I run a program for low literacy learning disabled adults.  We have 
used the CAST e-reader for quite some time.  We use it in several 
ways.  When individuals are working on their writing/spelling, they 
can get immediate feedback using the e-Reader.  The only glitch is 
homonyms, but we work around that.  Our adults also use it to access 
web pages, email, etc.  They love it because they really feel part of 
the mainstream.  We decided not to use the updated AspireReader 
because it had too many bells and whistles and our adults found it 
complicated to use.
We tried the reading pen, but found that it required too much fine 
motor control and was not flexible in terms of the tests it would 
read (e.g., it would not read words that were printed in all upper 
case letters).  I understand that they are better now, but we haven't 
really felt the need for them.
Most successfully we use a speaking speller from the Franklin 
company.  These are small portable electronic dictionaries that 
pronounce many words.  Almost all our adults use these.  They are 
particularly helpful when people are working on their homework or 
other literacy activities and don't have a tutor handy to read words 
for them.  This has helped us enormously in terms of improving 
self-confidence and improving the willingness to do independent literacy work.
We wrote a manual that describes our experiences with low literacy LD 
folks and technology.  It can be viewed an downloaded at
www.aecom.yu.edu/cerc/pdf/LD_ACCESS.pdf
Mary S. Kelly, PhD
Director, Fisher Landau Center for the Treatment of LD
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
1165 Morris Park Ave.
Bronx, NY 10463
718-430-3908

At 09:03 AM 4/10/2008, you wrote:

>Technology Discussion List Colleagues,

>

>Thanks to Joan Medlen for her thoughts and suggestions (see her 

>posting below).

>

>Let's continue talking about assistive technology and universal 

>design products for adults who have difficulty reading -- both the 

>technologies that can help adults improve their reading skills and 

>technologies that can provide access  (by reading it out loud) to 

>text that would otherwise be inaccessible to them.  I wonder if 

>those on this discussion list have experience with using these 

>products themselves or with their students. I would like to hear 

>about those experiences.

>

>What difference(s) does assistive technology or universal design for 

>learning make for adult learners, and for adults who cannot read but 

>can get meaning from text if it is read out loud?

>

>I am also cross posting this on the Learning Disabilities discussion 

>list to invite those who subscribe to that list to join the 

>discussion here. I believe some of our colleagues in that discussion 

>forum have a great deal of experience to share. [ To join the 

>Technology List Discussion, go to:

>

><http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/Technology>http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/Technology

>

>So, to continue the discussion, another screen reader that may be useful is:

>

>The CAST Ereader (now replaced by AspireREADER for PCs). 

><http://cast.org/products/ereader/index.html>http://cast.org/products/ereader/index.html

>

>I wonder if anyone on this discussion list uses these products that 

>Joan Medlen and I mentioned,  and if so, what you find as their 

>strengths and weaknesses. Are there other products that you use and 

>like better, and if so, why?

>

>Another example, a  text reader,  the Reading Pen

>

><http://www.readingpen.com>http://www.readingpen.com/

>

>scans, defines, and pronounces words from printed material. You just 

>run the pen over the line of text and listen to the text being read 

>out loud through a speaker or through tiny headphones. There is a 

>version designed for adults. Its cost is under $300. Anyone here 

>have experience using it? Know any adult learners who use it? What 

>are its advantages and disadvantages?

>

>David J. Rosen

><mailto:djrosen at comcast.net>djrosen at comcast.net

>

>

>

>On Apr 6, 2008, at 1:51 PM, Joan Medlen wrote:

>>HI all,

>>

>>It may be called a "text reader," but for computers, is often called a

>>"screen reader." They all have their good points and not so great points,

>>but the premise of having things read to assist with learning is one that

>>is commonly used with kids in special education programs. There are a

>>number of reading programs that highlight the words as the program reads

>>the text as well.

