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Development of Assistive Technology role at the University of Strathclyde

Development of Assistive Technology role at the University of Strathclyde. Chris McKenzie Assistive Technology Adviser chris.g.mckenzie@strath.ac.uk. AT development in Context. AT team growth number of disabled students legislation and sector developments AT role and functions

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Development of Assistive Technology role at the University of Strathclyde

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  1. Development of Assistive Technology role at the University of Strathclyde Chris McKenzie Assistive Technology Adviser chris.g.mckenzie@strath.ac.uk

  2. AT development in Context • AT team growth • number of disabled students • legislation and sector developments • AT role and functions • university information systems • inclusive mainstream services

  3. Development of the AT team

  4. Development of the AT team Pre – 1998 • Shona Cameron (Manager of Centre for Educational System – CES Information Services) supported Disability Service in supporting technology requirements of disabled students • Set up AT Room in library purchased specialist AT equipment (government grant) • By 1998 the technology support required had increased to point where a full-time post was required.

  5. Development of the AT team • Aug 1998 first AT adviser appointed • Aug 2002 second AT adviser appointed • Sept 2002 education exemption removed reasonable adjustments; anticipatory duty • Aug 2007 third AT adviser appointed • Introduced joint needs assessment using Toolkit in 2006/07 • Aug 2008 AT assistant appointed • Purchasing support taken up by AT assistant • 2002 (0.2FT) IT training team

  6. Development of the AT team • Aug 1998 first AT adviser appointed • Within 1 year all assessments were conducted in-house • Developed AT Training • Upgraded AT Resource room • Piloted Assistive Software in centrally managed labs • Launched Disabled Student Requirements System

  7. Development of the AT team • Aug 2002 second AT adviser appointed • Student numbers increasing • Technology Assessments ongoing • Training & Purchasing Support • Development of module on ‘Inclusive Curriculum’ • Toolkit for Needs Assessments (pilot 2005) • Strathclyde Laptop Initiative • Video Captioning • ‘Web Lectures’ • Scanning Service

  8. Development of the AT team • Aug 2007 third AT adviser appointed • Carol Howieson re-graded to AT Manager (less student contact) • Student numbers increasing • Technology Assessments ongoing • Development of Effective Learning Programme • Purchasing, Setup, orientation and collection – pressure on staff due to purchasing support

  9. Development of the AT team • Aug 2008 AT Assistant appointed • Driver: to allow AT staff to develop AT support for students and departments. • Equipment Setup and software installation • Development of Loan Pool • Management of purchasing support systems • 2011/12 PECOS online procurement system

  10. Development of the AT services • Loan/trials testing ongoing • 2008/09 Transition programme students with Aspergers’ • 2009/10 ELP taught programme • 2009/10 ADR process introduced • 2009/10 Waiting list management • 2010/11 Live Remote Captioning Service • 2011/12 Pathway myplace class • 2011/12 ELP myplace class • 2011/12 Enhanced waiting list Management with Pathway and ELP myplace classes • 2011/12 Dedicated Print assessments • 2011/12 Provisional adjustments • 2012/13 Departmental Disability Contact myplace class • New – sign-on screen

  11. Student numbers • Increasing year on year • Approaching 50% increase in student numbers since 2007 (2007: 822, 2013: 1212)

  12. Legislation and Sector Developments • 1995 Disability Discrimination Act • 1999 QAA standards disabled students • 2002 education exemption removed SENDA - reasonable adjustments; anticipatory duty • 2003 Auxiliary Aids and Services • 2005 Disability Equality Scheme • December 2005 Toolkit pilot • 2010 Equality Act • 2011 Single Equality Duty

  13. AT strategic objective To provide first class assistive technology support to disabled students • To enable students to maximise their independent participation in their course: • work with student to determine solutions to reduce the impact of their impairment on study • work across institution to develop inclusive services • guide department on accessible resources

  14. Timeliness is everything Work to academic calendar. For students’ requirements to be met as they start their course you require: • early identification of disabled students • timely assessment of students’ requirements • support pre-assessment – not all students can be assessed pre course start date.

  15. Early identification of disabled student • Applicant Extract • Disabled students requirements system • provisional adjustments

  16. ii. Timely assessment of students’ requirements • waiting list management (2011/12) • joint assessment (introduced 2006/07) • 2013/14 - single needs assessments for dyslexic students to increase throughput • retain joint needs assessment for other disability categories.

  17. iii. Support pre-assessment • Provisional adjustments • AT software in centrally-managed computer labs • AT software in departmental computer labs • Assistive Technologies Room • On-site AT training • Disability Resource Development Fund (DRDF) • Pathway (Myplace class signposting services) • Effective Learning Programme (ELP)

  18. AT Adviser – needs assessment • Asses technology requirements to minimise impact of disability on study and promote independent study. Consider: • Reading • Note taking • Writing • Researching • Organisation • IT competence • Myplace classes, e-texts • Library catalogue, journal, databases • Departmental and institutional provision (DRDF)

  19. AT Support – needs met model • needs assessment • advance purchasing • loan and trial • on-campus provision • training • Disability Resource Development Fund (DRDF) • purchasing support • orientation and collection • Evaluation • Research of emerging technologies, alternative devices for adviser development and informed assessment

  20. AT specific budgets • Development budget (premium funding) • site-licenced assistive software (JAWS; ZoomText; Read&Write Gold; Mind Genius (with take-home licence); Browse Aloud) • demonstration and trial equipment • loan equipment • Advance Purchase budget (core funds) • Allows advance purchase with condition that funds will be returned on receipt of DSA • Salaries (0.5FT AT, 1FT ATAss) (DSA fees funding) • Disability Resource Development Fund (DRDF) (premium funding)

  21. mainstreaming inclusion QAA 1999 – ethos to support the development of inclusive service provision within the areas of expertise 4 examples where AT supported the development of mainstream inclusive services: • working with IT Services • working with IT training team • working with teaching space support • working with Scanning service

  22. 1. IT services mainstreaming inclusion AT advisors working with IT services: • IT service take over management of AT Room • AT on campus network • Software download (includes AT) • AT on departmental labs • Innovative IT provision (e.g. library discussion spaces collaborative stations) include AT • IT Help Desk provision of extended service for disabled students

  23. 2. In house AT training • rolling AT training programme • available pre-assessment • available pre-award • can take repeated sessions • Builds IT training team capacity • AT training within staff development programme • Supports roll-out of AT on-campus centrally managed labs • Supports roll-out of AT to departmental labs (software download) • guidance on accessibility within all training materials • development of training courses specifically to develop inclusive practice – Accessible Word and PDF

  24. 3. Teaching Space Support Based within Learning Services (2004 to 2009), the wider team became mindful of accessibility and felt a moral duty to create the following services: • Captioned video • Transcription service • Lecture recording • LRC Live Remote Captioning • Accessible teaching delivery AMX, radio microphones

  25. 4. Scanning Service University adopted CLA scanning licence in 2006 and developed the Scanning Service to scan materials for the VLE in compliance with legislation. • Incorporated service to provide accessible materials for students who are blind or have low vision. • AT support to develop service and ensure service provision is accessible and to train students. • Capacity to provide students required reading as accessible e-texts, on time, despite removal of DSA funding for transcription. • AT introduced print assessments in 2010 as an extension to needs assessment for visually impaired students.

  26. Discussion

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