Assistive technology and universal design

History of Assistive Technology Assistive technology is a system that makes it easy for people with disabilities to school, work, take part in recreational activities, and contribute to the community like other individuals without disabilities. In the 18th century, people with disabilities were helpless, but after the founding of the assistive technology systems, the disabled people have actively participated in the development of the nation.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Assistive technology and universal design specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The first assistive technology system was a Braille typewriter that was established in 1808. The Braille typewriter helped the blind to write legibly, and in 1821, Louse Braille invented the Braille language. Like any other form of technology, the assistive technology has developed since then and it has greatly assisted individuals with different disabilities. The voice -assisted computers came to enhance the Braille typewriter and the development enhanced the creativity of blind people. With the continued developments, the â€Å"Tech Act† came into effect on 1988. The Tech Act increased the availability and accessibility of the technology-related assistance for individuals with disabilities. In 1989, the American government awarded every state with a five-year funding for the Tech Act projects. Thereafter, legislation supported the Assistance Technology Act of 2004 that has played a great role in the development of Assistive Technology to date. Currently, American citizens with disabilities function normally in the work environment, education environment, and in the society. One of the greatest assistive technologies that currently exist is the telephone. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone during his attempts to develop a device that would enable his deaf wife to hear. Since the invention of the telephone, people have found it eas y to communicate. Technological developments have seen the deaf communicating using the text telephone. Throughout the technological developments, all people, regardless of their disabilities are able to perform their daily duties normally. Nowadays, there are speech recognition controls, remotes, calculators, telecare electronic sensors, ergonomic keyboards, foot operated computer mouse, learning disability equipments, medical equipments for the disabled, and all forms of electronic devices used by the disabled individuals. Use of assistive technology in education today With the evolved world, education has fully embraced the computer era. Assistive technology has played a great role in enabling the disabled individuals to comfortably study in the computerized era. Assistive technology has availed software and hardware that help the disabled individuals in using the computer during their studies.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The screen reader software has made it possible for the blind to use the computer as it provides an auditory translation of the information on the computer screen. Moreover, there is the voice recognition software that enables users with impaired hands to navigate through the computer using the voice instead of the keyboard or the mouse. In case a student has a poor sight, assistive technology offers the option of enlarging texts in a computer screen. Research indicates that disabled students have higher IQ levels than those without disabilities. Assistive technology takes care of this, as there are computers that scan and read texts depending on the ability of the student. In essence, assistive technology has enabled teachers dealing with students with special needs to come up with learning materials that suite the students’ depending on their cognitive ability and IQ levels (Rose Meyer, 2002). Assistive technology has enabled s tudents with disabilities to learn, develop social relationships, and actively participate in recreational activities. The strong educational foundation of the disabled students has enabled people with disabilities to obtain meaningful employment in the American society. Similar to the people without disabilities, the disabled individuals contributed to the growth and development of the nation. Universal Design (UD) Universal design is a framework that focuses on building environments and products that are usable by people of different ages, different sizes, and different abilities. The universal design intends to make inclusive and lifespan designs for all individuals. There are various principles that guide universal designs. Equitable use: The design must be useful, marketable, and useable with individuals with diversified disabilities. The design must be flexible to have room for individuals with different disabilities. The design must be simple to use such that even inexperien ced individuals can easily use the products and services. The design of the products must be able to provide discerned information depending on the user’s sensory ability. The design of the products must have the potentiality to minimize the consequences of accidents or unintended actions. Low physical effort: The design must be efficient in its usage, such that users need minimum physical effort to operate the machinery. Size and space for approach and use: The design must be have the appropriate size depending on the use of the machine. The size should accommodate all users regardless of their posture, body size, or mobility (Burgstahler, 2007). The seven elements of the UD base their roots on the principles of UD. The elements listed below seek to define the necessary assessments needed when dealing with disabled students. Population assessment: This element assesses the students to ensure they have equal access to the UD benefits. Defined constructs: This element ensure s the presence of distinct education constructs that help in the decision making exercise. Non-biased items: This element ensures all disabled students benefit equally without prejudicing a particular group. Accommodation: This element ensures that there is an open access to accommodation for all disabled students. Simple instructions and procedures: This element ensures that students’ ability is gauged using simple tests. Maximum readability and comprehensibility: The element ensures that texts and tests presented to disabled students are not complex. Maximum legibility: The element ensures that the learning method is easily deciphered. The above-mentioned elements and principles of universal design have applied in various aspects of the current education system. The universal designs have ensured that students’ services and equipments are able to serve all disabled students. Universal Designs have applied in various educational products such as computers equipments, software, study websites, study textbooks, and even the lab equipments (Bar Galluzzo, 2009). In designing the school environment, designers employ the Universal Design elements to ensure dormitories, classrooms, libraries, and all school buildings are equitable and flexible in use. The Universal Designs advocates for automatic doors, ramps, and curb cuts in buildings to facilitate the movement of disabled individuals.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Assistive technology and universal design specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More With the help of computer technology, the universal design works towards creating an educational environment that enables disabled students to use minimal Assistive Technology. With the combination of assistive technology and the universal designs, teachers can teach using different methods and materials. The students can actively participate in learning exercises; they can express their vie ws and present their assignments in different formats. Generally, universal design and assistive learning have played a great role in enhancing education for students with disabilities. The technological developments are still in progress, and in the near future, the disabled individuals will be able to disregard their disabilities and stand tall for their immense contributions in the society. References Bar, L., Galluzzo, J. (2009). The accessible school: Universal design for educational settings. Berkeley, CA: MIG Communications. Burgstahler, S. (2007). Equal access: Universal design of student services. Seattle: University of Washington. Rose, D. H., Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. This essay on Assistive technology and universal design was written and submitted by user Vicente Mayo to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on The Harlem Renaissance

