IT+solutions+for+disabled+people

__**IT SOLUTIONS FOR DISABLED PEOPLE**__ By: Lana Bilani

We usually associate diabled people as impaired individuals that, in some way, their physical or mental disabilities hinder their abilities to function normally (whether it be deaf, numb, blind or physicaly handicaped). However, the useful term that appears here is the adaptive technology which is pretty much anything that modifies existing hardware or software for use of a disabled person. It doesn’t have to be anything special – a mouse with a modified trackball can constitute as adaptive technology. Screen Readers and Magnifiers are two examples of adaptive technology relevant to Web development.



Advantages and Disadvantages

Disadvantages:
 * allows people with disabilities to have access to the daily information
 * helps to bring down cultural and geographical boundries
 * extends human faculties
 * the designs are followed by a set of legislation to create an appropriate solution
 * communication with the outside world


 * some of the products are not reliable enough, sometimes resulting in misinterpretation from the users's signals
 * the software and hardware designed for impaired people is still very expensive
 * not widely available
 * lack of security features
 * hardware is quite expensive
 * some software may misguide the user if not properly operated

Social and Ethical issues
 * Reliability**


 * Many of the devices are still in the development stage and may become unreliable if used incorrectly.A person using a screen reader must ensure that the machine works in the first place, if it is calibrated correctly, speech recognition software has some issues and may become unreliable if it misinterprets the speech being used.
 * Integrity**


 * n/a
 * Security**


 * The degree of security of information systems determines society’s confidence in the information contained in the systems. Many times the hardware designed does not include any security features. This way the data of the impaired people becomes less secure and could be stolen more easily.
 * Privacy and Anonymity**


 * Allows privacy
 * People from the outside do not need to know about the disabilities
 * Authenticity**


 * n/a
 * Intellectual Property**

N/A
 * n/a
 * Equality of Access**
 * IT has the potential to offer universal access to information, regardless of distance, age, race, gender or other personal characteristics.(IBO 2006).
 * Many of the developing and existing IT solutions enable the disabled people to access the information stored on the electronic devices much easier than before.
 * A blind person can now use braille's keyboard and not even have a screen to write e-mails or explore the websites.
 * The gap between the technology and the impaired is smaller
 * Many of the IT systems bring hope to people who cannot use the computers as easily as normal individuals.
 * Control**
 * Globalization and Cultural Diversity**


 * Easier communication and the improved ease of use of the IT solutions enable the impaired people to break down the boundries. Now they can access the Internet and use its resources to find out about the current news,exchange emails from other countries etc.
 * Policies and Standards**


 * When it comes to designing the products and the IT devices, the manufacturer's have to follow the Safety and Ergonomic standards when creating the products. Impaired people must be able to use the software and hardware with least complications.
 * People and Machines**

Mainly the designers are still responsible for delivering the most reliable and up-to date IT solutions.
 * Who controls the design of technology and the pace of its introduction?

The designs are relatively safe and greatly increase the effectiveness of accessing the digital devices.
 * How safe and effective is the design?

and lead to mass unemployment? In that case, the technology greatly enhances the human faculties and gives hope to people who were not able to use the computers before because of certain circumstances.
 * Is technology going to extend human faculties and make work easier and more pleasant, or are machines going to displace humans

It is being use appropriately.
 * Is technology used appropriately, or should a better, possibly non-technological alternative be found?


 * Which areas of human endeavour are best served by IT systems?

**__PRESENTATION__**

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These are links to a website where you cna purchase adaptive technology and the second link is to a bbc news article about a father who designed a software for his son who has a disorder in order for him to speak and communicate. the software is calles [|Speak4me]



This is the powerpoint Slideshow used as a presentation in class. it discusses all the advantages and disadvantages and social and ethical issues of adaptive technology. it also has statistics of users of adaptive technology and how they are paid for. ENJOY :D