>>

>>Some vendors text readers include:

>>Don Johnston, Inc. <http://www.donjohnston.com>http://www.donjohnston.com/

>>Intellitools: <http://www.intellitools.com>http://www.intellitools.com

>>

>>These are, of course, primarily designed for school-aged children, but look

>>closely for the tools that may be able to do what you want for adults.

>>Write:Outloud and  Read: OutLoud are likely the programs that make the most

>>sense and are very versatile - they operate within or like a word

>>processor. I know a lot of people who use them who have learning

>>disabilities. They are also electronically based.

>>

>>I do know there are text readers that can read printed text, but I can't,

>>for the life of me, remember the name of the one I have seen or find one

>>quickly while writing this. They do exist - look in tools for people who

>>are blind and visually impaired.

>>

>>There are many different screen readers for computers while surving the web

>>and doing email.  Some of the more common are

>>JAWS:

>><http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws.asp>http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws.asp 

>>(expensive)

>>

>>One that I downloaded to use for a demonstration was free and very easy to

>>use is:

>><http://www.screenreader.net>http://www.screenreader.net/

>>

>>As for the understandability of the more formal language often used in

>>pamphlets and books, I would imagine it depends on the target audience. I

>>believe there are many people who are very comfortable with formal

>>language, but cannot read as well as those who will need the less formal

>>approach. But being able to hear information - even if the language still

>>needs to be decoded - is better than not being able to access the

>>information at all!

>>

>>If you have access to a search engine that can scour education journals, I

>>would recommend a lit search for use of text readers, text-to-speech, and

>>so on in journals for special education. This is a huge area for the folks

>>in assistive technology and augmentative communication. I'm sure there are

>>articles that can lay the groundwork or be generalized for further studies

>>with people who do not have "disabiltiies."

>>

>>Last, for the social justice piece, I submit two pieces that I like a great

>>deal:

>>

>>1. The Literacy Bill of Rights: Yoder, D.E., Erickson, K.A. and

>>Koppenhaver, D.A., Center for Literacy and DisabilityStudies, P.O. BOX

>>3888, DUMC, Durham, NC

>>27710 

>><http://dsasdonline.org/admin/files/AT-Literacy.pdf>http://dsasdonline.org/admin/files/AT-Literacy.pdf

>>

>>and

>>

>>2. The Communication Bill of RIghts:

>><http://www.asha.org/NJC/bill_of_rights.htm>http://www.asha.org/NJC/bill_of_rights.htm 

>>from the National Joint

>>Committee for the Communication needs of people with severe disabilities.

>>

>>

>>Take care,

>>Joan

>>-----------------------------

>>Joan E Guthrie Medlen, R.D., L.D.

>>Clinical Advisor, Health Literacy & Communications

>>Special Olympics Healthy Athletes

>><mailto:joan at DownSyndromeNutrition.com>joan at DownSyndromeNutrition.com

>>

>>At 03:59 AM 4/6/2008, you wrote:

>>>Hello Len,

>>>

>>>This is Glenn Young's idea, not mine, although I think it has merit

>>>and should be tested. As I understand it, the idea is to help adults who

>>>need it to get access to information by providing text readers, not

>>>by changing the text. A text reader -- as I am using the the term --

>>>is a piece of software that reads printed or digital text out loud.

>>>In many versions of this kind of software the rate can easily be

>>>controlled by the user; in some there are tools that allow the user

>>>just to hear a difficult word here and there, or a word at a time, or

>>>a sentence at a time or a paragraph at a time.

>>>

>>>David J. Rosen

>>><mailto:djrosen at comcast.net>djrosen at comcast.net.

>>

>>

>>----------------------------------------------------

>>National Institute for Literacy

>>Technology and Literacy mailing list

>><mailto:Technology at nifl.gov>Technology at nifl.gov

>>To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to 

>><http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology>http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology

>>Email delivered to <mailto:djrosen at comcast.net>djrosen at comcast.net

>

>

>

>

>

>----------------------------------------------------

>National Institute for Literacy

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