On World Accessibility Awareness Day, Thursday 15 May, more than 50 people who are blind or have low vision gathered in Enfield to hear from Luis Perez, an American educator, author, presenter and inclusive learning consultant with a passion for accessibility and universal design.
The event was repeated in Brisbane on Monday 19 May, for around 65 attendees.
Luis has a doctorate in Special Education from the University of South Florida. His research interests include disability studies, Universal Design for Learning, and assistive technology. In 2009, in recognition of his accomplishments in the field of educational technology, Luis was selected as an Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE).
Luis has retinitis pigmentosa, an hereditary condition which causes degeneration of the light sensitive cells and pigment layer of the retina.
He started his presentation by demonstrating that design for the average is design for no-one, where as design for margins leads to design for everyone.
He cited examples such as curb cuts, initially for wheel chair access to footpaths, but also of benefit to parents of young children wrangling push chairs and delivery vehicles transporting heavy trolleys of goods into buildings. He also talked about the use of captioning and how it is not just for people with hearing impairments, but often used to view television in crowded places such as airports, bars or at the gym.
Luis explained that when he was a child he “didn’t get the memo” about his vision loss. “I just thought I was clumsy. But, it meant I wasn’t afraid of trying new things and people didn’t say no. It led to some funny moments. I even tried out for the baseball team. It is a philosophy I have tried to take forward.”
He talked and demonstrated to the group the unique accessibility features on Apple products. From screen magnification and button shapes to VoiceOver and handwriting recognition. There was something for everyone. "It shouldn't be called assistive technology. It is empowering technology," he said.
Luis presentation concluded with him explaining a little about Universal Design for Learning or UDL and demonstrated how apps such as iBooks author can create a more interactive learning experience.
Listen to the audio from Luis’ presentation in Enfield.
Listen to the audio from Luis' presentation in Brisbane.
You can find out more by visiting www.luisperezonline.com
The event was repeated in Brisbane on Monday 19 May, for around 65 attendees.
Luis has a doctorate in Special Education from the University of South Florida. His research interests include disability studies, Universal Design for Learning, and assistive technology. In 2009, in recognition of his accomplishments in the field of educational technology, Luis was selected as an Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE).
Luis has retinitis pigmentosa, an hereditary condition which causes degeneration of the light sensitive cells and pigment layer of the retina.
He started his presentation by demonstrating that design for the average is design for no-one, where as design for margins leads to design for everyone. He cited examples such as curb cuts, initially for wheel chair access to footpaths, but also of benefit to parents of young children wrangling push chairs and delivery vehicles transporting heavy trolleys of goods into buildings. He also talked about the use of captioning and how it is not just for people with hearing impairments, but often used to view television in crowded places such as airports, bars or at the gym.
Luis explained that when he was a child he “didn’t get the memo” about his vision loss. “I just thought I was clumsy. But, it meant I wasn’t afraid of trying new things and people didn’t say no. It led to some funny moments. I even tried out for the baseball team. It is a philosophy I have tried to take forward.”
He talked and demonstrated to the group the unique accessibility features on Apple products. From screen magnification and button shapes to VoiceOver and handwriting recognition. There was something for everyone. "It shouldn't be called assistive technology. It is empowering technology," he said.Luis presentation concluded with him explaining a little about Universal Design for Learning or UDL and demonstrated how apps such as iBooks author can create a more interactive learning experience.
Listen to the audio from Luis’ presentation in Enfield.
Listen to the audio from Luis' presentation in Brisbane.
You can find out more by visiting www.luisperezonline.com