The Assistive Technology Blog

Kurzweil Technologies will supply digital content for K-NFB Reading Technology, a newly developed e-book reading software created by Kurzweil in collaboration with the National Federation of the Blind. The software will be offered to consumers for free. Consumers can purchase books directly through the software. The software will be available for laptops (both PC and MAC) as well as net books, and mobile phones. It's scheduled to be released at the end of November. Keep up with what's happening by logging onto

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 12:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Indiana Assistive Technology Blog has a great photo and nice write-up about a personal favorite AT device: playing card holders. Added bonus: photos of a number of useful prying tools--great for any of us with limited hand strength.

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 8:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Quick Draw Paper allows an artist with low vision to feel what he has drawn on paper. When
students write or scribble on the paper with a water-based marker, the paper
raises up and they can feel what they have done. Braille can be written quickly and easily.
Ideas are limitless. Check it out:

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check out the August/September 2009 issue of Closing the Gap www.closingthegap.com for part 1 of a three part article written by Heather Kruger and Beth Kapp. Part one describes The Sensory Wall which provides a way to help students learn to play and interact when they are in their physical therapy equipment.

Posted by Lanett W. Brailey at 7:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I read where a teacher in Ohio used the Nintendo Wii gaming system in his classroom to improve his student's gross and fine motor skills. What a great way to get students active and engaged! Click on the link below to read more....

http://www.marionstar.com/article/20090928/NEWS01/909280301

Posted by Lanett W. Brailey at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OK, I am a huge fan of gardening (see http://www.assistivetechnology.vcu.edu/2008/10/gardening_is_a_great_leisure_a.html and http://www.assistivetechnology.vcu.edu/2007/01/gardening_for_individuals_with.html for proof of this), and I was so excited to see this:

"A workshop that teaches gardening techniques to people with disabilities meets Friday, August 7 from 9 to 10 a.m. at the new Cache Valley Community Garden. Gordon Richins of the Center for Persons with Disabilities and Ron Hornsby from the Utah Conservation Corps Inclusive Crew will be on hand to talk about raised bed gardening, table top planters and working with adapted gardening tools. Both Gordon and Ron are local gardeners with physical disabilities. Specialized, adapted tools will be available to participants. The event is sponsored by the Utah Conservation Corps Inclusion Project, and UCC members will be around from 10 a.m. to noon to answer questions for any participants who want to stay around and get their hands dirty...The Center for Persons with Disabilities' Assistive Technology Lab has contributed time, expertise and adapted gardening tools to the raised beds in the Cache Valley Community Garden."

See http://www.cpdusu.org/blog/2009/08/accessible-gardening-class-to-meet-friday/ for more.

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Let's spend a minute and look at some plain old fun applications. I love to play and have found many applications that can satisfy my urge to waste a few minutes playing. Besides it's a great way to bond with my teenagers. Some of my current favorites: Touch Physics (2.99)--there is also a free version but I had to upgrade to the full version because I liked it so much. I could argue that you have to know simple machines and laws of physics to play this game so it is indirectly educational.
Another challenging game is Bloons ($.99). Try popping the balloons using a limited number of darts. Each level is more challenging. Let me know if you can get past level 35--I've been stuck there for weeks.

Of course you can always find the classic games like checkers and connect four for free. Happy gaming!

Posted by Mona at 6:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I just read http://www.disabled-world.com/sports/snow/skiing/adaptive-ski-camp.php and got excited about how several organizations (Access Anything, Adaptive Adventures, Steamboat Powdercats, and Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp) are collaborating to sponsor the 4th annual All-Mountain Adaptive Ski Camp and Powdercats Trip. This event encompasses instructor and volunteer training, adaptive ski clinics, and a backcountry Powdercat trip for 30-40 men, women, and veterans with disabilities. Too cool! Why don't we do more of this?

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Did you catch the 2009 season of American Idol and the talent of Scott MacIntyre? He created beautiful music with not only his singing but his instrumental talent was amazing. We've seen the talents of Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles, but can you imagine the challenges they must have faced when wanting to compose music or play printed compositions? I'm sure they had a lot of support from others. Technology is changing all of that and programs are available now to truly make musicians like Scott MacIntyre able to independently compose, arrange, and edit music; proofread it (in Braille when necessary); and produce a print version. Dancing Dots has created several new programs.
Check it out:

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 7:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I found a great article on regarding safety tips for accessibility while traveling. It contains great planning information like: things to ask hotels, things to bring with you, and what to consider if you traveling overseas. The authors also include websites to review that might help with additional planning. Check it out :
http://www.disaboom.com/Living/travel/Accessible-Travel-for-Your-Elderly-Parents.aspx?IADID=HomePage_Featured_Content

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 7:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The National Center for Technology Innovation (NCTI) has just released "Game Changer: Investing in Digital Play to Advance Children's Learning and Health." Here's the down-low:

"Game Changer, a new report from Joan Ganz Cooney at Sesame Workshop, offers a new framework to use games to help children learn healthy behaviors, traditional skills like reading and math, and 21st-century strengths such as critical thinking, global learning, and programming design. It specifies how increased national investment in research-based digital games might play a cost-effective and transformative role and provides comprehensive actions steps for media industry, government, philanthropy, and academia to harness the appeal of digital games to improve children's health and learning."

To download the full report, visit: http://www.nationaltechcenter.org/index.php/2009/06/25/game-changer-investing-in-digital-play-to-advance-childrens-learning-and-health/.

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

HD Radio provides more than great digital sound, it can also carry text. National Public Radio is planning on broadcasting closed-captioned text of talk shows along with the audio. Radio receivers with screens will allow folks who are deaf, or those of us who need the visual to understand hard-to hear words or phrases listen and READ radio broadcasts. These receivers are planning to come out in late 2009.
Check out

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 7:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Click on http://www.assistiveware.com/podcasts.php for "exploring the frontiers of assistive technology." This is a series of vodcasts (video podcasts) with people who are using AT to communicate, express their creativity, play games and just live their lives. There are a few episodes per year, each starring a different person. It's Mac-focused and covers a range of topics.

