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Preface vii
Insert the phrase “integrating assistive technology” into the second definition and it accu-
rately describes that process as well:
Although the Technology and Media Division of the Council for Exceptional Children
uses the term special education technology, we have chosen to use the more neutral assistive
technology because it does not imply that the technology is limited to students who are educated
in special education settings.
Although disability categories are mentioned within the context of technology-based solu-
tions, this text is not organized around disability categories. There is a common misconception
in special education that Disability X = Technology Tool Y. In fact, this belief is overly simplistic
and misguided. Multiple factors are involved in selecting appropriate technology tools for stu-
dents with disabilities, and it is a mistake to base selection decisions simply on a child’s diagno-
sis. Therefore, this text discusses disability categories within the context of school-related tasks
and technology-based solutions.
Pedagogical Elements
The book was designed following the principles of “considerate text”: Each chapter begins with
a list of learner outcomes, is divided into sections that are labeled with headings and subhead-
ings, and concludes with a summary of key points. Sidebars and tables highlight specialized
information. An important pedagogical element new to this third edition is the addition of mar-
gin notes that provide links to short videos showing real people with disabilities benefiting from
specific assistive technology tools. We recommend that as you proceed through the text, you
consciously try to make connections between the information presented and the students whom
you teach. Applying the lessons of the text to students with disabilities whom you know will
help you understand the subtleties of the assistive technology decision-making process.
Because of the ever-changing nature of technology, the text purposefully presents only a
sampling of assistive technology hardware, apps, and websites. A deliberate effort was made to
minimize the use of specific product names; indeed, such names have been used only for pur-
poses of illustration. For additional information on specific products and to view photographs or
screenshots of them, go to the websites listed in the margin notes and at the end of each chapter
in the Web Resources section. This section contains the URLs of websites maintained by manu-
facturers and publishers of hardware, apps, and assistive devices, as well as links to informative
resources. Every effort has been made to provide accurate URLs for all websites. However, if
you are unable to access a particular site, we recommend that you go to the site’s home page and
try to navigate to the specific page using the links included there.
A list of suggested activities is included at the end of each chapter. These in-class or out-
of-class activities are designed to involve students more deeply in the chapter’s subject matter.
All of the suggested activities have proved successful over the past 20 years in assistive technol-
ogy courses with students who are studying to be special education teachers or technology coor-
dinators. Instructors are encouraged to assign one or more of these activities for each chapter or
to assign similar activities of their own design. Many of the activities are hands-on in nature and
require a computer or mobile device and specific apps. Others involve interviewing people in the
field. All of the activities are designed to engage students in active exploration of assistive tech-
nology tools or environments in which assistive technology is or could be used to help students
make the connection between assistive technology and the learning process.
References
Golden, D. (1998). Assistive technology in special education: Policy and practice. Reston, VA:
Council for Exceptional Children’s Council of Administrators in Special Education and Tech-
nology and Media Division.
Knezek, G., Christensen, R., Bell, L. & Bull, G. (2006). Identifying key research issues. Learn-
ing and Leading with Technology, 33(8), 18–20.
Roblyer, M. D. (2003). Integrating educational technology into teaching (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Merrill/Pearson Education.
Acknowledgments
It has been a pleasure being a part of the assistive technology community all these years. We
have benefited from the knowledge, creativity, and generosity of so many incredible people,
and we hope we have “paid it forward” by educating a new group of teachers with this book.
In particular, we want to express our appreciation to the following mentors: Bill Ziegler of the
Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Intermediate Unit, who was Amy Dell’s first assistive technol-
ogy teacher—Bill’s beliefs in the powerful possibilities of assistive technology continue to reso-
nate in our work today; Amy Goldman, Co-Executive Director of the Institute on Disabilities at
Temple University; and Gayl Bowser, Penny Reed, Diana Carl, and Joy Zabala—four national
leaders in assistive technology, for their invaluable contributions to the field and for permitting
us to quote liberally from their seminal works. We also thank the following developers of assis-
tive technology tools who have been very generous in granting us permission to use screenshots
and photographs of their products: AbleNet, AssistiveWare, Attainment, Bookshare (Benetech),
CAST, Crick, Don Johnston, Freedom Scientific, Inspiration, Laureate Learning, netTrekker,
Panther, Phonak, and Voice Dream.
