Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 9.1: (continued)
Score
Reason
6 (6.7/95)
No
because Jane has not made a good-faith effort to use the software. She
will be more productive in the long term if she can do inputting into the
computer without having to schedule a typist each time.
−
69 (5.3/95)
Yes
because this may be a difference between US and Canadian law. Under
US law, the university must provide an effective accommodation for Jane,
and as everyone who has used voice recognition software knows, it does not
work well in some contexts, especially for someone who does not articulate
uniformly. The reason given above does not state what more can be done,
other than a customization session which will not be effective if Jane does
not articulate uniformly.
8 (3.5/95)
Yes
because accommodations cannot be “one size fits all.” The technology
the university is offering may not be suitable for Jane. If there is another
viable or realistic alternative, such as a typist, it should be considered.
−
9 (2.3/95)
Neutral
because there is not enough information to tell if voice recogni-
tion software is appropriate for her, or if other technology would be more
appropriate, a typist should be provided until a complete assessment is
completed, voice recognition does not work for all individuals.
−
69 (2.0/95)
Yes
because not all people are comfortable using computers and the soft-
ware might not be adaptable to all.
−
12 (2.0/95)
No
because first they should provide training. If this does not work, they
should provide the typist.
25 (1.5/95)
Neutral
because it is hard to tell the degree of disability from the scenario.
Is Jane having a short term upper hand impairment? Is she in wheelchair
with paralysis with decreased muscle strength in her hands? It is unclear
whether the university conducted an assessment prior to giving Jane the
equipment to check if it would be suitable for her. I am assuming that the
university does not have a high number of students similar to Jane's needs,
if indeed an assessment was not done, and Jane's disability is a chronic and
debilitating one, the university ought to provide Jane with a typist while
they fix the software issue.
−
74 (1.0/95)
Yes
because with the current state of technology, even the most advanced
speech recognition software cannot adequately address Jane's needs. Con-
tribution to software development is not Jane's responsibility.
15 (1.0/95)
Yes
because I work with LD students and have an LD myself.
14 (0.8/95)
No
because where do you draw the line in “assistance”? This could be an
expensive precedent to set. Also, I personally have been unable to work
due to a injury to my arm (I cannot type); my employers were not obli-
gated to purchase me software to assist me and this is my livelihood, but
I understand the cost factors involved if this were required.
−
40 (0.5/95)
No
because the software is designed for people with this disability.
Question 5:
“Despite having both lower legs amputated as a child, South
African runner Oscar Pistorius dreamed of one day competing in the Olympic
Games. That dream was dashed in early 2008 when the International Asso-
ciation of Athletics Federations ruled him ineligible, claiming his carbon-
fibre prosthetics gave him an unfair advantage over able-bodied competitors.
Pistorius appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which overturned