In 1904 several middleclass African American families moved away from the decaying conditions of Black Bohemia of midtown into the newly-built suburb of Harlem. This initiated a move north of educated African Americans and a foothold into Harlem. In 1910 a large block along 135th and Fifth Ave was bought up by various African American realtors and a church group. These purchases caused a "white flight" and lowered realestate prices. As World War I approached, a shortage of labour ensued at the generous supply of European unskilled labour ceased to flow into New York City. From the southern states came vast numbers of African Americans attracted not only by the prospect of paid labour but an escape from the inherent inequities and blatant institutional racism of the South. There were various patrons of the arts, both black and white, including the very wealthy A'Lelia Walker who ran an influential salon, the Dark Tower from her home, Countee Cullen (the Romantic poet), Nora Thurston Z eale (anthropologist), Langston Hughes (playwright and poet) Three main political figures kept the hopes of freedom for African Americans alive and made Harlem a political hotbed of activities. The three figures were the pious, integrationalist W.E.B. Dubois, the James Weldon Johnston and finally the charismatic Black Nationalist Marcus Garvey. 1935 marks the end of the era known as the Harlem Renaissance. It was mostly the result of Depression economics, but also in part due to the premature death of the patron A'Lelia Walker in 1934, Countee Cullen.... Free Essays on The Harlem Renaissance Free Essays on The Harlem Renaissance In 1904 several middleclass African American families moved away from the decaying conditions of Black Bohemia of midtown into the newly-built suburb of Harlem. This initiated a move north of educated African Americans and a foothold into Harlem. In 1910 a large block along 135th and Fifth Ave was bought up by various African American realtors and a church group. These purchases caused a "white flight" and lowered realestate prices. As World War I approached, a shortage of labour ensued at the generous supply of European unskilled labour ceased to flow into New York City. From the southern states came vast numbers of African Americans attracted not only by the prospect of paid labour but an escape from the inherent inequities and blatant institutional racism of the South. There were various patrons of the arts, both black and white, including the very wealthy A'Lelia Walker who ran an influential salon, the Dark Tower from her home, Countee Cullen (the Romantic poet), Nora Thurston Z eale (anthropologist), Langston Hughes (playwright and poet) Three main political figures kept the hopes of freedom for African Americans alive and made Harlem a political hotbed of activities. The three figures were the pious, integrationalist W.E.B. Dubois, the James Weldon Johnston and finally the charismatic Black Nationalist Marcus Garvey. 1935 marks the end of the era known as the Harlem Renaissance. It was mostly the result of Depression economics, but also in part due to the premature death of the patron A'Lelia Walker in 1934, Countee Cullen....

