Tools and strategies that maximize independence, communication and learning for people with disabilities
ATMac is a blog that offers news, reviews and opinions on assistive technology for Mac OS X, by Ricky Buchanan who is himself an avid Mac and AT user. Organized by type of user, for example "text-to-speech users," or "deaf users," or "primary switch users," and by audience ("content producers," "developers," "edcuators," "users"), you can quickly find relevant entries.Bottom line - direct, honest info and reviews about state-of-the-art...
Juicy Studio offers this article on Developing sites for users with Cognitive disabilities and learning difficulties:When people think about accessibility of web content, there's a tendency to concentrate on people with visual impairments. People with cognitive impairments and learning difficulties are often overlooked.This article by Roger Hudson, Russ Weakley, and Peter Firminger, examines the types of problems visitors may encounter when using the web, with insightful and practical...
Chauncey Rucker's ConnSense Bulletin has long been a favorite of mine for news, reviews and updates related to assistive technology. It's quality stuff, and he taps into key issues. In addition to online articles and an e-mail bulletin, ConnSense also has begun providing podcasts. Maybe I'm a luddite, but I've never quite figured out how or when to listen to podcasts. Still, I began browsing the ConnSense podcasts...
Now this is amazing to me: dotSUB uses a Creative Commons license and a wiki format to provide video captioning in multiple languages. Anyone can view the videos in any of the available languages. To upload, caption or translate a video, you need a registered account. The opportunities here are endless, for people learning languages, sharing cross culturally, those struggling with literacy or those who can't hear. Explore...
ATSTART is an online curriculum for educators to learn more about Assistive Technology: Strategies, Tools, Accommodations and Resources, made with the help of many of the good people I know through QIAT.ATSTAR is an online curriculum designed to improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities by helping teachers learn to use assistive technology in the classroom. Our core program is a series of online teacher training modules with...
I have been a list serve fan for several years now, thanks to Joy Zabala and her good work at QIAT. I feel like I've got a whole world of experts at the click of an email send button. But often all that good insight and discussion gets lost in the archives, and I've longed for a 'better way.' I keep thinking a wiki or two might do...
Karen Janowski does it again... an extensive blog post on free technology tools for universal design in the classroom. Karen is one of the most down-to-earth and get-it-done people I know and she has a great way of communicating. Bookmark her post and keep coming back for updates. Now, what I'd really like to see is a wiki on the same topic, so we could all add in...
This is what I've been looking for (and still am, since it's PC only, and I'm a Mac, as they say...). The Oregon Digital Library Consortium Library2Go lets you check out audio library materials by digital download, from home (or anywhere), just as you would check out a book from the library - for FREE, with the same usage rights you'd have with any checked out material. Very...
Just in from the MadATer... Make your own comic at makebeliefcomix.com. What a great way for kids (or adults) to dip into creating comic strips - for fun, for social stories, and more. I especially like the tips that pop up on the bottom.
