Section 8

SECTION 8:
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
If LDs are identified, those with them are entitled by law to certain accommodations in school,
university, and in the workplace.
Students with LDs struggle with academic achievement throughout school. By introducing
assistive technology, students are empowered to build on their strengths, thus allowing them
more opportunities to be successful.
The partial summary of current assistive technology found in this manual, including hardware
and software, provides a good resource on what's available for LD students.
The technology can be tailor-made for a student's personal needs and is designed to assist in
the learning process by reinforcing mastery of subject material by allowing a student to work
efficiently and as independently as possible. The latest products are user-friendly, cheaper,
faster, and increasingly more accurate.
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY CONTACTS
Technical Resource Center
Kings Regional Rehabilitation Centre, Nova Scotia
James Roy, Assistive Technology Consultant
[email protected] www.nsnet.org/atc
Phone: 902-538-3103
Fax: 902-538-7022]
Learning Disabilities Association of New Brunswick (LDANB)
www.nald.ca/ldnb
Phone: 506-459-7852
Fax: 506- 455-9300
NB Easter Seals March of Dimes (NBESMD)
Andrew Lavigne Rehabilitation Technology Program Coordinator
[email protected]
Phone: 506-458-8739
Fax: 506-457-2863
Neil Squire Society
440 Wilsey Road, Suite 104, Fredericton NB E3B 7G5
[email protected]
Phone: 506-450-7999
Fax: 506-453-9681
Charles Levasseur, Moncton
[email protected]
Phone: 866-851-9101
Fax: 506-854-7509
Stan Cassidy Center
180 Woodbridge St. Fredericton NB
Assessment and recommendation of strategies and assistive technology
for difficulties with spoken and written communication, including reading
and writing.
Lise Bleau, OT
[email protected]
Phone: 506-452-5396 Fax: 506-44-4379
http://www.rivervalleyhealth.nb.ca/english/progserve/specialized-rehabilitation.htm
University of New Brunswick
Andrew Daley Technical Advisor to Students with Disabilities
Phone: 506- 477-3301
Fax: 506-453-3569
www.unb.ca
7
ADTI Consulting
Andrew Daley, Assistive Technology Consultant
840 Main Street U-1
Woodstock, NB.
E7M 2Gl
Phone: 506-894-2415
Fax: 506-325-2243
Connect NB Branch (CNBB)
Alan Norman, E-Learning Coordinator
[email protected] www.cnbb.nb.ca
Phone: 506-444-4283
Toll-Free: 877-444-0510
Fax: 506-444-4058
Assistive Technology Websites
List provided with permission of the Student Accessibility Centre, UNB, Fredericton NB. Phone
(506) 453-3515 www.unbf.ca/studentaccessibility/ (Special thanks to Andrew Daley).
Portable Word Processors
AlphaSmart: http://www.alphasmart.com/pdf/struggling_student.pdf
and http://www.alphasmart.com/pdf/writing_skills.pdf
DreamWriter: http://www.dreamwriter.com/
Quickpad: http://www.quickpad.com/
The Writer: http://www.keyboardinstructor.com/ecm/Home.html
Spell Checkers
Franklin Electronic Publishers: http://www.franklin.com
Free Dictionaries and Thesaurus online:
http://www.cieverkeys.com/ck.html?p=home&os=
Dictionary and Thesaurus: http://www.wordweb.co.uk/
YakYak T - Online spelling and writing tool: http://www.yak-yak.com/
Screen-Reading Software
eBook Reader http://www.adobe.com/products/ebookreader/
Brousealoud - http://www.browsealoud.com/downloads.asp
CAST eReader - http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=2ll
Co:Writer with Write:Outloud - www.mayer-johnson.com/software
EMonocie Reader - http://www.ionsystems.com/emonocle
Hal - http://www.dolphinuk.co.uk/products/hal.htm
HELP Read - http://helpread.net
JAWS - http://www.freedomsci.com/fs products/software jaws.asp
Kurzweil - http://www.kurzweiledu.com/products klaaa.asp
Microsoft Reader Software - www.microsoft.com/reader/default.asp
OpenBook - www.freedomsci.com/fs_products/software open.asp
Readplease - http://www.readplease.com
TextHelp! Read and Write - http://www.texthelp.com/front.asp
Text Talkster - http://www.webspeakster.com/texttalkster.htm
Web Chatter - http://www.code-it.com/webchatter.htm
WindowEyes - http://www.gwmicro.com
WYNN - http://www.freedomscientific.com/WYNN/products.asp
eBook Sites
Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library has an outstanding list of free e-book sites.
