In the fall semester of my newswriting class, two students signed up for the class who had special needs. The first semester I wanted a gentle start with the iPads, but as teachers, you know that it usually doesn't occur. Two students walked through my door who were going to challenge the iPad Project. One was hearing impaired and the other was sight impaired.
I had selected the iPad because other portable reading devices were not disability compliant and lawsuits were pending at some colleges. The iPad is compliant and we tested it through the fall class. If you go into thw Settings app on your iPad then click on accessibility, you will be able to adjust the font size for a student who needs the larger type to read and you can tell the iPad to read aloud written items displayed and set the volume as needed. Neither of my students were challenged enough to qualify for a classroom tutor, but both would have struggled in my course without the iPad. One has now joined my newspaper course.
While I didn't set out the first semester to test the accessibilities of the iPad, I was glad that I did. I was sold on what it can do for students who might need the playing field leveled in ways we hadn't considered as directly as those without computers.
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