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Click on http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46790 to read the comments from folks who have purchased Amazon's Kindle with text-to-speech (TTS). This week, the TTS function on some ebooks has been disabled--a blow to users who rely on the auditory functionality of the device.

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 6:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In November 2008, Kelly wrote about the talking iPod Nano (http://www.assistivetechnology.vcu.edu/2008/11/talking_ipod_nano.html). Now the new iPod Shuffle, like the newest iPod Nano, can read out information such as song titles and playlist names. The VoiceOver feature is enabled by default and helps a variety of users with the screenless device.

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 4:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Press release: Assistive technology for blind and visually impaired cell phone users

"Mar 13, 2009 (TELECOMWORLDWIRE via COMTEX) -- Verizon Wireless...announced on Thursday (12 March) the availability of TALKS for Verizon Wireless, a new assistive technology that converts displayed text into highly intelligible speech for the company's customers who are blind or visually impaired.The solution will be available initially on MOTO Q 9c smartphones from communications solutions provider Motorola Inc (NYSE:MOT) beginning 15 March 2009. According to the company, TALKS for Verizon Wireless is powered by Nuance Communications Inc (Nasdaq:NUAN), a supplier of speech and imaging solutions, and uses ETI-Eloquence text-to-speech software, similar to other screen-reading packages on Windows PC platforms, to offer visually impaired and blind customers familiarity and high intelligibility."

FYI: Nuance is the distributor of Dragon Naturally Speaking

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 6:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Friend-of-the-blog Molly recently asked, "There seem to be lots of training opportunities for teachers and professionals. What about children who live in rural areas or in school
districts that shy away from AT? Are there any summer programs for kids/teens to explore and learn more about AT, especially as it relates to writing, reading, and study skills?"

Great question! Personally, I love the idea of recreational + learning opportunities. Here are a few:

http://www.latan.org/atCamp.shtml: According to the site: "The AT Camp is an annual summer event for families of children with disabilities to discover the beneficial world of assistive technology and the important part it can play in the lives of people with disabilities. The camp is free to all children and their parents. This includes meals and lodging at the campsite. The camp is held each year for one weekend at Med-Camps of Louisiana in Choudrant, Louisiana. Any child between the ages of 3 and 6 years of age with assistive technology needs is eligible to apply. The camp is an introductory program with a purpose of introducing the child and parents to assistive technology in addition to providing a camp experience."

http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf/2001/proceedings/0094gunderson.htm: According to the site: "The UIUC Summer computer camps are an opportunity for high school students to explorer higher educational opportunities, learn about assistive technologies and develop skills in using the WWW. Two week long camps are offered: one for students with significant visual impairments and the other for students with orthopedic impairments. The camps provide hands on learning experiences with computers and a chance for students to share experiences with their peers, college students, faculty and staff with similar disabilities. Students live in college dormitories during their stay and also sample campus life through evening recreational experiences including: quad rugby, bowling, theater, picnics and swimming."

http://serotek.com/blog/114-free-technology-camp: According to the site: "A free day camp for children [with visual impairments] between the ages of 8 and 12. Campers are trained on a wide variety of technology hardware and software, and receive an assistive technology evaluation. The Serotek Technology Camp for Children is co-sponsored by Microsoft Corporation, Lenovo, and the Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired."

http://www.couragecenter.org/contentpages/camping.aspx: "Since 1955, Courage Center Camps have provided camp programs for youth and adults with disabilities. Campers learn to grow, make friends and have fun in safe and accessible natural settings. We serve children and adults with physical disabilities, and youth with speech, language and/or hearing impairments...While we incorporate assistive technology in every camp session, several sessions have a specific AT focus, including: Augmentative Communication camp, where participants are encouraged to use their communication devices in everyday activities, with the support of trained, professional staff; and College Preview and Technology camps that teach college and career skills to teens with disabilities, including using computers and the Internet to assist in job and college searches. The technology component allows campers to explore web page design, robotics and video development."

Some others to click on:
http://main.uab.edu/Sites/reporter/articles/48575/
http://wvde.state.wv.us/osp/campgizmo.htmlhttp://www.ciboakhill.org/services/content.asp?SubnavID=21
http://www.iltech.org/fm-camp-newhope.asp
http://www.atrc.org/ (Camp Cool)

Keep looking around for free and low-cost camp options. Some are day camps and therefore much less expensive to operate. If you don't see one in your region, consider exploring the partnerships (public and private) that made these camps possible. Perhaps all folks need is the idea and they would run with it!

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The cell phone is becoming so advanced we can now make phone calls, send emails and surf the internet. Soon you may not have to carry your wallet either! Visa is running trials now to see if it’s possible!
Check out Nokia 6212 Classic and Visa
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/07/visa_nokia_nfc/

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 12:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check out the handy playing card holders...makes playing card games a breeze!
http://www.superduperinc.com/products/view.aspx?pid=CH04

Posted by Lanett W. Brailey at 9:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Take a look at this pouring cup.....allows students greater independence in math and science activities in the classroom and greater access in the kitchen.
http://enablingdevices.com/catalog/useful-devices/household-products/pouring-cups-accessories

Posted by Lanett W. Brailey at 3:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I clicked on http://www.audiobooksforfree.com/browse/Childrens/Grown-Up-Books-For-Kids and found Alice in Wonderland, Call of the Wild, some E. Nesbit short stories (she is a favorite of mine). Not bad, considering that these are standard stories in many classes. Check it out--for student or to try out yourself.

Same warnings about sound quality of the "free" version being poor...but bearable considering it's free! (I wouldn't throw over LibriVox for this site, though!)

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

...and I'm not ashamed.

Here's LibriVox in their own words:
"At LibriVox, volunteers record chapters of books in the public domain into digital audio (eg. mp3), and then make the audio files available to the world, for free (through our catalog, a podcast, and bittorrents). We love reading, love books, love literature, think the public domain should be defended and enriched, we like free stuff, we like to hear people read to us, and we like reading to other people. It's fun, it's a great community, it's a rewarding public service to the world. And "nothing" is in it for us, except the satisfaction of participating in a wonderful project."

Listen to some books for free or donate some of your voice at http://librivox.org.

