Teaching Using Mediated Communication at a University

2012

John McDermott
[email protected]
928-523-5590

This article will discuss teaching using mediated communication and the advantages to students of this experience in their initial exposure to disability studies. I am an instructor for an Introduction to Disability Studies class at Northern Arizona University (NAU). Given my speech disability, I'm not your average instructor; I use an alternative mode of communication, or mediated communication, to communicate and, so, to teach at the university level. My two main communication methods include a letter board (accessed with a head-pointer and the use of an interpreter), and a speech device. The letter board is an array of letters, numbers and most frequently used words. My interpreter re-voices the letters or words that I indicate using a pointer attached to a bicycle helmet that I wear. My speech device, the ECOpoint, is an eye-gaze system; the letter or word on the display screen upon which I focus is selected and spoken aloud. With this form of mediated communication, I do not requ

AAC,, Augmentative & Alternative Communication, University, Teaching, IHD/Northern AZ University

Peer-reviewed publications in scholarly journals Published/In Press

Professionals, Students

Electronic (disc, CD, 508 compliant web posting)

http://dsq-sds-org/article/view/1728/1776

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