http://www.stockton.lib.ca.us/ebooks.htm
Galaxy Library (some free downloads) - http://www.galaxylibrary.com/
U of Adelaide - http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au
The Internet Public Library - http://www.ipl.org/div/books/
Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, Inc. - http://www.rfbd.org
American Printing House for the Blind - http://www.aph.org/
Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped http://lcweb.loc.gov/nls
Word Prediction
CoWriter - http://www.donjohnston.com
Word Q - http://www.wordq.com
Read and Write Gold - http://www.texthelp.com
Wordsmith - http://www.texthelp.com
Soothsayer - http://www.ahf-net.com/sooth.htm
WriteAway 2000 - http://www.is-inc.com/
Aurora - http://www.aurora-systems.com/
Reading Pens
Quicktionary Reading - http://www.wizcomtech.com/index.php3
Dr. Paul Gerber at Virginia Commonwealth University did a study on the use of these
pens with students and adults at a metropolitan literacy center, found at
http://www.aelweb.vcu.edu/word/gpen.doc
Concept Mapping
Inspiration and Kidspiration - http://www.inspiration.com/
eGems Collector Pro - http://www.egems.com/
DraftBuilder - http://www.donjohnston.com/catalog/draftbuilderd.htm
Conceptdray MindMap http://www.conceptdraw.com/en/products/mindmap/main.php
SmartDraw www.smartdraw.com/specials/mindmapping.asp?type=13054&id=13054
Smart Ideas http://www2.smarttech.com/st/en-US/Products/SMART+Ideas/MindManager www.iaresearch.com/store/Products/MindManager6/MindManager6.htm
Speech Recognition
ViaVoice - http://www-4.ibm.com/software/speech
Dragon Naturally Speaking - http://www.dragonsys.com
iListen - http://www.macspeech.com
Microsoft Office XP provides speech recognition software, which can be installed
through the tools menu - http://www.microsoft.com
Math Software
"10 Tips for Software Selection for Math Instruction" by Dr. Beatrice Babbitt gives guidelines for
choosing software. Online at:
www.ldonline.org/ldindepth/technology/babbittmathtips.html
Some Good Web-Sites for LD and Assistive Technology (AT)
http://www.nationaltechcenter.org/matrix/default.asp National Center for Technology Innovation
(NCTI).
www.ed.sc.edu/caw/toolboxvendors.htmI Web Toolboxes for Educators.
www.landmarkcollege.org/natlinst/assistivetechnology/writing/tech.htm
Landmark College.
http://www.gatfl.org/ldguide/default.htm Georgia's Assistive Technology
Project: Learning Disabilities and Assistive Technologies.
http://www.ldonline.org/ LD Online.
http://www.frostig.org/pdf/ATguide.pdf Schwab Foundation for Learning.
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Technology/atpwld.html
University of Washington.
www.ldonline.org/ldindepth/technology/customizingtechnology.html
Customizing Technology Solutions for College Students with Learning Disabilities by Joan M.
Bisagno and Rachael M. Haven.
http://www.ataccess.org/resources/lowcostnocost/lcncdemos.html The
Alliance for Technology Access
WEB RESOURCES:
www.ccrw.org/en/iancana.htm Accommodations in the Workplace. (CA)
Deshler D., Schumaker, J. Making Learning Easier: Connecting To What
Students Already Know. Teaching Exceptional Students.Vol 33, No 4. 82-85.
www.dldcec.org/teachinghow-tos/content/default.htm
Effective Instruction for Adults With Learning Disabilities. Pennsylvania: PENN
State University, OTAN Resource Library. www.otan.us
Gross, Jo-Anne. Multi-Sensory Program. www.remediationplus.com
Ross-Kidder K.(2002). The GED and Students With LD and / or ADHD
www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/adult/transitions_ged.html
Section VIII Readings- Assistive Technology
Barouch Chars Workshop Outline and Power Point presentation
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
Computer Solutions
for Special Needs
Barouch Chai
MICROCOMPUTER
MICROCOMPUTER Science Centre Inc.
#26 -5155 Spectrum Way, Mississauga ON. Canada L4W 5A1
Tel (905) 629-1654 TDD 905 629 4369
Fax (905) 629-2321 Toll Free: 800 290 6363
WEB http://www.microscience.on.ca Email:[email protected]
Biography
Barouch Chai
President and CEO of MICROCOMPUTER Science Centre, Inc.
Since 1980, MICROCOMPUTER Science Centre Inc. has been providing Special Needs users
with necessary adaptive technology to gain "Independence through Technology". Our "Complete
Solutions" approach, a combination of State of the Art Adaptive Technology with Training
Support helps Special Needs to achieve their goals and better their lives.
Our goal is to put a computer solution on the desk of every Special Needs user in the country.
As President and CEO of MSC. Barouch has spent much of his time working with nonprofit
organizations supporting the special needs community.
1975 - Masters degree in Computer Science from University of Toronto (M.A.Sc.)
 1971- Engineering degree from the Technion Institute of Technology in Israel (B.Sc.)
MICROCOMPUTER Science Centre Inc.
#26 -5155 Spectrum Way, Mississauga ON. Canada L4W 5A1
Tel (905) 629-1654 TDD 905 629 4369
Fax (905) 629-2321 Toll Free: 800 290 6363
WEB http://www.microscience.on.ca Email:[email protected]
Kurzweil- Curriculum Integration
Workshop
• Intro
o About MSC (full solutions, training, service, system)
• About K3000
o Origin-Klaaa
o Installation in Colleges and Universities
o Meant for all ages
• Main Toolbar
o Saving formats
Cloze docs
o
o
Print
Doc.
Highlights
Notes
Definitions vs.
Synonyms.(recollection)
go to new doc. and type "Recollection" Get def. and syn,what do you notice?
o Spell-spelling tests
• Reading Toolbar
o Mode (continuous, self paced, word-by-word)
o Unit (sentence, paragraph, line-when to use)
o WPM 170 too fast
• Study Skills
o Highlights (legend for colours)
o Important notes -> Extract -> manipulate -> study notes read back to you
o Also used for mulitiple choice, true/false,circle/underline
• Footnotes
o hidden notes, review questions at end of chapter
• Sticky Notes
o can be customized (font, size, colour)
o Teacher can make notes ie. main character
o Student can make notes
• Text Notes
o Fill in the Blanks and short answer
o Show "Fill in The Blanks" and explain how it works
*BRING UP TIME TRAVEL QUIZ
• Voice Notes
o No grammar or spelling to worry about
• Bubble Notes
(BRING UP TIME TRAVEL BUBBLE NOTES)
o New to the program
o Can put in questions (multiple choice, short answer, true/false)
• Reading Language
• Read The Web
• Magnify Spoken Word