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How many of you stick cans on your cookbooks to keep them open. Or is your shelf of cookbooks over flowing, with pages ripping out of the binder? If your child is done with his Nintendo DS, here is a new use for it---it can be your partner in the kitchen! Purchase the Personal Trainer: Cooking Title for $20 and you are cooking. It will guide your with voice commands through each step of the recipe. Only downfall found was that the DS can mistake the noises you are making with your dishes for conversation and will ask “Excuse me?” or “What was that?” I think it’s a great way to reuse our kid’s gadgets!

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 9:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Take a look at the website tutorials for Read and Write Gold 8. I've been exploring the many uses for student application...and I've really enjoyed having my emails read to me! Click on http://www.readwritegold.com/read&writeguidedtour.html to read more and to see the videos.

Posted by Lanett W. Brailey at 3:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I know we have blogged about accessible vans before, but I wanted to update you on one of the newest version available.
VMI has been working to update Chrysler/Dodge to create a more accessible VMI Northstar conversion van. The van has more headroom and space within the van to improve maneuverability. There changes are based on comments from consumers and that 40% of the wheelchair users needs more headroom and space.
For more information go to:
http://www.imedmobility.com/vmi_northstar_wheelchair_vans.php

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cast Clothing, Co. launched back in February to help meet the needs of individuals who have different challenges due to various physical conditions, whether permanent or temporary. Their goal is to create clothing that is stylish, seamless and comfortable. And the company is always looking for new ideas and suggestions.
Check them out!
http://castclothingco.com/

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"As brightly colored fish dart in and out of the rocks scattered in a small aquarium, a bewildering melody follows each of their movements. The eerie symphony comes from an "audio aquarium," a contraption dreamed up by Georgia Tech scientists in Atlanta as a way to let blind people experience sea life. The researchers say they wanted to help people with disabilities do something more fun than functional."

To read the rest of this article, click on http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=227794.

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 7:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Have you seen the newest toys from Enabling Devices? Great ideas for the children for the holidays! They are running a special now too! Fun, colorful, adapted and many of them would be great for the younger set to participate with siblings and family a family game night! http://enablingdevices.com/search-results.aspx?q=toys

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Many people with physical disabilities have difficulty regulating their body temperatures. Black Ice LLC has developed a cooling collar that individuals can use to help keep body temperatures at a more consistent level. Once charged the collar can maintain 55-60 degree Fahrenheit temperature for up to 1.5 hours with out wires or batteries.
If you would like more information contact them at
901-937-8129
Tennessee, USA
info@blackicecooling.com

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 2:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In a previous blog posting (http://www.assistivetechnology.vcu.edu/2007/01/gardening_for_individuals_with.html) we wrote about some free adapted gardening plans that are currently available. Another site, Square Foot Gardening, explains how to use raised beds to make gardens more accessible to all. Click on http://www.squarefootgardening.com/html/body_Fred.htm to read more.

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Who want to write a list ahead of time?---why not do it on your WAY to the store. Brookstone has a new gadget—a handheld digital grocery store list. You speak in you items and then you can print out the list---Some complain that device is unable to recognize voices with an accent, many enjoy the convenience. Voice technology has improved, but it’s not perfect. If you are one who DESPISES writing a list---why not just use your voice to create one? Oh the time you’d save!! Think how many other things you can get done at the same time!! Multi-tasking…we are masters at it! Might make a nice gift for someone !
If anyone has tried this item, let us know!
http://www.brookstone.com/

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Click on http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10053201-37.html to read how "Apple will make iTunes U fully accessible to those with visual impairments by December 31, 2008. It will then work to provide full accessibility of the iTunes application and the remainder of the iTunes Store by June 30, 2009."

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last week Apple announced a new generation of the iPod Nano (4th generation) which offers more accessibility to people with low vision. In conjunction with iTunes 8, people with low vision will now have the opportunity to explore and enjoy the benefits of the most popular portable media player available. The 4th generation iPod Nano features spoken menus,
so users can navigate and select playlists on the iPod without looking at the screen. In addition the release of iTunes 8 is screen-reader friendly for both the Mac and the PC and provides compatibility with VoiceOver in Mac OS X Leopard and Window-Eyes 7.0 for Windows XP and Windows Vista. iTunes 8 also allows for screen readers to navigate the iTunes store as well as iTunes U, thus making educational content more accessible.

In addition the 4th generation Nana introduces a large font size setting and adjustments for high contrast and backlight.

To read more about these new releases go to:

http://www.apple.com/accessibility/itunes/vision.html

Posted by Mona at 6:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At the start of this school year, I would like to highltight some of my favorite sources for free activities for students with significant intellectual disabilities. I believe that teaching this population requires a teacher to be creative and invest time in creation of appropriate learning tools. In this day and age of the internet and the availability of posting items on school websites and personal blogs, making use of shared resources not only saves time but allows teachers to provide more variety in their lessons. So here goes some of the tops on my list to get you ready (in no particular order).

Special Education Technology-British Columbia has a collection of accessible books in a variety of formats useful for all ages.

Carbon Lehigh Schools has a wonderful collection of cause effect switch accessible activities and sample papers from the Star Reporter program.

Priory Woods School in the UK offers hundreds of online switch accessible cause effect activities.

New York City Department of Education Special Education District 75 offers an adapted book collection of various formats.

Baltimore City Public Schools Assistive Technology site has over 700 adapted books available for download.

Bry-Back Manor has a collection of picture recipes.

Tar Heel Reader has a collection of adapted books for all ages.

Posted by Mona at 6:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check out http://www.e-bility.com from Australia (G'day, mate!)

e-Bility.com was launched in 1998 as a one-stop accessible destination for disability related information, resources, services and products. Its purpose was three fold:
1. To empower people with disability, by making it easier and quicker to find relevant information in an accessible format
2. To offer a low cost alternative for small groups in the disability and community sector to have a presence on the Net
3. To explore and promote web accessibility

There's an AT article on the front page right now...click and go!

