This was produced for the ClaroLearning Conference - two workshops on the use of various technologies to support learning and various tasks in the workplace - specifically for those with specific learning difficulties including dyslexia.

1. Assistive Technology
use & effectiveness
Mrs E.A. Draffan

2. OverviewOverview
The facets of AT, personal characteristics, task and
environment affecting the use of:

3. Many Facets of ATMany Facets of ATAssistive
Technologies
When is a
technology
NOT
assistive?

4. Skills and (dis)Abilities
Visual, Auditory, Motor
Information processing
Working memory
Language
Resilience flag
Time management /
Organisation
The individualThe individual
Technology
Interactions
Individual Behaviours
and Preferences
Coping strategies
Anxiety
Motivation
Learning preferences
ICT Skills
Assistive technology skills
Online communication
skills
Experience
Prior Knowledge
Domain Experience
Prior Adjustments
Approach
Issues
Environmental Context
Task
Setting
Constraints.
Personal CharacteristicsPersonal Characteristics

5. Personal preferences.Personal preferences.
• Which
background
colour do you
prefer?
• Which type of
text do you
prefer?
Typetester
• Which pen do
you like?
• Which
background
colour do you
prefer?
• Which type of
text do you
prefer?
Typetester
• Which pen do
you like?
• Which
background
colour do you
prefer?
• Which type of
text do you
prefer?
Typetester
• Which pen do
you like?

6. A Vision of Students ,A Vision of Students , Michael Wesch, Kansas State Uni, 2007Michael Wesch, Kansas State Uni, 2007
YouTube video – now updated Jan 2011 http://visionsofstudents.org/
Tasks & EnvironmentTasks & Environment

7. Future IT Trends a help or aFuture IT Trends a help or a
hindrance?hindrance?
(Horizon Report HE shortlist 2012 followed by their 2013 report )
1 year or
less
2-3 years 4-5 years
MOOCS & tablet
computers (2013)
3D printing & wearable
technology (2013)

8. ““Digital literacy is less about tools &Digital literacy is less about tools &
more about thinking.”more about thinking.”
Try Wordle

9. Well-known user-interface, evolved
from tools within word processors.
“red squiggly line”
Tools within web browsers
Assistive technology tools that
work across most applications
Support online
Photo credit: Flickr / laihiuyeung ryanne and Brian Cragun from IBM

10. Decisions for
Text to Speech
DecisionsDecisions
www.mobileaccessibility.info
www.techmatrix.org www.emptech.info

11. Develop a MatrixDevelop a Matrix
Use Case – score your
needs to set priorities
Tom is taking Accountancy. He needs to organise his ideas and
improve time management skills in order to deliver reports and
present to others in his group. Good computer user with visual
mode of working
Question, programs
marked on a scale of 1
(low) to 5 (high)
ClaroIdeas
MindManager
Inspiration
SparkLearner
MindGenius
Tom
TotalClaroIdeas
TotalMindManager
TotalInspiration
TotalSparkLearner
TotalMindGenius
Preference towards using a
mouse? 5 2 4 5 2 10 50 20 40 50 20
Preference towards using a
keyboard? 1 5 3 1 5 15 15 75 45 15 75
Like a structure to be
imposed? 1 5 3 1 5 18 18 90 54 18 90
Prefer to make the structure? 5 1 4 5 1 8 40 8 32 40 8
Totals to be ordered 450 633 577 393 640
18 more questions later ….

12. TechMatrixTechMatrix
• Try Techmatrix website for some comparisons
of software products.
• Notice the comparisons are about software
features they are not
about the student’s
preferences or skills or
the tasks to be undertaken.

13. Time keepingTime keeping
• Built in Alarms and stop
watches – Outlook, Google
Calendar
• Daily Reminders –iPhone A
very simple notification pad
for daily tasks or Life
Reminders for Android or a
Digital Talking Timer
“I tend to print off email notifications
about times for things and put them on
top of my clothes each morning or put
them on a to do list which I update
each day.”

14. Synchronising NotesSynchronising Notes
• Microsoft OneNote, Sticky notes
• Evernote and Sound Paper -synchronises
text with audio recording – iPhone
• EasyNote and Catch Notes -Capture text,
audio, images, and synch with web –
Android
• LiveScribe Eco
• Voice memos, Images – screen shots,
Image to text (app), bookmarks – web
and ebooks, annotations (ibooks), emails
to yourself!

