Karen Milchus <karen.milchus@arch.gatech.edu>
Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access
Georgia Tech., Atlanta, GA
Science laboratory activities pose many barriers to students with disabilities. This session will demonstrate several ways that high school or college level chemistry and physics laboratory activities can be made accessible to students with physical or visual disabilities. Computer-based science experiments, in the form of computer-controlled lab equipment or experiment simulations, can be combined with assistive technology to allow a student to independently collect scientific data. Additional assistive technology and alternative techniques can help students perform other laboratory tasks.
While schools have begun to eliminate architectural barriers within science classrooms, barriers still remain for participating in the laboratory activities. Students with mobility impairments have obvious difficulties manipulating equipment such as pipettes and gages. Likewise, visually impaired students have difficulty reading measurement devices such as graduated cylinders, and multimeters. By not being able to participate in science labs, these students are discouraged from taking science courses and pursuing technical careers.
APPROACH
Under a current NSF project, Developing Accessible Laboratory Experiments, the presenter is developing a series of accessible laboratory experiments for high school and college level chemistry and physics courses. One approach is to investigate the accessibility of mainstream computer-based lab systems. Computer-based data acquisition systems are fairly inexpensive, and they offer a variety of sensor options to measure light, pH, temperature, force, and voltages. Experiment simulations, ranging from frog dissections to studies of projectile motion to a virtual chemistry lab are also being used more in science classes. When these science technologies are combined with computer access technology, students with disabilities may be able to conduct experiments themselves. For example, a computer can record measurements from a temperature probe, and the readings can be magnified or spoken by a synthesizer for students with visual impairments. A student who has difficulty using his or her hands can dissect a virtual frog through voice commands.
Another approach is to look at ways in which assistive technology or other accommodations can be used to perform some lab tasks or make the computerized ones more accessible. For example, a talking multimeter might be used to make measurements.
It may not be possible to make an experiment fully accessible for a particular student, but our goals are to let the students conduct as much of the experiment themselves as possible, and to enable them to make the required scientific decisions during the course of the experiment.
RESOURCE INFORMATION
The experiments and accommodations developed for this project are being made available to the public via the Internet site Barrier Free Education: Resources for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities into Math and Science Education -- http://barrier-free.arch.gatech.edu
This project was supported by the National Science Foundation. Additional support for the website has come from the Toyota and NEC Foundations.
Today’s demonstration will use Vernier’s Universal Lab Interface
http://www.vernier.com
Current and Voltage probes, Light sensor, Pressure Sensors
Photogates, Force sensor, Accelerometer, Magnetic field
probe
pH electrode, Colorimeter, Conductivity probe
Barometer, Geiger counter
Heart rate monitors, Dissolved Oxygen Probe
· What tasks need to be performed?
· Which of these tasks pose barriers to the student?
· Is there another way of performing the task or technology that might help?
Example: Measuring Liquids
· Specific precise amount
· Any amount - measured accurately
· Incremental amounts
· Approximate amount
· Does not matter
· Setup equipment / chemicals
· Add one chemical to another, stir
· Measure liquids accurately
· Determine when end-point reached
· Container to container - use a funnel
· Non-slip surface - Dycem
· Plastic glassware
· Large grip stirring rod
· Magnetic stirrer
· Non-slip surface - Dycem
· Plastic glassware
· Setup:
· Graduated Cylinder
· Auto-Pipette or Dispenser
· Syringe
· Measurement during Experiment:
· Reading the Burette
· Volume by Weighing
· Approximation by Drops
· Precise amount
· Repetition
· Blind / Visually Impaired
· Some motor impaired
· Precise amount
· Repetition
· Blind / Visually Impaired
· Some motor impaired
· Approximate
· Tactile markers
· Gigs or mounts
· Food coloring for contrast
· Index card for background
· CCTV display
· Calculate desired weight using density
· Weigh and calculate volume
· Talking scale
· Adaptations for addition of fluid
· Calibrate bottle using graduated cylinder
· Count drops
· Auditory conductivity probe (tones)
· Visual conductivity probe (lightbulb)
· Multimeter (talking)
· Computerized sensor
· Betacon VisAble
· American Printing House for Blind - VisAble
· Larger keys also help students with coordination difficulties
· TI ViewScreen
· Teacher’s Calculator
· Light Box
· AudioCalc MaxiAids
· Texas Instruments MaxiAids
· RNIB Calculator Independent Living Aids
· Captek - Scientific Products
· Auditory graphing calculator varies pitch, volume to indicate shape
· Prints graph on Braille printer
· Can import data from another program (i.e., Vernier)
· http://www.ViewPlusSoft.com/agc
· Edit math - math word processor
· http://www.mackichan.com/snbk/scinotebook/
· Product for using it with Dragon voice recognition
· Mackichen Scientific Notebook
· Mavis converts Scientific Notebook scripts to Nemeth Braille
· Converts Nemeth Braille to text
· Audio browser for math
· http://www.nmsu.edu/~mavis/