You Pick Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

You Pick - Research Paper Example 33). The outcome has been increased injuries in the workplace. Health problems among the employees have also increased. When it comes to workplace safety, the subjects in the topic are the employees. They have the duty of preventing any work-related injuries. The employees also need to check after one another in their line of duty. According to the law, there are certain rights concerning workplace health and safety that all the employees in organizations across the United States are expected to enjoy (Bianchini et al. 25). For instance, we have the right to know, right to refuse, and right to participate. A lot of research shows that employees are not much considerate of these rights. This is because they are not well informed on the benefits that a safe workplace will bring to themselves, their bosses, their organizations, and the society as a whole when they are working in a safe environment (Levine, Michael and Matthew 34; Stark 33). Some scholars have been concerned with a cost-benefit analysis of investing in workplace safety (Campbell et al. 45; Bradley et al. 42; Hogan & Jeff 37). Although many of the studies that have been carried out have showed that the benefits are more than the cost of investment, only a few studies have been carried out to find out the specific benefits of a safe workplace (Bianchini et al. 56). The employers are also not aware of the benefits because some of them tend to believe that when they invest much in the employees they will reduce their profitability. Therefore, the issue has being handled with many misunderstandings. In modern organizations, employees are being recognized as the most crucial resource in the organization. The concept of human resource management has gained much significance in organizations across America (Levine, Michael and Matthew 47). However, some of the human resource managers have been concerned with the role employees can play in

Hospitality Management Industries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Hospitality Management Industries - Essay Example In order to be relevant in the market in the coming decade resorts must give a comprehensive accommodation at reasonable prices suited for all their clients since pricing is a crucial variable in this market due to the cut throat competition (Fevzi and Levent 102). In addition, diverse cuisine ranging from Chinese, African, Japanese and western is a necessity for resort owners to satisfy their customers taste buds. These consumers love to do their business with pleasure and developers must find peaceful and discrete sites away from the noise and crowds that will offer the visitors with unrivaled ambiance (Fevzi and Levent 106). The resorts must excel in the delivery of quality for its clients endowed with well-trained staff who are welcoming and caring thus making the resort a place to fall in love with. Unlike any other destination in the world, resorts must be the essence of diversity, distinctive and final action venue in the coming decade. Fevzi and Levent (88) points that resorts must work to integrate their services thus ensuring maximization of their sales thus earn profits. Commendably, the future prospect of the resorts will be realized in large part by the capacity to foresee and take advantage of change. It is empirical to identify what will be required to survive in the competitive market and developers must invest in meeting customers needs and desires . The successful corporation of the year 2000 surveyed 600 senior resort executives around the globe with the intention to point out what will make a successful business in the next century. The results showed resorts must use and develop a management bank to tackle the diversity of the market place and employ it. In conclusion, to effectively and efficiently integrate expectations in future, developers must empower their staff and involve them in day-to-day operations of the business to make sure success.Information technology has become

Diagnosing Relational Problems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Diagnosing Relational Problems - Research Paper Example Principally, this regards gender and sometimes accepts the reality of the predicaments. This differs across culture or ethnic backgrounds, where some may deny or accept depending on their belief (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2011). For instance, mental ailments where some cultures attribute their occurrence as fueled by evil spirits, hence they lack any cure especially the indigenous Chinese. Another factor entails detection of a single disorder in an individual. According to practitioners, a sole disorder may be a representative of comprehensive disorders in one category. Patients normally have multiple health predicaments that entail multifaceted approach and treatment. This is primarily, when dealing with couples who may seem not to comprehend well about their predicament. Couple or family therapy encompasses openness amid the patient and the practitioner, so that the latter may be able to elicit the predicament effectively. This diagnostic process is appropriate since it enables a practitioner apply life cycle and developmental progress tool. This entails how the couple might have handled a related predicament together before. This would enhance that cooperation during the present ailment, which may be affecting one member (APA, 2000). The practitioner enhances their cooperation through encouraging communication and privacy where possible. This is especially if the predicament’s repercussions do not affect other members, for illustration, infertility. The approach is similar to a sole person’s diagnosis. Since, in some occasions, if the predicament is severe the practitioner may decide to involve a family member. The Purpose of this is to ensure that the patient is accountable and adheres to the already set medical procedures (Yingling, 1998). DSM-IV-TR assessment encompasses distinguishing features of V- codes, which must be the focus treatment by interacting with members of the relational unit (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2011). It is

