The role of ICTs in students with vision impairments’ transition to university

A growing number of young people with disabilities is pursuing university education. Available research on the impact of Information and Communication Technologies on this matter has mainly focused on assistive technologies and their compensatory role for the adjustment of this group of students to the tertiary setting. However, limited research has looked at the role played by digital technologies such as social media and mobile devices in the transition to university, a critical period of change for all students but more challenging for those with impairments. This paper presents the findings of an empirical study that investigated the experiences of students with vision impairments aged 18 to 24 who were transitioning to a New Zealand university. The findings draw from observations, a researcher diary, focus groups, individual interviews, and data from social media. The study found that new technologies play several enabling roles that help students to manage diverse transition challenges. These roles not only include aspects such as impairment compensation, communication, information, and learning but also support arrangement, collaboration, and social connection and participation. By incorporating in the analysis the potential of digital tools, the article updates and expands the understanding of the role of ICTs in higher education from experiences and views of young people with vision impairments

Designing a New Tactile Display Technology and its Disability Interactions

People with visual impairments have a strong desire for a refreshable tactile interface that can provide immediate access to full page of Braille and tactile graphics. Regrettably, existing devices come at a considerable expense and remain out of reach for many. The exorbitant costs associated with current tactile displays stem from their intricate design and the multitude of components needed for their construction. This underscores the pressing need for technological innovation that can enhance tactile displays, making them more accessible and available to individuals with visual impairments. This research thesis delves into the development of a novel tactile display technology known as Tacilia. This technology's necessity and prerequisites are informed by in-depth qualitative engagements with students who have visual impairments, alongside a systematic analysis of the prevailing architectures underpinning existing tactile display technologies. The evolution of Tacilia unfolds through iterative processes encompassing conceptualisation, prototyping, and evaluation. With Tacilia, three distinct products and interactive experiences are explored, empowering individuals to manually draw tactile graphics, generate digitally designed media through printing, and display these creations on a dynamic pin array display. This innovation underscores Tacilia's capability to streamline the creation of refreshable tactile displays, rendering them more fitting, usable, and economically viable for people with visual impairments

Thinking Materially: Cognition as Extended and Enacted

Human cognition is extended and enacted. Drawing the boundaries of cognition to include the resources and attributes of the body and materiality allows an examination of how these components interact with the brain as a system, especially over cultural and evolutionary spans of time. Literacy and numeracy provide examples of multigenerational, incremental change in both psychological functioning and material forms. Though we think materiality, its central role in human cognition is often unappreciated, for reasons that include conceptual distribution over multiple material forms, the unconscious transparency of cognitive activity in general, and the different temporalities of metaplastic change in neurons and cultural forms

Teaching Learners with Visual Impairment

This book, Teaching Learners with Visual Impairment, focuses on holistic support to learners with visual impairment in and beyond the classroom and school context. Special attention is given to classroom practice, learning support, curriculum differentiation and assessment practices, to mention but a few areas of focus covered in the book. In this manner, this book makes a significant contribution to the existing body of knowledge on the implementation of inclusive education policy with learners affected by visual impairment

The Internet and Journalism Practice In Nigeria

This paper looks at the implication of new technology on the practice of journalism especially the use of internet to produce disseminate and receive information The theoretical method adopted here is on the basis of McLuhan s theory of technological determinism to justify the work that more emphasize will be on the medium as technology advances in the global village The interactive nature of internet is a crucial factor while some believe its role of citizen journalism is unethical in journalism profession others opine it is sacrosanct to participatory democracy Library research method was used to generate secondary data for this paper However no new medium can send an old one to oblivion it will only be an extension of the old medium It is pertinent that online journalism ought to provide more information and in some cases provide video clips and series of pictures to back up their stories The paper recommends that media houses should train their staff on online journalism while government should provide enabling environment in the rural areas so information can get to the

Training of students with the limited possibilities of health: experience, problems, prospects

El artículo describe varios aspectos del desarrollo y aplicación de las tecnologías distantes al aplicar la psicología para estudiantes con limitadas posibilidades de salud (LPH). El artículo estudia una experiencia de formación de estudiantes con limitadas posibilidades de salud (LPH) en el departamento de formación a distancia de la Universidad de Psicopedagogía de Moscú. Se presta gran atención a la apertura de las orientaciones básicas de apoyo psicopedagógico a los estudiantes con LPH, elaborando un programa de mediciones socioculturales a la hora de resolver los problemas de rehabilitación social y profesional de los estudiantes.The article describes various aspects of development and application of the distant technologies when training psychology for students with the limited possibilities of health (LPH). The article studies an experience of students’ training at the distant training department of the Moscow city psychopedagogical University with the limited possibilities of health (LPH). A great attention is paid to the opening of the basic directions of a psycho-pedagogical support for students with LPH, working out of a program on socio-cultural measurements when solving the matters of students’ social and professional rehabilitation.peerReviewe

What integrated working practices support or hinder effective referral pathways from health to education services for blind and partially sighted babies and young children? (Sharing our experience, Practitioner-led research 2008-2009; PLR0809/026)

Evidence indicates that young children and parents benefit from receiving specialist visual impairment (VI) education service support from an early stage following identification of a child’s sight condition. Early referral is key to this. Although there are screening protocols for some very specific eye conditions, such as retinopathy of prematurity, there is no vision equivalent to Universal Newborn Hearing Screening with its related referral guidance. The aims of the research were to identify the pathways for referring blind and partially sighted babies and children from Health to Education; and explore models of effective practice in three VI services, i.e. one inner city authority in the east, one rural authority in the west, and a consortium from the south. The first stage of the research was a literature review in order to identify the pathways for referring blind and partially sighted babies and children from Health to Education. The second part of the study sought to address the second aim: to identify models of good practice in a small sample of local authorities and where there were delays in referring from Health to Education to understand the reasons for these delays. As a result of the study, it is recommended that key factors should be in place to support integrated working practices between Health and Education to facilitate effective referral procedures. These factors should include: • an embedded Early Support or a Team around the Child approach; • established multi-agency groups with a focus on visual impairment; • the appointment of a paediatric ophthalmologist to lead on children's issues; • attendance by VI service staff or ECLO at paediatric eye clinics; • incorporating hearing and vision services into LA sensory support services. These should be set out in written agreed protocols between LA education services and Health