Where to buy? Online Libraries
Adaptive equipment for the computer
daptive
equipment allows students with mulitple disabilites to participate in
literacy activites, both reading and writing. These companies provide
a variety of adaptive aids; including hardware, software, communication
devices, and resources for educators and parents. More importantly, they
have knowledgeable staff who can give you some ideas or suggesstions on
how to best utilize their products. This is a short list to get you started.
Caveat: Buy products that are appropriate for your child's abilities,
both physical and cognitive. Assistive and adaptive technology can enhance
your child's learning, but don't start at a level where your child can
not be successful. If your student is using a switch, look for products
that are accessible by a switch. Not all the products available are appropriate
for students with visual impairments, if you are unsure, ask for a demo.
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AbleNet:This company provides multiple communication aids which can be easily incorporated into literacy activites. You can record a repetitive line of the story, you can record "Time to turn the page", or you can record sound effects that go along with the story. Anything works. This is where you can find the BIGmack switch.
Blaize: This company maufactures braille printers, and other hardware to create braille text.It also manufactures products to make technology accessible to people with visual impairments.
Braille It!: This is a free online converter that allows you to enter text online,press the "translate" button and n ASCII- braille file of your text is created. You can save the text and then send it to a Braille embosser.
Broderbund Software : This company provides literacy products for students with special needs. The Living Books are commercially available books (Arthur, Grandma and Me, StellaLuna) put on CD-Rom. They are interactive, have voice output, can be accessed by a switch or and adaptive keyboard (Intellitools.)
Creative Communicating: A great resource. Patti DeBaum is a speech and language pathologist who creates early literacy stories for students with special needs.
Don Johnston:This company provides adaptive electronic equipment to access the computer, and other electronic devices to aid communication and independence. You can also find out about a Touch Window screen which enables your child to use the computer without a mouse. Check out their UKanDu books, they are accessible by a switch and have voice output.
Duxbury Systems: This company provides software that translates written text into Braille.
Edmark: An educational software catalog. Remember to look for voice output if you are searching for appropriate software for your child with visual impairments. You can purchase software to make some of their early education products accessible using the Intellikeys alternate keyboard! (Edmark access pac)
Hatch: This is an amalgamation of educational resources and products available for students with a variety of special needs. Companies highlighted in the catalog include; Edmark, Broderbund, Intellitools, Laureate, Don Johnston, The Learning Company, Soft Touch and many more. They also offer products to enhance early childhood learning.
Laureate: This software company provides exceptional software for children with developmental disabilites, language learning difficulties, and reading difficulties.
Intellitools: This company provides both hardware to access the computer and educational software. Their program Intellipics allows students with multiple disabilites to write their own stories using a microphone. all their products, including a talking word processer, Intellitalk and Intellitalk II, work together. they also have a section where you can download other people's work, so you may not have to re-invent the wheel.
The Learning Company: They specialize in educational software and products.
V I Guide: This is an amazing site for parents and teachers of the visually impaired, and alos ofr users who are visually impaired. I will not even attempt to replicat the information. Check it out. It contains information regarding hardware and software for users who are visually impaired people, resources, educational considerations, conferences, medical information and other sites related to blindness and visual impairments.
*The above picture contains a Power PC Macintosh G3, with an Intellikeys keyboard, a Don Johnston switch interface and an AbleNet Jelly bean switch. The software is teacher generated using the program Intellipics, by Intellitools.