Richard Labelle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I guess that this all depends on what is meant by literacy. Not being > able to read and write does not preclude being able to develop, test and > use technology and reading and writing may not be necessary to use some > of the newer ICTs. People can afterall communicate orally and the use > visual cues and messages, including drawings, to communicate.
Living and working in India makes one peculiarly alive to the need for communications that are not language sensitive, or transcend language sensitivity. We (at radiophony... http://www.radiophony,com) have been struggling with the creation of a software that will enable people with severe physical difficulties to gain computer literacy, so that computers can become very versatile AAC (assisted and augmented communication) devices. In the process I do not think a single one of us (an extended workgroup based in Yahoo Groups) has not realised with some force that there really isn't much difference between helping those who cannot move much and those who cannot use English. Once you have eliminated the keyboard and mouse as a necessary adjunct of computing (interacting with the computer), it is not a big step to 'junk' English either (in order to get one's work done). Much of the problems with traditional interfaces has to do with the need to punch particular keys. This goes away when you have only a limited number (as low as one) click devices. Please contact me offlist if you would like to discuss this further. I somehow think (empirically and intuitively) that this will have a huge impact on our understanding of communications, going forward. -- Vickram ------------ ***GKD is solely supported by EDC, an NGO that is a GKP member*** To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: <http://www.edc.org/GLG/gkd/>
