ERIC Number: ED613224
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Apr
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2250-0588
EISSN: N/A
Blind Saudi Female College Students and Assistive Technologies: A Case Study
Al-Jarf, Reima
Online Submission, International Journal of Research in Engineering, IT and Social Sciences v11 n4 p1-9 Apr 2021
This is a case-study of a blind college student, Sonia, at the College of Languages and Translation (COLT). She has an iPhone, iPad and laptop as well as a Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and Skype accounts. She uses MS Office and the university's Academic Portal. The iPhone VoiceOver App and the Braille Sense Notetaker enable her to surf the internet, take notes in class, synchronize her calendar and contacts, and read silently through the use of a refreshable Braille display. She gives her Camera voice commands to take photos and write captions. A navigation software helps Sonia to walk around alone. Sonia reported that the voice software helps her communicate with people better, especially on social media. Since Sonia takes listening and interpreting courses in the Multimedia Language Lab at COLT, she indicated that no screen reading software is available at the lab like HAL or JAWS. Everything is operated by the mouse, not voice. Instructors do not wait for her during the listening and interpreting classes. Although she finds the Braille Sense Notetaker very useful and handy, she cannot afford to buy it. She borrows it from the Centre for Special Needs Students at the university. Recommendations for helping blind students make the best use of assistive technologies are given.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Saudi Arabia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A