Special Access Technology

Author: Paul Nisbet and Patrick Poon
Published: 1998
File Type and Size: PDF, various

Pupils with special education needs and people with disabilities can gain much from information technology. However, many have difficulty using a standard keyboard and mouse, and have to use adapted or special input devices. Examples of such devices are: keyguards; keyboard adaptations; alternative keyboards; voice recognition; joystick and other pointing devices; ‘on-screen’ keyboards operated by switch/scanning pointing devices, or Morse code.

This downloadable book is a training and reference package. The main book (267 pages) is complemented by a Switch Scanning Interactive Tutorial software and Special Access to Computers video, both of which are available separately.

The book contains:

Review and comparison of a range of special access technologies
Assessment techniques for special access
Detailed descriptions of on-screen keyboard programs operated by switch-and-scan and pointing devices
Advice on choosing and adapting scanning and selection techniques
Resources section.

Downloadable files

All chapters in book (.zip, 2.19Mb)
Index (.pdf, 36kb)
Chapter 1 - Introduction to Special Access (.pdf, 31kb)
Chapter 2 - Assessment for Special Access (.pdf, 139kb)
Chapter 3 - Accessing the Keyboard (.pdf, 174kb)
Chapter 4 - Accessing the Mouse (.pdf, 217kb)
Chapter 5 - Using Overlay Keyboards (.pdf, 89kb)
Chapter 6 - Low Cost Voice Recognition Systems for the PC (.pdf, 129kb)
Chapter 7 - On-screen Keyboards (.pdf, 300kb)
Chapter 8 - Switch Access using Scanning and Encoding (.pdf, 232kb)
Chapter 9 - Switches (.pdf, 99kb)
Chapter 10 - Using On-screen Keyboards to Access the Curriculum (.pdf, 555kb)
Chapter 11 - Reviews of On-screen Keyboards (.pdf, 263kb)
Chapter 12 - Special Access Essentials (.pdf, 47kb)
Chapter 13 - Resources (.pdf, 98kb)