Browsing by Subject "assistive technology"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    Accessibility of academic libraries for students living with disabilities in selected South African Universities
    (2025) Du Toit, Sarah; Shongwe, Mzwandile
    Grounded in the social model of disability (Oliver, 1990), this study assessed the accessibility of academic libraries for students living with disabilities (SWDs) in selected South African universities. Academic libraries are central to higher education, yet systemic, physical and technological barriers often hinder access for students with mobility and visual impairments. The study investigated how academic libraries facilitate accessibility and inclusion for these students by evaluating their ability to engage with library services without assistance. The research adopted a qualitative multiple case study design, focusing on two South African universities: the University of Cape Town and the University of the Western Cape. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eighteen participants, comprising four library staff members and fourteen SWDs, alongside non-participant observation and document analysis. Non-participant observation was conducted in various library spaces to examine the accessibility of building entrances, service desks, computer workstations, signage, shelving arrangements and the availability and use of assistive technologies. The analysed documents included UCT's Disability Policy (2021), Transformation Report (2023), and Disability Policy Council Report (2022), as well as UWC's Policy on Students with Disability (2007) and Library Annual Report (2021). The study was guided by the following key objectives: to examine the accessibility measures currently implemented in academic libraries, evaluate existing policies supporting physically and visually impaired students, identify physical and non-physical barriers to access and assess the role of library staff and assistive technologies in creating inclusive learning environments. Findings revealed that while various accessibility measures and assistive technologies are available, gaps remain in the areas of infrastructure, staff training and institutional policy implementation. Contributing factors included financial constraints, limited awareness and inconsistent institutional commitment. The study recommended the development of formal accessibility policies, dedicated funding for accessibility initiatives, targeted training programmes for library staff and structured feedback mechanisms to strengthen inclusive service delivery. This research contributes to the discourse on disability inclusion in higher education and offers recommendations for improving academic library services for SWDs in South Africa.
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    TEDI 3 Week 2 - Visual Efficiency and Compensatory Academic Skills
    (2019-06-01) Viljoen, Hestelle
    In this video, Hestelle Viljoen discusses two topics from the Expanded Core Curriculum for visually-impaired learners, namely visual efficiency and compensatory academic skills. Visual efficiency refers to making full use of the residual sight that low-vision learners have in order to maximise their learning. This can include high-contrast, large print, or other interventions that support their learning. Compensatory academic skills refer to the additional skills a learner with visual impairment needs to develop in order to access the curriculum, which can include various hardware and software such as text-to-speech programmes, text magnifiers, and other assistive technology. Hestelle also discusses how to develop pedagogical techniques that help learners navigate a society developed with sighted people in mind - such as the use of visual signposting, or information conveyed by visual graphs. She discusses how to include multi-modal educational techniques incorporating audio, tactile learning elements, and braille, to help convey information that would otherwise be conveyed visually, and practical ways of modifying visual content in order to support learning.
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    TEDI 3 Week 3 - Assistive Devices for Learners with Low Vision
    (2019-06-01) Webster, Jennifer
    In this video, Jan Webster discusses the use of assistive devices specifically designed for users with low vision. She discusses basic devices (such as tinted glasses and caps) that reduce glare and increase contrast, allowing learners with low vision to see more easily. She also discusses natural and artificial light in the classroom, and how to use devices such as headlamps in the classroom. She discusses the use of colour and contrast in learning materials, from image design to the use of different colours of paper and ink to the size of text and images in learning materials. Lastly, she discusses how to use simple stationery and household items to make DIY assistive devices to support learning in a cost-effective way. She does stress the importance of developing a supportive learning environment through the use of classroom activities and discussion to normalise the use of assistive technologies and devices in the learning environment.
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    TEDI 3 Week 3 - Being Smart About Assistive Technology
    (2019-06-01) Watermeyer, Brian
    In this video, Brian Watermeyer discusses assistive technology (particularly high-tech digital equipment) and its use in the modern classroom. He discusses the different kinds of technology available, including free add-ons to existing ubiquitous technology (such as smartphones), and how a teacher can assess a visually-impaired learner and determine with them what kind of assistive technology might help them in their studies. He stresses that assistive technology can allow visually-impaired people to access cultural artefacts (such as books) in order to participate more fully in society. Lastly, he stresses the importance of teaching appropriate digital literacy skills for visually-impaired learners to allow them to make use of the appropriate assistive technology.
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    TEDI 3 Week 3 - Common High Technology Devices
    (2019-06-01) Webster, Jennifer
    In this video, Jennifer Webster discusses the digital assistive technology she uses as a visually-impaired person. She discusses how to use common accessibility features such as free screen readers available on Apple and Android devices, barcode readers and other specialised software that can provide information about items and identify common items like currency, and more sophisticated devices such as handwriting readers. She discusses several paid-for services that can be used on devices as well and the more advanced features they offer users. She demonstrates how to use cradles and stands in conjunctions with some of these tools that can be used to scan physical texts (books, etc) and convert them into screen-readable text.
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    TEDI 3 Week 3 - Low Technology and Purpose-built Assistive Devices
    (2019-06-01) Leteane, Benedict
    In this video, Benedict Leteane shares his experience of using three pieces of assistive technology for visually-impaired learners. He covers the use of the Perkins Brailler, a mechanical typewriter that learners with visual impairments can use to write independently. Secondly, he discusses the Orbit Reader 20, a digital/electronic version of the Perkins Brailler which also includes file management services. Lastly he discusses JAWS (Job Access with Speech), a computer screen reader that either reads out text on screen or provides a refreshable braille interface.
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    TEDI 3 Week 3 - Providing Learning and Teaching Support Material Creatively
    (2019-06-01) Verhoef, Suna
    In this video, Suna Verhoef discusses providing Learning and Teaching Support Material in a creative way. She discusses her own experiences with a lack of specialised training for educating learners with visual disabilities, and her experiences with engaging with the Expanded Core Curriculum in her class with her learners. She discusses her experience in adjusting a class on the trans-Saharan trade routes to include learning support materials that would cater for children with visual disabilities, including the use of physical props, sound clips of appropriate audio, and physical learning activities such as roleplay. She discusses how the Expanded Core Curriculum provided a framework for reworking a lesson to incorporate life and social skills that made the lesson more effective and improved the quality of learning for her students.
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    Towards communication and information access for deaf people
    (South African Computer Society, 2014) Blake, Edwin; Tucker, William; Glaser, Meryl
    In tightly circumscribed communication situations an interactive system resident on a mobile device can assist Deaf people with their communication and information needs. The Deaf users considered here use South African Sign Language and information is conveyed by a collection of pre-recorded video clips and images. The system was developed according to our method of community-based co-design. We present several stages of the development as a series of case studies and highlight our experience. The first stage involved ethnographically inspired methods such as cultural probes. In the next stage we co-designed a medical consultation system that was ultimately dropped for technical reasons. A smaller system was developed for pharmaceutical dispensing and successfully implemented and tested. It now awaits deployment in an actual pharmacy. We also developed a preliminary authoring tool to tackle the problem of content generation for interactive computer literacy training. We are also working on another medical health information tool. We intend that a generic authoring tool be able to generate mobile applications for all of these scenarios. These mobile applications bridge communication gaps for Deaf people via accessible and affordable assistive technology.