9361888 Nemire Medical advances, new legislation and changing social attitudes have encouraged more disabled individuals to continue their education. However, disabled students have limited access to typical science laboratories. One promising and innovative way to provide access is through virtual environment technology which can provide a unique tool for the disabled by offering opportunities for manipulative exploration and mobility without requiring physical access, dexterity and strength. This project is developing a virtual learning environment (VLE) to provide greater educational opportunities to disabled persons. In Phase I. the staff will perform human factors analyses to facilitate VLE design, construct a prototype of their VLE, including a module for physics instruction, and evaluate its utility. VLEs will benefit disabled students by providing them grater control over their environment and more educational opportunities. The potential applications of VLEs for education are vast and will provide the next generation of interactive learning systems. Development of VLEs fits America's agenda of developing technology for economic growth and facilitating education and training of disabled and non disabled individuals. The Interface Technologies research and development team has extensive experience in conducting experimental and human factors research, designing and developing virtual environments, and developing adaptive technology for persons with disabilities.
