The internet has changed in the recent past and has found a way of engaging people in their day to day lives. It has made it possible for people from different parts of the world to share resources and information.
Wrightslaw
Summary
Wrightslaw.com was established in 1993 with the aim of providing assistance on legal matters to parents of special students, teachers, and advocates who are useful in dealing with matters concerning special students. The information is available in various forms, such as books and journals, monographs, articles, DVDs, and CDs published by Harbor House Law Press.
These materials are used to sensitize parents on their rights and roles towards safeguarding their children’s interests. Teachers also refer to this website for guidelines on how to improve their efficiency in training special students. Additionally, attorneys and advocates refer to this website advice for strategies that can be fruitful in filing cases and advocacy strategies in legal issues (Wright & Wright, 2010).
Reflection
Wrightslaw.com has been helpful to both teachers and parents because it contains relevant resources that can be referred to for appreciating special education law. The contents of this website have been laid out in a language that’s easy to grasp. The contents are updated regularly to make sure the information is not outdated.Wrightslaw.com was awarded the best website award in 2004 by Forbes directory.
It was found to conform to the industry standards by being easy to navigate. Organizations that create awareness of the availability of resources for people with special needs should be established. A good example of such organizations is DIA (Disabled in Action). DIA fights for the rights of the disabled by ensuring they have equal access to all entitlements that include health, transport, education, personal assistance services, housing, and employment (DIA, 2010).
Wrightslaw.com has made a positive impact in the education sector. This has been achieved by providing assistive devices that use state-of-the-art technology for both teachers and learners in special education. These devices were introduced to act as aides in writing, calculations, and reading of the problems experienced by students with impaired sight, listening, and communication. Teachers are also included in this program because they are the ones who monitor the progress of the special students and, therefore, can be consulted to give a report on the effects of these devices on their students.
Iser
Summary
Iser.com (Internet Special Education Resources) is an information bank for professionals, institutions, and schools that serve up the learning disabilities and special education groups. It helps parents to find appropriate schools for their children. It also provides a directory containing special education resources, special needs government agencies, teacher training programs, employment opportunities, special needs software, and assistive devices. Manufacturers of assistive devices and software programs are allowed to list their products on the website. This is important because listing products of this nature would be irrelevant.
Parents can also use iser.com to source qualified tutors for their children. There are also links to rehabilitation centers that deal with reforming teenagers addicted to drugs and alcohol. It also lists renowned attorneys and their specifications that are readily available. There are travel agencies for the disabled on this website and also camps and training seminars without forgetting nanny services at affordable prices.
The most outstanding aspect of this website is that there are so many options for one to choose from; therefore, people with special needs can always refer to this website for assistance (ISER, 2010).
Reflection
Iser.com aims at sensitizing parents and teachers on matters relating to special education. This website has stepped to step guidelines on how each procedure should be carried out, and it also informs parents about their children’s entitlements. In my opinion, these guidelines based on questions and answers enlighten parents on what services are available for free. On this website, service and product providers offer subsidized prices for their goods and services, which reflect positively on parent’s budgets. This also creates a feeling of appreciation because parents of children with special needs feel their children’s interests are protected.
Unlike most websites that contain resources for the disabled, this website deals with people of all ages because the other few I know deal with disabled children.
By listing employment opportunities on their website, iser.com ensures that after a disabled child has gone through the normal education system, he or she can earn a decent living. Employers should give people with special needs equal opportunity to show their skills and abilities. Training camps provide an opening for students with special needs to interact with other learners with similar problems under the close supervision of counselors. Distance learning has also been integrated into this website to allow students who want to pursue further studies do so at the comfort of their residence.
References
DIA. (2010). Disabled in Action of Metropolitan New York. Web.
ISER. (2010). Internet Special Education Resources. Web.
Wright, P.W. & Wright, P.D. (2010). Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy. Web.