[senit] Safari on PC

Now this is the first time I've seen anyone mention Universal Design for

Jamie: 

I think the name is typically "less familiar" but I think the concept isn't 
foreign. For those unfamiliar one of the key concepts behind UDL is the 
separation of diagnosis from tool choice - the idea that students will pick 
the technologies they need to support their learning, and that these tools 
will be "universally" available. 

A great example is the many different ways Read-and-Write might be used to 
support all kinds of student needs, and not just in SEN-identified children. 

Another, where this conversation began, is my example of Firefox with 
add-ins. Yes, Click-Speak can read whole passages or whole pages to the 
dyslexic student, but a right-click and the reading aloud of an unfamiliar 
word can build sight-word vocabulary for anyone, as the right-click 
dictionaries can support any learner, as the use of Google notebooks can 
help anyone research and organise. 

For myself, one essential part of this - in practice - is absorbing the 
ubiquitous devices of the age into our work with students. Many students, 
for example, can "type" more effectively on their mobile because word 
prediction is included. Spinvox (or Jott in the US) makes (sort of) speech 
recognition a universal and universally available) solution. And so on... 

But to fully understand the UDL idea we have to move away from "privileging 
methods" - reading "ink-on-paper" is not "better" than listening to an 
audiofile or using a digital text reader. Writing on a keyboard is not what 
everyone needs - any method which successfully gets the words "down" works. 
This school chosen chair is not "better" than that student choice. And we 
give those choices to students, we do not (necessarily) make those choices 
based on some medical definition of disability. 

Of course Jamie - who has worked with CAST (which I have not) can surely add 
to or correct this. But to me, UDL allows us to begin to move away from 
labelling, away from stigmas, away from the "medical model," and towards 
treating all students as the individuals they are - each with their own 
strengths, weaknesses, gifts, and special needs. 

Ira 

Jamie Munro writes: 

