Websites Designed for Students with Special Needs

Abstract

According to Friedman & Bryen, (2007), a person with a disability is one with a long-term physical, intellectual, mental or sensory impairment, which interferes with their social equality in relation to others. Disability, thus, varies widely across countries. Borg, Berman-Bieler, & Khasnabis (2015), indicated that by 2004, about 93 million children aged 14-years and below, suffered from moderate to severe disabilities. Examples of common disabilities include hearing loss, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, brain injury, intellectual and learning disability, congenital anomalies, muscular dystrophy, blindness, spinal code injuries, visual loss and speech impairments (Borg, Berman-Bieler, & Khasnabis, 2015)

Assistive technology has become a common term in discussions regarding children with disabilities. This term includes technology, which assists disabled persons to carry out their activities or to facilitate their activities. They include technologies used to facilitate mobility, vision, hearing, communication and cognition. This paper will explore how web designs can be used to assist in the learning process. One such common disability is that of dyslexia, which is a medical condition that makes it difficult for students to read and learn and which lends itself well to assistive technologies (HKSAR, 2008).

It is estimated that one in every 10 people have dyslexia (HKSAR, 2008). The condition exists across a range of cultures, abilities and conditions and is usually gene related and thus, runs in the family. While it cannot be cured, there are practical approaches that can help overcome the barriers presented by the condition.  Dyslexia can be termed as a learning difference meaning that the brain approaches tasks differently to other people and affects the way people communicate (HKSAR, 2008). Since dyslexia does not affect the individual’s intelligence, it can be managed by using a different communication model in the learning process (Friedman & Bryen, 2007). Assistive technology such as the use of specialized websites can, therefore, be used to assist children with dyslexia.

Keywords: Dyslexia, Cognitive Disability, Technology, Accessibility, and Autism.

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-30-14

Publication date:October 31^st 2019