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 2:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The people at AFB AccessWorld recently published an article pertaining to the accessiblity features of portable digital media players. Specifically in this article they were evaluating the popular mainstream devices for their accessbility to the blind or visually impaired population. They looked into the popular players including the iPod, Zune, Kindle, and Olympus Digital voice recorder. They were particularly interested in using these devices for digital music, books and other forms of digital information. Not surprisingly they found that only 3 mainstream digital players were accessible to the visually impaired population, and only 1 player, the Olympus DS-50 had speech output of the menu screen. This is what the article said about the Oympus digital recorder:

This device is marketed as a digital voice recorder, but it also plays MP3 and Windows Media music files and podcasts, as well as Audible.com books. It is the only mainstream player we found that has both tactilely discernable buttons and speech output for navigating menus.

To read the entire article go to:

http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw090404

And watch for Part 2 which will report on the adapted readers including the Victor Reader and PDA's

Posted by Mona at 6:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Thanks to some ingenious assistive technology, this high school student didn't let a birth condition stifle his passion for music. He played euphonium in his school's award-winning marching band from his wheelchair." Click here to read and see more: http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-lukas-bratcher

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Click on http://southcountyjournal.stltoday.com/articles/2008/05/05/news/sj2tn20080505-0507aff-atfair0.ii1.txt for "Technology helps the disabled find recreation: A consumer fair for demos and devices."

From the article:

Assistive technology equipment has also helped Kerri Morgan, an instructor in the occupational therapy program at Washington University School of Medicine. She uses a manual wheelchair for everyday use and work. For a while she was using crutches, but that wasn't doing the trick.
"It took to much energy," said Morgan, 33, of the Loft District. Besides her manual wheelchair, Morgan has one she uses for rugby. She is paralyzed from the chest down as a result of being diagnosed with transverse myelitis at age 1. "Technology really helps make things possible for people with disabilities," Morgan said. "I use assistive technology so I tell people we may not do it like everyone else, but I do it with the appropriate assistive technology."

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 6:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Can you tell I am in the summer mode and looking for something fun to do outside? I found another site that has some larger adaptable “toys” for the park and playground. If you know someone who is building a playground, or if you can convince your community to build one, consider sending them information about how they could make the playground accessible for all. Special Needs Toys (http://www.specialneedstoys.com) has a lot of really cool swings, rockers and other products that might just stimulate some really fun ideas! If anyone has been part of building an accessible playground, please share your ideas and resources!

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 3:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was surfing Teacher Tube (www.teachertube.com) the other day and found the motherlode of student-created PhotoStory talking books! Click on http://www.teachertube.com/uvideos.php?UID=51495 to see "Professor McGonagall's" students' books-from No David to The Giving Tree! She even has a TeacherTube video about how she had the students make them! Got to love her...

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Toys R Us has been making adaptable toys for many years. They produce a catalog of toys that are labeled with special guides that make toy selection easy. Many of the toys are typical and can be used by any child. If you would like to request a catalog or peruse some of the toys, go to their website: http://www.toysrus.com/graphics/coupon/TRUS_2007-Diff-Abled-Guide2.pdf

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 3:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The "IT Director" (http://www.it-director.com/business/compliance/content.php?cid=10317) recently posted an article about the Epoc Headset from Emotive Systems.

"The headset is a lightweight ‘hat’ which uses electroencephalography (EEG), to measure brainwaves, and a gyroscope, to detect head movements. The signals are sent wirelessly to a processor. Analysis of the signals enables the system to recognise such things as Facial expressions...Desired force (lift an object or push it way)."

This is why he says it is cool:

"The market for this device is for serious gamers so their avatar can replicate facial expressions, or if boredom sets in, the game could be made more compelling. The thing that really excited me about this device is the price; it is being suggested that when it becomes publicly available later this year it will retail for around 300 US dollars. I assume it is this inexpensive because it is aimed at a very large potential market...the headset could be used for more mundane computing tasks such as moving a mouse pointer on a screen, drag and drop (focus on an object, close one eye to indicate drag, move the head and then open the eye to drop) etc."

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 8:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Check out this site for some free music that you kids might just love! Music is very motivating for many people as they are working, learning, exercising, etc. You might find something here that “makes the connection” to your student that might be hard to reach. See what you think!

Continue reading "Free music for kids" »

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Click on http://www.jonathanbishop.com/Web/Projects/Publications/Display.asp?NoID=62&MID=9&NID=62&Item=9&Anchor=Download#Download to read The Internet for educating individuals with social impairments, which investigates the social and practical implications of using mobile Internet technology to deliver information relating to participation in a social situation.

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I know we’ve shown you switch adapted digital cameras before, but we found another one you might be interested in. This camera features a flexible LCD viewing screen and it can also take short video clips. The price is still reasonable and it’s light weight. Check it out on the web and see what you think.

Continue reading "Another Switch Adapted Digital Camera" »

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I know this is late for the holidays but I spent some time over the holidays looking at toys and remembering how difficult it can be at times to find the right toy for a child with a disability. Thanks to the internet a lot of the searching can be eliminated. Here are a few excellent resources for finding just the right toy for a child with a disability.

This first document is a booklet created by the Alliance for Technology Access. It highlights the features of several commercially available toys.

http://www.ataccess.org/resources/fpic/accesstoys/letsplay2006/LetsPlay2006.pdf

Able Play is a toy rating system and website that provides comprehensive information on toys for children with special needs so parents, special educators, therapist and others can make the best choices for the children in their lives with disabilities. Check it out at their website:

http://www.ableplay.org/index.asp

Posted by Mona at 5:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This resource includes information about recreational opportunities in Virginia for people with cognitive and physical disabilities. It also includes National recreational resources that are available. This document was compiled by VCU and funded by a grant from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center and the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). There is a PDF copy on the web at

Continue reading "Virginia Recreational Resources for People with Disabilities" »

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 3:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In a follow up to the blog posting on Friday....Hear Sara sing the National Anthem before a Pittsburg Pirates game using her Dynavox communication device.

http://www.sara-sings.com/hear.htm

Posted by Mona at 5:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Click on http://www.oneswitch.org.uk/4/games/0index.htm for One Switch, a resource for folks interested in "Switch Gaming." The website highlights the latest switch and game accessibility news.

