Internet Treasure Hunt: Assistive Technology
Use the Internet to answer each question below. In the table record the URL where you found the information and your
answer to the question.
Question
1. What are two popular
word prediction
programs, and what do
they do?
Source (URL)
http://www.spectronics.com.au
/article/universal-access-usingword-prediction
2.
How does Windows to
the Universe address
diverse student abilities?
http://www.pgcps.org/~tifa/udl
andtech_text.pdf
3.
Who is the publisher of
Read 180 software and
with what age group is it
most commonly used?
http://teacher.scholastic.com/p
roducts/read180/read-180experience/reading-programdesign.htm
4.
What are three keyboard
modifications and how
does each work to
support students with
limited mobility?
http://usability.com.au/2005/1
0/disabilities-and-technologies2005/
Answer
Co:Writer SOLO is a word prediction program
that translates the thoughts of students into
text, called the Linguistic Word Prediction
Intelligence. Also, Co:Writer SOLO translates
into grammatically correct sentences.
WordQ 2.4 is another popular word prediction
program that is easy to use and provides
feedback. The text to speech program also
makes in text predictions.
Windows to the Universe addresses many
different types of learners because the students’
are able to select their own level of difficulty.
The students may also select their own pace to
read the information and select their answers.
Also, the information is presented in multiple
forms, therefore, it meets the needs of every
type of learner.
Read 180 is published by Scholastic Inc. Read
180 is comprised of 3 stages varying form grades
4-12 and up.
There are keyboards for people with limb
injuries who cannot type on regular QWERTY
board. The keyboard is changed to the order of
the ABC’s. There are Keyboards for people with
vision or cognitive disabilities by using color
coded and/or enlarged keys. Lastly, onscreen
keyboards allow the student with limited
mobility to use a pointing device to type.
5.
What software program
includes Auto Summarize
as a tool?
6. What is the name of the
iTunes app for text-tospeech?
http://textcompactor.com/
Textcompactor is a free online auto
summarization tool.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/ap
p/speak-it!-text-tospeech/id308629295?mt=8
Speak it!
7. What accessibility options
can be found as part of
the typical computer
operating system?
http://www.washington.edu/ac
cessit/print.html?ID=1012
8. What is a switch and in
what way can it help
students with special
needs?
http://www.ablenetinc.com/As
sistive-Technology/Switches
9. Where can an Ivy Tech
student find out about
accessibility options at Ivy
Tech?
10. What adaptive
technology is available for
blind or visually impaired
students?
http://www.ivytech.edu/dss/
In a typical windows system there are many
accessibility options for different disabilities.
There are many options to change readability
and display, sound and speech, and various
mouse and keyboard options. With windows,
one can completely customize their computer to
fit their needs. Windows also has multiple
utilities to assist people. For instance, windows
has a magnifier, speech recognition, narrator,
and an on-screen keyboard.
A switch looks like a button, but this button is
able to control their computers or other devices
in their environment. For someone with very
limited mobility, they can use a switch to turn on
their devices. For example, someone with
special needs is able to move their head and
push the switch. By using their head, they are
able to access devices or perform everyday
tasks.
The Office of Disability Support Services can
provide the needs for students with disabilities.
On the Bloomington Campus, one can contact
Amanda Fronek or Charlie Stone for assistance.
There are many different kinds of assistive
technologies for the blind and visually impaired.
For the visually impaired, they can use
magnifiers, special lamps, larger keys and print,
and high contrast pens. The blind can use
speech to text programs, audio programs, and
various braille adaptions including SIXIN, which
is a braille keyboard.
http://wvde.state.wv.us/osp/A
T_for_VI.pdf