Computers and the Disabled

Computers and the Disabled


The computer age has changed many things for many people, but
for the disabled the computer has ultimately changed their entire
life. Not only has it made life exceedingly easier for all disabled
age groups, it has also made them able to be more employable in the
work force. Previously unemployable people can now gain the self
esteem from fully supporting themselves. Computers have given them
the advantages of motion were it had not previously existed.
Disabled children now have the advantage to grow up knowing that
they can one day be a competent adult, that won't have to rely on
someone else for their every need. Windows 95 has made many
interesting developments toward making life easier for the nearly
blind and for the deaf, including on screen text to synthesize
speech or Braille, and adaptive hardware that transforms a
computers audible cues into a visual format. Computers have given
the limited back their freedom to be an active part of the human
race.
According to the Americans with Disabilities Acts, any office
that has a staff of more than fifteen people now has to provide
adaptive hardware and software on their computers, so that workers
with disabilities can accomplish many tasks independently. Before
this Act was passed the disabled were normally passed over for jobs
because of their handicap, now however employers can be assured
that people with disabilities can work in the work place just like
people without disabilities. The self esteem disabled individuals
have gained from the experience to work and be self supporting, is
immeasurable.
Computerized wheelchairs have given disabled people a whole new
perception on life. It has given them the mobility to go just about
anywhere they want to go. It has given them the ability to explore
an unknown world, and progress intellectually as well as
spiritually. Computerized vans allow many disabled people to drive,
by having onboard computerized lifts to place the disabled in the
driver's seat. Movement sensitive hardware, as well as computerized
shifting devices allows the disable to control the van with very
little physical movement. Children with disabilities now have
access to many computerized devices that enable them to move freely
in their home as well as outside. The battery operated bigfoot
truck, much like the ones that we buy for our own children to play
on have been adapted and computerized for children with special
needs. These trucks have been designed for even some of the most
limited children to operate with ease. With the newest technology
these children can now go to public schools with their peers, and
have an active social life. They also are learning that there is a
place in this fast paced world for them, and are teaching the rest
of us that with strength and the will to succeed, all things are
possible.
The Windows 95 help system was designed to help users with hearing,
motor and some visual disabilities, they include information on the
built-in access features. The controls of these features are
centralized in the Accessibility Options Control Panel. This
specialized control panel lets the user activate and deactivate
certain access features and customize timing and feedback for a
limited individual. A program for the disabled called StickyKey
helps a person who doesn't have much control over hand movement to
use a computers delete command, or any other command that
normally uses both hands. StickyKeys allows a disabled person to
hit one key at a time so that they can access a multi-command
without pressing multiple keys simultaneously, it also allows for
mistakes by deleting any accidentally hit key that isn't held down
for the set amount of time. To use a mouse a person needs complete
control of hand movement. MouseKeys assist the disabled with the
use of the arrow keys on the keyboards numeric keypad to move the
mouse around the screen. ToggleKeys is another program that aids
the disabled, it provides audio feedback for certain key strokes by
providing high and low pitched beeps that tell the current status
of Caps Lock, Number Lock, and Scroll Lock keys. Windows 95 offers
several features for those with limited sight. They make a high
contrast layout that can be scaled to multiple sizes for easy
reading. Their program Showsounds lets you set a global flag that
shows sounds in a visual format.
In an age when computers seem to be used in just about every aspect
in life, the disabled have found something that makes their lives
more endurable. Considering the limitations that they have overcome
in their everyday lives the disabled should be commended for the
strength and will, that has let them overcome, at least somewhat,
the difficulties the world provides. The computer age has brought
them many changes and they have adapted and excelled in them. With
Windows 95 and programs like it, the computer world has been
brought to almost everyone, even people born with limited
abilities.