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Marty,
A Case Study
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| Marty is an adult who is
working in a computer reservations office for a national hotel chain for
his work study program in high school. Marty has a severe physical
disability due to a congenital birth defect. He has unusually shortened
arms and legs and is unable to walk or stand upright but drives a
motorized wheelchair around the town and is getting his own car soon that
will have customized accelerators and braking controls. His hands,
although complete with five fingers each, are of limited use. He can use
his hands to stabilize objects (cans of food, books, etc.) by pressing the
object against another firm surface, to control his wheelchair, he uses a
joystick switch, and as an aid in readjusting his position to prevent
pressure sores. Marty is not able to write with his hands; rather, he
writes by holding a pen in his mouth. Marty uses a mouthstick to input
information into a computer at work and in school. This is very slow and
effortful. He is in need of your assistance in modifying his computer so
that he is more productive at his work site.
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| What computer barriers
will Marty likely face using the unmodified computer at his worksite?
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| First, the case study
indicates that Marty uses a mouthstick to input information into his
computer at work, therefore, it seems his computer is
modified. A mouthstick permits the individual to input information and to
control the cursor on the computer screen.
However, Marty may still face other barriers using the computer at
his worksite. The mouthstick may present a communication barrier when
Marty is required to talk and write at the same time. |
| How should his computer be modified to meet his needs? Marty
may be able to complete his tasks more efficiently if he has voice
recognition products available for his use at work. Voice recognition
software and hardware permit the individual to speak directly to the
computer, as the software translates the spoken word into letters, words,
and computer commands. |
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One
specific example of voice recognition software is Dragon Naturally Speaking® which
enables disabled
PC users to optimize productivity with their PCs. Dragon Naturally Speaking® speeds
up routine tasks on the PC, such as creating documents, entering data,
launching applications, sending e-mail, completing forms, and browsing the
Web. Marty can complete ‘hotel
reservations’ tasks by speaking and recording up to 160
words-per-minute.
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What
specific technology may help Marty when he is using his computer? The
following is a list of technical requirements necessary for Marty to use
Dragon Naturally speaking®:
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Intel®
Pentium® III / 500 MHz processor (or equivalent AMD processor)
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128
MB RAM
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300
MB free hard disk space
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Microsoft®
Windows® XP, Millennium, 2000, 98 SE, or Windows NT® 4.0 (with SP-6
or greater)
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Creative®
Labs Sound Blaster® 16 or equivalent sound card supporting 16-bit
recording
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Microsoft®
Internet Explorer 5 or higher (free download available at www.microsoft.com)
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CD-ROM
drive (required for installation)
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ScanSoft-approved
noise-canceling headset microphone (included)
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Speakers
(required for playback of recorded speech and text-to-speech features)
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| How much training do you
think he will need to use the device (i.e., how easy is it for you to
understand the device from your research on the web)?
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| A Dragon NaturallySpeaking®
Training Center (DTC) is a ScanSoft Applications Solutions Partner with
one or more Dragon NaturallySpeaking® Instructors on staff ready to train
end-users on Dragon NaturallySpeaking®. A DTC has one or more classrooms
dedicated to the training of Dragon NaturallySpeaking®. Training can be
conducted as a one-on-one session or in classroom style, depending on your
individual needs. |
| Online Support Options are
also available.
A Knowledge Base provides answers to frequently asked questions.
Online user guides are available, and an online community
facilities online
forums for posting questions and sharing ideas with peers and experts.
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| The Hotel employer will be
addressing ADA and Section 508 mandates
by purchasing the necessary software and hardware for Marty to use the Dragon
NaturallySpeakingâ
products.
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| Product
information is available on the web: http://www.scansoft.com/naturallyspeaking/ |
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Adam~
An summary of a case study
Adam used a "noisy" six-key
brailler to take notes and do writing assignments in his 7th grade
classroom.
In 1986 a microbrailler was purchased for
Adam to input, store, and print information. The microbrailler never
functioned properly.
In 10th grade Adam began using an MS-DOS
laptop with speech output. He wore headphones so as not to disturb
the class.
Adam currently uses a similar laptop with
speech output.
Adam recognizes that human support is more
important than any technology support.
Adam's story is an excellent example of a 'team' of people (his mom,
Mr. Jackson and himself) working collaboratively to determine his
needs and implement the best possible accommodations to help foster
his learning.
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