Development of Assistive Technology role at the University of Strathclyde Chris McKenzie Assistive Technology Adviser

 AT team growth  number of disabled students  legislation and sector developments  AT role and functions  university information systems  inclusive mainstream services AT development in Context

Development of the AT team

Pre – 1998 Shona Cameron (Manager of Centre for Educational System – CES Information Services) supported Disability Service in supporting technology requirements of disabled students Set up AT Room in library purchased specialist AT equipment (government grant) By 1998 the technology support required had increased to point where a full-time post was required. Development of the AT team

Aug 1998 first AT adviser appointed Aug 2002 second AT adviser appointed –Sept 2002 education exemption removed reasonable adjustments; anticipatory duty Aug 2007 third AT adviser appointed –Introduced joint needs assessment using Toolkit in 2006/07 Aug 2008 AT assistant appointed –Purchasing support taken up by AT assistant 2002 (0.2FT) IT training team Development of the AT team

Aug 1998 first AT adviser appointed Within 1 year all assessments were conducted in-house Developed AT Training Upgraded AT Resource room Piloted Assistive Software in centrally managed labs Launched Disabled Student Requirements System Development of the AT team

Aug 2002 second AT adviser appointed Student numbers increasing Technology Assessments ongoing Training & Purchasing Support Development of module on ‘Inclusive Curriculum’ Toolkit for Needs Assessments (pilot 2005) Strathclyde Laptop Initiative Video Captioning ‘Web Lectures’ Scanning Service Development of the AT team

Aug 2007 third AT adviser appointed Carol Howieson re-graded to AT Manager (less student contact) Student numbers increasing Technology Assessments ongoing Development of Effective Learning Programme Purchasing, Setup, orientation and collection – pressure on staff due to purchasing support Development of the AT team

Aug 2008 AT Assistant appointed Driver: to allow AT staff to develop AT support for students and departments. Equipment Setup and software installation Development of Loan Pool Management of purchasing support systems 2011/12 PECOS online procurement system Development of the AT team

Loan/trials testing ongoing 2008/09 Transition programme students with Aspergers’ 2009/10 ELP taught programme 2009/10 ADR process introduced 2009/10 Waiting list management 2010/11 Live Remote Captioning Service 2011/12 Pathway myplace class 2011/12 ELP myplace class 2011/12 Enhanced waiting list Management with Pathway and ELP myplace classes 2011/12 Dedicated Print assessments 2011/12 Provisional adjustments 2012/13 Departmental Disability Contact myplace class New – sign-on screen Development of the AT services

Increasing year on year Approaching 50% increase in student numbers since 2007 (2007: 822, 2013: 1212) Student numbers

1995 Disability Discrimination Act 1999 QAA standards disabled students 2002 education exemption removed SENDA - reasonable adjustments; anticipatory duty 2003 Auxiliary Aids and Services 2005 Disability Equality Scheme December 2005 Toolkit pilot 2010 Equality Act 2011 Single Equality Duty Legislation and Sector Developments

To provide first class assistive technology support to disabled students To enable students to maximise their independent participation in their course: –work with student to determine solutions to reduce the impact of their impairment on study –work across institution to develop inclusive services –guide department on accessible resources AT strategic objective

Work to academic calendar. For students’ requirements to be met as they start their course you require: i.early identification of disabled students ii.timely assessment of students’ requirements iii.support pre-assessment – not all students can be assessed pre course start date. Timeliness is everything

Applicant Extract Disabled students requirements system –provisional adjustments i.Early identification of disabled student

waiting list management (2011/12) joint assessment (introduced 2006/07) 2013/14 - single needs assessments for dyslexic students to increase throughput –retain joint needs assessment for other disability categories. ii. Timely assessment of students’ requirements

Provisional adjustments AT software in centrally-managed computer labs AT software in departmental computer labs Assistive Technologies Room On-site AT training Disability Resource Development Fund (DRDF) Pathway (Myplace class signposting services) Effective Learning Programme (ELP) iii. Support pre-assessment

Asses technology requirements to minimise impact of disability on study and promote independent study. Consider: Reading Note taking Writing Researching Organisation IT competence –Myplace classes, e-texts –Library catalogue, journal, databases –Departmental and institutional provision (DRDF) AT Adviser – needs assessment

needs assessment –advance purchasing –loan and trial –on-campus provision –training –Disability Resource Development Fund (DRDF) purchasing support –orientation and collection Evaluation Research of emerging technologies, alternative devices for adviser development and informed assessment AT Support – needs met model

Development budget (premium funding) –site-licenced assistive software (JAWS; ZoomText; Read&Write Gold; Mind Genius (with take-home licence); Browse Aloud) –demonstration and trial equipment –loan equipment Advance Purchase budget (core funds) –Allows advance purchase with condition that funds will be returned on receipt of DSA Salaries (0.5FT AT, 1FT ATAss) (DSA fees funding) Disability Resource Development Fund (DRDF) (premium funding) AT specific budgets

QAA 1999 – ethos to support the development of inclusive service provision within the areas of expertise 4 examples where AT supported the development of mainstream inclusive services: 1.working with IT Services 2.working with IT training team 3.working with teaching space support 4.working with Scanning service mainstreaming inclusion

AT advisors working with IT services: –IT service take over management of AT Room –AT on campus network –Software download (includes AT) –AT on departmental labs –Innovative IT provision (e.g. library discussion spaces collaborative stations) include AT –IT Help Desk provision of extended service for disabled students 1. IT services mainstreaming inclusion

rolling AT training programme –available pre-assessment –available pre-award –can take repeated sessions Builds IT training team capacity –AT training within staff development programme Supports roll-out of AT on-campus centrally managed labs Supports roll-out of AT to departmental labs (software download) –guidance on accessibility within all training materials –development of training courses specifically to develop inclusive practice – Accessible Word and PDF 2. In house AT training

Based within Learning Services (2004 to 2009), the wider team became mindful of accessibility and felt a moral duty to create the following services: Captioned video Transcription service Lecture recording LRC Live Remote Captioning Accessible teaching delivery AMX, radio microphones 3. Teaching Space Support

University adopted CLA scanning licence in 2006 and developed the Scanning Service to scan materials for the VLE in compliance with legislation. Incorporated service to provide accessible materials for students who are blind or have low vision. AT support to develop service and ensure service provision is accessible and to train students. Capacity to provide students required reading as accessible e-texts, on time, despite removal of DSA funding for transcription. AT introduced print assessments in 2010 as an extension to needs assessment for visually impaired students. 4. Scanning Service

DISCUSSION