Sara's Intro

Hello everyone! My name Is Sara Howell and I am a student in Palomar’s LIT program. I am new to Blogger and setting up blogs of this nature, however, I do have some experience with making and running an individual tumblr blog.

I changed the theme of our blog because I thought that this new one is a bit more appealing to the eye even though it is a bit darker. I chose this one from the “advanced” theme selections. I just like the cooler shades of blue, and the white font is still very clear and visible. That purple was almost irritating to my eyes honestly. Ha!

I wanted to join this blog theme because assistive technology is interesting to me and it is something that will likely become more relevant in my personal life as I grow older due to my visual impairment. After I finish the LIT program I hope to work in an academic library, specifically at a seminary college. I’m sure I would enjoy working in a public library as well, but working in a seminary library is the dream for me.

That’s all for now!

John's Introduction

Hello! My name is John and I am a student studying library technology. Like a few other contributors on this blog, I am new to Blogger and blogs in general.

I made a few changes to the blog’s formatting:

- I changed the colors of the date headers (background and text) to make them “pop” and to better separate the individual blog posts.

- I changed the “Blog Contributors” names list text in the header to white in order to match the rest of the header text and make it easier to read against the purple background.

- I added author names to the blog post footers.

Other contributors on this blog have given definitions for assistive technology, or AT. This term is often used synonymously with the term adaptive technology, though technically there is a slight difference. An adaptive technology is a special version of or an add-on to an already existing technology, and is a subset of the broader term assistive technology (Adaptive; What’s).

Within the context of libraries, adaptive technology and assistive technology are “systems, devices, and software specifically designed to make library materials and services more accessible to people with physical and/or cognitive disabilities, including large print books, closed captioned video recordings, Braille signage, voice amplification devices, screen magnification and screen reading software, voice recognition software, etc.,” (Reitz).

References:

Adaptive Technology versus Assistive Technology. (2015, November 09). Retrieved February 20, 2018, from http://www.assistivetech.com/adaptive-technology-versus-assistive-technology/

Reitz, J. M. (2014). Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science. Retrieved February 20, 2018, from https://www.abc-clio.com/ODLIS/odlis_a.aspx

What's the Difference between Assistive and Adaptive Technologies? (2008, August 29). Retrieved February 20, 2018, from http://www.assistivetechnology.vcu.edu/2008/08/29/whats-the-difference-between-a/

I have reduced the widths on the right side bar & increased the width of the entire blog to give more focus to the introduction as well as the presentation of our blog.

Kelly's Introduction

Hello, everyone! I'm Kelly and this will be my introductory post to our new blog, Assistive Technology.

I'm completely new to blogs so please forgive me if I step on anyone's toes in regards to changes to this blog. While I was looking around, I changed the background to the blue and purple color scheme. I believe I also altered the layout a bit.

I'm interested in assistive technology because my mother became partially blind after the age of 77 and had a difficult time reading books. She really missed that part of her recreational life so I'd like to introduce, into my local library, equipment and suggestions to help those suffering from age-related sight degeneration.

Here's looking forward to working with everyone...

What is Assistive Technology?

Hi everybody. My name is Jenifer.  This is my first time using Blogger.

I have changed the template by adding our team members' names under the name of the blog. I have also changed the template from the tropical theme to a more basic theme.  I  have also added a short paragraph that defines Assistive Technology.

In the February 12, post Danielle shared a video that shows how Assistive Technology (AT) can help the blind "read" books but what exactly is AT?

According to Assistive Technology Industry Association, AT is "products, equipment, and systems that enhance learning, working and daily living for persons with disabilities." AT technology helps people who have difficulty reading, writing, speaking, remembering, hearing, and walking.  The goal of AT is to help people with disabilities increase, improve or maintain their functional capabilities.  Examples of AT include:

• Computer Software: screen readers and communication programs
• Computer Hardware: special switches, keyboards, or pointing devices
• Low-tech: magnifying glasses, extra lighting sources, or communication boards
• Hardware: prosthetics or mounting systems

This is not an all-inclusive list as AT is customized to a user's needs. 

Source: https://www.atia.org/at-resources/what-is-at/

I have changed the theme of our group blog. If anyone is interested in a new theme, feel free to change it.

Theme

Have we decided on a theme yet?

Who Does Assistive Technology Help?

As the student who first set up this blog, I was responsible for contacting my blog comrades, naming the blog, and ensuring that each group member was invited to the blog. As the creator, I was also responsible for then assigning "Admin" status to each group member.

As a creative act, I also wanted to embed a video, relevant to the subject of our blog. In an effort to introduce the topic of Assistive Technology, I thought it important to illustrate who benefits from these devices and how these devices have changed people's lives in relation to literacy and books. Having worked with learning challenged students for many years, I have seen first hand how assistive technology helps young minds to grasp new concepts while coping with their learning challenge.