Many thanks are due to our colleagues at The College of New Jersey and Southern Con-
necticut State University for their ongoing support: Shrivdevi Rao and Barbara Strassman,
co-chairs at TCNJ; Kristin Gillig and Natalie Yip, graduate assistants at SCSU, for locating ref-
erence materials and updating websites; Anne Peel, for her expertise in literacy; Matt Hall, for
his expertise in digital literacy; Ellen Farr and Anne Disdier, for their frequent troubleshooting,
all-around technology expertise, and encouragement; Eva Scott, for permission to use a social
story she wrote; Dianne Gibson and Mary Ann Peterson, office staff in TCNJ’s Department of
Special Education, Language and Literacy; and Kris Anne Kinney and Ryan Gladysiewicz of
TCNJ’s Instructional Technology office. Lauren Madden, Matthew Hall, Kevin Cohen, Vicki
Spence, Ellen Farr, and Fran Chase good-naturedly assisted us with taking photographs. We are
especially grateful to Julie Luyber for providing us with the cover photo. For the third time, El-
len Farr took on the onerous tasks of organizing all the photographs, figures, and margin notes.
We could not have produced this third edition without her superb organizational skills and un-
flappable nature. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
We would also like to thank current and former students at The College of New Jersey
and Southern Connecticut State University for their invaluable feedback on our teaching and
earlier editions of this text. Many of the user profiles that appear in this text were adapted from
articles that were originally written for the TECH-NJ newsletter by TCNJ graduate students
Patricia Mervine, Danielle Niemann, Meenakshi Pasupathy, Gerald Quinn, Christina Schindler,
Wolf Shipon, Kimberly Ahrens, Tina Spadafora, and Kavita Taneja. The suggested activities that
appear at the end of each chapter have been field-tested and revised based on their feedback.
We have continued to be inspired by many assistive technology users—students with dis-
abilities, their parents, and adults who have disabilities—who show us by their persistence and
accomplishments the power of assistive technology. Thank you to Anthony Arnold, Anthony
Bonelli, Dylan Brown, Serena Cucco, Jon Gabry, Michael Lawson, Cory Samaha, Sherlock
Washington, Michael Williams, and the many individuals in the YouTube videos mentioned in
the text’s margin notes who demonstrate the impact of technology tools on their lives.
We also thank our editors at Pearson and Lumina, especially Melissa Sacco and Sridhar
Annadurai, for their patience and attention to detail, and the following reviewers for their helpful
comments and suggestions: Teresa J. Pinder, Fort Hays State University; Laura Nichols, Co-
lumbus State Community College; Elisa Cruz-Torres, Florida Atlantic University; and Debra K
Bauder, University of Louisville.
ix
Brief Contents
References 283
Index 297
x
Contents
Chapter 8: Providing Access to Computers and Mobile Devices: Using What You
Have 135
Introduction 135
Universal Design: Flexibility in Use 135
Choice in Input and Output Methods 136
Adaptability to Left- and Right-Handed Users 137
Variations in Precision and Accuracy 138
Adaptability to the User’s Pace 138
Flexibility in Use: A Summary 138
Accessibility Features for Users with Disabilities 139
Keyboard Modifications and Mouse Control 140
Modifications for Students with Sensory Impairments 142
iPads, Android Tablets, and Chromebooks 143
Summary 144
Web Resources 144
Suggested Activities 145
References 283
Index 297
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Pa r t 1
Benefits of Technology Use
in Special Education
Chapter 1
Introduction to Assistive Technology
Chapter 2
Assistive Technology to Support Writing
Chapter 3
Assistive Technology to Support Reading
Chapter 4
Technology to Support Universal Design for Learning and Differentiated Instruction
Chapter 5
Technology Tools to Support the Teaching of Math
Chapter 6
Assistive Technology to Enhance Communication
Chapter 7
Assistive Technology to Create Visual Supports and Support Positive Behavior
1
This page intentionally left blank
1 Introduction to Assistive
Technology
Learning Outcomes
1. Explain both parts of the definition of assistive technology that is included in IDEA 2004.
2. Describe the assistive technology continuum and give examples of items at each point on the continuum.
3. Describe the laws that underlie the provision of assistive technology to students with disabilities.
4. Discuss assistive technology in the context of the Common Core State Standards.
5. Identify the latest developments in technology that are changing the landscape of assistive technology.
6. Explain why mobile devices are becoming widespread in education.
7. Describe the principles that underlie the philosophy of this text.
8. Identify the components of the SETT Framework for Decision-Making.
9. Describe the concepts of universal design and universal design for learning.
Introduction
In 1972, when the first author was a sophomore in college, she met an unusual middle-aged man
who made a deep impression on her. Bernie had severe cerebral palsy, a neuromuscular condi-
tion that significantly affected his movement and posture. He could not walk and had no control
over his arms or hands; in fact, he had one of his arms tied across his chest to prevent it from
jerking involuntarily and hitting someone. His head control was poor. Most people looking at
him sitting in his wheelchair with his head hanging down assumed he could do nothing; they
assumed he was as cognitively limited as he was physically limited, and they made no attempt to
discover the person inside.
