A Catalyst for Change
Technology helps expand work, education horizons for people with disabilities.
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| Kirk Joslin, President, Easter Seals Massachusetts |
For the one in five Americans with a disability, assistive computer technology that adapts to their special needs can help close the gap between their limitations and their aspirations.
Technology therefore plays an important role in the success of Easter Seals Massachusetts, which provides services to ensure that children and adults with disabilities have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play. At Easter Seals’ two technology and training centers in Worcester and Boston, as well as through in-home and school-based programs, we provide comprehensive services — including assistive technology, job training and employment support — for more than 10,000 Massachusetts clients and their families each year.
One of our key partners in this mission is Microsoft, which has contributed more than $294,000 in grants and software over the past five years. A Microsoft Unlimited Potential grant awarded in February will build on this investment, helping us deploy Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system on more than 155 PCs in our training classrooms and on employees’ desktops.
The many new and improved accessibility features in these products are especially valuable for Easter Seals clients and trainers. For example, computer users with visual impairments gain access to new, built-in magnification tools that enlarge what’s on screen, and to improved capabilities for converting text into natural-sounding speech.
Clients with limited or no use of their hands can type using an on-screen keyboard controlled with a pointing device or joystick, and they can use advanced tools that let the computer recognize and follow spoken commands. All computer users, especially those with cognitive challenges such as attention deficit or autism, can benefit from new software commands and tools that are organized by task and easier to find.
Such built-in accessibility aids also help make computers more affordable for many disabled individuals and their families, since fewer assistive technology add-ons are required.
To appreciate the impact of assistive technology, consider that of Americans with disabilities who are between the ages of 18 to 64, barely one third have jobs, yet more than two thirds of those unemployed say they want to work. Software accessibility advances such as those included in Windows Vista and Office 2007 can be a catalyst for change, bringing benefits that extend well beyond the individual. Employers also gain a broader and more diverse talent pool, while government and taxpayers benefit from increased tax revenues and reduced demand for public assistance.
With the support of partners like Microsoft, Easter Seals can better equip motivated individuals who have disabilities to fulfill their potential. Ultimately, the gains our clients make by learning to use the latest technologies will enrich every community in which they live and work.
