[Athen] some things adaptive technology experts need to know

[Kelmer, Susan M]

This is still a relatively "new" field, Adaptive Technology.  My bachelor's
is in Management and Communications, with minors in English and Secondary
Ed.  How's that for non-conformity?

However, I'm a geek at heart and was the de-facto geeky person with the
answers everyone needed about software.  That got me through the 80's as a
secretary and administrative type person.  Then I got into academics, and am
now working for the IT department at my campus (for the last six years).

I am not disabled, but have plenty of friends who are, and was blessed with
two children with special needs.  My oldest has ADD and seizure disorder, my
second child as a processing disorder.  When I was interviewed for this job,
which was really rather a new position on this campus and we were creating
new paths in the wilderness, the interviewers asked me how I would get
answers to accommodation questions.  I said I had a blind friend in Virginia
I could call on whenever I wanted, and that I would do my research.  I guess
I was convincing enough, and I got the job.  I have very much enjoyed what I
am doing, and have tried to keep us on the cutting edge of adaptive
technology accommodations as well as being a pioneer in the production of
audio text for our students, before there were standards or tried-and-true
ways to do it.

I do recommend getting a subscription to Closing the Gap magazine.  The
yearly Resource Guide they produce is like my bible.  Their conference is
also supposed to be good, although I've never been.  I try to always go to
Accessing Higher Ground conference in Boulder every November, it is
primarily for Adaptive Technologists and I get a lot out of the conference
(and make good networking connections as well).

Like some others, my job is not JUST adaptive technology.  Because I work
for the IT department, I also have other duties that have nothing to do with
disability services.  Ideally, I should be spending only 1/3 of my time
doing adaptive technology, per my job description.  In reality, it is about
80%.  I also run a general-use computer lab that houses some specialized
equipment for SWD's, and I also have direct responsibility for maintaining,
forecasting, and troubleshooting 1/4th of the campus computerized
classrooms.  So I keep busy.  

If I had to sum up, I'd say get plenty of technical experience, especially
software.  If you have an ability to learn these quickly, and an ability to
use help files, this is the easy part of this job.  Coming up with
accommodations can be a bit dicier, but there are lots of resources out
there to use, including networking on lists and etc.  And never forget that
high-tech is not always the way to go...sometimes the simple solution is
best.  We had a visually impaired student here who no amount of technology
was getting him through his algebra classes.  Finally, we hired a visual
describer and gave her a sharpie marker and a big pad of huge-square graph
paper, and she got that guy through class.  He actually finished with a high
B.  Low-tech was the solution there, and is for some other things too.

Susan Kelmer
Coordinator
Information ACCESS Lab
St. Louis Community College at Meramec
314/984-7951