[Athen] Software licensing for student use on laptops

[Dan Comden]

Hi Kathy
I agree that the times are changing and we need to think of new approaches.

At the University of Washington, we have pushed AT out to most of the
primary desktop locations on campus that are shared use workstations. This
means that SWDs don't have to come to a specific location or workstation in
order to have access to AT. This is the case for IT-supported workstations,
and we are making progress with facilities at the departmental level.

(By the way, demand for desktop computing does not seem to be diminishing
from where I sit). If anything, mobile devices may have increase demand,
because it is difficult to print, run relevant apps, and get the CPU cycles
needed for some tasks)

Part of our challenge here is that the policy has been that we do not
provide applications to students to run on their own computers. Or, at
least that used to be the case.

Now students do have access to free software (WIndows operating system, MS
Office for Mac and Windows) as a result of their technology fee. It could
be argued that if the campus is making these applications available to all
students, then students who have AT requirements in order to get to those
"free" things should get AT provided as well. However the view has been
that the institution does not provide software that is installed on
privately owned equipment.

I know this approach is handled differently at other institutions and has
been the case for quite a while.

-*- Dan

On Wed, Oct 10, 2012 at 8:24 AM, Kathleen Cahill <kcahill at mit.edu> wrote:


> Hi Colleagues,

>

> More and more, as our students use laptops in ever greater numbers, we

> find our current model of assistive technology software purchasing and

> distribution is becoming irrelevant.  Right now we have a lab with desktop

> computers and AT software installed on them which are not getting the use

> they once did.  What kinds of models do some of you have at your

> universities to loan software to students?  Do you loan software for a

> specific period of time?  Do you buy copies of software for students?  How

> do you budget for and fund this?

>

> We know that the AT lab model is becoming a thing of the past but I sure

> would love to know what you are doing as our AT models evolve.

>

> Thank you,

>

> Kathy

>

> Kathleen Cahill

> Assistive Technology Specialist

> MIT ATIC (Assistive Tech. Info. Center)

> 77 Mass. Ave. 7-143

> Cambridge MA 02139

> (617) 253-5111

> kcahill at mit.edu

>

>

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>




-- 
-*- Dan Comden                       danc at uw.edu <danc at washington.edu>
    Access Technology Center   www.uw.edu/itconnect/accessibility/atl/
    University of Washington      UW Information Technology
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