A snippet from the website:
Video games are fun and also give people the power to do amazing things that they would be unable to in real life. With the right specialised hardware, many standard video games can be played by anyone, no matter the disability. "One Switch Gaming" is especially interested in games playable with a single switch, and in campaigning for accessibility features in all games.
Recent Switch Game News
November 2007: 4Noah revealed. A PC utility allowing one switch gamers to control games using 2 to 6 buttons.
October 2007: The Playstation 2 Switch Interface Deluxe is hinted at. The first easy to use switch interface that is 99% compatible with Playstation 2 games is almost here. It's here!

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Another free, switch accessible program from Inclusive Technology. This program allows you to record your voice or other sound file and have it played back while a face is animated on the screen. A great motivator for young children who loves the sound of their parents voice. This program allows for one or two switch scanning, mouse or touchscreen and keyboard shortcuts.
You can choose from seven faces that animate, including Santa Claus.

Download it free from this website:

http://www.inclusive.co.uk/downloads/downloads.shtml#talkingfaces

Posted by Mona at 5:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last week I introduced free switch games for cause and effect available through Brillsoft. Check out this additional game for developing scanning skills.

Rockets! Is a single switch game which introduces the concept of scanning. That is you press the switch when the pointer is aligned with one of the buttons. You load rockets into a container, then press fire and watch the fireworks! It can also be used with a mouse, this is configured on the opening screen.

Download the game at the following web site.

http://www.brillsoft.com/Index_files/Page654.htm

Posted by Mona at 6:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dredging up some old web articles the other day found this gem, "Fueling the Creation of New Electronic Curbcuts."

An excerpt:

Television (TV) manufacturers in the U.S. will tell you that their caption decoders for the deaf wound up benefiting tens-of-millions more consumers than originally intended. As the electronic curb cut effect has shown in the past, televisions with decoders are simply better than those without. For example, captioning can enable TV viewers to:
-search for and retrieve video content, by word, through the use of multimedia databases;
-listen to programs in silence while someone is sleeping;
-listen to programs in noisy environments like sports bars;
-watch their favorite program while talking on the telephone, without appearing rude to the person being spoken to;
-read more effectively, and at an earlier age, by enabling them to see the words being spoken at the same time they hear them (i.e. Sesame Street);
-Learn to read/speak a second language by displaying foreign words at the same time they are being spoken; and,
-Understand foreign programming through the use of native language captions.

What follows is a listing of IT innovations, originally developed by, or in support of, people with disabilities that wound up benefiting everyone.

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 4:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Fab Four consists of 4 single switch games for users with special needs. These are cause and effect games for users with special needs. Download it to try! After all it is completely free, however if you are able, a donation to keep the website running would be appreciated. I particularly enjoyed the pinball game!!

http://www.brillsoft.com/Index_files/Page603.htm

Posted by Mona at 6:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

James River Park System is taking a step to raise awareness of accessibility with the publication of "Shockoe Slip: From Top to Bottom," a slim tour book aimed at people in wheelchairs who often are discouraged from seeing historic sites because of physical barriers.
The tour book is the creation of Ralph White, manager of the James River Park System. He got the idea from an aunt who visited Richmond years ago. She used a wheelchair and was frustrated by the obstacles to sightseeing at the city's many historic locations.
Check out the article published in the Richmond Times Dispatch
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/search.PrintView.-content-articles-RTD-2007-07-11-0009.html

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 2:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Checkout the Visual Search Mode of the VCU T/TAC online library. Icons are used as search buttons for categories or subject areas. Selecting the Assistive Technology search button opens up several other search buttons for easy “one-touch” searching for AT items, software or helpful links. If you would like to checkout AT Library items call us at 800-426-1595 and ask for our library, or come by the VCU T/TAC at 10 E. Franklin St in Richmond.

Continue reading "Using Visual Search Mode for Assistive Technology on VCU T/TAC Online Library" »

Posted by at 12:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From the National Endowment for the Arts' website:

The National Endowment for the Arts’ Office for AccessAbility is the advocacy-technical assistance arm of the Arts Endowment to make the arts accessible for people with disabilities, older adults, veterans, and people living in institutions. The Office works in a myriad of ways to accomplish its goals, such as providing technical assistance to individuals and organizations in the following areas: to open existing programs and make the arts fully accessible to people with disabilities, older adults, and people living in institutions; and to comply with the Endowment's Section 504 Regulations and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The AccessAbility Office develops a wide range of partnerships with the public and private sectors, including:
The Arts Endowment’s leadership initiative to educate designers, schools of design, and others on Universal Design continues to advance. This design process goes beyond "special accommodations" to incorporate features that may be used by everyone at all stages of life. This initiative includes a 2001 collection of 32 universal exemplars in the five major design fields on CD-Rom developed by the Center for Universal Design in Raleigh, NC (http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/). On October 2-3, 2003, the Endowment convened a Universal Design Meeting in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education/ NIDRR that brought together experts from academia, the design field, consumer groups, and government agencies to develop recommendations for future funding priorities that would broaden knowledge and encourage the practice of universal design. For a report on this meeting, see the Endowment’s Web site: ud/contents.html.
Careers in the Arts for People with DisabilitiesIn partnership with the U.S. Department of Education, Health & Human Services, and the Social Security Administration, this initiative began in June 14-16, 1998 with a National Forum on Careers in the Arts at the John F. Kennedy Center where 300 participants focused on training, funding, and jobs. Currently, a mentorship program that sponsors artists and arts administrators with disabilities, is supported in partnership with the U.S. Dept. of Education. For more info, contact the Kennedy Center at http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org. Further, a series of state-wide forums on Careers in the Arts are supported with VSA arts and organized by UCLA's National Arts and Disabilities Center (for more information, visit http://nadc.ucla.edu/).

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 4:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Communicate: Webwide from Widgit software, bills itself as "first symbol-supported web browser" and is intended to turn websites into different levels of picture supported text with full speech support if needed. Communicate: Webwide is a subscription-based service which gives users a flexible means of accessing information online. It will help any reader who has difficulty accessing the text in standard English language web pages.

