Disability

Introduction

Disability is a restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being. It describes a functional limitation or activity restriction caused by impairment. Disabilities are descriptions of disturbances in function at the level of the person.

Input and Output devices for disability

• MATHS workstation
• Screen magnification software programs
• Keyboard
• Keyguards
• Headphones
• Mouse
• Screen reader
• Voice output

Physiological factors for designing the input and output devices

Some people with limited range of motion, including some with arthritis in their hands, might prefer a smaller keyboard that requires minimal reach to access the keys [4].

Keyguard should be provided for those people who with cerebral palsy have difficulty controlling their muscles enough to hit one key on the keyboard [4].

The universal language need to be taught to make it easy for blind and partially sighted people to understand mathematics [2]. The MATH workstation (provides usable access for blind and partially sighted people reading and manipulating mathematical expressions [3]) should speak the people language, with words, phrases and concepts familiar to the people rather than the system-oriented terms [5].

People who have the visual impairment, the larger monitor may be needed in order to improve their access to the Internet by using the computer [4].

The designer should use the resizable font on web page so that the font size can be changed to bigger, helping the students to read [4].

Screen reader programs should be used together with earphones to reduce the noise in the area where the programs are being used and it will maintain the privacy of the person with a visual impairment who is accessing the Internet [4].

With the help of word prediction software, a list of possible words appears on the computer screen after typing in a few letters to help students who have difficulty processing information or intellectual deficit [4]. It provides error prevention features so students will not type the wrong words [5].

People who still have difficulty getting words into the computer might benefit from speech recognition or voice input software. These programs convert speech to computer text [4]. The program should always keep the students informed about what is going on through appropriate feedback within reasonable time [5].

The colour blind colour should be avoided to use for the people who have the colour blind for their eyesight.

To help the people who have the hearing impairments, the alternative format like transcript can be provided. The headphones should be given if they want to crack up the volume so they can hear [4].

Conclusion

The input and output devices should provide for interaction with the environment which people lives and works from the aspect of effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction.

References

1. Dpa, http://www.dpa.org.sg/definition_disability.htm
2. Reha, http://www.papenmeier.de/reha/research/mathe.htm
3. Helen Cahill and John McCarthy, http://www.rit.edu/~easi/itd/itdv01n4/article4.htm
4. Dr Marilyn, http://www.thearclink.org/forlibrarians/default.htm
5. Sven Fuchs, http://www.red-eye-reduction.com/assets/511_ScreenReaders.pdf