This is Internet On The Air, I'm Todd Mundt. Using the computer to expand your horizons
- both mentally and physically. Details in a moment.
Funding Credit: Internet On The Air is a production of the University of
Michigan School of Information and Michigan radio, made possible by a grant from the W.K.
Kellogg Foundation.
In many ways, Mike Myatt was a typical entering student when he came to
the University of Michigan in 1988. To find his classes he relied on a campus map. But for
Myatt, who was born with muscular dystrophy and travels everywhere on a green scooter, the
map only told half the story. It couldn't tell him the right doors to go through or how to
get around once he was inside.
In 1995, Myatt used the Internet to help people overcome the obstacles he faced as a
freshman. He created a Campus Accessibility Guide with floor plans of University
buildings. It shows people with restricted mobility the right doors to go through and
obstacles to avoid.
Adaptive technologies can open many other doors for people with disabilities. On the
Internet, audio books and programs that help people with poor vision by reading text
aloud...And a Web site called Bobby, named after the British policeman, evaluates other
Web sites and flags areas that could cause potential problems for people with
disabilities.
Myatt says computers can be a great equalizer. But the ultimate goal is to have
features created for people with disabilities become part of the mainstream. He envisions
that his map might someday be placed on information kiosks, where it could help all kinds
of people find the best routes around campus.
To learn more about how the Internet can help people with disabilities, visit our Web
site at www.iota.org.
