14 DAY TRIAL // Skype can be used for quite a wide array of goals, including not only video calls with friends and family, but also remote support services and phone calls to most countries worldwide.
But as Microsoft showcased in a new story posted on the official Workspace Blog, Skype is currently being used by Diverse Learners to provide support to students with disabilities.
Diverse Learners is a UK-based organization that provides support services to students suffering from dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADD/ADHD, mental health issues, or other chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia, so using Skype to get in touch with students worldwide is the most helpful thing they can do right now.
“Students oftentimes can’t access support services at their universities because they’re also working full time,” founder and specialist teacher Kerry Pace was quoted as saying.
“Someone with ADD, memory issues or agoraphobia, a fear of going out, for example, may find it quite stressful even just driving to the university and parking,” Pace explains. “With Skype, you don’t have to travel — you can work right from your home. So it uses much less energy.”
In case you’re wondering how Skype can be used to provide support to students with disabilities, Pace mentioned that the app comes in handy especially because it provides a direct means of communication, as emails and text messages often contain bogus information.
“With text or email, there’s a high chance of misunderstanding the message or someone misconstruing what you’re trying to convey,” she noted. “And an email that may take 10 minutes to write becomes a video message that takes 20 seconds.”
Of course, Skype can really come in handy to all the other users right now and Microsoft knows it very well, so the app is offered as the default messaging client on Windows 8.1. In addition, it’s available on many other platforms, including iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows RT.