Bernie, however, did not accept other people’s low expectations of him. He was determined
to find a way around his physical limitations so that he could be an active participant in the world
around him. Bernie knew that he had a little control over one of his legs, and he wondered if he
might be able to do something with that little voluntary movement. A handy friend attached a
metal dowel to the bottom of one of his shoes and placed a rubber tip on the end. With this simple
contraption, Bernie was able to type on a typewriter. The only assistance he needed was someone
to put the shoe with the dowel on his foot and place the typewriter on the floor next to his foot.
His typing speed was slow, but he was now able to write letters to his friends (this was before
e-mail), type letters to legislators, and write articles expressing his points of view. Although the
term did not exist at this time, this kind of creative problem solving was an early example of
assistive technology.
The author never forgot Bernie. Today, 43 years later, she still remembers the lessons he
embodied: (1) Regardless of how disabled a person may appear, inside is a person who wants to
be part of life. (2) Taking a problem-solving attitude, instead of a too-bad-there’s-nothing-that-
can-be-done attitude, can lead to creative solutions that eliminate or bypass obstacles such as
disabilities. (3) Simple technology can change a person’s life. These three lessons are what led
the author to personal computers when they became available many years later. She had seen
with her own eyes that “having a disability no longer has to mean that things cannot be done;
it means that we can find new ways to get them done” (Alliance for Technology Access [ATA],
2004, p. 3). And she wanted to be one of those problem solvers—“people who ask not whether 3
4 Part 1 • Benefits of Technology Use in Special Education
something can be done, but rather how it can be accomplished” (ATA, 2004, p. 3, italics added).
Watch how assistive Marc Gold (1980), an early leader in the field of severe disabilities, expressed this philosophy
technology has changed one
family’s experiences on
succinctly: “Try another way.”
AssistiveWare—Tell Us, We
Want to Know:
What Is Assistive Technology?
https://youtu.be/-xuUWxIY7SM
The term assistive technology is defined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improve-
ment Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004), the federal law that provides the foundation for all special edu-
cation services. This law’s definition of assistive technology is considered the official definition,
and it is important to note that it consists of two parts: assistive technology devices and assistive
technology services. The two are integrally connected and will be explained in this section.
IDEA 2004 defines an assistive technology device as “any item, piece of equipment, or
product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is
used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability” (IDEA
2004, Sec. 1401(1)(A)). (See Figure 1.1 for the complete definition.) Let’s examine this defini-
tion in reverse. An assistive technology device must have an impact on the functioning of a child
with a disability. For example, a portable magnifier enables a child who has a visual impairment
to read a worksheet, thereby improving his or her ability to complete schoolwork. An iPad app
that reads a book aloud helps a child who has learning disabilities comprehend text that is above
his or her reading level. A talking augmentative communication system that enables a child
who has autism to express preferences increases the child’s ability to communicate. These three
examples show how an assistive technology device can “increase, maintain, or improve func-
tional capabilities of a child with a disability.”
If we look at the first part of the definition—an assistive technology device can be bought
in a store (“acquired commercially off the shelf”), it can be a purchased item that has been
modified, or it can be something that has been customized for an individual’s particular needs.
A large computer monitor, an iPad, and a Chromebook are examples of assistive technology
devices that can be bought in a store. Another example of off-the-shelf assistive technology is a
talking calculator, which provides auditory feedback to a student with learning disabilities who
has a problem typing numerals correctly.
Source: http://uscode.house.gov/ (Pub. L. 106–402, title I, §102, October 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1682), United States House of
Representatives.
