Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Ismail Benbrahim: My name is Ismael [Benbrahim], I'm 13 years
old. I have an eye condition that I need stuff to be made bigger for me. Quite difficult
for me to see stuff that far away.
Matthew Parker: My name's Matthew Parker, I'm the Assistant
Head Teacher at Woodfield School which is the school that Ismael attends. We're a moderate
learning difficulty and complex school and I'm the Assistant Head for special needs and
pastoral care of our pupils.
Ismail has moderate learning difficulties, some behavioural needs and due to a tumour
has had progressive sight loss. When Ismael started, he needed his work enlarged to a
certain font size and that got up to 48 font, which is much bigger than his peers. He didn't
want to be given anything different and he'd resist stuff that was differentiated to be
more accessible for him.
Female Teacher: [Haim], can you do the lights please?
Matthew Parker: We've been really lucky to have the chance
to trial assistive technology to help Ismail. Now he can access the majority of the curriculum
that his peers can, using an i-View magnifier and iZoom technology on the computers.
Female Teacher: Ismail, can you read that word for me?
Ismail Benbrahim: Conkers.
Female Teacher: Conkers, okay.
Ismail Benbrahim: Before I had this technology, writing was
hard for me, reading small books was hard for me and when this technology came, my life
changed. It helps me write in lessons where they're doing stuff on the board and I'm sitting
far away from the board, I could zoom in and play it in front of me and I could see everything
clearly.
The best thing about my enlarger is I can change the colours. I can change it to blue,
yellow, green, red. It's easier to see in the colours. I have lots of options.
Matthew Parker: In his previous school and when he first came
to us, Ismael was very reliant on adult support to help him access the materials and to make
minor day to day adjustments. He felt immediately singled out as different to his peers and
would try and keep away from the adult and join in in everyday activities. The big advantage
of technology it has allowed him to be independent and he's no longer reliant on that support.
Ismail Benbrahim: I really struggled to do work by myself. When
the enlarger came, I depended more on myself, I counted on myself. I feel more like a normal
guy. I don't depend neither on the teachers [unclear] class or on the teaching assistant.
So I'm more independent. It makes me feel good and it makes me look like I have a good
future ahead and I could actually challenge myself to read, to write, to read books and
do lots of stuff.