Freedom Machines begins with Susanna at a pivotal moment in her life:her first day of college. “I’m not like other kids — other ‘normal’ kids,” she says, acknowledging the critical role technology plays in her life and in her plans for the future. Referring to her voice input program on her computer she says, “It’s probably the best thing they ever came up with for me—well aside from a wheelchair.”
Her mother, Sue Sweeney, is a special education teacher who has struggled for 18 years to get Susanna the technology she needs. “Where is the money and why isn’t it used here? Because they don’t think these people will be out voting. They don’t consider that Susanna is going to make a difference but they’re really in for a big surprise.”
Entry Point! Internship ProgramThe Project on Science Technology and Disability at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2) (AAAS) manages the Entry Point! summer internship program for college students with disabilities who are majoring in science, math, engineering, computer science and some business. Placements are at IBM, NASA, National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation, Northwest Fisheries (NOAA), JPMorgan Chase, and Texas Instruments. This is a paid internship for 10 weeks.
Equal Access to Software and Information (EASI)
EASI is a provider of online training on accessible information technology for persons with disabilities.
http://www.rit.edu/~easi/ (4)
TEACHERS: check POV's Freedom Machines segment: For Educators. Find lesson plans, resources, related learning standards and more.