Another Random Scribd Document
with Unrelated Content
jj MY MOTHER'S VISITS 'tron. No kiss; not even a clasp of
the Jiand; no privacy sacred to mother and ^daughter; not a
whisper could pass beif? ^tween UB. Was not this the very depth of
.humiliation? ^ My mother crossed every two months from France to
visit me. Neither heat nor ' cold deterred her from taking this
fatiguing ' journey. Thus again and again she trav eled a hundred
miles for love of me, to cheer, comfort, and console; a hundred miles
for thirty minutes I At these visits she would tell me as best she
could of the noble, unwearied efforts of my countrymen and
countrywomen in my cause ; of the sympathy and support of my
own Government ; of the earnest efforts of the different American
ambassadors in my behalf. And though their efforts proved all in
vain, the knowledge of their belief in my innocence, and of their
sympathy comforted, cheered, and strengthened me to tread bravely
the thorny path of my daily life, 109 ^ I
MRS. MAYBRICK'S OWN STORY Almost before we had time
to compose ourselves there would come a silent sign from the mute
matron in the chair — ^the thirty minutes had passed. " Good-by,"
we say, with a lingering look, and then turn our backs upon each
other, she to go one way, I another ; one leading out into the broad,
open day, the other into the stony gloom of the prison. Do you
wonder that when I went back into my lonely cell the day had
become darker? I went forth to meet a crown of joy and love, only
to return with a cross of sorrow; for these visits always created
passionate longings for freedom, with their vivid recollections of past
joys that at times were almost unbearable. No one will ever know
what my mother su£fered. A Letter from Lord Russell As the years
passed the repression of the prison system developed a kind of
mental numbness which rendered my life, no
A LETTER FROM LORD RUSSELL in a measure, more
endurable. It also came as a relief to my own sufferings to take an
interest in those of my fellow prisoners. Then Lord Russell of
Killowen wrote me a letter* expressing his continued confidence in
me, which greatly renewed my courage, while the loving messages
from my friends in America kept alive my faith in human nature.
Punished for Another's Fault By the exercise of great self-control and
restraint I had maintained a perfect goodconduct record at Woking
for a period of years, when an act of one of my fellow prisoners got
me into grievous trouble. It is the rule to search daily both the cell
and the person of all prisoners — those at hard labor three times a
day — to make sure that they have nothing concealed with which
they may do themselves bodily injury. * Reproduced in the
Introduction to Part Twa III
Mrs. MAVfeRldK'S oWff STOkV to me it i^is a bittef
Itidigliity. I li^ras never allowed to forge!t that, beiilg a prisoner,
even my body was not my own. It was hot" rlble to be touched by
Uhfrieiidly hands, yet I Was compelled to submit — to be Undt-essed
and be seafChed. During the term of my imprisonment I wa^
searched about ten thousand times, and oil only one occasion was
anjrthing found contrary to regulations. I had no knowledge of it at
the time, as the article had been placed surreptitiously in my cell by
another prisoner to save herself from puftishrtieiit. The facts are as
follows: 1 was Working in the kitchen, when a prisoner upset some
boiling water on my foot. I thought it best not to speak of it, and did
hot, therefore, mention it to any one. My foot, however, became
inflamed and caused me great pain, and the prisoner in question,
noticing that t limped, inquired what the matter was. I told her that
the coarse wool of my stocking was irritating the blister on my foot.
Thereupoh ihe offered td give me Hi
PUNISHED FOR ANOTHER'S FAULT some wool of a finer
quality with which to knit a more comfortable pair. I was not aware
at the time that this was not permitted, nor that the wool was
stolen. When it neared her turn to be searched, having a lot of this
worsted concealed in her bed, she made the excuse of indisposition
in order to return to her cell and get rid of it. While there she
transferred it from her cell to mine, its neighbor, the doors of the
cells being open during working-time. When the time came to search
my cell, the wool was, of course, found, and I was at once reported.
The warder took me to the penal ward, and I was shut in a cell, in
which the light came but dimly through a perforated sheet of iron.