Is Language An Instinct Education Essay

Is Language An Instinct Education Essay As you are reading these words, you are taking part in one of the wonders of the natural world. Linguists have continually been bewildered by language and the language debate which has been inundated with arguments by several professionals to support either the instinctive or learned side of the debate. So, in 1994 when The Language Instinct by psychologist Steven Pinker was published, it reignited the discussion. His book utilized the concepts developed by Chomsky who believed that language was instinctive due to a universal grammar- an innate design containing characteristics common to every human language. The other side of the argument builds on the theories by Karl Popper. Geoffrey Sampson (1997) and other linguists held the belief that language is developed by observing and learning from others because we are born with a blank slate. In this essay I will discuss both sides of the arguments in the hope of concluding whether or not language is an instinct. On the one hand, those who believe that language is an instinct express that language is not learned and does not depend on having had the best education. Linguistic ability is not learned like the way we learn to tell the time, or the way we learn to tie our shoelaces. Instead, it is a specialised and intricate skill which forms part of the brain, and develops in a child without conscious effort (Pinker, 2007). Behaviourists claim a childs imitation of their parents language initiates a childs language, yet there are examples of imitation which do not support this concept. Pinker (2007) uses the example that if children imitate parents then why is it that children do not imitate their parents quiet behaviour on airplanes? Chomsky (1980) produced an argument based on the poverty of the stimulus which stated that language is not learned because the information babies are exposed to is much less complex than the data and the rules they end up gaining. Therefore, it is doubtful that language is obtained through a method which consists of learning only. Instead his work suggests that a significant part of language is innate. It is important to consider the idea of universal grammar because if this is genuine and all human languages have aspects in common, then it is possible to say that language is instinctive (Schlenker, 2006). Chomsky supposed that language is innate because every language has a mutual structural basis since there is a part of the human brain which encompasses a limited set of rules, known as universal grammar, for managing language. Another argument to support the statement that language is an instinct is the idea that children invent language. Children may construct a new language, the rules of which seem to be established by that of universal grammar, when they have not been exposed to a clear and logical language. An example of this is the creation of creoles which are languages generated by children who have grown up in an environment involving the use of pidgins (languages that have progressed as a way for people to communicate when there is not a common language between them). Pinker (2007) expressed that in communities where the adults had conversed with a pidgin, the children who had only been exposed to this pidgin transformed it into a creole. The development of language by deaf children in Nicaragua is another similar example to illustrate the view that language is an instinct. In the 1980s when schools for deaf children were built, the children who first started attending the schools developed a meth od of communicating using signs, which was pidgin-like in nature. We can assume a dissociation between language and intelligence because even when intelligence is lessened language withstands. There are two particular cases which provide evidence for this and, in turn, the language instinct: when individuals have average intelligence but their language is significantly impaired; or, when individuals experience an impaired intelligence yet their language is normal. Brocas aphasics and Selective Language Impairment (SLI) patients provide evidence for the first example because they have a normal intelligence but experience extreme problems with their linguistic ability. Brocas aphasics specifically struggle with the production of language and comprehension, whereas SLI patients particularly face problems with the organisation of words into sentences (Expressive Aphasia, 2012). On the other hand, Williams syndrome patients are individuals suffering from an impaired intelligence but normal linguistics ability. Their language is even more developed than others of their age and they can converse with strangers at complete ease. However, they have a low intelligence due to abnormalities in parts of the brain including the cerebellum, right parietal cortex, and left frontal cortical areas (Williams Syndrome, 2012). Eve was not a born know-all. She was ignorant. But she was a good learner (Sampson, 1997). On the other side of the argument Geoffrey Sampson, and many others, for example, contemporary linguist Givon, believed that Pinker and Chomskys argument that language is purely instinctive is neither adequate nor plausible. The main belief expressed by Sampson (1997 or 2012) was that children can effectively learn languages because all individuals are good at learning anything that they are exposed to, it is not fixed structures in part of the brain which contain this in-built knowledge. Behaviourists vocalise that language is learned early in a childs life and consists of many complex systems. Although most children who are five years old have enough vocabulary to be able to communicate competently with others, there are individual differences between children in the capacity of their vocabulary (Blewitt, 2006). Research has found that language is linked to a childs home and school environment (Cunningham, Stanovich, West, 1994, as cited in Blewitt, 2006), and that the variety and amount of language the children are exposed to by conversations with their parents are linked to a childs vocabulary. In a study conducted in 1992 which was conducted over 2 years with visits made to children every month at their home. There were two conditions with participants from either poor families on benefits, lower middle class families (mainly occupying blue collar jobs), or upper middle class with at least one professional parent (Hart Risley, 1992, 1995, as cited in Blewitt, 2 006). All of the parents were actively engaged in playing with their children but the amount of verbal communication each group made with their child was different. In a week, consisting of 100 hours, a child with a professional parent hears 215,000 words but only 62,000 in the poorest homes. By the age of three, there was a positive correlation between the input of the parent and the language of the child. Furthermore, when the researchers looked at just one of the socioeconomic categories, therefore social class was not a factor in the result, the more language the child was exposed to, the more advanced the childs vocabulary. This provides strong support for the idea that language is learned rather than instinctive. John Locke provided the contrary view to naturists by claiming that experience is vital in the development of language. He states that a child is not born with knowledge and the concept of reason, but what is important as the child grows up is the exposure to language and so, it is by degrees he comes to be furnished with them (Sampson, 1997). This particular view which expresses that experience is the cause of all knowledge is known as empiricism. The clear objection to the view that language is instinctive instead of learned, as Chomsky and other naturists believed, is that we would expect everyone to grow up talking in the same language. However, people do not all speak the same language and the differences in the language people speak does not rely on our biological makeup. For example, if a newborn English baby grows up in Japan by Japanese speaking adoptive parents then they will become fluent in speaking Japanese speaker rather than fluent in speaking English. Without a language rich environment which nurturists see as essential for a child to develop language, a child will not acquire the capability to speak. Profoundly deaf children complete the first developmental stages towards speech such as babbling at the same time as those children who cannot hear. However, they rarely grow up into speakers because without the capability of hearing themselves or other people around them, they decrease the amountof babbling which rarely leads to word development (Kiel, 1998). In conclusion, the language debate has provoked much controversy amongst naturists and nurturists. Pinker and other naturists believe language is instinctive and their beliefs continue on from Darwins account that the gradual evolution of instincts generally by natural selection could be applied also to the human acquisition of the capacity for language () On the other hand, Sampson and other nurturists have found significant evidence to support the idea that children are born with blank slates and that it is by observation and imitation of parents and those around them that they develop the linguistic ability early in their lives until age 6-10 when children can converse effectively in challenging settings (Language Development, 2012). It is expected that a combination of an innate instinct to produce syntax with the imitation of the language of parents is the key to a child developing an extensive language.

