Haugen’s Tech Tips Blog

The Learning Toolbox, from James Madison University’s special education program, provides tools, strategies and resources to help students with learning difficulties become better learners.
When you arrive on the site, you can choose “I am a Student,” “I am a Teacher,” or “I am a Parent,” which takes you to an appropriate page for getting around the site. For example, the student page starts with an overview of how to use the site. Then students choose an area they need help in - organization, test taking, studying, note taking, etc. From there, students choose a statement that reflects their needs, e.g. “I have difficulty understanding the main idea when I read,” or “I read slowly.” At that point, the site suggests specific strategies to try.

The site does require some significant reading to understand the strategies, and therefore parent or teacher support may help. Also students (and often their parents and teachers as well) may need help specifying what their specific challenges are. This is a good resource to add.

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 assistive tech for the Mac.

Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic

• Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic - For 60 years, RFB&D, a national nonprofit, volunteer organization, has produced accessible educational materials for students with disabilities that make reading standard print difficult or impossible. Titles available in every subject area and grade level from kindergarten through graduate studies.
• Digital Talking Book Player Software Victor Reader Soft - While many people access RFB&D materials on special portable players, HumanWare provides software for Mac and PC which allow students to use their books on a computer as well.

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 suggestions on how to develop websites that are inclusive for people with cognitive impairments and learning difficulties.

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 on iTunes, and quickly decided I wanted to see what they were talking about. After a quick google, I had onscreen references to what the podcast was discussing, each informing the other. For some reason, this really worked for me, and takes me a step beyond listening to podcasts as I drive.