This was at eight A.M. At ten o'clock I was brought before the
governor for examination and judgment. I stated that the wool did
not belong to me and that I was ignorant as to how it got into my
cell. The governor took the officer's deposition to the effect that it
was found in my cell, and reasoned 3 113
MRS. MAYBRICK'S OWN STORY that I must, therefore, have
knowledge of the article. I was taken back to the punishment cell
and left there for eight hours. When the officer opened the door to
read to me the governor's judgment, I was found in a dead faint on
the floor. With some difficulty I was restored to consciousness and
was then removed to the hospital. When I had sufficiently recovered
from the shock, I was allowed to return to my own cell in the hall to
do my punishment. I was degraded for a month to a lower stage,
with a loss of twenty-six marks, and had six days added to my
original sentence. Had this offense occurred under the more
enlightened system that obtains at Aylesbury Prison at the present
time, I should have been forgiven, as it was a first o£fense under
this particular rule. The governor at Woking was a just and humane
man, and he was not a little troubled to reconcile the fact of my
being in possession of this worsted, when I had no means of access
to the tailor shop or of coming in 114
PUNISHED FOR ANOTHER'S FAULT contact with any of the
workers there who alone had the handling of it. Of course, I could
not explain that the worsted had been passed into the kitchen by
one of the tailoresses, who came every morning to fetch hot water
for use in the tailor-room, and who was a friend of the prisoner who
put it in my cell. I was kept in the hall during the months of my
penal punishment, and also for twelve months thereafter, since at
that time a "report" always carried with it a loss of the privilege of
working in the kitchen. When I had an opportunity, in " association
time," of speaking to the prisoner who had got me into this trouble,
and reproached her for the injury she had done me, she frankly
confessed her deed, but excused herself by saying that she did not
expect I would be punished ; that she was tempted to do it because
at that time her case was under consideration at the Home Office,
and that she had received the promise of an early discharge if she
did not have 115 . I
MRS. MAYBRICK'S OWN STORY any " reports." She well
knew that if this worsted had been found in her cell this promise
would have been revoked. As she was a "life woman," and had
served a long time, I had not the heart to deprive her of this,
perhaps her only chance of freedom, through a vindication of myself.
A week later I had the satisfaction of knowing that my silence had
been the means of her liberation. Forms of Punishment The
punishment of prisoners at Woking consisted of : 1. Loss of marks,
termed in prison parlance, "remission on her sentence," but without
confinement in the penal ward. 2. Solitary confinement for twenty-
four hours in the penal ward, with loss of marks. 3. Solitary
confinement, with loss of marks, on bread and water from one to
three days. 4. Solitary confinement, with loss of marks, on bread
and water for three days, 116
THE TRUE AIM OF PUNISHMENT either in a strait-jacket or
"hobbles." Hobbling consists in binding the wrists and ankles of a
prisoner, then strapping them together behind her back. This
position causes great suffering, is barbarous, and can be enforced
only by the doctor's orders. 5. To the above was sometimes added,
in violent cases, shearing and blistering of the head, or confinement
in the dark cell. The dark cell was underground, and' consisted of
four walls, a ceiling, and a floor, with double doors, in which not a
ray of light penetrated. No. 5 punishment was abolished at
Aylesbury, but in that prison even to give a piece of bread to a fellow
prisoner is still a punishable offense. The True Aim of Punishment
Punishment should be carried out in a humane, sympathetic spirit,
and not in a dehumanizing or tyrannous manner. It should be
remedial in character, and not 117 A I
MRS. MAYBRICK'S OWN STORY degrading and
deteriorating. It should be the aim and object of the prison system
to send a prisoner back into the world capable of rehabilitating
himself or herseH and becoming a useful citizen. The punishment in
a convict prison, within my knowledge, is carried out in an
oppressive way, the delinquent is left entirely to herself to work out
her own salvation, and in nine cases out of ten she works out her
own destruction instead, and leaves prison hardened, rancorous, and
demoralized. The Evil of Collective Punishment There are so many
prisoners with whom complaint-making is a mania, who on every
possible occasion make trivial, exaggerated, and false complaints,
that it is not altogether strange that officials look with a certain
skepticism on all fault-finding; hence it frequently happens that
those with just grievances are discredited because of the
shortcomings of the habitiial xi8
EVIL OF COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT grumblers. At the same
time, one can not disapprove too strongly of collective punishment
which involves the utter absence of trust in any prisoner, however
deserving. A prisoner slightly abuses a privilege or is guilty of some
small infringement of the rules, when down comes the hammer
wielded by the inexorable Penal Code, and strikes not only the one
offending, but, in its expansive dealing, all the other prisoners, guilty
or innocent of the offense. Many a privilege, trivial in itself and
absolutely harmless, has been condemned because of its abuse by
one prisoner. I cite one instance. Each cell was provided with a nail
on which, during the day, the prisoner could hang a wet towel, and,
during the night, her clothes. Those who worked in the laundry
came in with wet clothing every evening, which, as no change is
allowed, must be either dried at night or put on wet the next
morning. One pris. oner pulled her nail out and purposely 119
MRS. MAYBRICK'S OWN STORY wounded herself. She was
weak-minded, and no doubt thought to excite pity. The matter was
referred to the director, Mr. Pennythorne, who gave the order that all
the nails throughout the building be removed. Hence, because of the
shortcomings of one weak-minded woman, all opportunity for the
working women to dry their clothes was taken from them. Others
besides myself appealed to the director and protested. He replied
that we would be obliged to submit to the edict the same as the
rest, and that no distinction could be made in our favor. Of course
we could not argue the matter; the penalty fell heavier upon the
laundry women and the kitchen workers than upon myself. It is a
glaring instance of the great wrong done by collective punishment.