The Link Between Job Satisfaction and Employee Productivity Essay

1) An Introduction Long gone are the days when Labor Relations or Manpower departments were all the HR that an organization needed for supplying its human resource management needs. As we have advanced from the Industrial Age to the Information Age and as the workplace and business scenario has become more complex and competitive, Human Resource Management has become a vital skill for any knowledge organization; one that, if used correctly, could become a key asset for an organization. One of the most crucial fields of study here, in the 20th century, has been the crucial link between job satisfaction and employee productivity. Job satisfaction essentially is a measure of how content an employee is with his current job. There are, broadly speaking, three major aspects to employee satisfaction at the workplace- 1. A degree of autonomy in decision making 2. Significantly challenging work that does not become monotonous 3. Link between job performance and advancement in organization Other intangible and tangible factors also come into play. For example, some organizations have amazing training programs for new hires that add significant market value to the candidate. Infosys, the Indian IT behemoth, has a rigorous training schedule of 6 months which is attested to by industry experts as being on of the best. Indeed, ex-Infy employees have always highlighted the importance of the training they had undergone at the famed Mysore campus near Bengaluru. Opportunities to be creative, flexible work arrangements, flexible benefits and job stability all contribute towards making an employee like his job and make that extra effort for the organization. 2) Studies and Theories Kick started by the Hawthorne studies (conduc... ...acebook-for-employee-satisfaction-for-the-first-time-in-four-years/. Last accessed 11th April 2012. 2. Jeffrey Pfeffer. (2009). Low Grades for Performance Reviews. Available: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_31/b4141080608077.htm. Last accessed 11th April 2012. 3. Davi Ngo. (2009). Job Descriptive Index. Available: http://www.humanresources.hrvinet.com/job-descriptive-index-jdi/. Last accessed 11th April 2012. 4. Mark A. Griffin, Neal Andrew,Mathew Neale. (2000). The Contribution of Task Performance and Contextual Performance to Effectiveness: Investigating the Role of Situational Constraints . Applied Psychology: An International Review. 49 (3), 517-533 5. Ankur Jain. (2009). HRM - Nature, Scope and Objectives. Available: http://expertscolumn.com/content/human-resource-management-nature-scope-objectives-and-function. Last accessed 11th April 2012