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>> Shelby: My name is Shelby.
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This is my senior year at
the University of Washington.
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I have dyslexia/dysgraphia
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and I was diagnosed
at the age of seven so
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I've always had a challenge with it
but I've learned to overcome it,
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I think every year.
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I think one of the
main challenges is when
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there is a lot
of reading involved.
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Right now,
for my Econ class
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I already have a pretty thick textbook
along with some other side readings so
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having to get through
the material in, say like,
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you know, in a day or two when
it's more than 100 chapters
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is a huge challenge for me.
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So that's also where I would
definitely use some of my
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text to speech capabilities.
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[Computer reads something in another language]
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There’s accessibility software so
it allows me to highlight text
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and then it will read it out loud.
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And then I also use another program
called NaturalReader.
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And that also pretty much
serves the same function.
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But the cool thing
about NaturalReader
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is it actually shows you
like where it's reading.
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>>> NaturalReader: ...through technology and
education.
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It promotes awareness and accessibility in
both the classroom and the workplace…
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It definitely allows it to sink in.
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Sometimes when I'm reading it alone,
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I just need to hear it the first time then
I can go back
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and then I actually hear, “Oh this is the
concept,
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this is something important that we're talking
about.”
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Because when I'm just reading it myself it
takes me a lot longer, I get lost in the text
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I have trouble paying attention.
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So it really does help and it makes it so
that I can complete the task at hand.
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It makes me feel good because at the end of
the day I'm still able to complete the task
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versus staying up all night.
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There's been nights when I've stayed up till
five in the morning just trying to grasp
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what the reading
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so that I would be prepared to be able to
talk about it
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or at least say, "I read this but I didn't
understand this,"
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and then create a discussion out of that.
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>> Matthew: Hello I'm Matthew.
I have ADD.
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I have mild ASD and I've been
diagnosed with mild Aspberger’s.
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I use Co:Writer.
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It's a word prediction program.
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There's six words
you can choose from
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by hitting the number key it's
the word you select out.
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I would use it mostly in my classes
for like very important papers
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where I definitely would need to get the grammar
correctly.
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Or the words correctly as well depending because
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I struggle with spelling at times.
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>> Jayda: I am Jayda.
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My disability is ADD
and dyslexia
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so with ADD I have a hard time
sitting still for a long period of time.
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I use a document scanner.
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The scanner helps me
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by actually reading the content
that is on a book
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instead of having,
read it by yourself.
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So with the scanner
you set it up and then
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you launch the program
that is in the computer
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and then you can highlight
or have it read to you.
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Even though I’ll study them
and study them and study
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I tend to forget.
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This will help me by
making it easier so that
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I can have the digital copy
of it on the computer
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and have it read to me and then
I can start writing notes
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along with it as
it's reading it to me.
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Just depending on your disability it really
like depends on how you learn.
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I'm still definitely trying to learn
about my disability a little bit more too.
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>> Damon: My name is Damon.
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I am currently a senior here
at the University of Washington.
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I'm studying American Indian Studies
and Anthropology.
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And I have ADD and dyslexia.
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For me for example, since I have ADD and dyslexia,
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I need more time to do either read
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the texts that were assigned or take more
time writing out the essays that we’re given.
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Being able to use computers as well,
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having that accessibility is really helpful
whether it's in class
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or whether it's during a test or a quiz that
we're having.
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Especially if the test is an essay based test
it's really
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difficult to write it down and not have a
spell checker.
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>> Sheryl: My name is
Sheryl Burgstahler
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and I direct
Accessible Technology Services
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at the University of Washington
in Seattle.
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As you can see,
it’s really important
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that people with disabilities have access
to the technology that they need
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including assistive technology
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so they can be successful
in education, in careers,
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and all the activities
that they wish to pursue.
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It’s also important
that IT developers
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including those that create websites,
documents, software and other IT
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make those products
accessible to people
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who are using assistive technology
and to everyone else.