Software+for+special+needs

ITGS ** ** Software for special needs **
 * Ivan Mayorov 11A ** **
 * Area of Impact: Education **
 * //What means by//** **// Software for special needs //** **// ? //**

This is the type of software which allowed people with disabilities to learn, communicate with others and help children with some learning difficulties. After two laws were created, which were the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the software for special needs took place. The acts’ goal was to show that every student should have equal access to school programs and services. It calls the school to use assistive technology, where it was appropriate to achieve the goal of equal access. **// Small example of hardware and software for disabled people //** For example, students with poor muscle control can benefit from rubber pencil grips. Line magnifiers enlarge lines of type for students with impaired vision and learning disabilities. Or wireless systems amplify sounds for students with hearing impairments students, and handheld **talking dictionaries** assist students who have difficulties with reading and spelling.
 * //What are the IT systems?//**

Speech recognition software is one of the most famous ones with the text input option. The most useful and the most famous software of voice recognition is “  Speak & See Suite”. This soft ware is very useful for people with disabilities that cause difficulties using a PC, students overload with learning materials, to speed up their home and schoolwork, for users that are not native English speakers (learning English as a second language) and at the end for customers with language-based learning disabilities, or with attention deficit of hyperactivity disorders. It contains a simple and effective tool that allows the user to speak to the PC and see the words appear on the screen. The best selling speech recognition software is the most natural way for a disabled user to communicate with a PC without having to type, so it is extremely useful when the user has no hands, or if he has poor muscle control. Also this software is a real time consumer, because studies show that most people speak over 120 words per minute but type less than 40 words per minute. This means that, with speech recognition software, they can create documents and email messages up to three times faster than by simply using their voice. At the end augmentative communication software can provide a student who doesn’t speak the ability to communicate with others using text, graphics and sound. **Reading Ruler** The horizontal highlighting and magnifying band of the Reading Ruler makes it easier to see and concentrate on text or objects on screen. Items within the band can be magnified and have their contrast changed; the area outside the band can also be grayed, to make the readable text more recognitional. This tool is really useful for the not fully blind people or for old people, when their vision is getting worse.
 * IT system 1:**
 * Speech recognition tool **
 * IT system 2:**

** IT system 3: ** **Language Learning Assistant** When English is not someone’s first language, the only way they can be sure of pronunciation is to hear the spoken words – particularly when one spelling can have two different pronunciations and meanings, depending on context. This tool speaks text aloud in high-quality voices and includes bilingual dictionaries in many languages.

** IT system 4: ** ** Reading **** and Writing Support Toolbar ** Anyone who has difficulty reading or writing will find this a highly useful software tool. It makes any text more accessible, by converting it to speech as it is being read or written and delivering it in a human-sounding voice. So it is extremely useful for blind people, for example my grand father is listening for the speaking books on the radio, which go slowly, so that he can understand every single word correctly. ** IT system 5: ** **Color Overlay** Some PC users find the screen difficult to browse or read. By changing the color of the screen ‘overlay’ and varying the level of tint, this tool can provide a clearer view. That is extremely helpful for color blind people. The last **IT system 6:** **Word processor and Grid** You can put objects such as words and pictures that children can click on to add to their writing. Audio support is provided as well. If a child right clicks on any word, Clicker 5 will read that word to them Every time a full stop is added to the word processor; the program will read that entire sentence to the child. There is a lot of functionality built into this program and it is very useful: for example you can work with re-ordering words in a sentence or go right up to making talking books with embedded video. This program helps children with learning difficulties, to get better in school. Actually this program is extremely useful for any child in the first grades (1 and 2).

All this software cost in the range from 100$ to 220$ per licensed program. So this is not a cheap piece of software and many people can’t use it because of the high price. Many special schools for disabled students still do not prefer technology and one of the answers (“why they do not prefer it?”) is because they can’t support so expensive software and hardware for their students. Legality - **Copy rights** Because of the high prices on the software “Pirates” illegally copying the licensed programs and selling them on lower prices. It benefits users and it benefits “Pirates”, but the problem is that both of them do not pay taxes and the company, who actually made this program, does not get any profit, so all the benefit what “pirates” are getting they are taking it them selves. That is not only one problem; another is that customers during the use of the software can find it corrupted or even not working, so at the end they understand that they just lost their money.
 * //The Social and Ethical Issues//**
 * Economical issues -** Price

Many of these programs need internet to automatically upload some information, for example some new tests or questions for the Word processor or for the Language Learning Assistant, but to get this updates you need to register on the cite of the product, so to get in to the data base. After this they can send you piles of advertising and different information. Also it causes the problem with security of this cite, because to get new tests, sometimes you need to buy them, so if there is any danger customer can get hijacked, so that hacker will know his bank account and password to it. Software for special needs gives universal access to information and text for PC users with a range of difficulties. Anyone who experiences reading difficulties, has English as a second language, wants to learn foreign languages, or suffers from sight loss or limited vision, can benefit from the complete range of speech recognition tools, text-to-speech features, screen rulers, magnifiers and color overlays. Speech recognition software can provide help to those with upper body mobility and literacy problems, or those unable to type very well. To conclude  software for special needs gives a chance to any student to get a good education, even if that student is disabled. So if you are disabled or if you have any problems in school you always can rely on the special needs software.
 * Privacy**
 * Help for disabled people **
 * //What are the benefits of//** **// Software for special needs //** **// ? //**

** For example: **

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 * //Bibliography://**

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http://educationalsoftware.wikispaces.com/Special+Needs

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Read ch.11 – “Tomorrows technology and you”

Thanks for reading J IVAN