> Now this is the first time I've seen anyone mention Universal Design for
> Learning (UDL) on this list, we work extensively with the Center for Applied
> Special Technology in the US (who came up with the concept).  Are people in
> the UK familiar with UDL? 
> 
> Jamie 
> 
> 
>> From: Ira David Socol <socolira at msu.edu>
>> Reply-To: <senit at lists.becta.org.uk>
>> Date: Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:14:29 -0400
>> To: <senit at lists.becta.org.uk>
>> Subject: Re: [senit] Safari on PC 
>> 
>> I just want to add a public comment - one which I made privately "off-list"
>> as asked, but I think it is important. 
>> 
>> My concerns with Apple accessibility apply - in broad terms - to universal
>> design solutions that would be principally important within inclusive
>> environments, and specifically to support for smaller technology developers
>> since the arrival of OSX. That does not suggest that I think Apple systems
>> are less intuitive, less easy to learn, or less appropriate for a wide range
>> of users. I do indeed think much of their software in superb, and have used
>> it extensively. So, I apologise for not 'speaking' more clearly. 
>> 
>> That said, I still believe that the corporate and programming attitudes of
>> the two companies (Microsoft and Apple) differ when it comes to Universal
>> Design for Learning and making it easy for developers to build third party
>> solutions, and that this is why - in the fields in which I primarily work -
>> there are often so many more Windows options than Mac options. However, I am
>> an absolute believer in the theory that there is no single solution which
>> works for "everyone" or even for "anyone in everyplace." We make our
>> technology decisions based on the individual needs and skills of our
>> students.  
>> 
>> Ira  
>> 
>> Claire Barnes writes: 
>> 
>>> 
>>> I too found this a really interesting and informative discussion that was
>>> conducted very professionally. 
>>> 
>>> Thanks,  
>>> 
>>> Claire Barnes  
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: webmaster at aylesburyvale-sec.bucks.sch.uk
>>> [mailto:webmaster at aylesburyvale-sec.bucks.sch.uk]
>>> Sent: 01 April 2008 13:46
>>> To: Jamie Munro; senit at lists.becta.org.uk;
>>> webmaster at aylesburyvale-sec.bucks.sch.uk; aph at misnet.co.uk
>>> Subject: Re: [senit] Safari on PC 
>>> 
>>> Thank you for that informative and really interesting post. 
>>> 
>>> I'm glad that you obviously haven't received the same email
>>> telling you to take this discussion off-list that others
>>> have  
>>> 
>>> Looking back over all the emails in this discussion I think
>>> they are all interesting, polite and informative and I can
>>> see no reason why they are off-topic. 
>>> 
>>> This email is probably the first that is! 
>>> 
>>> Thank you to all who have commented on this thread and
>>> therefore taken my knowledge forward. That is what, to me,
>>> this forum is all about. 
>>> 
>>> Mark  
>>> 
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: Jamie Munro <jmunro at djsn.co.uk>
>>> To: <senit at lists.becta.org.uk>,
>>> "webmaster at aylesburyvale-sec.bucks.sch.uk"
>>> <webmaster at aylesburyvale-sec.bucks.sch.uk>,
>>> <aph at misnet.co.uk>
>>> Subject: Re: [senit] Safari on PC
>>> Date: 01-Apr-2008 10:59:23 +0100 
>>> 
>>>> Do Apple do less to support students with special needs? 
>>>> 
>>>> On a personal note, I've worked with Macs since they first
>>>> came out in 1984 and have always found that Apple looked
>>>> to accessibility before any of it's rivals did.  The Mac
>>>> OS had a screen enlarger , CloseView, and facilities such
>>>> as "Sticky Keys" in the OS way back in 1985. 
>>>> 
>>>> I believe that Apple Computers were sponsors of the
>>>> Disabled Children's Computer Group (DCCG) when it stared
>>>> in 1983.  
>>>> 
>>>> Apple used to produce a very weighty tome, "Apple Computer
>>>> Resources in Special Education and Rehabilitation" back in
>>>> the eighties and nineties. 
>>>> 
>>>> In 1993 I was part of a group Apple took to Cupertino from
>>>> around the world to discuss access issues. 
>>>> 
>>>> Indeed from my recollection it wasn't until the Americans
>>>> with Disabilities Act of 1990 included the provision that
>>>> any company providing computers to the American Government
>>>> had to demonstrate accessibility that most other computer
>>>> manufacturers took any notice of accessibility at all. (I
>>>> say most, there were some notable exceptions such as IBM) 
>>>> 
>>>> Now you could say that they may not seem as proactive as
>>>> they used to be, I certainly don't have as much direct
>>>> contact with them in the UK as I used to have.  But then I
>>>> don't have much contact with Microsoft directly either 
>>>> 
>>>> On the commercial side, as a company we provide our
>>>> products for students with learning difficulties on both
>>>> Mac and Windows platforms.  We used to be a purely Mac
>>>> only developer, certainly back when Apple used to have
>>>> about 70% of the US education market.  I can say we have
>>>> had good and bad experiences with both Apple and
>>>> Microsoft.  
>>>> 
>>>> By coincidence on my desk in front of me I have a new
>>>> BECTA report on using "digital creativity" to engage
>>>> students with behavioural, emotional and social
>>>> difficulties from Liverpool University. I notice that was
>>>> sponsored by Apple. 
>>>> 
>>>> Jamie  
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> -- 
>>>> Jamie Munro
>>>> Managing Director
>>>> Don Johnston Ltd.
>>>> 18/19 Clarendon Court
>>>> Calver Road
>>>> Winwick Quay
>>>> Warrington WA2 8QP
>>>> Company Registration Number 2899525
>>>> Telephone: 01925 256500
>>>> Fax: 01925 241745
>>>> Mobile Telephone: 0772 0845428
>>>> email: jmunro at djsn.co.uk 
>>>> 
>>>>> From: "webmaster at aylesburyvale-sec.bucks.sch.uk"
>>>>> <webmaster at aylesburyvale-sec.bucks.sch.uk>
>>>>> Reply-To: <senit at lists.becta.org.uk>
>>>>> Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:39:01 GMT
>>>>> To: <senit at lists.becta.org.uk>, <aph at misnet.co.uk>
>>>>> Subject: Re: [senit] Safari on PC 
>>>>> 
>>>>> From: "Ira David Socol" <socolira at msu.edu>
>>>>>> as with most Apple
>>>>>> products - accessibility is an afterthought,  if
>>>> thought >> of at all.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Whilst I agree that Firefox is a more accessible browser
>>>>> than Safari (if slower) I must say that your last
>>>>> sentence is complete nonsense. 
>>>>> 
>>>>> Apple have always striven to make their products very
>>>>> user friendly. This benefits everyone regardless of your
>>>>> 'ability'. A 'typical SEN' student (if there is such a
>>>>> thing) finds 'Pages' easier to use than 'Word' but then
>>>>> so would a 'non SEN' (again if there is such a thing)
>>>>> user. 
>>>>> There are a number of features built into the OS which
>>>>> are specifically designed to increase accessibility. 
>>>>> 
>>>>> I use both Macs and PCs (though modern Macs are PCs, the
>>>>> main difference being that the are capable of running
>>>>> OSX) and you couldn't really persuade me that windows is
>>>>> more accessible other than in the sense that there is a
>>>>> wider selection of software available on the Windows
>>>>> platform. 
>>>>> Mark 
>>>>> 
>>>>>  
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> --
>>>>> Mark Norwood
>>>>> Assistant Headteacher
>>>>> www.avssc.org 
>>>>> 
>>>>>  
>>>>> 
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>>> 
>>> --
>>> Mark Norwood
>>> Assistant Headteacher
>>> www.avssc.org  
>>> 
>>> 
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>>>   
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>>>   
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>>> 
>>   
>> 
>> 
>> Ira David Socol
>> Special Education Technology Scholar
>> CEPSE
>> College of Education
>> Michigan State University
>> socolira at msu.edu
>> http://speedchange.blogspot.com/ 
>> 
>>  
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> 
>  
> 
> 

Ira David Socol
Special Education Technology Scholar
CEPSE
College of Education
Michigan State University
socolira at msu.edu
http://speedchange.blogspot.com/ 