ABSTRACT
Physical disability can arise from early disorders, possibly congenital, of the nervous, skeletal and muscular systems, such as cerebral palsy or spina bifida. Since students with this kind of disorder are likely to have been at a disadvantage since birth, their problems are often less tractable than those who become physically-disabled later in life. Many mentally-handicapped people are also physically-disabled and because they have great problems in conceptualising are usually beyond the reach of formal education. Physically-disabled individuals are those with decreased range and strength of movement, or who have unwanted and uncontrolled movements. Most of all, physically-disabled students need help to communicate. Many cannot write or type. Their writing may be almost illegible, even when it has cost them much exhausting effort. For many physically-disabled students it is important that any technology they use for learning should be portable: it should be light, small and robust, as in the case of the Microwriter.
