On enhancing disabled students' accessibility in environmental education using ICT: The MusicPaint case

Abstract

This work draws upon the theoretical foundations of Special Education for People with Disability, Environmental Education and the Human Computer Interaction (HCI), from the Activity Theory perspective, to propose the MusicPaint software. Initially, the design considerations of MusicPaint are presented. Then, its pilot use by seven students with disability is described. From the qualitative and quantitative evidence of performance that was gathered, the key findings are presented and discussed. Despite the limited number of participants in the experimental validation scenarios, the findings reveal the potentiality of the MusicPaint to enhance the accessibility of students with disability to Environmental Education opportunities, contributing to the HCI-based enhancement of accessibility in the educational settings. © 2014 Springer International Publishing.