However, the prisoners had their revenge, for they never referred to
him afterward except as " Mr. Pennynails." 120
EVIL OF CONSTANT SUPERVISION The Evil of Constant
Supervision Individual supervision is compulsory, and in many cases
it is essential, but not in all. Surely there are some prisoners Avho
might, with good results, be trusted. The supervision is never
relaxed ; the prisoner is always in sight or hearing of an officer.
During the day she is never trusted out of sight, and at night the
watchful eye of the night officer can see her by means of a small
glass fitted in the door of each cell. She may grow gray during the
length of her imprisonment, but the rule of supervision is never
relaxed, Try and realize what it means always to feel that you are
watched. After all, these prisoners are women, some may be
mothers, and it is surely the height of wickedness and folly to crush
whatever remnant of humanity and self-respect even a convict
woman may still have left her. These poor creatures who wear the
brand of prison shame are guarded and controlled by women, but
121
MRS. MAYBRICK'S OWN STORY men make the rules which
regulate every movement of their forlorn lives. Some Good Points of
Convict Prisons The rules of prison, rigorous as they are, are not
wholly without some consideration for the hapless beings who are
condemned to suflFer punishment for their sins within their gloomy
walls. On the men's side the system is harsher, the life harder, and
the discipline more strict and severe ; and I can well believe that for
a man of refinement and culture the punishment falls little short of a
foretaste of inferno. But gloomy and tragic as the convict
establishment is, it is a better place than the county prison, and I
have heard habitual criminals avow that a convict prison is the
nearest approach to a comfortable " home " in the penal world. I
know that a certain type of degenerate women, after serving their
sentences, have committed grave offenses with the sole object of
obtaining a 122
MY SICKNESS conviction which would send them back to
penal servitude. For such the segregation system would be the most
e£Eectual remedy. My Sickness. I had never been a robust woman,
and the hardships of prison life were breaking down my constitution.
The cells at Woking were not heated. In the halls were two
fireplaces and a stove, which were alight day and night; but as the
solid doors of the cells were all locked, the heat could not penetrate
them. Thus, while the atmosphere outside the cell might be warm,
the inside was icy cold. During the hard winter frosts the water
frequently froze in my cell over night. The bedclothing was
insufficient, and I suffered as much from the cold as the poorest and
most miserable creature on earth. Added to this, I was compelled to
go out and exercise in all kinds of weather. On rainy days I would
come in with my shoes and 123
MRS. MAYBRICK'S OWN STORY stockings wet through, and
as I possessed only one pair of shoes and one pair of stockings, I
had to keep them on, wet as they were. The shoes I had to wear
until worn out; the stockings until changed on the Saturday of each
week, which was the only day a change of any kind of underwear
could be obtained, no matter in what condition it might be.
Therefore, the majority of the inmates in the winter time seldom had
dry feet, if there was much rain or snow, the natural result being
catarrh, influenza, bronchitis, and rheumatism, from all of which I
suffered in turn. Taken to the Infirmary As long as the prisoner is not
feverish she is treated in her own cell in the ward, her food
remaining the ordinary prison dietary; but as soon as her
temperature rises, as occurred in my case frequently, she is admitted
as a patient to the infirmary, where she is fed according to medical
prescription. 124
DESOLATION OF A SICK PRISONER The infirmary stands a
little detached from the prison grounds. It has several wards,
containing from six to fifteen beds, and several cells for cases that
require isolation. The beds are placed on each side of the room, and
are covered with blue and white counterpanes. At the head of each
is a shelf, on which stand two cups, a plate, and a diet card. In the
middle of each room is a long deal table. On the walls are a few old
Scriptural pictures. The Utter Desolation of a Sick Prisoner When a
prisoner is admitted she is first weighed and then allotted a bed. Her
food and medicine are given her by an officer, who places it on a
chair at her bedside if she is too ill to sit at the table. The doctor
makes his rounds in the morning and evening, and if the patient is
seriously ill he may make a visit in the night also. The matron in
charge goes I2S
MRS. MAYBRICK'S OWN STORY through the wards at
stated times to see that all is going well, but there is no nureing.
