Computers can now offer unparalleled access to information and opportunities for shopping and banking online, all from the comfort of our own homes. Sometimes cursed for being too pervasive, information technology is now also becoming increasingly inclusive.
In the past, having a disability left many people feeling isolated - and this was true even when they were using computers. A computer demanded the use of eyes, arms and ears.
But this is changing. Now difficulties can be overcome with the right computer program or application. So the National Centre for Technology in Education, responding to a ministerial decision to emphasise special needs education within the Schools IT2000 project, has assigned a member of staff to concentrate on this.
The centre was set up to deal with the daily running of the Schools IT2000 project, which was introduced in November 1997. Initially, the project was to run for three years, from 1997 to 2000.
At the outset, it had no clear aim regarding people with special needs in education, but as Schools IT2000 unfolded, this area became a greater priority, explains Anne Phelan, the centre's national co-ordinator in charge of special needs. So the Technology Integration Initiative, part of Schools IT2000, was introduced for those with learning difficulties.
Two funds now exist to provide grants to individuals with disabilities, mainly those taking part in mainstream classes. In total, Phelan says, more than £3.5 million of the £25 million in capital funds available for Schools IT2000 has been given to people with special needs.
Although the Government has thus been seen to be providing funds for those with special needs, some people believe there could be greater financial assistance. "I do think they could be more generous," says Alexis Donnelly of the computer science department at Trinity College Dublin.
One important issue in education is the teacher-to-pupil ratio. And when it comes to teaching information technology, the pupil-to-computer ratio is just as important, especially for those with special needs.
"A different ratio might be needed for special needs students," says Phelan. Currently, the ratio in special schools is seven pupils to one computer, compared with 18-to-one in regular primary schools. The ratio for special schools in England and Northern Ireland stands at four pupils to one computer. But Phelan believes a ratio closer to one computer for each pupil should be the aspiration in the Republic. It is not just special needs students who can feel they are on their own in the information technology jungle. Teachers in this area of education can often feel isolated too.
"A lot of teachers feel they do not have the expertise for special needs," says Phelan. "They feel they need extra help."
So how can websites be made more accessible to those with learning difficulties and their teachers? Many websites demand extreme patience at the best of times, but for the physically handicapped, the experience can be especially trying.
"In terms of access for those with visual disability, it [the website] should be designed differently," says Donnelly. He believes websites could be improved "by keeping things simple and uncluttered" and by incorporating some "flexibility to change colours and to change the size of the text".
"If you are blind, it is a lot more difficult," adds Donnelly, but there is "something called a screen reader which intercepts the text and diverts it into a sound card".
For someone who is wading through emails, for example, a screen reader can announce how many are being read and when it is "checking for new mail".
By translating screen information into speech or Braille, a screen reader can offer visually impaired or blind people greater access to technology. Screen reader software can also enable users to create and edit documents, access the Internet with greater ease, and manage files and analyse data more efficiently.
It would seem, then, that information technology can be made more accessible and that those with a disability need not be afraid of it.
"There are several aspects to it," says Donnelly. "One is the interface to the personal computer, and there are a lot of alternative pointing devices and alternative keyboards."
The installation of suitable software means those with disabilities can take part in the technological society. Content can be accessed in different ways, and the process enabling inclusion of all students should be of paramount importance.