EDUCOM's Project EASI:
Resources for Barrier Free Computing in Higher Education

by
Danny Hilton-Chalfen
Carmela Castorina
University of California, Los Angeles

Darola Hockley
Environment Canada

Jane Berliss
Trace Research and Development Center

Excerpts from Paper Presented at the CSUN '91 Annual Conference on Technology and Persons with Disabilities (CSUN, California State University Northridge)

Equal Access to Software for Instruction -- EASI

Project EASI was established in 1988 to address computer access needs of persons with disabilities in higher education. EASI's founders, Krista Kramer and Nils Peterson, recognized the growing demand for development, implementation, and management information surrounding barrier free computer access on post- secondary campuses. In response to this demand, EASI's founders successfully requested that EDUCOM recognize and support EASI as one of their Education Software Initiative (ESI) projects. EDUCOM is a national consortium of higher education institutions which encourages its members to explore and share issues and information pertinent to information technology. EDUCOM's membership is a diverse mixture of computing support personnel, computing science faculty, faculty from a variety of disciplines, other professionals interested in information technology, and a variety of technology related corporate affiliates. In support of EDUCOM's mission, EDUCOM's members formed the Educational Software Initiative (ESI). ESI is a group of volunteer projects which provide members with a forum for actively addressing highly specialized or specific information technology issues. The projects conduct numerous activities including the development and dissemination of information materials. In keeping pace with the evolution of academic computing ESI has recently become EUIT -- Educational Uses of Information Technology.

Since its creation, EASI has produced and is actively disseminating two information documents. The first document, "Computing and Students with Disabilities: New Challenges for Higher Education", discusses barrier free computing issues in post-secondary education. This document also provides an overview of pertinent legislation, descriptions of computing access programs on five different campuses, and lists of resource people and articles.

The second document, "EASI Fixes", is a short pamphlet which discusses design strategies for developing accessible software. The pamphlet includes a suggestion list of specific design features for software developers to consider.

The EASI brochures were written and edited by leading professionals in the adaptive computing field, many of whom have been active participants of Project EASI since its inception.

The Current Need in Higher Education

A number of factors are making the need for information and guidance in higher education on disability and technology greater than ever. First, new legislation has created a greater awareness of the needs for equal access to educational opportunity, to the workplace, and to computers themselves. Many universities are now asking what their mandate is to provide computer access support, and what is the minimum obligation they have to meet the computing needs of students, faculty and staff with disabilities.

On the computer vendor side, many companies need information on how their products must comply with legislated mandates to be considered for purchase by such consumers as the federal government. Increasingly, it is recognized by industry that their information technology products must be accessible.

Second, there is a growing population of students with disabilities entering higher education. This is due in part to advances in medical technology that make it possible for more students with severe disabilities to attend school. It is also due to a greater commitment by K-12 school systems to integrate students with disabilities into mainstream classes and to provide them with necessary support services to ensure educational equity.

Finally, advances in assistive computer technology now make it possible for more people to be able to realize their educational and employment aspirations. Students are able to accomplish a greater range of tasks, more independently of physical assistance from others, than before. The technological tools are available now to enable students to enter a greater number of academic fields and to be more successful academically.

Project EASI's Response

The EASI Seminar Series

In response to these challenges, EASI is now developing a Seminar Series to present at colleges and conferences nationwide. The workshops are designed for colleges that are looking for information on developing computer access support services for people with disabilities, or enhancing existing support services. The initial audience of the seminars includes: computing services administrators and computing support staff; directors and support staff of disabled student services offices; campus administrators and staff; faculty.

EASI Seminars are designed to be presented in two ways: As in-depth workshops lasting from 1-2 days, covering a wide range of technology and services in depth, or, in 1-2 hours, as an overview of the field and key issues. There will be a number of seminar modules, which can be flexibly configured to meet the
needs of a particular campus. Module topics include:

1. Introduction and Background (including disability
demographics, key legislation, and adaptive computing
awareness issues).

2. Disability Awareness and Technology Access Issues
(Sensitivity training and barriers to computer access).

3. Input and Output Technology Solutions (A hands-on look at all
major classes of assistive computing technology.

4. Computing Lab Environment (How to set up an accessible
computing lab).

5. Service Delivery (The types of technology access support
services that successful campus programs now provide).

6. Integration and Implementation (Strategies for planning an
effective computer support service and integrating it
into the institution).

7. Transitions: Issues in Education and Employment
(Preparing for key transitions from K-12 to two and four
year schools, and from college to the workplace).

These Seminars will be of interest to other audiences outside of higher education. Additional modules will be added to benefit organizations including computer manufacturers, government programs (including Tech Act states), employers, primary and secondary schools, and disability advocacy organizations.

EASI Seminars presenters will come from regional colleges and organizations around the country. Campuses interested in having EASI present the Seminar Series may contact the coordinator of the EASI Speakers Bureau, Harrison Frolick, (of IRND, an ADA consulting firm), at 305-772-8963.

Other EASI Activities

EASI is responding to higher education's need for information and guidance on assistive computing technology in a number of additional ways:

EASI presents papers and workshops at a number of national and international conferences. These conferences represent professionals and interested parties in several fields including assistive computing technology, disabled student services,
academic computing services, and computer engineering. These conferences also facilitate communication between EASI and other professional associations, sometimes establishing a framework for collaborative efforts. EASI has a speakers bureau, and interested organizations and associations may contact EASI for workshops and presentations.

EASI is establishing several working groups to respond to specific information technology access needs in higher education. For example, our newly formed Online Resources Work Group addresses the increasing importance of online information and telecommunications in instruction, research and employment. This work group will advise EASI and coordinate efforts along a number of fronts, including: making EASI information available online; establishing liaison with other online services for coordination of efforts; developing resource information on how campuses are responding to, for example, the need to provide access to online information data bases (such as library catalogs); answering inquiries regarding methods of providing access, such as models of distance education through telecommunications. EASI has established an electronic document service of pamphlets and other items helpful in achieving computer access which is available via anonymous ftp from the internet using the command, ftp UM.CC.UMICH.EDU or ftp 35.1.1.43 and changing to the subdirectory EASI. For further access information contact Ray Farha: internet Ray_Farha@UM.CC.UMICH.EDu or Norman Coombs: internet NRCGSH@RITVAX.ISC.RIT.EDU, bitnet NRCGSH@RITVAX.

EASI Membership

EASI welcomes the participation of people who are actively involved in assistive computing technology and services, as well as those who are looking for more information on this rapidly growing field. EASI participants come from higher education, the computing vendor community, and a range of public and private organizations, including government. Given the importance of transition issues as students with disabilities move from K-12 settings into higher education, EASI also welcomes participation from people in primary and secondary school settings. People interested in participating in Project EASI, and/or being on the mailing and electronic mailing lists, may contact the project at the address below.

To Request EASI Publications (ascii versions available):

EUIT Program
EDUCOM
1112 16th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Telephone: 202-872-4200
Via Bitnet: EUIT@EDUCOM

To find out more about Project EASI, or to be added to the mailing and electronic mailing lists:


Danny Hilton-Chalfen, Chair, Project EASI, or
Carmela Castorina, Editor, Project EASI
UCLA
Office of Academic Computing
Microcomputer Support Office
5628 MSA
405 Hilgard Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90024-1557
Telephone: 213-206-4839
TTDD: 213-206-5155
Bitnet: CSMIDHC@UCLAMVS;
Internet: CSMIDHC@OAC.UCLA.EDU

Project EASI gratefully acknowledges the generous financial and organizational support provided by EDUCOM and EUIT.