Doreen meant to send the message to the list, so here it is:
----- Original Message -----
From: "Doreen Yale" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Flor Lynch" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, July 12, 2002 3:18 AM
Subject: Re: Fw: [vics] Microsoft Office User Specialist Program
Hi list:
I was interested to read Flor's posting below.
I actually achieved MOUS certification in advanced Word and core MS
Excel
last November as part of enhancement to my job * skills.
i did find it difficult though and had to sit both exams with a sighted
person beside me.
For those who don't know, the MOUS certification is done on computers at
one
of the testing centres registered with MOUS. It is a time-based exam,
though there is a time extension given for disabled people, and to
obtain
this extra time certainly one form has to be filled in by the Testing
Centre, and if my memory serves me correctly a part of the form also has
to
be filled in by the candidate.
Anyway, once into the exam, there is a time allocation and a series of
questions which you have to answer by demonstrating your skills.
In both exams I encountered charts, pie charts and many other graphical
tasks which are difficult for blind/partially sighted people to
accomplish
and without the help of my sighted friend I certainly couldn't have
fgotten
as good pass rates as i did, and maybe I would not have passed at all.
My screen reader, JAWS 3.7, would not read the questions, though i did
have
complete control of the keyboard when i entered my answers, sometimes
with a
yes/no answer but more often demonstrating a skill.
Finally, it is worth saying that once a question is answered you can not
go
back and have another stab at it. This obviously does not affect blind
people any more than it affects our sighted colleagues but it is an
unfortunate fact that the programming of the examination does not allow
one
to visit a question twice.
I did telephone MOUS who if my recollection is right has its
headquarters in
Salt Lake City about my feeling that their exams are somewhat
discriminatory
ain that it is almost impossible for blind people to take them unaided,
and
I even quoted the ADA (though being in Canada I guess this doesn't cover
me). They said they would call me back but never did.
So, friends, there is my experience of MOUS. Be interested in others
experiences re this certification.
Bestest,
DOREEN YALE
Ontario
Canada.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Flor Lynch" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2002 8:27 PM
Subject: Fw: [vics] Microsoft Office User Specialist Program
> Hi,
>
> VICS is the acronym used for the Irish "visually impaired computer
> society". I think the message forwarded below will be of interest to
> some on this list.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Gus Dorrington" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, July 09, 2002 8:21 PM
> Subject: [vics] Microsoft Office User Specialist Program
>
>
> Microsoft Office User Specialist Program
>
>
>
> About MOUS
> What is MOUS?
> Benefits of MOUS
> Locate Testing Centres
> MOUS Shop
> MOUS Success Stories
> Press Room
> New Products
>
> Exam Preparation
> Exam Objectives
> MOUS Study Material
> Exam Demo
> MOUS Practice Exams
> Exam Tips and Info.
> Register for Exam ID
> Coupon Redemption
> MOUS Master Instructors
> Tell Us What You Think
>
> IC3
> IC3 Overview
> IC3 Authorised Instructor
>
> Prodigy
> About Us
> Contact Us
> International Site
> About MOUS
> Press Room
> Irish Blind Students are First students Worldwide to
> Receive MOUS Accreditation
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> --
>
> Microsoft Office User Specialist iQcenter
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> --
> 3rd July 2002
> Irish Blind Students are First students Worldwide to Receive
MOUS
> Accreditation
> First in Ireland Covering All Ranges of Disability to Achieve
Top
> Percentile Scores in MOUS Exams.
> Dublin, Ireland, Wednesday July 3, 2002...Four students at
> Coláiste Íde College of further education Finglas are the first blind
or
> partially sighted students worldwide to receive MOUS (Microsoft Office
> User Specialist) accreditation. This unique course has been developed
in
> association with Colaiste Ide the National Council for the Blind
> Ireland, Visually Impaired Computer Society and the Irish Wheelchair
> Association Ireland.
