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Empowerment through Technology: Building Inclusive Communities for Distance Learning

Explore the EmployAble project, leveraging virtual worlds to promote accessibility in education and employment. Learn about MUVE technology and its benefits, addressing barriers to distance learning. Discover how Communities of Practice facilitate solutions for inclusive design, connecting stakeholders for a world without barriers.

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Empowerment through Technology: Building Inclusive Communities for Distance Learning

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  1. Joining the 21st Century: Disability, Distance Education and New TechnologyMegan A. Conway, Ph.D.Thomas H. Conway, M.B.A.Center on Disability Studies, University of Hawaii

  2. Outline of Presentation Overview of EmployAble Project Virtual Worlds: Creating a World Without Barriers • Introduction to MUVE • Considerations for accessibility • Examples Communities of Practice to Promote Accessibility and Universal Design • Benefits and challenges to distance learning • Communities of practice to create solutions • Examples Resources M. Conway T. Conway

  3. Overview of Project EmployAble: World Without Barriers • Virtual employment center using Second Life as a platform. • 2 year innovation grant funded by the Kessler Foundation. • Partnership between University of Hawaii, Abilicorp, Virtual Ability.

  4. EmployAble Major Components/Rooms • Skill BuilderEnhancing employment skills • Match MakerBuilding connections between employees, employers, and mentors • Access InfoSupporting hiring and retention through information

  5. Creating A World Without Barriers MUVE Technology • Multiple User Environment • Avatars in a 3-D online environment • Key Benefits • Real time • Immersion • Anonymity • Interactive

  6. World Without Barriers Accessibility of MUVE • Familiarity and level of technology skills • Access to equipment, software, internet • Device output independence

  7. World Without Barriers Examples • Building specific skill sets • Accessing information about accommodations, accessibility, technology, opportunities • Bringing together people with disabilities, employers, educators, mentors

  8. Communities of Practice Benefits and Barriers to Distance Learning • Bridge barriers of distance, cost, environmental access. • Bring together teachers and learners from diverse perspectives and cultures. • Accessibility – ability to access material, content and mode of delivery • Universal Design – designing material, content and mode of delivery for best learner outcomes

  9. Communities of Practice Using COPs to Address Challenges Challenge: How do we actually implement accessibility and Universal design so that people with disabilities benefit from distance learning? COP: A group of stakeholders with diverse perspectives but a common goal.

  10. Communities of Practices Examples • Identifying individual objectives that lead to common goals. • Using social media and new technology. • Making it easy – usability and low investment. • Documenting achievements for easy implementation.

  11. Resources EmployAble www.cds.hawaii.edu/employable W3C Web Accessibility Initiative www.w3c.org/wai Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) www.cast.org Easy Chirp http://www.accessibletwitter.com/ WebAIM http://www.webaim.com Virtual Ability www.virtualability.org Radegast www.radegast.org

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