Students with mobility impairments have a variety of disabilities. Among the more common are paraplegia, quadriplegia, missing or malformed limbs, cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis. Even though mobility impairments are regarded as physical in nature, most mobility impairments are a function of neurological dysfunction. For example, multiple sclerosis is a disease where lesions are present on the spinal column and optic nerve, leading to impaired motor and optic functioning.
Many of the limitations of brain injuries are similar to those of mobility impairments. Students with brain injuries usually acquire their disability through accident such as a motor vehicle accident or fall. Brain injuries can also result from malignant growths in the brain. Speech, processing speed and memory are a few of the neurological areas that are commonly affected by brain injuries.
Functional limitations of students with these types of impairments may include; mobility and physical accessibility issues, computer input issues, writing and notetaking issues, slowed cognitive functioning, reading problems and slowed and/or slurred speech.
Students who have temporary disabling conditions (TDC) such as broken limbs, sprains, recovery from surgical procedures, etc. also manifest accommodation needs similar to these students.
- Hardware Tools
- Alternative input devices handheld magnifying glasses and magnification bars.
- Track ball mouse easier to use than a typical mouse.
- Specialty keyboard one-handed or low force.
- Head mouse uses head movement to control mouse movement.
- Eye-gaze mouse use eye movement to control mouse movement.
- Microphone used to dictate and control the computer.
- Sip-and-Puff used to control the computer.
- Scanners
- Alternative input devices handheld magnifying glasses and magnification bars.
- Software Tools
- Voice recognition software used to dictate text or navigate the computer system.
- Sticky-keys - allows "state keys" such as the shift and control keys to be virtually held down so that physically holding them down is not necessary (try tapping your Shift key 5 times).
- Onscreen keyboards simulates keyboard strokes using mouse clicks.
- Alternative Formats
- Books-On-Tape audio recordings of material, usually textbooks.
 | Video Clip: Voice Recognition Video Duration: 3.8 minutes  |
| Video Clip: MI: Alternative Input/Output Duration: 1.6 minutes |
Students with mobility impairments and brain injuries account for approximately 23% of the population of students with disabilities in higher education. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs99/1999187.pdf
[For more information on the above, click on the link below, which will take you to the R&R module]
