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Navigate: | My Mac Online | September 2000 | KnowledgeSpider Web | |
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My Mac Magazine david@mymac.com
Disability Solutions Great Internet Disability Software/Hardware Resources
I have recently seen lots of requests for help finding disability solutions on multiple email lists (some of them safety related rather than computer related). I have also recently received several requests to help find disability solutions for people at my work site. ( I don't do computer support for a living, but do actively help many people find ways to make their computers work as TOOLS rather than as time sinks, so people frequently ask me for help.) Even though there are quite a few excellent disability solutions available for nearly any situation, it appears that many people don't know about these solutions, and don't know how to find them. So I thought I would try to help get the word out about helpful products for those with disabilities or special needs. If you have personal experience with quality disability solutions that work with Mac OS (either hardware or software) please email information to me david@mymac.com. If I receive lots of good information I will do a follow up column or even a separate article to help share the information with others. Lets start our exploring at the Apple Education Disability page at http://www.apple.com/education/k12/disability Here is what Apple has to say on this subject: "Our Vision. Since 1985, when we created the industry’s first Disability Solutions Group, Apple Computer has been at the forefront of making computer technology that meets the special needs of children and adults with disabilities around the globe. It is our belief that computers do not just make people more productive, but that they have an almost magical way of increasing an individual’s independence. Self-expression. Participation. Choices. And self-esteem. "Apple is deeply committed to helping persons with special needs attain an unparalleled level of independence through a personal computer. Every Macintosh ships with rich, built-in features that support a positive user experience for persons with disabilities." This Apple web page has links to some outstanding organizations, information, and software to help those with disabilities to maximize the ease of use and functionality of computers to match their specific needs. Many of the links lead to solutions that are platform neutral or multi-platform (for you unfortunate Windows users out there). Lets explore a few of them. To start with, Mac OS itself has several features built right in to help those with disabilities use their computer more easily and productively. Apple has developed a web page with detailed information about these features at http://www.apple.com/education/k12/disability/easyaccess.html Be sure to check out these free solutions. They may be just the thing to help with your needs.For third party products, the Macintosh Assistive Technologies page at http://www.apple.com/education/k12/disability/macaccess.html has links for visual disability solutions, physical disability solutions, learning and speaking disability solutions, and special education solutions. Information about each program is available via AppleFAX. Be sure to check out a lot of the links, many of which lead to specialized pages of links themselves.If you already know of a product or company for which you need information or just want to explore specific products, the MacAccess page at http://www.apple.com/education/k12/disability/map.html is a search page that leads directly to information on several hundred products from several dozen companies.To find out new developments in third-party products for the Macintosh, and anyone with special needs, check out the links at Apple's Cutting Edge Tech page at http://www.apple.com/education/k12/disability/cutedge.htmlSince the hardware and/or software that is best for each situation is so dependent on the specific needs, we will not go into specific products in this column. However, I do want to refer you to a case study as an example of the type of things that can be accomplished using these products. Please read about it at http://www.apple.com.au/edu/specialneeds/darlingpoint.htmlI hope this helps you and those who depend on you for information to find tools to help with specialized needs. Email your stories to me so we can share them with the world. Next month we will see more of the best knowledge and information sites on the Internet. And now, KnowledgeSpider's Knowledge/Information Resource recommendation of the month: Disability Solutions: Explore the wealth of information available on Apple's Disability Resources pages at http://www.apple.com/education/k12/disability to find the best hardware and/or software for your special needs.
David E. Price
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