Computer Access is a crucial issue for people with disabilities. Being able to access computer based information impacts their ability to succeed in education, employment and in turn their overall level of freedom and independence.
Recent statistics show that approximately 90% of children and adolescents in the United States use computers including 75% of 5 year olds (National Center for Education Statistics). Additionally, 55% of the total number of employed persons in the U.S. use computers at work (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Due to a number of reasons including income level, access to assistive technology information and services and lack of funding, people with disabilities are less than half as likely as non-disabled individuals to have computer access at home (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). These statistics underscore the need for people with disabilities to have access to computer access technologies at an early age and that these technologies are used effectively throughout their educational, vocational and independent living activities.
The AT process used by ATLA includes consultation to determine the person's abilities and goals and possible technologies to achieve and/or surpass those goals. Following consultation, some hands on use is always preferred to see if the technologies are a good fit. Whenever possible, ATLA will provide a trial copy of software to "try before you buy."
Following trial use, training and implementation of the computer software or devices into the person's educational, employment or other environment is critical in making certain that the technology is used properly and to its highest potential. Because a person's abilities and available technologies are constantly changing, this process is ongoing and should be revisited on a regular basis to make sure they have technology that still meets their potential.
ATLA provides services and products for computer access including Alternative Input Devices, Alternative Output Devices, Specialized Software and Equipment of Universal Design. |
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Computer Access