15. Synchronising IdeasSynchronising Ideas
• Inspiration, Mind Manager, Mind Genius, Mind View –
Xmind (free) - desktop
• Mind Meister, Gliffy, Bubbl.us – the Cloud
• iThoughts HD – iPhone and Thinking Space - Android
• Presentations - PowerPoint and Keynote - Prezi – the Cloud

16. SearchingSearching
• Try RedZ for an image of each web page.
• Dragon/Google Voice Search, Dragon Dictate and
Dragon Remote and Web Reader – iPhone
• Google Search and IVONA Text-to-Speech HQ Voice -
Android

17. Internet TechnologiesInternet Technologies
Top 100 Tools for LearningTop 100 Tools for Learning 20122012
TheThe 2013 Free Resources2013 Free Resources eBookeBook
1. Twitter Social network & micro-
blogging service
2. YouTube Video-sharing site iTunes U
3. Google Docs/Drive Office suite and
data storage service
4. Google Search Web search engine
5. WordPress Blogging/website tool
6. Dropbox File synchronization
6. Skype Text and voice chat tool
7. PowerPoint Presentation software
8. Facebook Social network
9. Wikipedia Collaborative encyclopaedia
10.Moodle, Evernote, Slideshare, Prezi,
Blogger/Blogspot , Google Reader,
Google+ / Hangouts , Diigo, Word ,
Yammer
Web2Access www.web2access.org.uk

18. Free Tools to read a web pageFree Tools to read a web page
• ATbar
o Text Selection /TTS
o Dictionary
o Font resizing, styles and line spacing
o Page style changes
o Word Prediction / spell checking
• Balabolka
• NaturalReader 10
• BrowseAloud from TextHelp
• T-Bar & Vu-Bar Colour changing / reading window

19. Toolbar Additions - FirefoxToolbar Additions - Firefox
• Color That Site!
• Text to Voice 1.05
• Colorfultabs
• Wikilook
• Dictionary.com
• Google toolbar
https://addons.mozilla.org/

20. Toolbar Additions – IEToolbar Additions – IE
• CleanPage
• ieSpell
• RoboForm password manager
• Google toolbar
• RNIB Accessibility Toolbar
• VozMe
http://www.ieaddons.com/gb/

21. Toolbar Additions for ChromeToolbar Additions for Chrome
• Voice Search Chrome
• LastPass password
manager
• After the Deadline spell
checker
• Webscreen shot for
taking snapshots of more
than the screen size
• Easy Reader
• MyNotesApp
https://chrome.google.com/extensions

22. Toolbar Additions forToolbar Additions for OperaOpera
• Autocomplete for the text input box.
• Password hasher
• Calculator
• Taskboard
https://addons.opera.com/addons/extensions/

23. Toolbar Additions forToolbar Additions for SafariSafari
• 1Password create passwords
• PDF Browser Plugin for reading PDFs in the
browser
• Cooliris (formerly PicLens) for full screen
picture and video watching.
http://safariaddons.com/en-US/safari/
Safari Reader – strips out ads and provides
clear text

24. Pen DrivesPen Drives
From http://eduapps.org/
•AccessApps, provides a range of solutions to support
writing, reading and planning, as well as sensory, cognitive
and physical difficulties.
•TeachApps, is a collection of software specifically designed
for teachers or lecturers.
•LearnApps, as its name implies, is specifically designed for
learners.
From
http://access.ecs.soton.ac.uk/projects/access-tools/download
an accessible menu for pen drive applications. Try
AccessTools folder if on the desktop

25. eReadingeReading
“I wasn't recommended an ereader
…I haven't got one yet and am not
sure how many of the things I need
to read are available on them, but
it is something I am considering as
they are smaller lighter and more
convenient than my big text books
and I think they might be easier to
look at.”
“An eReader
would have
helped me
organise my
reading and
research much
better.”
(2012 survey)

26. eReading storms brewingeReading storms brewing
• Over 150 eReader/eBook applications/software
available on varying platforms
• Limited outlets for eBooks in UK esp FREE
ePublications – Load2Learn / Bookshare
• Unable to determine if an eBook is accessible
until after the product is purchased.
• Copyright legislation – text to speech
availability.
• Try eReader comparison

27. eReading accessibilityeReading accessibility
• Desktop - Adobe Digital Editions 1.8 & Kindle for PC
Accessibility Plug-in (USA)
• Web based – Kindle Cloud Reader and ePub reader
Firefox extension – Bookworm closed.
• Apps tied to bookstores such as Read2Go for
Bookshare and Blio for Kurzweil – inDaisy reads any
Daisy files also Voice of DAISY.
• Apps – iBooks with VoiceOver, Stanza, Kobo for large
fonts and colour changes etc.
• Daisy Book Readers – tools for downloaded books

28. eReadingeReading
• Stanza, Blio, Calibre, EasyReader, Adobe PDF, Google
Books
• Image to Text, iBooks -ePub and PDF reader
-Supports VoiceOver interactions - iPhone
• Moon+ Reader -Supports txt, html, epub, zip, opds -
control of colour, line spacing, font size, orientation
etc - Android
iCloudChrome
OS

29. Student StrategiesStudent Strategies
www.lexdis.org.uk
Try
www.lexdis.org.uk

31. Thank youThank you
E.A. Draffan
Web and Internet Science
Electronics and Computer Science,
University of Southampton.
Mobile 07976 289103
E-mail: ead@ecs.soton.ac.uk
http://access.ecs.soton.ac.uk