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Online education provides the benefit for students to learn at their own pace and participate on their own schedule. For students with disabilities online education can be an even greater asset because of the convenience and freedom it provides. Some significant ways in which online education is beneficial to students with disabilities are:
1. More Self Sufficiency
For students with hearing, vision and mobility disabilities doing tasks like listening and taking notes requires the assistance of an aide to write and relay conversations to them. With online education disabled students can better utilize various online software such as podcast to listen to lectures, dictation software like Dragon to write papers, software for the blind and vision impaired like Microsoft JAWS to read and several text-to-speech software that can be utilized for web chats with other students and professors.
2. No Travel Restrictions
Students with disabilities may find travel a difficult experience especially in cumbersome weather. Additionally, if the desired college the student wants to attend is far away this could pose a problem if the student is not able to move away from family or medical treatment facilities. With online education this barrier is broken down allowing disabled students the freedom to attend their desired school.
3. Minimal Interference with Doctor Visits
The use of specialized medical facilities and physicians on a frequent or on-going basis may be a priority for some students with disabilities. The flexibility of going to school online on your own schedule can reduce or eliminate the possibility of missing classes and falling behind due to medical appointments.
4. Less Delay in Completing Education Program
The combination of the benefits of self sufficiency, no travel restrictions and minimal interference with doctor visits, can allow students with disabilities to complete their education program in relatively the same amount of time it usually takes for a non-disabled student. When all these benefits are working together it can level the playing field between disabled and non-disabled students.
