PUBLIC MARKS from knann with tags hslc & "assistive technology"

50 open source and freeware assistive technology applications which can be entirely used from a USB stick on a Windows compute

A good overview of the use of voice recognition to support learners. Although somewhat dated, this site is helpful for background info for Special Educators considering Voice Recognition for a given student.

► We markup books quickly and cost effectively into XML from PDF, HTML, scanned images and other electronic formats ► We automatically generate a large number of different formats from this XML file: Standard print, Large print, Specialized print, Braille, DAISY, Audio books and e-Books To give people with reading disabilities access to information in books in the formats of their choice at an affordable price as soon as the book is published

Upload Adobe PDF Upload MS Word Upload HTML File Write Text Content Cut and Past Text Input Website Address Input RSS Feeds URL Step 2 - Select a Reader Listen to our Reader’s samples Choose 1 of 14 Different Readers Our Readers Speak English, Spanish, and French Each Reader has a Unique Voice and Some Have Accents Control your Reader’s Speed Play with your Reader’s Pitch It takes our readers approx 1 minute to generate a 1 hr long recording Step 3 - Sit Back and Listen Listen to your reading online Download your reading to your ipod or other mp3 player Broadcast your reading as a podcast and share it Post your reading in your Website or Blog Save yourself Time Turn the readers of your blog into listeners Allow your readers to listen while they multi-task and download your blog

Picture Planner is an icon (picture) based scheduling system that assists individuals with disabilities in planning activities by the day, week, or month. Picture Planner uses synthesized speech to provide feedback and aid in accessibility.

An amazing resource for sped teachers.

If you know of an open source or otherwise free AT application that is not listed in our library, please let me know about it via e-mail. We would like to add it to this resource.

The very nature of having texts in electronic form means that students can have access different types of “supports.” These supports might include, for example, live links to definitions, images, and additional information. Providing texts electronically also has implications for the way in which text is presented; for example, the font size can change, different background colors can be added, or texts might be restructured (e.g., parsed) to accommodate a reader's needs. All of these embedded supports can promote better understanding of what the author intended to communicate.