Free apps

Productivity, Accessibility & Free Enabling Technology Tools

Are the best things in life free?A summary of free enabling technologies to support

learning differences.

Margaret McKay – Advisor: Inclusion

04/12/23 1

Outline for Today

• Free enabling technologies that can be downloaded and run from a pen drive or accessed via the college network.

• Web based and other downloadable enabling technologies.

How Mature are You?http://bit.ly/jG4eKR

Alternative Interfaces

Recording Tools

Planning Tools

Communication Tools

Visualisation Tools

Writing Tools

TexthelpClaro readKursweil 3000PenfriendCoWriterAudio NotetakersDragon Naturally SpeakingZoomTextInspirationMindmanager

Reading/Writing Tools

Commercially available assistive technologies can offer support to all

(but are often only available to those with disabilities)

Traditional models of supporting students with barriers to learning

No, it’s not insured not for you to use

in the public library

No, it’s not insured not for you to use

in the public library

If you do not disclose that you have dyslexia

we cannot give you enabling technology – you are not eligible!

If you do not disclose that you have dyslexia

we cannot give you enabling technology – you are not eligible!

If you don’t have a disability you are not eligible to access any assistive technology, regardless if it would

make a difference or not.

If you don’t have a disability you are not eligible to access any assistive technology, regardless if it would

make a difference or not.

Assistive… Maybe Better Described as Enabling Technology Timeline

Creating an Accessible College

Inclusion for Everyone..because things are not always as they seem..because things are not always as they seem

Assistive technology solutionsAssistive technology solutionscan make a significant difference to a can make a significant difference to a

much wider range of people.much wider range of people.

Especially free technologiesEspecially free technologies that can help a widethat can help a wide

range of technology users.range of technology users.

A typical class of students on a mainstream course highlighted the

following barriers to learning• Blurred/fuzzy print.• Headaches/discomfort if text too close together.• Strong/bold print leaves a shadow.• Lose place on line - Small print.• If questions long/complicated – structure answer.• Vocabulary difficult/unfamiliar.• Not always know what is important/essential.• Forget if sentences long.• Missed/lost handouts.• Time to read/take notes in class.

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Free and Portable Enabling Technologiesat www.eduapps.org

EduApps consists of four different collections of incredibly useful software: • 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. All learners

or students can benefit from LearnApps.• MyStudyBar provides a suite of apps to support disabled users, literacy and

support for those with English as a Second Language.• MyVisBar is a floating toolbar which delivers a range of open source and

freeware applications to support learners with visual difficulties.

Currently containing 90 open source and freeware software applications which can be entirely used from a USB stick on a Windows computer.

Created by JISC RSC Scotland N&E

A new way of doing things • Do less work but create more accessible resources.

• Create alternative formats without being an accessibility

specialist.

• Make audio/ podcasts for a learner (without speaking or installing

software).

• Make mobile learning (without buying software).

• Give poor readers reading help (without being there).

• Give poor spellers prompts (without being there).

• Define vocabulary (without being there).

MyStudyBar

• MyStudyBar puts a whole range of individual and essential tools at your fingertips. Together, these have been designed to support the study skills and other support needs.

• MyStudyBar has 6 sections; each has a drop down menu offering personal choice, flexibility and independent learning, particularly for those learners who require additional strategies to support their learning. With over 15 apps to choose from,

• MyStudyBar is a useful free study aid for a wide range of people.

• Planning - Xmind mind map, sunbird portable calendar and HottNotes

• Reading - T-Bar, RapidSet, ssOverlay (screen tints) Vu-Bar screen ruler,

Orato text reader.

• Writing - LetMe Type - word prediction, Lingoes talking dictionary, Balabolka text to speech/mp3, stamina touch typing.

• Vision - Magnifier, Sonar cursor ring, NVDA – screen reader.

Planning & Organisational ToolsXmind

• XMind is mind mapping program, similar to Inspiration, Mind Manager and Mind Genius.

Who would benefit? XMind can help individuals who think, plan and learn visually.

Planning & Organisational Tools

Sunbird Calendar

Hott Notes 4 – Sticky Notes

• Try xmind, Sunbird and HottNotes

DyslexiaMany dyslexic people experience visual stress if reading black

text on a white background

Issues for Dyslexic People?

Simultations of Different Disabilities

Reading SupportVu Bar – read text one line at a time

Reading and Writing Support TBar SS Overlay

Orato and Rapidset

RapidSet

RapidSet gives readers the chance to change the colour of font and background on any MS Office environment

Helpful for people with poor vision, dyslexic people and those who need help reading text.

• Try VU Bar, T Bar, SS Overlay and RapidSet

Orato

Orato is a straight forward text to speech application. Simply highlight some text, press speak and Orato will read back words highlighting them as you.

Helpful for people with poor vision, dyslexic people and those who need help reading text.

Writing Support

LetMe Type – Word Prediction

Writing SupportLingoes Talking Dictionary

Current version not working on MyStudyBar but can be downloaded from http://bit.ly/8wRowT

Writing SupportRapid Type Tutor

Watch the tutorial

Balabolka is a very good free Windows text-to-speech tool.

It includes magnification (2X to 16X) and spell checking.  

It is also keyboard accessible.

This software will create audio files from text–MP3, WAV, OGG, WMA to be saved and listened to on an iPod or other mobile device.

Dspeech and Balabolka text to speech and save as MP3

Dspeech will Dspeech will hook into the speech hook into the speech

engine on any engine on any windows PC you windows PC you

use and will either use and will either read out text or read out text or convert to MP3convert to MP3

http://tinyurl.com/br8fsqq

Download Heather the Free Scottish Voice for your College

• The Scottish Government has funded CALL Scotland to provide a Scotland-wide schools licence for 'Heather' - a high quality Scottish computer voice.

• www.thescottishvoice.org.uk/Home/

• Try Orato and Balabolka

Visual Support

• Virtual Magnifier

Visual SupportSonar Mouse Ring

Listen to a lecturer talking about how he uses the sonar mouse ring

Case Studies• South Lanarkshire College offers MyStudyBar across the college -http://bit.ly/p2tBlh

• Free applications assist dyslexic media student at Stratford-upon- Avon College -

http://tinyurl.com/ycbv4hy

• Mind-mapping supports visual learners - http://tinyurl.com/39s7q2f

• Visually impaired student achieves fantastic results through the benefit of accessible

resources - http://tinyurl.com/vison

• Integrating interactivity to enrich study skills - http://tinyurl.com/24hchdo

• Coatbridge College students identify which resources meet their learning needs -

http://tinyurl.com/395xe9h

• A lecturer at Dumfries and Galloway College explains how he uses free tools to enhance

the deliver of his teaching - http://tinyurl.com/3ynk3ew

Downloadable and Web Based Enabling Technologies

Other web based text to speech converters

RoboBraillehttp://www.robobraille.org/Conversion

Watch a video about RoboBraille http://bit.ly/abkbz6 *

Learn now to convert pictures to words and text to sound using RoboBraille

http://bit.ly/p9nqZc

With RoboBraille you can save to MP3 or Digtial Talking Book/DAISY Format

Using RoboBraille to create information in alternative formats

Learn how Jennifer a blind student uses RoboBraille - www.rsc-scotland.org/?p=2707