Contributo in atti di convegno, 2008, ENG, 10.1007/978-3-540-70540-6_119

Zoomlinux: a research result providing a tangible response to the needs of low vision students

Giovanni Paolo Caruso; Silvia Dini; Lucia Ferlino

Istituto per le Tecnologie Didattiche, CNR, Via De Marini, 6, Genova, Italy; Istituto David Chiossone Onlus per i ciechi e gli ipovedenti, Corso Armellini, 11, Genova, Italy

This paper addresses the needs of low-vision students by examining the development of ZoomLinux, a DVD containing specially selected open source educational software products. The DVD was created in 2008 by a group of researchers1 and professionals2 who have gained extensive experience in visual impairment through studies conducted over many years. ZoomLinux differs from similar products devoted to people with special needs by being "especially normal": the software applications and the platform itself are readily usable by each and every student in the classroom, thus satisfying the most important requirement of e-inclusion. This approach offers new opportunities for educational and methodological settings: the teacher can customize system and software options in order to meet different special needs. For each educational software, the DVD provides detailed informations about strengths, weaknesses regarding use with low vision students, accessibility analysis and notes explaining how teachers can customize the interface.

ICCHP '08 - 11th international conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs, pp. 801–808, Linz, Austria, 9-11 luglio 2008

Keywords

E-inclusion, Low vision, Accessibility, Assistive Technology, Opensource

CNR authors

Ferlino Lucia, Caruso Giovanni Paolo

CNR institutes

ITD – Istituto per le tecnologie didattiche