Speech Impairments

Speech impairments affect the ability of a person to speak clearly.

Access Challenges

A student with a speech impairment may not be able to participate effectively in interactive telephone conferences or videoconferences. Participation in a Web-based course is not affected when communication takes place using e-mail, bulletin boards, and chat software.

Accessibility Scenario

The Situation: Several small group assignments in your class require students to meet via phone conference calls to complete their group work. These assignments are described in the course syllabus.

The Challenge: After reading the syllabus, one of your students, Ann, sends e-mail to inform you that she has a speech impairment that makes it impossible for her to communicate by telephone.

One Solution: Ask Ann for suggestions regarding how she might best complete the assignments. One option is to revise the small group assignment to allow groups to communicate in one of several ways, including chat software, bulletin board, e-mail, and phone conferencing. Make sure that all participants in the group can attend and fully participate in the "meetings," taking into account time zones, technology access, and disabilities.