ERIC Number: EJ868932
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Dec
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0145-482X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Reading Media Used by Higher-Education Students and Graduates with Visual Impairments in Greece
Papadopoulos, Konstantinos; Koutsoklenis, Athanasios
Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, v103 n11 p772-777 Dec 2009
There is no doubt about the value of braille in the personal and professional lives of people with visual impairments (Hatlen & Spungin, 2008; Spungin, 1996; Wells-Jensen, Wells-Jensen, & Belknap, 2005). Nevertheless, computers and assistive technology are often cited as the means to overcome limited access to information and other environmental barriers for nonprint readers (Gerber, 2003). Gerber noted that a plethora of researchers and practitioners in the field of visual impairment have acknowledged that the use of computers and assistive technology can change the lives of people with visual impairments to a great extent by improving educational and employment opportunities, enhancing social networks, and facilitating independence. This article reports a study that explored the use of different reading media by students and graduates of higher education with visual impairments in Greece. In particular, the study aimed to investigate the following: (1) the frequency of use of reading media; (2) the factors that affect the frequency of use of braille and computers (that is, screen readers or screen magnifiers); (3) the advantages and disadvantages of the various reading media; and (4) the participants' tendency to change from one reading medium to another and to examine their beliefs about the suitability of each reading medium for satisfying their needs. (Contains 4 tables.)
Descriptors: Visual Impairments, Braille, Foreign Countries, Educational Technology, Assistive Technology, Educational Media, Use Studies, Performance Factors, Graduate Students, Accessibility (for Disabled), Questionnaires, Media Selection, Reading
American Foundation for the Blind. 11 Penn Plaza Suite 300, New York, NY 10001. Tel: 800-232-5463; Tel: 212-502-7600; e-mail: afbinfo@afb.net; Web site: http://www.afb.org/store
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Greece
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A