According to the website, "You can choose between the coloured and black & white Widgit Literacy symbols (previously know as Widgit Rebus). These have a vocabulary of over 29,000 words. You can save your favorites through an easy to access manager. You can add an icon or graphic to remind you what the site is about. There is also a web portal that has links to sites that work well in symbols."

Most interesting, perhaps, is that the product is portable: "Symbols are accessed over the Internet, not from your machine. Widgit are constantly updating the online repository of symbols and vocabulary that powers Webwide. Because Communicate: Webwide is a subscription service, the symbols don't need to be installed on your machine. This means that you will get access to new symbols and extended vocabulary instantly. Every time the program is launched any available updates are installed, so you'll never need to worry about upgrading to receive new features."

Visit http://www.widgit.com/products/webwide/index.htm for a 30 day free trial.

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There is a gold mine hidden in Caroline Musselwhite and Julie Maro’s web site, www.aacintervention.com! The May “Tip of the Month” talks you through 10 reasons why learning to use iTunes can simplify your life. Each reason is supported by an explanation of why you need to know it, and how to accomplish it. In most cases, there are references to on-line tutorials that can cover the topic in greater depth. Check this out and dig deeper into her site for lots of other practical information! We gotta love Caroline and Julie for the creative ideas that go into their web site!

Posted by Sharon Jones at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thanks to Vicki for a question about recommend adaptive devices for digital cameras: shutter switches, tripods for wheelchair trays or arms.

I'm not sure if these have exactly what you're looking for but, usually offer some great ideas on AT. Try:

http://www.enablemart.com/
http://www.orcca.com/
http://www.abledata.com/

Posted by Fran Smith at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm definitely an iPod fan. I'm trying to be more inclusive in my language by using mp3 player as a generic term but I find it hard to do all of the time. Check out this switch accessible device that allows the iPod (and probably other mp3 players) to be operated by individuals with physical limitations.

http://www.tecsol.com.au/pdfs/switchPod%20Instructions2.pdf

I've also seen an Intellikeys overlay that allows the user to play music that has been stored in the iTunes folder on your computer. Search the activity exchange portion of the Intellitools website for this adaptation.

Posted by Mona at 6:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Gorillapod firmly secures your compact digital camera to just about anything – anywhere and everywhere! It wraps around posts, trees, and railings, even sides of rocks, to form a stable anchor for compact cameras. Think about how this might provide options for photographers with physical challenges. And at only $14.99---it's a deal!
Go to http://www.jessops.com
and search for "gorilla pod"

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 8:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Know anyone who would enjoy woodworking but may not know how to make the hobby/trade more accessible? Check out The Able Workshop at http://www.ableworkshop.com/

From the website:

A Site for Woodworkers who have a Disability: The Ableworkshop Forum is the place to get answers, suggestions, tips, tricks, share your knowledge and chat with other users. Photos, tips & tricks include: wheelchair accessible workbench, modifying a bandsaw, scroll saw, accessible storage, barrier-free workshop, and making money with a craft business. These pages are dedicated to sharing that information with others, and hopefully helping those who thought they COULD NOT work in the shop, and make creative wood projects.

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Looking for some fun this summer!!!! Check out this website for free downloads of switch accessbile games. I had a great time playing the bubble pop game.

http://www.oneswitch.org.uk/

Posted by Mona at 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Some of the resources found and referenced by the good folks at the South Carolina Assistive Technology Program website: http://www.sc.edu/scatp/recreation.htm (visit this site! It's clear and easy for those of us on dial-up connections!)

NEW! We Can Play has many ideas for families with kids with disabilities. It can be accessed at www.ataccess.org/resources/fpic/default.html. Toy adaptation instructions can be found at http://www.ataccess.org/resources/fpic/accesstoys/.

NEW! Levelgames has a website devoted to accessible computer games. There are some inexpensive computer games that can be downloaded for free. Their web site is at http://www.arcess.com/

NEW! Deaf Gamers reviews computer games for accessibility from the standpoint of people with deafness. www.deafgamers.com

NEW! Guide to Low-Cost/No-Cost Online Tools for People with Disabilities 2005. Developed by The Alliance for Technology Access (ATA) with the Northern Illinois Center for Adaptive Technology. Online resources are organized by category, free game and recreation downloads are provided. http://www.ataccess.org/resources/lowcostnocost.html

North Carolina's Recreation Access Project has detailed fact sheets on adaptations in specific sports, arts and theatre http://www.pat.org/RAP/activity.html

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Giggles Baby locks out the system and lets babies touch any key at all for fun onscreen feedback. Great for fine and gross motor skills, cause-and-effect, low cognitive function, speech-language pathology, visual learners, music appreciation, etc. Every button push results in something captivating happening onscreen. Each title includes 14 activities and over 50 great songs.
Do you work with little ones? Check out this program!

Continue reading "Giggles Funtime for Babies" »

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 8:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've been thinking a lot lately about computer games, social networks like Second Life, and access for all people. I went out on the web looking for who else is thinking about it and ran across this great 2005 account of one person's desire to have fun while working on his AT use.
http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf/2005/proceedings/2233.htm is the link for "FUNCTION FOLLOWS FUN: HOW GAMES HELPED ME TO DEVELOP MY SWITCH SKILLS."

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Do you work with secondary students? Do your students access the computer using switches? Are you always trying to find age appropriate software? Well, I explored the latest volume of Closing the Gap's Resource Directory and identified many cool academic and recreational tools. We have a lot of these in our AT lending library too! Check out the list below and please add any additional titles that you have discovered!

