Glossary (Web)
Simulations
http://www.webaim.org/simulations/
http://www.inclusive.com/AT_boogie/at30.swf
http://www.abc.net.au/children/play/stories/
http://www.blendedchocolate.com/
http://www.skillsforaccess.org.uk/casestudies.php?id=156
Screen Magnification and the Web
AQTF (Australian Quality Training Framework)
This framework includes a range of standard against which training providers are audited. For more information on the Framework go to:
http://www.trainandemploy.qld.gov.au/partners/audit/registration/aqtf_standards_legal/index.htm
The aim of this list is to share information relevant to those supporting students with a disability in tertiary education and training. For more information go to:
http://services.admin.utas.edu.au/equity_resources/austed-list.htm
Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA)
The Federal Disability Discrimination Act 1992 aims to:
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to eliminate, as far as possible, discrimination against persons on the ground of disability
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to ensure, as far as practicable, that persons with disabilities have the same rights to equality before the law as the rest of the community
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to promote recognition and acceptance within the community of the principle that persons with disabilities have the same fundamental rights as the rest of the community
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) [http://www.hreoc.gov.au/disability_rights/index.html] is responsible for adminstering and promoting this law.
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC)
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) aims to develop greater understanding and protection of human rights in Australia. The commission has a role in education and raising public awareness, policy and legislation, and administers a range of federal anti-discrimination laws in Australia, including:
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Disability Discrimination Act 1992
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Age Discrimination Act 2004
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Disability Discrimination Act 1975
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Sex Discrimination Act 1984
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Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986.
HyperText Markup Language is a data format used to create documents that can be read by different web browsers.
Inherent requirements are not defined with the Disability Discrimination Act itself. This term refers to the critical aspects of a job, those aspects that cannot be negotiated. This term does not refer to all of the requirements of a job.
An MP3 file is an audio file which has been compressed to remove sound that the human ear cannot perceive and make the file smaller and easier to send over the internet.
Non-discriminatory language does not stereotype or unnecessarily label people based on their gender, age, ethnicity or disability. A very useful guide is available online from the Victoria University, written by Janis Webb (accessed 1 March, 2005): http://ceds.vu.edu.au/webbja/language1.htm Another useful resources is "Straight Talk" published by the University of New England is available online at: http://www.une.edu.au/eeo/publications/talk.html
A Way with Words, a guide for the portrayal of people with a disability is available in PDF format from Diability Services Queensland at: http://www.disability.qld.gov.au/publications/#community
Notetakers are paid workers or unpaid volunteers who take notes during presentations for students who cannot take notes themselves due to a disability. A person might need a notetaker because:
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they cannot physically take notes themselves
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they have a vision impairment and cannot type notes during the presentation
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they are Deaf or hearing impaired, and therefore must pay constant visual attention to the presentation
Resources on the role of notetakers include:
Guide to Note-taking
RMIT Disability Liaison Unit
http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse?SIMID=ge8yvfsxknna
Educational Interpreting and Notetaking in Australia
Victorian Committee for Interpreting in Tertiary Education (VicCITE)
http://online.nmit.vic.edu.au/viccite/publications.htm
Readers are employed to read through text for learners with a disability, most often during assessment sessions. A reader could also be required when there is not enough time to have materials prepared in an alternative format.
Refreshable Braille Displays provide Braille via a set of little rods, representing Braille code. As the application focus is moved, or a document is read, the Braille display changes. These displays provide computer access for people who are deaf-blind, as well as blind people who prefer this output to speech (or with speech).
The length of the displays vary with models offering 20, 40 or 80 cells.
Screen reading software is required to work with the hardware.
Sans serif fonts and serif fonts
Many articles and manuals on Plain English will advise you to use a font that has ‘serifs’ – the little dashes on the letters. There is a belief that it is easier to read text printed in these fonts – at least on paper – because the letters flow smoothly together, and it makes it easier to recognise the shape of words.
Serif fonts include Times New Roman and Courier.
Sans serif fonts include Verdana, Arial and Tahoma.
After a lot of research in this area, it seems some writers advocate for serif fonts and others sans serif, for readers with normal vision using print. Research indicates that sans serif fonts are easier to read on computer screens.
Research definitely indicates that sans serif fonts make text easier to distinguish for readers with low vision.
For more information on use of fonts and typography, go to these resources.
Screen magnification software magnifies images and text on a computer screen. Magnification levels, colour choices, and manoeuvrability are all aspects that vary between programs. Zoomtext, BigShot and MAGic are commonly used in Australia. Microsoft Windows 98, ME, 2000 and XP have a simple magnification program, Magnifier, built in.
Designed for people with a vision impairment, screen reading software converts text to audio or refreshable Braille.
Commonly used screen reading programs include JAWS and Window Eyes.
A scribe can be used to write for a learner with a disability during assessment sessions. Guidelines for using a scribe during written examinations are available from the University of Western Australia: http://www.studentservices.uwa.edu.au/information_for/students/disability/resources/scribing_manual/whole_scribing
The role of a sign language interpreter is to convert spoken English to signed language - usually Auslan - an vice versa. Some interpreters can use Signed English, which is used in some schools in Australia.
The Centre of Excellence for students who are deaf or hard of hearing has produced a range of publications available online in PDF files at: http://online.nmit.vic.edu.au/deaf/publications.htm
Another useful resource on using sign language interpreters is available from the Swinburne University of Technology at: http://www.swin.edu.au/stuserv/disability/signinterpreters.html
Voice recognition software takes spoken voice and converts it into text and computer commands. Many people find this useful, including people who cannot physically use a keyboard and those with learning disabilities such as dyslexia. Commonly used programs include Dragon Naturally Speaking and IBM Via Voice.
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