In our UDL project, we have placed Assistive Technology in several classrooms and in our libraries and Student Success Center. We also train all our peer tutors on using AT.  Our goal is to have students see AT as “just another tool” like a calculator.  

 

We have recently worked out a deal with our library to lend out two tools:  a mobile notetaker from Pegasus and also Keys To Access which has several applications on a flash drive.  Any student can get these from the Library for home use.  We have found screen reader to be very useful, but there is some work that goes along with them.  Not all screen readers work with all programs, for instance PDFs, Powerpoints, etc.  

 

We find we usually have to train students on  a combination of reading with physical masking and using screen readers.  We have not studied the direct impact of ONLY using AT with students, but both instructors and students continue to ask for AT, so it appears likely to be helping.

 

In case you are thinking, “that’s nice but we have no money”, there are LOTS of free or very low cost technologies available.

 

Cathy Jenner, Project Coordinator
Universal Design for Learning Project
Instructional Improvement
Renton Technical College
(425) 235-2352 x5639
cjenner at rtc.edu
http://www.rtc.edu/AboutUs/DSDPGrant/
http://webs.rtc.edu/ii/dsdp.html

From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of David J. Rosen
Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 6:04 AM
To: The Technology and Literacy Discussion List
Cc: The Learning Disabilities Discussion List
Subject: [Technology 1604] Re: Access to text, a social justice issue

 

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

 

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

 

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/ 

 

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

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/

Intellitools: 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  (expensive)

 

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

use is:

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

 

and

 

2. The Communication Bill of RIghts: 

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

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

	djrosen at comcast.net.

 

 

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