Test Me, Score Me
Teen Tunes Plus
Attention TeensSoftTouch, Inc.
www.softtouch.com

Switching on Science: Habitats
Switching on Science: Earth
Switching On American HistorySoftTouch, Inc.
www.softtouch.com

Cowriter: Solo
DraftBuilder: Solo
Buildability
Start to Finish Literacy Starters
Don Johnston, Inc.
www.donjohnston.com

Simply Science: Animals
Simply Science: Energy
PixWriterSlater Software, Inc.
www.slatersoftware.com

Functional Life Skills
Functional Literacy SkillsThe Conover Company
www.conovercompany.com

ClickIt!
Intellitools Classroom SuiteIntellitools, Inc
www.intellitools.com

Poetry Power CDAAC Intervention
www.aacintervention.com

Drum Kit
Switch ItInclusive TLC
www.inclusivetlc.com

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check out: http://aimstar.knowbility.org/index.html. The site also has info on AT and recreation---http://aimstar.knowbility.org/at_recreation_leisure.htm

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 5:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I heard about this just a few minutes ago: Saturday, 03 March 2007
9am - 8:30pm (Phone 851-9890)

Wintergreen Resort: An all-day affair featuring Mardi Gras costumes, tubing and skiing contests, a silent auction, tons of food, and a formal dance. Proceeds benefit Wintergreen Adaptive Skiing, a nonprofit that helps disabled persons hit the slopes.

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 7:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check out this article from LD Online: Boosting Inclusion in After School Activities with AT and Supplemental Services (2006) by National Center for Technology Innovation and Center for Implementing Technology in Education

The Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act (IDEA 2004) mandates that supplemental services and assistive technology be provided when necessary to students who receive special education services. While the benefits of such supports can be used to meet the academic needs of students with disabilities, supplemental services can also contribute to the social needs of students in activities outside the regular school day. NCTI has suggestions for how assistive and accessible technologies and other supplemental services can help make activities more inclusive for students with special needs...It is critical that education professionals keep pace with students' desire to be involved with extracurricular activities by making certain that they have access to the necessary assistive and adaptive technology and other supplemental services. This is important not only because such resources are often necessary for students to be successful, but also because federal legislation mandates that students with disabilities have access to after school programs that take place on school grounds. Because many staff members and volunteers involved with after school activities are outside of the field of special education, it is imperative that they are informed of students' abilities and needs, as well as strategies, assistive and adaptive technologies, and other supplemental services that can help address their needs while capitalizing on their strengths.

Click here to keep reading: http://www.ldonline.org/article/9924

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check out this article fron Schwab Learning: Resources for Locating Electronic Text on the Internet: A Valuable Tool for Students with LD .

Electronic (computer-displayed) text can be an important resource for students with learning disabilities (LD), because it can be altered to meet their needs. A child with LD may benefit from changes to the appearance or organization of electronic text. These and other strategies are described in the article, Making the Most of Standard Technology to Enhance Learning.

If you and your child are looking for a specific piece of literature or information on a particular topic related to a school assignment, you will find the Internet is a rich resource. You may also search the Internet to locate high-interest material that appeals to your child. There are thousands of books and a growing collection of electronic texts on the Internet, including books still in copyright. Some websites have been enhanced with sound, images, and text that can support struggling readers.

This article details some particularly useful Internet resources for electronic text that may be helpful for your child.

Click here to keep reading: http://www.schwablearning.org/articles.aspx?r=1117

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Everyone else seems to know about this except me, so I'm adding this to the blog for others who are also in the dark about it:

http://www.workshopsolutions.com/ has cool environmental accessibility solutions that are (apparently) not copyrighted and anyone can look at and duplicate. Examples:

1. ASHMOBILE (skier) to get people who do not walk without the aid of crutches or a walker to downhill ski.
2. BEACH WHEELCHAIR to allow a wheelchair to travel in sand
3. BOCCIA BALL RAMP to allow a person with very limited movement to compete in boccia ball
4. BOCCIA BALL RAMP 2 to allow a person with very limited movement to compete in boccia ball
5. BOCCIA BALL RAMP 3 to allow a person with very limited movement to compete in boccia ball
6. CAMERA HOLDER to operate a camera with limited use of hands.
7. CAMERA HOLDER 2 to operate a camera with one hand
8. CAMERA HOLDER to allow photos to be taken from a wheelchail without having to be held
9. CAMERA HOLDER 4 to operate a digital camera with one hand
10. CANOPY,WHEELCHAIR to provide protection for those that are light sensitive
11. DRINK HOLDER a wheelchair attachment to hold a variety of glasses, cups and mugs
12. FISHING RIG to allow fishing from a wheelchair without the use of hands
13. FLOATBOARD COMMUNICATOR to communicate by symbols when in the pool.
14. SKEASY (skier) to get people who do not walk without the aid of crutches or a walker to downhill ski.
15. ADAPTED SKIPOLE to accommodate a hand without grip
16. HOCKEY (WHEELCHAIR) to provide a means for a quadraplegic to play hockey.
17. SANDBOX TABLE a raised sandbox for use by a wheelchair bound child
18. SIGNAL GLOVE to indicate directions for those with very little mobility
19. SKIING WHEELCHAIR to allow a wheelchair to be taken along on a cross country ski trip.
20. TOILET - PORTABLE; folds neatly into a carrying case
21. TRICYCLE BACK SUPPORT to give support while in the sitting position.
22. OUTDOOR STANDER a portable unit to assist standing outdoors
23. MODIFIED JOGGING STROLLER to accommodate a growing youngster
24. RACING WHEELCHAIR STABILIZER for to assist in transfer to a racing wheelchair

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Looking for Boardmaker or picture recipes for your students to follow during measurement and cooking units? Look no further, as Cindy Glew, Autistic Support Teacher, Karen Conard, Paraprofessional, Lorie Schwartz, Paraprofessional, and Katy Bruno, Speech Language Pathologist, have highlighted their classroom's recipes on their class website. (Don't go here if you're teaching nutrition and healthy eating right now, though!) Their classroom is "a highly structured setting dedicated to supporting students with Autistic Spectrum Disorders" and has students in grades 3-5.

Click on http://www.angelfire.com/pa5/as/cooking.html to see the following recipes (and a lot more):

Cookie Snowman (Made with Boardmaker, PDF file)

Microwave Fudge (Made with Boardmaker, PDF file)

Valentine's Day Oreo Cookie Dessert (PDF file - Made with Boardmaker)Will be uploaded during the month of February!

Valentine's Day Parfait Dessert (PDF file - Made with Boardmaker)Will be uploaded during the month of February!

Monster Crisp Snacks (PDF file) You will need butter (witch fat), mini marshmallows (ghost toes), Rice Krispies (werewolf toenails), candy corn (infected vampire teeth), mini chocolate chips (frog warts), red food coloring (vampire blood), and yellow food coloring (yellow spider blood).Will be uploaded during the month of October!

