This study projected to examine what the handicapped practica11y need as a educational service when they learn the information technology (IT) in a institute, and furthermore to propose a concrete alternative for IT education service. Readers can unde...
This study projected to examine what the handicapped practica11y need as a educational service when they learn the information technology (IT) in a institute, and furthermore to propose a concrete alternative for IT education service. Readers can understand recent situations of IT education as follows;
Most of handicapped people had no job, and more than 50% of them had no regular income. They commonly felt it's was burden when they use Internet or PC Telnet. When surveying those who took charge of national IT education service, they polled that a subsidy by government was not helpful for the handicapped to continue their learning, and that the most challenged burden to the disables was the fact that they were too much slowly typing a keyboard, therefore, they spent most of the time in typing a keyboard.
There was even 40%, who worked under a year, of those who take in charge of a government-subsidized IT education institute, so their continuity and professionality seemed to be not enough to give a professional service. In addition, there was not enough facilities and supporting systems for the handicapped in most professional IT education institutes. It mean the IT education has been serviced as a just basic course, not satisfying them with pragmatic and newest education meeting in the era of information society.
This paper suggests a few point to improve this inferior situation.
The policy, first of all, should be set up for the handicapped, making them accessible and easy to purchase a cheap computer, its accessaries and internet communication.
Second, computer tools helping each handicap pattern should be invented. Most of the computers have been produced mainly for those who has no handicap. Especially, physically handicapped people have a great difficulty in following a computer interface such as input and output job. They need suitable computer-related tools helping their handicap pattern, enhancing their accessibility to IT life and culture.
Third, a local information center is nationally needed for all patterns of the handicapped people freely to use a computer.
Forth, diverse IT education courses ought to be available, satisfying their needs and levels with professional service.
Fifth, a government should support the disables with positive policies such as financial aid or IT policy making.
In conclusion, what is the most important thing is the continual concern and awareness by welfare authority, enhancing the level of IT education service for the handicapped people, and government-subsidized education institutes should obtain computer-related accessaries for each pattern of the disability, developing education courses with more professional teachers. Furthermore, this education service should be supported by local society and community.