Bookshare.org is an example of an assistive technology which is designed to help people with visual and other print disabilities gain access to books and periodicals that they might otherwise not be able to use. All one needs to do to gain access is to log on, provide Bookshare.org with proof of a print disability, and pay a modest membership fee. Schools can gain access to Bookshare.org for students with print disabilities without paying a yearly fee.
In our class discussions this week people have made many good points about the potential benefits of incorporating Bookshare.org into our LMCs. I have to agree that this is an assistive technology that I would want to make a part of my LMC and would work to make sure students with visual or print disabilities had the opportunity and training to use the resource to its fullest extent. Some people have mentioned that this resource might also be beneficial for students who are not labeled with a particular disability but who still have trouble (for various possible reasons) reading print materials. I would be very cautious about this. Bookshare.org makes its purpose, of serving people with visual and print disabilities, very plain. Whereas some benefit may be gained by any student, I would use Bookshare.org only with students who have a designated need. There may be other reasons why students without an identified disability are having trouble reading and Bookshare.org may not address their specific needs, but instead may only mask the problem for a while. I would make an effort to seek out another tool that might be better suited to help such students. Also, in using this resource with students who do not have an identified disability, the school may lose its rights to this resource which would come at the expense of those students who do have an identified visual or print disability.
Sorry that was so long. If you think I'm completely off the mark here, let me know.
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3 comments:
I agree with you Elise. If we use it other than for the express purposes it is designed we may be jeopradizing the future access of users who have protected access rights to the material.
Yep, I agree. We, as LMS's certainly cannot encourage or even be willing to turn the other way when Bookshare.org is being used improperly. However, some of the books on Bookshare.org are in the public domain, and so if a teacher wanted to try out the technology on a student who did not have diagnosable issues, they could always use those works.
I fourth it. That is, I agree :)
Not all students will catch on to reading at the same pace and some may struggle harder than others, but that doesn't mean they won't turn into an avid reader at some point in the future. If we turn to alternative formats prematurely, then we could be partly at fault for not helping them develop their skills to their fullest. I think the students who have trouble with print should still be encouraged to develop their reading skills, though it may tough for both teacher and student.
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