The prisoner must attend to her own wants, and if too weak to do
so, she must depend upon some other patient less ill than herself to
assist her. To be sick in prison is a terrible experience. I felt acutely
the contrast between former illnesses at home and the desolation
and the indifference of the treatment under conditions afforded by a
prison infirmary. To lie all day and night, perhaps day after day, and
week after week, alone and in silence, without the touch of a
friendly hand, the sound of a friendly voice, or a single expression of
sympathy or interest! The misery and desolation of it all can not be
described. It must be experienced. I arrived at Woking ill, and I left
Woking ill. 126
CHAPTER SIX At Aylesbury Prison Removal from Woking I
HAD been admitted to the infirmary suflFering from a feverish cold. I
had been in bed a fortnight and was feeling very weak, when, on the
morning of November 4, 1896, I awoke to find the matron standing
at my bedside. " Maybrick," she said, " the governor has given
orders that you are to be removed to-day to Aylesbury Prison. Get
up at once." Without a word of explanation she left. I had become a
living rule of obedience, and so with trembling hands dressed myself.
Presently I heard footsteps approaching. A female warder entered
with a long, dark cloak covered with broad arrows, the insignia of
the convict. I was told to put on this garment of shame. Then,
supported 127
MRS. MAYBRICK'S OWN STORY by the warder, I crossed
the big yard to the chief matron's office. There other women of the
"Star Class" were waiting, handcuffed. A male warder stepped
forward and told me to hold out my hands, whereupon he fastened
on a pair of handcuffs and chained me to the rest of the gang. This
was done by means of a chain which ran through an outer ring
attached to each pair of handcufifs, thus uniting ten women in a
literal chain-gang. This was to me the last straw of degradation —
the parting indignity of hateful Woking; but, happily, this was a
painful prelude to a more merciful regime at Aylesbury. Some of the
women were weeping, some swearing. When all were ready the
prison-van drove into the yard and we filed out to the clanking of our
chains. Then the door was shut and we were driven off. A special
train was waiting at the station, and escorted between male warders
we got in. It was bitterly cold and raining heavily, but crowds lined
the road and platforms. 128 I
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NEW INSIGNIA OF SHAME New Insignia of Shame We were
objects of morbid curiosity to the idle and curious people, who may
or may not have felt sorry for us. But to be stared at was most
distressing to all, to the first offender in particular. If the public but
realized how prisoners suffer when their disgrace is thus brought to
the public notice, they might feel ashamed of their lack of ordinary
human consideration and pass on. But why should it be necessary at
all to subject a prisoner to such humiliation and degradation ? Male
as well as female prisoners could be transferred from one prison to
another without attracting any notice in the street or at the station,
if they were provided with garments for traveling upon which the
hideous brand of shame — the "broad arrow'* — is not stamped. It
is this mark of condemnation which attracts the morbid curiosity of
the people. Such exhibitions and the callous disregard of a 9 129
MRS. MAYBRICK'S OWN STORY prisoner's feelings can only
harden and embitter the heart and lower his or her selfr^iiiect.
Arrival at Aylesbury Prison After a journey of nearly five hours we
arrived at Aylesbury Station. The public were apparently aware that
the first batch of convicts was to be transferred that day, as there
were crowds at all the stations at which we stopped. When we got
out at Aylesbury it was with difficulty that a passage was made for
us. The prison-vans were in readiness, and we were rapidly driven
away. I felt weak and faint and cold. A thick fog enveloped the town,
and I could see only the dim outlines of houses appearing and
disappearing as we passed along. We stopped before what appeared
a gigantic structure, and then drove through two large iron gates
into a small courtyard. There we descended and drew up in line to
be counted by the 130 i
ARRIVAL AT AYLESBURY PRISON officer, while our numbers
and names were gfiven to the governor, who stood waiting to
receive us. The order " Pass on ! " was called by the matron in
charge, whereupon we entered a long, dark, gloomy passage, at the
end of which was a strong, barred door. This was unlocked, and,
when we had passed in, relocked. I have already described what a
prison is like. Again we stood in line. Then a male warder came
forward. He unlocked my handcufiFs and unclasped the chain which
bound me to my fellow convicts. With a clang that echoed through
the empty halls they fell together to the ground. My wrists were
bruised and sore from the long pressure of their combined weight.
