Business Spotlight 08.2019

TECHNOLOGY 63

Fotos: Cecilie_Arcurs, kokouu/iStock.com

6/2019 Business Spotlight

R

ustling crisp packets, shuf-

fling feet and the general

buzz of conversation made

lectures a problem for Gem-

ma Long during her first de-

gree. She suffers from senso-

ry overload connected to her

autism, which was only diag-

nosed after she graduated.

But when she started a

teacher-training course at the

University of Huddersfield, she received

access to software to help her deal with

dyslexia and found it transformative. It

allowed her to listen to lectures quietly at

home, which dramatically improved her

marks. She went on to take

an MA at the Open Univer-

sity and is now studying for

a PhD at Sheffield Hallam

University.

“I struggled to under-

stand the point of lectures

until I got that software,”

recalls Long. “I didn’t re-

alize how much useful

information was in them. As someone

who is hypersensitive to noise, I spend

most of my time in lectures trying to

filter out the background noise, which

means I miss much of what the lectur-

er is saying. Being able to audio-record

the lectures and listen back to them in

a silent room meant I was finally able to

digest the content.”

Overcoming obstacles

Technology is breaking down barriers

faced by students with disabilities. This

matters, because a lower percentage of

disabled students go to university than

the percentage of their non-disabled

peers who attend university. Online jour-

nal articles or reading lists now enable

those with visual impairments to zoom

in and read printed text or convert it to

easier-to-read formats such as Braille.

Universities are also increasingly re-

cording lectures that students can replay

at their own pace, which benefits students

with dyslexia or attention deficit hyperac-

tivity disorder (ADHD). Often, all of this

can be done through laptops at home, giv-

ing students greater independence.

According to Alistair McNaught, a dig-

ital learning consultant, more and more

universities are tracking how students

learn, and then directing them to the ac-

cessible resources most suited to their

personal needs. Staff can also receive au-

tomated feedback on the accessibility of

material they upload to the virtual learn-

ing environment.

McNaught appreciates the way as-

sistive technologies can help all students,

whether they have a disability or not, but

stresses that it’s important for universi-

ties to get the basics right first. “Many

higher and further institutions have in-

accessible websites or inaccessible digi-

tal content. If the content

is inaccessible, investments

in assistive technology can

be undermined at a stroke,”

he comments.

This is something that

new European regulations

aim to deal with. After

September this year, new

material published on uni-

versity websites and virtual learning en-

vironments will need to meet standards

on accessibility.

Technological innovations

This effort is complemented by other

technological innovations. There are new

mobile apps to guide students through

difficult periods or situations. For exam-

ple, Brain in Hand is designed specifical-

ly for people with autism, mental health

conditions, brain injuries or specific

learning difficulties. It suggests person-

alized coping strategies to students in

distress, offers reminders about tasks, and

allows users to monitor anxiety levels and

access help swiftly when needed.

Some universities are taking a wider

approach. At De Montfort University in

Leicester, around 200 students can record

their moods via a traffic light system —

green when all is OK, amber when they

are feeling uncomfortable and red when

they need help. Specialist mentors track

these notifications and step in when

needed, as well as observe what activi-

ties seem to cause each student particular

stress. For example, many students seem

Fewer disabled

students go

to university

than their non-

disabled peers

amber [ˈæmbə] UK

, bernsteinfarben;

hier: gelb (Ampelfarbe)

anxiety [æNˈzaɪəti]

, Angst, Beklemmung

appreciate sth.

[əˈpriːʃieɪt]

, etw. schätzen, begrüßen

at a stroke

[)Ät E (strəʊk]

, schlagartig

attention deficit

hyperactivity disorder

(ADHD) [əˈtenʃ&n

)defɪsɪt )haIpErÄk(tIvEti

dɪs)ɔːdə]

, Aufmerksamkeits-

defizit-/Hyperaktivi-

tätsstörung (ADHS)

Braille [breI&l]

, [wg. Aussprache]

buzz [bʌz] , Summen;

hier: Stimmengewirr

coping strategy

[(kəʊpɪŋ )strætEdʒi]

, Bewältigungsstrategie

crisp [ˈkrɪsp] UK

, Chip

digest sth. [daɪˈdʒest]

, etw. verarbeiten

disability [ˌdɪsəˈbɪləti]

, Behinderung

distress [dɪˈstres]

, Not, Schwierigkeit

dyslexia [dɪsˈleksiə]

, Legasthenie

graduate [(grÄdZueIt]

, seinen Abschluss

machen

impairment

[ɪmˈpeəmənt]

, Beeinträchtigung;

hier: Behinderung

lecture [ˈlektSE]

, Vortrag; Vorlesung

mental health condition

[)ment&l (helθ

kən)dɪʃ&n]

, psychische Erkrankung

obstacle [ˈɒbstək&l]

, Hürde

PhD (Doctor of

Philosophy)

[)piː eɪtʃ (diː]

, Doktortitel

rustle [ˈrʌs&l]

, knistern

sensory overload

[)sensəri (əʊvələʊd]

, sensorische Über-

lastung; hier auch: Hoch-

sensibilität

shuffle [ˈʃʌf&l]

, schlurfen

stress sth. [stres]

, etw. betonen

take an MA

[)teɪk ən )em (eɪ]

, einen Master-

Studiengang aufnehmen

track sth. [træk]

, etw. (rück)verfolgen

Text by touch: Braille is the traditional

reading system for the blind