My oldest daughter, Megan, is a senior in high school and she’s also learning disabled. Joe Clark uses the term “dyslexia” to describe the vast array of cognitive impediments that inhibit learning and prevent access to various websites. My daughter’s specific condition falls within this generic, and somewhat outdated, categorization. Reading and reading comprehension is the functional problem created by her unique set disabilities. Consequently, over the course of the last year, we’ve been surveying various colleges and trying to come to grips with the range of services each institution provides. Typically, we’d make contact with each college’s disabilities coordinator to gain an appreciation for what tools were available for a student like Megan. In so doing, I was, for the first time, exposed to adaptive technologies, such as screen readers. At Salisbury University (on the Eastern Shore of Maryland), where Meg will be going to school, they make all their GEN ED textbooks accessible through a screen reader type of program. And fortunately for us, this type of assistance accommodates the majority of the issues we faced. If Megan’s disabilities were any more severe than they are, then college would not likely be an option for her. Even with these vital accomodations and enhanced accessibility, college will remain a struggle for Megan. Nevertheless, without these types of tools, my kid could never go to college. Therefore, it’s impossible for me to overstate the importance I attach to this type of web design and software application. This stuff can really change people’s lives.
