This project will design, develop, and field test an interactive multimedia program to enhance awareness of uses of technology by children with disabilities. The information will be presented in a story.book format using CD-ROM technology. The target audience will be students with disabilities, their teachers, therapists, parents, and non-disabled peers. The program will feature a child with disabilities; a children's book will be written that will involve this child and his/her uses of technology. A computer-based interactive multimedia program will be developed around this story line using video, animation, sound, and graphics. CD-ROM technology will be employed as the storage and presentation medium. Each page of the book will be presented as a computer screen and will feature various uses of assistive technology in each domain that affects a child's life - cognitive, self-help, social, communication, vocational, mobility, and leisure. The story will be read via digitized voice. When specific areas of the screens are selected by the user, one of a variety of events will.occur: sounds or music will be played, objects will be animated, photographs will """"""""pop up,"""""""" or a video clip will play. Provisions will be made for alternative methods of selection - captioning of video and audio description. Users can explore the uses of assistive technology across domains in a motivating storybook format. A training module will be developed to provide further information to teachers, therapists, and parents.