Presently the order " Pass on ! " was repeated, and, led by a female
warder, we went up two flights of the iron stairway to the top ward
of the hall. Each prisoner was then in turn locked into a cell. Thus
ended my second journey as a prisoner. 131
MRS. MAYBRICK'S OWN STORY The contrast with former
journeys in my life drew bitter tears from my eyes. During the
remainder of the week daily batches of prisoners continued to arrive,
and on the sixth day all had been duly transferred from Woking
Prison, which was then turned into military barracks. After this short
break in our prison life the same daily routine was once more taken
up. Whether it was due to the change of air or other physical causes
I can not say, but from the time of my arrival I began to droop. I lost
strength and suflFered terribly from insomnia. A New Prison RiSgime
Six months after our arrival, there came a change of authorities, and
with the passing of the years a more enlightened r^ gime was
instituted by the Home Office. If a prisoner has any complaint to
make or wishes to seek advice, she asks to have her name put down
to see the governor. 132
A NEW PRISON REGIME She is then termed a "wisher," and
is *' seen " by him in his office in the presence of the chief matron.
Her request is written down by him in her penal record, and if he
can not settle the matter out of hand it is referred to a " visiting
director," to whom the prisoner is permitted to make a statement. If
this gentleman finds that his powders are insufficient to deal with
the question, he in turn passes it on to the prison commission, and
sometimes it goes even to the Secretary of State himself. The same
privilege holds good concerning medical matters. If a prisoner is
feeling ill she asks the officer in charge of the ward where she is
located to enter her name on the doctor's book. At ten o'clock the
prisoner is sent for, and sees the doctor in the presence of an
infirmary nurse. He enters her name in a book, also the prescription,
both of which are copied later in the prisoner's medical record. If a
prisoner is dissatisfied with the treatment she is receiving, she can
make application 133
MRS. MAYBRICK'S OWN STORY to see the " medical
inspector," who comes to the prison every three months. But if
neither the governor, nor the doctor, nor the director, nor the
inspector gives satisr faction, then there is the " Board of Visitors "
to inquire into the complaint. The Board of Visitors The idea of the "
Board of Visitors " is to act as a guaranty to the public that
everything is honest and above board, and that there can be no
possibility of inhuman treatment. If this is the sole object in view —
namely, that the prisoners shall be seen by these " visitors " — then
the object is largely attained. They have done much to ameliorate
the prisoners' condition. Whereas, at one time the women slept in
their clothes, they are now provided with nightdresses; instead of
sitting with their r feet always on the stone floor, they are now
allowed a small mat, as well as a wooden stool ; and, as the result
of many 134
THE BOARD OF VISITORS complaints regarding the rapid
decay of teeth, toothbrushes are allowed, a concession which I
much appreciated. For a short time felt slippers were granted us, but
these have been discontinued on the ground of expense. The same
beneficent influence also secured wide-brimmed hats for the
women. Formerly they had nothing to protect their eyes, and the
reflected glare from the stone walls was the cause of much
weakness and inflammation. There were several changes in the diet
also. Tea was substituted for cocoa at breakfast and supper, white
bread in lieu of wholemeal bread, and tinned meat replaced the dry
bread and cheese previously given on Sunday. The time of solitary
confinement was reduced from nine months to four, and immediately
on its expiration the probationers can now work in "association" in
either the laundry or the tailor's shops where the officers' uniforms—
of brown cashmere in summer and navy-blue serge 135
MRS. MAYBRICK'S OWN STORY in winter— are made,
besides all the clothing for the prisoners' own use ; also in the twine-
room, where excellent spinning- is done ; while the prisoner with
special aptitude may be recommended to the beadroom, which turns
out really artistic work. Regulations Concerning Letters and Visits
The prisoners were also allowed to receive three photographs of
near relatives and to keep them in their cells. Previously these had
to be returned within twenty-four hours. Best of all, the intervals
between letters and visits were reduced by a month. The number of
letters permitted to be sent by a prisoner varies according to the
stage she is in. In the fourth stage a letter is allowed every two
months, and a "special letter" occasionally, if the prisoner's conduct
has been satisfactory. The following is a copy of the prison 136
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