[Athen] RE: Software licensing for student use on laptops

[James Bailey]

________________________________________

Hi Kathy,

We've never installed (with one exception) AT on student owned computers. The assumption is, if you own a computer you're responsible  for its functionality.  This has history too, well before laptops, our students who used screen readers or screen enlargers usually owned a personal desktop at home or in the dorm. We've never provided AT for those machines. 

Our AT lab has always been small, so I have created "optimized" workstations there. The screen enlarger machine has a dedicated CCTV. Our DNS workstation is on a motor-driven adjustable height table. These stations have additional features not available on our public machines.

Now to that one exception. We just switched from K 3000 to Read:OutLoud and part of our deal is that we can install the product on student macs or win machines. 

See you at CSUN

James

James Bailey
AT Coordinator University of Oregon 


-----Original Message-----
From: Kathleen Cahill [mailto:kcahill at MIT.EDU]
Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2012 11:25 AM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
Subject: [Athen] Software licensing for student use on laptops

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