DO-IT - Technology

What is neuroethics and how does it relate to people with disabilities?

swb3 — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 17:17:47 +0000

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) Brain Initiative website, neuroethics is “a field that studies the ethical, legal, and societal implications of neuroscience.” The strategic plan for the NIH BRAIN Initiative, BRAIN 2025: A Scientific Vision, emphasizes “Although brain research entails ethical issues that are common to other areas of biomedical science, it entails special ethical considerations as well. Because the brain gives rise to consciousness, our innermost thoughts, and our most basic human needs, mechanistic studies of the brain have already resulted in new social and ethical questions.”

The questions that neuroethicists explore have vast implications for people with disabilities, who may adopt technology and drug treatments created in the field of neuroscience.

The concept of “nothing about us without us” suggests that people with disabilities should be involved in the field of neuroethics, as well as neuroscience itself, to ensure that their voices are included in critical conversations and decisions that impact people with disabilities. Including people with disabilities in neuroethics and neuroscience will also help ensure that principles of universal design (UD) are adopted as new technology is designed and developed. Through the promotion and implementation of UD, they can help ensure that neuroscience products are accessible to people with varying characteristics and abilities. For examples, view the publication Equal Access: Universal Design of Neuroscience Education and Research.

To learn more about neuroethics and how it involves people with disabilities, visit the Brain Initiative’s website about the Neuroethics Working Group, or explore postsecondary institutions to see if they have programming, such as the ��ԭ��’s Neuroethics program. View the perspective of students with disabilities as they discuss emerging technology that can enhance the human body and mind in the video presentation Technology Advancements and Disability Identity.

Adaptive educational hypermedia accommodating learning styles: A content analysis of publications from 2000 to 2011.

muszkl — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 00:05:07 +0000

By:

Akbulut, Y., & Cardak, C. S.

UD Citation:

Article or Chapter

2012

Technology

muszkl — Sat, 08 May 2021 01:13:31 +0000

By:

Burgstahler, S.

UD Citation:

Article or Chapter

30 Web Accessibility Tips

muszkl — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 23:04:09 +0000

By:

Thompson, T.

UD Citation:

Article or Chapter

A study about web accessibility in Portuguese museums: How to overcome the main difficulties.

muszkl — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 22:03:50 +0000

By:

Teixeira, P., Eusébio, C., João Carneiro, M., Lemos, D., & Teixeira, L.

UD Citation:

Article or Chapter

Applying principles of universal design to test delivery: The effect of computer-based read-aloud on test performance of high school students with learning disabilities.

muszkl — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:45:31 +0000

By:

Dolan, R. P., Hall, T. E., Banerjee, M., Chun, E., Strangman, N.

UD Citation:

Article or Chapter

2005

Course Accessibility Checklist: A Promising Practice in Helping Instructors Create Accessible Online Learning Courses

lylac — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 21:31:21 +0000

Date Updated:

05/23/22

Skagit Valley Colleges (SVC) offers online (eLearning) courses that are academically rigorous and equivalent to traditional face-to-face courses. Courses offered online are the same in terms of credits, learning objectives, competencies, content, and transferability. They are also the same when it comes to policies concerning admission requirements and accessibility assurances.

In order to assist instructors in making their online courses more universally designed and, more specifically, accessible to individuals with disabilities, staff in the eLearning department at SVC developed a course accessibility checklist. The checklist is designed for instructors to use by applying each guideline as they prepare their course. It can be used with any course that employs digital content, including those that are primarily face-to-face, hybrid, or fully online.

Items on the checklist include those listed below.

1. Textbook, syllabus, and handouts

Textbook requisition was submitted on time and is available in the bookstore.
There is a plan to provide alternative access if a textbook can’t be accessed by a student by the first day of class.
I have permission from the copyright holder to use the print and/or electronic content in my course.
Required course reserve materials are in a clear and readable format, and are available in the library on all campuses. There is an electronic version online students can access from home.
The syllabus has a disability support statement, academic integrity policy, and a list of support resources.
All handouts (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents) are accessible and are offered in both original format as well as PDF (Portable Document File) format for easy viewing and device compatibility.

2. Audio and video

All audio presentations (MP3s, CDs, or other audio formats) are available with a transcript.
All video presentations (DVDs, Panopto recordings, YouTube videos, or other video formats) are captioned.
If the top two are not possible, there is at least a work in progress to transcribe or add captions on course videos.

3. Web pages, Canvas, LMSs

There is clear layout and predictable navigation. Try to navigate through your Canvas course without using the browser “Back Button.” Keep it simple; if a student can’t find the information they want within three clicks, they can often become frustrated.
Meaningful links are used throughout the text. A good example of a link name: “Read more about Disability Access Services.” A bad example of link name: “Click Here.”
Text format uses headings and sub-headings style, and bulleted lists are used throughout the text.
No blinking and/or flashing content.
Avoid drag and drop activities that require the use of mouse.

4. Good use of colors and images

There is a strong contrast between background and text. For example, if you have a white background, use black text.
Don’t use the name of color for direction; and don’t assume that everyone can distinguish colors. For example, don’t use “See information in red” or “Click yellow button.” In contrast, use a meaningful description such as “Contact Information is found at end of the page.”
For images, graphics, and tables: Make sure you have a caption explaining what it is by including alternative (Alt) tags and/or long descriptions. For graphics that are purely decorative, include a blank Alt tag so the screen reader doesn’t read the image name.

5. Check your Canvas course for accessibility issues

Use Ally, a tool used to check common accessibility issues in files you upload in Canvas (e.g., Word documents, PDFs, and images). It scans those files, generates a report, and provides suggestions on how to fix accessibility issues. It also creates alternative formats (e.g., Audio, PDFs, HTML, and electronic braille).

6. Testing

Accommodate students requiring extended time for testing and/or provide alternative testing format as recommended by Disability Access Services.

7. Help, technology, and mobile devices

Have a training plan and/or self-help resources for students
Allow mobile devices in the classroom if they are for learning activities (e.g., taking notes, reading the textbook, and/or recording presentations.)

The course accessibility checklist is a promising practice in helping instructors create accessible digital learning opportunities. The clear and concise set of items can be reviewed before the start of each quarter, providing instructors with an easy to understand overview of some of the essential universal design elements and accessibility features to include in their courses.

For information on creating accessible distance learning courses consult the many resources linked from the AccessDL (the Center for Accessible Distance Learning) and AccessCyberlearning websites.