November Pumpkin Pie (Made with Boardmaker)

December Cookie Wreaths (Made with Boardmaker)

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Gardening in Raised Beds and Containers for Individuals with Disabilities is a resource from the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service at Virginia Tech. It offers guidelines for setting up garden areas for people with restricted movement, and with the popularity of gardening these days, may give you ideas for planning leisure activities for students (or yourself!). Click on http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/factsheets2/landsnurs/aug93pr5.html.

Also available is "The Unlimited Garden" which has suggestions for working with people with limited vision and mobility: http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/articles2/unlimit.html

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From today's Washington Post:
By the hundreds every day, parents and children are flocking to Clemyjontri, the McLean playground with the odd name that has become one gi-normous hit since opening last month.
In its first 25 days of operation, the playground has drawn 12,000 visitors - an average of 475 a day.
At two acres, this field of dreams is 10 times bigger than the typical Fairfax County playground and millions of dollars more expensive. Yet for those who have visited it, the crowds - the 81-space parking lot is overwhelmed - are a small price to pay for the delights of the spacious facility built on a $900,000 rubberized carpet as soft as a putting green.
Designed for disabled and able-bodied children, the park (pronounced Clem-mee-JOHN-tree) sprawls with brightly colored equipment. More than 20 pieces are innovations, including climbable rainbow arches, a wheelchair-accessible maze and a “helicopter�? with ramps, allowing children with physical disabilities to fly into the imaginary skies with more able-bodied companions...

Continue reading "Universal design and appeal at Clemyjontri playground in McLean, VA" »

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

...so let the students make their own spinners.

Wet-erase spinner boards can be used by students and teachers to address a variety of concepts in a user-friendly, hands-on way that allows students to be part of decision-making.

Students can write the options onto the spinners with a wet-erase marker and either use their own or trade with another student.

Assignment length, task type, or specific operations are just a few of the things that can be determined by this participant-centered tool.

Spinners can be used in independent student centers or stations, small group activities, whole class instruction, and extension activities.

Our AT Lab has several sets of 8 of these light, reusable spinners for checkout, complete with markers. Do you teach in Central Virginia and are you interested in checking a set out of our AT Lab for a few weeks to use in your classroom? Call us at 800-426-1595 and ask for our library, or come by the VCU T/TAC at 10 E. Franklin St in Richmond!

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 7:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tech4Learning has a wonderful resource, Recipe4Success, for supporting teachers and students using technology in the classroom. This resource includes software tutorials and guides for particular features, tools for creating graphic organizers or rubrics, as well as a multitude of many other resources available for free once your subscribe. This resource will save you lots of time and will allow your students to become more self-directed learners and better cooks! You need to check it out! Go to http://www.myt4l.com/

Posted by Kelly Ligon at 2:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We like the Savvy Technologist enough to wander through his old postings--and struck gold!

In a 2005 posting, the Savvy Technologist interviewed Earle Harrison, an assistive technology consultant and owner of Triumph Technology, a source for adaptive technology and adaptive media solutions. They talked about universal design, assistive technology, and accessible Web design. Earle mentioned many different hardware and software products during the conversation, including:
* macvisionaries.com
* FreedomBox products including the Key To Freedom
* BrailleSense notetaker
* Kurzweil Educational Systems
* Mobile Speak
* StreetTalk GPS software
* JAWS for Windows screen reader
* Windows-Eyes screen reader
* Building Accessible Websites (With CD-ROM) by Joe Clark
* Constructing Accessible Web Sites by Jim Thatcher

Interested? Click on the link to hear the podcast of their conversation (http://technosavvy.org/?p=298)

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

...because we can't stop brainstorming uses for the wax-covered yarn and are so glad to see even more ideas posted online at wikkistix.com:

...and the manufacturer's site now posts occupational therapy uses for the cool light-tech learning tools (http://www.wikkistix.com/otuses.htm) as well as general educational uses (http://www.wikkistix.com/educational.htm).

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 6:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Vison Connection, founded by the non-profit Lighthouse International, is a leading resource worldwide on vision impairment and vision rehabilitation dedicated to helping people who are blind or partially sighted lead independent and productive lives. From their website, http://www.visionconnection.org/Content/Technology/AssistiveTechnologies/AccessibleMedia/AccessibleMedia.htm :

One of the common reactions to losing one's sight is a feeling of being isolated. Avenues of information — books, magazines, computers — are...closed off...However, several organizations...have addressed this growing need by making books and periodicals available for blind or print disabled individuals, often at nominal or no cost to the user.

The website offers ideas of how people with low vision can continue to access text such as newspapers even after they leave a classroom. Additionally, the website is well-designed, with clear fonts and adjustable font sizes to meet the needs of all people.

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 7:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's summer! Everyone is thinking sun and surf, and here's a great organization who can make sure ALL MEANS ALL even in the good old summertime...

Infinitec.org http://www.infinitec.org/play/water/adaptivewatersports.htm is a joint effort of the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Chicago and United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Inc., Washington D.C. and offers materials and information on all kinds of AT--here's their take on summer sports:

Many people with disabilities find a new kind of freedom in water because of water's buoyancy; it reduces the person's weight by 10 percent and it's low-impact. Thanks to a boon in adapted sports technology, almost any sport can be adapted and water sports are often the easiest. One may use a sports wheelchair designed for sailing, swimming, and even adapted water-skiing. Enthusiasts may glide over blue waters on a mono-ski or saucer. Many terrific disabled sports organizations offer training and a lot of fun. Also, mainstream sports and recreation facilities are more accessible. (Usually consumers have to inquire or request certain access features, such as a hand-held shower or accessible locker room door, but start with an open mind—most facilities managers truly want to make things work, they just need a bit more instruction.)

Visit the site to see links to information about the following water sports and ideas about organizations to contact that support people with special needs:
Swimming and Aqua Fitness
Sailing
Scuba Diving
Fishing
Rowing, Canoeing and Kayaking
Waterskiing

Posted by Susanne Croasdaile at 5:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)