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The arrow traveled up, right, down, and stopped at another dead end on the computer screen before retracing its steps and trying again.
Craig Wilderman, a senior in University Studies from Evansville, Ind., was working a maze on a computer located in the Disability Support Services offices. However, the mouse sat idle and the keyboard remained untouched.
A small headband with two wires running from his temples to the computer was all of the control Wilderman needed to navigate the maze, type a letter, or even play the old video game Pong.
The band was a form of brain wave-actuated technology and a new addition to the tools used by DSS. The computer registers brain waves, and without moving any parts of his body, Wilderman can have full control of the computer by simply increasing and decreasing his thought waves.
The program in DSS is still a pilot, and in the six months it has been in their office, three students have been practicing with the technology. A regimen of games using increased levels of difficulty lets students practice different techniques of mouse and keyboard control and alerts them to what skills they need to work on. The levels begin with Pong, and the final level of difficulty is Tetris.
Michael Whitney, coordinator of adaptive technology and web site design, said the program is still being tested, and they are trying to figure out which students will be able to utilize it the most.
However, he said if any student was proficient in the technology and needed to use it, he could set it up on any computer on campus to help promote integration.
"One of the best things about this institution is its belief in integration," Whitney said, citing the dorm accommodations, Recreation Center and computers as examples of the University's commitment to making all aspects of the campus accessible.
"Other institutions have a more medical environment to offer, with everything separated. The integrated model allows for technology to be inclusive to all students and offers independence without needing assistance."
Whitney said there is no timetable for having the program added across campus. DSS first assesses students' skills and needs to find the appropriate technology, and then it is implemented where they would use it most.
The adaptive technology is not currently applicable to Wilderman, who, though confined to a wheelchair due to muscular dystrophy, is still able to maneuver a mouse.
However, he is assisting Whitney to give feedback on the program and figure out its positive and negative points for the several new students coming to the campus next semester who may be able to utilize the equipment.
"It's going to be great for somebody who can't use their arms," Wilderman said. "It could really change their life in a positive way. Also, though I don't need it now, with my disease I could get weaker and weaker, and it's good to know that this is an option."
Kathleen Plesko, director of DSS, said education is the most important aspect of the advances in technology for the disabled.
Through a grant funded by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, DSS in conjunction with Information Technology Systems has instructed more than 500 people at five universities and three community colleges across the state on how to use adaptive technology.
"This is practically the first time these students can have equal access to learning, and they don't even know about it," Plesko said.
She said their mission is to make sure students, public school educators, faculty, rehabilitation professionals and computer technicians are aware of the technology available.
Whitney added that the new programs level the playing field, bringing education to all students, regardless of mobility impairments.
"The No. 1 thing is that it brings independence to a population that previously had to rely on others for assistance," Whitney said. "It could really open up the world for them.
"The technology is on its way. This shows it is possible."
