Proposal

Narrative

Accessible Reading initiative for Students with Print Disabilities

The Florida Atlantic University Department of Student Accessibility Services (SAS) has successfully piloted an initiative of utilizing Apple iPads to provide accessible reading support for students with print disabilities over the past two years. Students who experience print disabilities face reading challenges presented by learning disabilities such as dyslexia where they can experience difficulty with slow reading speed, resulting in serious academic challenges for these otherwise highly capable students. Students who may have a visual impairment also experience the difficulties of a print disability due to inability to see printed textbooks. Some visually impaired students may have a limited degree of vision, which may include visual field reduction, compromised visual acuity or other challenges such as light and color sensitivity impairment or visual tracking difficulties. All of these conditions make the use of standard printed textbooks a significant challenge for these students when engaging in academic studies.

The solution we have found to be highly effective in addressing this challenge is the use of Apple iPad devices configured with appropriate reading tools geared to each specific print disability difficulty. We will utilize iPad applications that include accessible reading tools that allow audio output from input sources such as PDF files, Word documents, DAISY books and scanned and digitized accessible alternative format materials produced by the SAS. Many of the iPad print disability reading apps provide the ability to change visual contrast ratios, color inversion and enhancement, line spacing and text enhancement thus making the reading experience highly effective for students and giving an equivalent reading experience to that of non-disabled peer students. The use of Apple iPads in this process has allowed for effective implementation of text-to-speech reading tools that are cost effective and have the ability to be quickly upgraded as the need arises when superior reading apps are released. The devices also provide a small footprint for classroom use and allow students a greater degree of independence and participation when using course materials.

We are requesting the expansion of this initiative by way of this Tech Fee Proposal to include twenty additional Apple iPads with cases and a Mac Mini device to administer the resource configuration via the Apple Configurator tool. The ATRC staff at the SAS will continue to provide specialized training to the appropriate students with print disabilities to ensure full effectiveness of this implementation. This initiative will drastically improve the ability of these students to access printed materials and complete course reading assignments in an equivalent manner to that of their college peers without disabilities. The continuation of this initiative will offer a level of disability and accessibility support that will create an accessible environment that aims to continue attracting the most academically talented students with disabilities to Florida Atlantic University.

Facilities

Not applicable.

Hardware Requirements

The hardware requirements in this proposal are 20 Apple iPads with cases and one Apple Mac Mini computer to ad mister the Apple configurator tool. Student Accessibility Services will provide a monitor for this implementation. There are no other hardware requirements. All hardware meets OIT technical standards.

Software Requirements

No.

Personnel Costs

Student Accessibility Services will be using existing staff members from the Assistive Technology Resource Center (ATRC) to ?provide support, management and training with the included devices in this proposal.

Other Costs

No additional costs.

Timeline

Implementation of this program will be from June 2016 until June 2020.

Sustainability

Not applicable.

Resource Matching

Not applicable.?

Implementing Organization

Student Accessibility Services will fully implement this project with existing staff and resources.