With an initial accessible station in each computer lab, disabled students have an opportunity to work and associate with persons in their chosen academic field. If applications appear on each access station, then the student directly perceives the training provided by the DRC as useful and applicable. Creating standards for access stations will promote cost efficiency because software applications and hardware can be purchased in multiple units for many users rather than for one user with an individual need. Keeping in mind the primary objective is independence and the secondary goals include flexibility and cost, it is important to discuss specific software and hardware selected to provide access for the visually impaired and the physically disabled. At SJSU, the DRC chose MAGic as the screen magnification program for students with visual impairments.
MAGic is easy to configure and is proven to be stable and relatively less expensive.
The acquisition of MAGic by Henter-Joyce, the screen reader vendor, also influenced this decision, believing that magnification and the screen reader will soon be combined into a single program. The DRC has found a compatibility problem with specific video cards. The solution lies in purchasing the compatible video card. Stability, ease of installation and configuration, compatibility, and a reasonably short learning curve were the reasons for selecting JAWS as the standard screen review application. If the student knows the keyboard, he or she will be able to navigate in applications and read pages of text.