who cannot write well, or who have dyslexia or dysgraphia.
“DNS brings voice recognition to the PC and allows individuals to simply talk to create content and command a computer,” said Jason Keith, communications manager at Nuance Communications. “Dragon’s powerful voice recognition software ignites new levels of productivity and convenience by enabling people to interact with and command their PC just by speaking.”
Keith said DNS is particularly beneficial to students with disabilities, because it helps increase their productivity.
“DNS can help any student become more productive by allowing them to speak up to three times faster than typing,” he said. “Be it controlling the majority of the computer’s functions—including opening and closing applications, surfing the internet, or updating social networks—to composing eMails, term papers, projects or simply notes, Dragon can allow students more time to accomplish other tasks by becoming more efficient when creating content or controlling their PC.”
Gjolmesli said DNS is, in her estimation, about 99 percent accurate and requires minimal training to recognize students’ voices.
“It’s [also] a fabulous tool for someone [who] is quadriplegic or doesn’t have fine motor skills for the keyboard,” she said.
AccessSTEM
AccessSTEM, a program that encourages disabled individuals to pursue STEM careers, has been a driving force in Bellevue’s DRC. AccessSTEM was created through a National Science Foundation grant to the University of Washington in 1992. Bellevue College is one of UW’s grant partners and has been working with AccessSTEM for the last four years.
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- Disability Resource Center empowers students to unlock their full potential - March 25, 2013