The Accessible Technology Lab provides a variety of services to students, faculty, or staff requiring adaptive assistance. Whether you have visual, learning, or physical disabilities that prohibit you from accessing a computer or course materials, the Accessible Technology Lab has something for you. The Accessible Technology Lab provides a variety of resources to all members of the Ball State community, living with disabilities, to accomplish career objectives and coursework.
Our program meets the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (The Americans with Disabilities Act) and is part of Ball State’s commitment to serving all Ball State faculty, staff and students with disabilities.
Students with disabilities may visit our lab in Robert Bell (RB) 168 or call 765-285-6124 to find the appropriate technical accommodations and resources available for them. The Accessible Technology Lab staff will assist students in reaching their academic goals while enhancing their learning experiences at Ball State.
Other Disability Services
The University also provides a full array of disability services available to all students, faculty, and staff. Please visit the Disability Services offices in the Student Center, Room 116, or the Disability Services website to find out more.
A wide array of services and equipment is available if you have visual impairments. Those with residual vision have access to closed circuit television systems. Large-print materials can be produced with a photocopying machine or a word processor. Screen magnification software is available on computers, as well as 19- to 21-inch monitors.
If you do not have usable vision, you can access Braille and tactile graphics production in our lab. Braille embossers may be used in conjunction with Braille translation software. There is a refreshable Braille display available in the primary Accessible Technology Lab.
Screen reading software is installed on computers to access on-screen information through the use of an array of voice synthesizers. Scanners with optical recognition software are available to access print information via speech.
A range of technology is available to facilitate access to computer technology whether your mobility impairments are manual dexterity limitations or complex quadriplegia. Some computer stations may be adjusted to the appropriate height for a comfortable level.
Other modified keyboards and trackballs are available if you have manual dexterity limitations, individual digit manipulation, and limited range of motion.
If you have little or no manual dexterity, the option of using voice recognition software, which allows for hands-free input, is available.
Several of the technologies available for persons with vision and mobility impairments are also of benefit to those with learning disabilities. For instance, scanning text into an electronic format, then having a voice synthesizer verbalize the information can increase cognition and retention. Altering computer and television screen colors and having the text highlighted as it is spoken assists with the reading process, and the full-color CCTV's are used by some persons with visual processing disorders to alter the color scheme of print materials.
Tactile graphics can also enhance the understanding of graphical information. Word prediction and completion software can be used to prompt those with learning disabilities and reduce typing and spelling errors.
Although computer adaptations are not generally needed by those with psychological disorders, the primary Accessible Technology Lab is available for your use. Many individuals find the smaller size of this lab and direct one-on-one support to be beneficial.
Resources
The Accessible Technology Lab has the following resources available. This table lists the available hardware or software and the disability for which it is intended.
Adaptive Hardware
| Hardware |
Disability |
| Large character keyboard with optional key guard that is used by individuals with mobility impairments. | Mobility Impairment |
| Braille embosser capable of creating double sided Braille output from computer documents. | Visual Impairment |
| Trackball - mouse-like input device that utilizes a free-rolling ball for maximum control. | Mobility Impairment |
| Closed circuit TV - magnification viewer with optional color variations. | Visual Impairment,
Learning Disability |
| Refreshable Braille display that can be used with or as an alternative to voice output. | Visual Impairment |
Adaptive Software
| Software |
Disability |
| Speech recognition software | Learning Disability,
Mobility Impairment |
| Braille translation software | Learning Disability,
Visual Impairment |
| Screen reading software for MS Windows | Visual Impairment |
| Kurzweil optical character recognition (OCR) scanner that converts printed material into an electronic format | Learning Disability,
Visual Impairment |
| Screen magnification software which magnifies text and images on the screen | Visual Impairment |
Lab Staff Directory