>
> In 2001, Mary McNally, a Course Tutor in Technical Support at
> Coláiste Íde CDVEC College of Further Education was asked to develop a
> course which would enable blind or partially sighted students to
pursue
> the same computer courses as able-bodied students. After extensive
> research, McNally developed a unique package for blind students based
on
> the integration of the screen reader JAWS (Job Access with Speech)
with
> shortcuts keys from Microsoft Word. By integrating both languages
blind
> students are now able to utilize a computer system to the same degree
as
> an able bodied person.
>
> McNally has also created a course for partially sighted students
> combining a version of Zoomtext and Microsoft Word. Both these
software
> developments have enabled partial sighted and blind students to sit
the
> same exams as able-bodied students this year. All completed the
> following exams: FETAC Customer Service Level 2, FETAC Communications
> Level 2, FETAC PC Maintenance Level 1 and Personal Development FIT
> Fastrack to Information Technology and in fact all achieved merits and
> distinctions with four students going on to do the MOUS Exam in the
> accredited IT centre at Whitehall College.
>
> "The most important thing for blind students is to learn to
> visualize the screen," said McNally. "Therefore, computer training
> starts off with keyboard familiarisation. Only then do they make the
> jump to Microsoft Windows, which is very difficult for the blind at
> first. Speech access software also enables them to learn typing and
all
> areas of the Microsoft Office Suite, which includes Word, Excel
Access,
> PowerPoint, File Management and the Internet.
>
> "The new course was an immense challenge for the students
> concerned but has opened up a whole new world to them," says McNally.
> Traditionally, blind students have been channelled into positions such
> as switchboard operators in the workplace. Our graduates are now
> equipped for positions in Technical Support, Business Administration
or
> they can go on to 3rd level education in IT."
>
> "Technology is always changing and new applications are
constantly
> being developed," adds McNally. "We want to produce graduates who can
> cope with this change. At Colaiste Ide, we teach students the
> fundamental concepts underlying what they are doing so that they can
use
> this information to reason their way out of problems and figure out
the
> new software they will encounter in the future. Our objective was to
> hopefully change direction for our students and I think we have
achieved
> that."
>
> The four students who attended the first blind MOUS
accreditation
> course at Coláiste Íde were between 30 and 55 yrs. Two were partially
> sighted and achieved a result of 100% each. The two blind students
> received results of 85% and 88%.
>
> About MOUS
>
> The MOUS Program is Microsoft's official desktop certification
> Program, aimed at increasing customer productivity and measuring and
> validating users' skills within the Microsoft Office suite of desktop
> applications. Deployed throughout more than 4000 testing centres
around
> the world, MOUS enables individuals to prove their knowledge of
> Microsoft Office and employers to ensure a return on their investment
> and a reduction in their support costs.
>
> Each exam is a qualification in its own right and MOUS
> certification is available in Core and Expert level for Word and Excel
> and only Core level in PowerPoint, Access and Outlook in Office 2000
and
> Office XP. Master certification is available for those wishing to
> demonstrate the breadth of their ability across five Microsoft Office
> applications, including Word Expert, Excel Expert, PowerPoint, Access
> and Outlook.
>
> Additional information on the MOUS Certification Program can be
> found at www.mous.ie or 00353-1-2360423
>
> About Coláiste Íde
>
> Coláiste Íde focuses on PLC and further education provision
within
> the Finglas and North West area and has been involved with Second
Chance
> Education for more than 10 years. Since 1989 over 1000 mature students
> have availed of the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme. The
> Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) is an initiative
whereby
> unemployed adults can return to full-time study and retain all their
> social welfare payments.
>
> For more information, please contact:
>
> Niamh O'Neill Prodigy (01) 2360423
>
> Jillian Godsil PRG (055) 294 55
>
>
>
>
> © Prodigy 2002
> Microsoft and the Microsoft Office logo are registered
> trademarks of Microsoft Corporation
> One Microsoft Way, Redmond, Washington 98052
> Developed by Crestnorth Limited
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
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>
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>
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