Though the technology has given blind people access to the Internet, it still has some problems, such as reading HTML coding along with the text. Assistive technology devices have also presented new possibilities and access to information for learners who have having loss. Joshua Gendel of the League for the Hard of Hearing, demonstrated an FM radio transmitter and receiver the most common type of wireless device used in classrooms. Gendel explained that FM radio systems work well in overcoming the effect that noise and distance have on speech and have proven to be very useful in classrooms and lecture halls. Weekly group demonstration sessions are generally held on Thursdays at 2 pm on a walk-in basis.
Individual consultations are also available.
It runs all Macintosh software applications and connects to all standard peripherals designed for the Macintosh computer. With its voice output, LINK can be used as a communication device for learners with speech impairments. It offers keyboard shortcuts for abbreviations and messages, keyboard settings, eight voices and storage options for 64 pages of text, which can be downloaded to a Macintosh or PC computer. The Assistive Technology panel concluded with a presentation by Mary Ann Corley, director of the Lindy Boggs National Center of Community Literacy and author of Bridges to Practice, a comprehensive literacy curriculum for adults with learning disabilities. Corley offered an overview of learning disabilities and stressed the need to understand the individual s disability to select the appropriate assistive technology resources.