• Resource Guide Home
• Legislation and Policies
  • What Laws Might Apply?
  • Other Employment Laws
  • Roles & Responsibilities
  • Resources: Legislation
• Identification of Accommodations
  • Workplace Assessment
  • Types of Accommodations
  • Implementation
  • Resources: Programs
  • Resources: Funding
• Motor Impairments
  • Getting Around
  • Communicating
  • Reading or Writing
  • Managing Work and Time
  • Using a Computer
  • Working in the Lab or Field
  • Case Example
• Vision Impairments
  • Getting Around
  • Communicating
  • Reading or Writing
  • Managing Work and Time
  • Using a Computer
  • Working in the Lab or Field
  • Case Example
• Communication Difficulties
  • Getting Around
  • Communicating
  • Reading or Writing
  • Managing Work and Time
  • Using a Computer
  • Working in the Lab or Field
  • Case Example
• Cognitive Impairment
  • Getting Around
  • Communicating
  • Using a Computer
• Resources: Technical Assistance
• Research Findings

Module 5: Accommodations for Communication Difficulties

Using a Computer

Many educators use computers to generate handouts, prepare lectures, and write reports. In addition, as discussed elsewhere, computer technology can assist with other tasks (e.g., electronic texts for reading). Using a computer involves being able to type or otherwise enter text, use a mouse or similar device, and read information from a computer screen.

Hearing loss or speech impairments do not impact an educator’s ability to complete these tasks. For a person who is deaf, the main challenges involve responding to auditory cues built into software and the use of multimedia.

Accommodation options may include:

General:

• Supplement audio cues with visual cues such as flashing the screen or displaying text.
  Software applications sometimes use beeps or tones to indicate that something has happened on the computer. Many operating systems have a setting to flash the computer screen or display text when an audio cue is presented.
• Select multimedia (online movies, webcasts, Flash animations) that is captioned for use in class. .
  The material should already be captioned if it is intended to be used in schools. Providing captioning after the fact is difficult, so the responsibility generally falls to software and multimedia developers, including fellow educators, (and the people who then purchase those products).
• When you must use video that is older and not captioned, obtain a transcript of the script.