Comments on: A Browser of Zac’s Own

By: Eleanor

Eleanor — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:26:51 +0000

I think I’m more in need of the ZacBrowser than my son. He’s 8 now, and I regularly consult him about how to fix the settings on my browser, rather than vice versa…

We got a parental control program, but as soon as my husband figured out how to set it, my son figured out how to change the settings!

By: Kristina Chew, PhD

Kristina Chew, PhD — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:58:02 +0000

Charlie’s seen some Youtube but he’s been shutting the computer for the past months—-his interest comes and goes in phases.

By: sharon

sharon — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:44:46 +0000

It doesn’t look like it is available for macs. I use parental controls with the boys’ computers and it works out OK. My only problem is that the new google earth introduced them to youtube and they are hooked.

By: C. S. Wyatt

C. S. Wyatt — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:53:53 +0000

The comments here reflect my own research findings: simple interfaces were preferred by the adults with autism I studied last summer. They really disliked sudden music, pop-up ads, any video, et cetera. The simpler the Web experience, the better.

I have written about computers and how they set me free. I can type even when I am far too stressed to speak. I can type when nothing I say makes sense. However, I cannot always use a mouse — the things annoy me when I am shaking.

I get all misty-eyed when I think about my Commodore systems, the first Apple and Atari computers I used… the machines that let me be more than a strangely unsocial (as opposed to anti-social) kid.

Let us remember that Section 508 mandates mean the Web should be a lot better more user friendly than it is. Companies like Target lose huge lawsuits and end up spending millions to redesign their sites, already. (The Target lawsuit last year was on behalf of the blind, but the court ruled all disabilities had to be addressed by any U.S. vendor.)

Here’s to a better future!

By: Zac Browser for Children with Autism| Zoli’s Blog

Zac Browser for Children with Autism| Zoli’s Blog — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:18:17 +0000

[...] A Browser of Zac’s Own [...]

By: Daisy

Daisy — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:46:59 +0000

Amigo doesn’t see the flashing ads or the extraneous borders — he’s blind. When he was younger, however, a browser like this might have worked for him. Now? At 16, he needs a parent nearby to make sure he’s not watching inappropriate sites — much like other teens.

By: Kristina Chew, PhD

Kristina Chew, PhD — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 23:45:34 +0000

I think I need your husband to rewrite the desktop on Charlie’s computer!

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 23:39:39 +0000

We will deffinitely check out zacbrowser, my husband did a similar thing on our sons’ computer. We took an old Mac and he re wrote the desktop so L and K have two or three choices of icons, for their music, “fissy” an aquarium screensaver they love, or “letters”, a simple word processing page L can practice typing words. A single click starts the programs and that is all. they love it and ask to do computer every day. Haven’t tried the internet yet, they are only 3 and 2.

By: Kristina Chew, PhD

Kristina Chew, PhD — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 23:36:01 +0000

Sorry about that—I’ve had some “kinks” with the software today.

We tried one of those big keys keyboards for Charlie and it didn’t make a difference—-he was puzzled I thought as he was used to a regular keyboard, though it is harder for him to use.

By: Bonnie Sayers

Bonnie Sayers — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:37:34 +0000

I typed my comment and pressed submit and get this page:

“The webpage cannot be found
HTTP 400
Most likely causes:
There might be a typing error in the address.
If you clicked on a link, it may be out of date.”

When I use back space and get message I typed there again I try to click and get message from this site saying duplicate comment, and I go to main page and comment not there.