New guide for teachers on how to create accessible resources
Posted by Paul Nisbet on the 24th May, 2010
Accessible Text: Guidelines for Good Practice, is a new publication from CALL Scotland on 'how to' produce accessible resources. Making your learning materials accessible to pupils with disabilities or additional support needs is not only good practice but is also necessary to meet equalit...
Does your BoardMaker Plus! speech not work properly??
Posted by 14 on the 18th May, 2010
Many people have recently upgraded to v.6 Boardmaker Plus! Unlike the old Boardmaker, this version speaks and so can be used by pupils for both school work and as a personal expressive communication support (or even perhaps as a full scale AAC system). But some people have been experiencing probl...
iPad leads the way?
Posted by Paul Nisbet on the 13th May, 2010
There's a very interesting article by Bradley Hodges on the AFB AccessWorld site. Bradley describes his first 24 hours with an iPad and the article is full of really interesting insights. From the Books for All perspective, I think this comment is very illuminating: "There have been two transfor...
Gate those joysticks!
Posted by Paul Nisbet on the 12th May, 2010
We’ve been looking at methods of computer access for a young boy (age 7) with athetoid cerebral palsy, and he’s evaluated quite a few options. The most promising method was an old Interface Designs switched joystick connected via a USB Mouse Mover interface, which he controls with his ri...
Emergency Communication Boards
Posted by 14 on the 11th May, 2010
Not wanting to invoke any disasters! But during any emergency, communication is vitally important. The Institute on Disabilities, Temple University, Philadelphia, moved by the recent Haiti earthquake disaster, offers for free download a double sided sheet called Emergency Communication 4 ALL...
another iPhone app for communication
Posted by 14 on the 11th May, 2010
As expected, yet more apps are appearing for the iPhone. The latest one is called iComm, and it seems to have hit the media headlines, which is a good advert for AAC. iComm is designed by a parent as are some of the others discussed in earlier blogs and in the CALL review paper. It seems...
Tap to Talk for iPod, iPhone and iPad
Posted by 14 on the 5th May, 2010
Interestingly, the little communication program Tap to Talk that was brought out originally for Nintendo DS and DS Lite, is now available also as an App for the iPhone, iPod Touch and/or iPad. This may get round some of the sound volume issues, and also as multiple Tap to Talk albums (ie vocabula...
New Bookshare online introduction to accessible formats
Posted by Paul Nisbet on the 4th May, 2010
Bookshare has a new online learning module for people who want to learn more about accessible digital books and resources. It has a US focus, but has good examples, with video and audio clips, of why some pupils need books in accessible digital formats and why it makes a difference to their edu...
using the ipod / ipad to support reading and writing
Posted by Allan Wilson on the 20th April, 2010
We have featured a number of apps for the iPod Touch and the forthcoming iPad over the past few months, including apps for communication (see blogs on 18th January and 6th April) and for more general educational purposes (see blogs on 18th January and 24th February). These devices also have pote...
learning to read - structured phonics products [updated 9/12/10]
Posted by 4 on the 14th April, 2010
In the wake of growing evidence in favour of a 'return to phonics' for example from Tommy Mackay's Scottish Executive funded West Dunbartonshire Literacy project, a burgeoning market has emerged that offers a number of products, not just for early readers but also targeted at pupils who have diffi...
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