Creating an Accessible Learning Environment: From Mobile Tools to the Cloud
Dan Herlihy
Creating your Environment:
Reading Selected Text System Settings:
iPad - system settings, General, Accessibility - Turn on Speak Selection, Turn
on Speak Auto Text
Android - Installing an app such as Auto Speak Clipboard 2 or Talking Clipboard
(both free) adds the functionality on an Android to select text and have it be read
aloud. Select text, copy or copy to Clipboard for TTS
Chromebook - Install an extension such as SpeakIt! - selecting text, hold down
Alt key and click on selected text (emulates a right-click). Choose SpeakIt! (or
similar extension) from the list of installed extensions for text to be read aloud.
Configure the extension (Settings, Extensions) for voice, speed, etc.
Mac or PC - many floating toolbars - such a Natural Reader (free version)
allowing you to select text, click read from toolbar. Both the Mac and PC have
TTS of selected text built into the OS (in the System Settings) - it is called
Narrator in Windows 7.
Switch access - this is short list of switches that will work with:
iPad - Switch2Scan, APPlicator, RJ Cooper Super Switch, RJ Cooper Bluetooth
Switch Array, Blue2, J-Pad, Tecla DOS, Pererro (direct connect)
ZyBox for IOS (direct connect)
Android - Tecla Access DOS, Receive Micro from Inclusivetlc, Simply Works
joystick by Pretorian or Simply Works Bluetooth switches, Blue2 - Bluetooth
access to keyboard commands, Tracker Pro - head mouse, use with a switch for
access to all files/folders/apps available through Ablenet
Chromebook - DJ Switch Interface Pro – access to PowerPoints, turn pages in
eBooks, play/pause music library, take picture with camera and more, Tracker Pro
(using any switch plugged into it) access to entire Chromebook including onscreen keyboard, Head Mouse Extreme (using any switch plugged into it) access
to entire Chromebook including on-screen keyboard, Switch2Scan, Blue2
Computer: Crick Switch Array, Don Johnston Switch Interface Pro, IntelliSwitch
(customizable to provide access in other programs as well) for switch accessible
apps, Tracker Pro (Head Mouse) for access to entire computer
Switch Access Settings in App/System on iPads
Even though an App has switch access built in, often it needs to be turned on, or enabled
first. On the iPad this is done in one of two places. Either open the app, and in the settings
of the app you should find options for switch settings. If you do not find it there, the other
place is to open Settings (for the iPad) and scroll down the listing on the left side of the
screen past the WiFi, General, Privacy settings until you get to the listing of apps. Select
an app that has switch access built in. In the screen to the right you should now see a list
of switch settings that can be adjusted, switch access enabled, etc.
Dan Herlihy
[email protected] www.connectivetechnologysolutions.com
1
Shown here is a screen shot from GoTalk
Now showing the various settings for
switch access. Notice that currently no
switch has been selected under Scanning
Device Type and Auto Scan is turned off.
There are other settings if I had scrolled
further down this screen. Some apps with
have more/less settings.
What is it you need to consistently provide
switch access to- eBooks, writing, music creating or playing, literacy activities or?
Creating a matrix of basic directions on how to provide accessibility on each platform
will make it easy to move from one device to another, or have solutions at the ready if a
student walks in with their own device.
Browser Add-ons
- Computers (Mac or PC)
- Readability (for any web browser) www.Readability.com - extracts text from
webpage leaving behind advertisements, etc. and opens in a new window, ability
to download as ePub and import into eBook readers.
- For Firefox browser
- Text to Voice - creates MP3 voice file and plays back for selected text
- Evernote Web Clipper - screen capture of web page to Evernote account
- Click Speak - read aloud selected text
- MouseZoom - uses scroll wheel to magnify screen
- For Chrome browser (Chromebooks also)- all are found on Chrome store
- Evernote Web Clipper - screen capture of web page to Evernote account
- Read&Write for Google - adds a floating reading toolbar to read text on
web pages Read&Write for Google Docs - Adds accessibility features to Google
Docs (Google Drive) such as Text To Speech with Dual Synchronized
Highlighting and Study Skills tools. Other tools incl. Word prediction,
extract text, more.
- Speakit! - select text, choose Speakit icon installed on toolbar for text to speech
- Select and Speak - select text, choose Select and Speak icon installed on toolbar
for text to speech
- Voice Note - when activated allows for voice recognition to be used on web
pages - use in e-mail, SkyDrive, Google Docs, Google Drive for example
- Snap&Read by Don Johnston www.donjohnston.com - adds select tool in
toolbar to select text anywhere (incl. Flash, txt, text in image files), reads aloud
- iPad - Readability "bookmarklet" - directions for installing on www.readability.com
open article on website, choose Bookmarklet from Bookmarks toolbar, removes
extraneous images, advertising, etc from page.
Dan Herlihy
[email protected] www.connectivetechnologysolutions.com
2
eBook Creators
- iPad - Book Creator for iPad, Creative Book Builder, Book Writer
- Android - Book Creator, Creative Book Builder
- Chromebook - Cast Bookbuilder, UDL Studio - www.cast.org
- Mac - iBook Author (to create for iPad) Save Word or PowerPoint stories as
PowerPoint or PDF files, Cast Bookbuilder, UDL Studio - www.cast.org
- PC - Save Word or PowerPoint stories as PowerPoint or PDF files, Cast Bookbuilder,
UDL Studio - www.cast.org
eBook Readers - these readers will playback recorded sound, video, maintain page
settings, text can be selected to be read aloud - see reading selected text above
- iPad - iBooks, Gitden Reader, Voice Dream (9.99)
- Android - Gitden Reader
- Chromebooks - in Chrome Browser using Readium
- Mac & PC - in Chrome Browser using Readium
Push Technologies - send files, story, assignments and activities to devices
- Vizzle - www.govizzle.com
- Leapdoc - http://www.leapdoc.com/
- Wunderlist - iPad, Android app - www.wunderlist.com
- Educreations (app for iPad on iTunes app store)
- TalkRocket Go - http://myvoiceaac.com/app/talkrocketgo/
Common apps that can be used on all platforms and devices (free - can create shared
files)
- OneDrive - Microsoft Office documents- Word, PPT, Excel - www.onedrive.com
- Google Drive - www.drive.google.com - word processing, presentations, spreadsheets
- Evernote - www.evernote.com - note taking
- Dropbox - www.dropbox.com - online file storage
- Adobe Reader - open PDF files
- Socrative - www.socrative.com - free quiz program works on all platforms
- Nearpod - www.nearpod.com - free quiz program works on all platforms
- MoveNote - http://www.movenote.com/ - free slide casting tool, add video/audio to
posted PDF, PPT, JPEG images, PNG image, can add video to Gmail, reply to, send URL
for presentation to others, download as a video (works best in Chrome to download)
File Transfer - common to all
- iUSBPort - creates a WiFi network allowing users to access all files on a
Flash Drive when plugged into the device - www.hypershop.com
- Dropbox - www.dropbox.com
- Send Anywhere - https://send-anywhere.com/
- iPad - Photofast i-FlashDrive
- Flash Drives - Mac, PC, Chromebooks, Android - with USB
adapter cable - use with Nexus Media Importer (3.99) - import photo, video, files from
Flash Drive, SD card
Dan Herlihy
[email protected] www.connectivetechnologysolutions.com
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- Photo Transfer App - there is a version for Mac & PC platforms, also on iTunes App
store, Android app stores - http://www.phototransferapp.com/win/
File Transfer - specific to platform
- iPad - iFiles - transfer any file to iPad from computer
- Android - WiFi File Transfer - access/open any file on Android, WiFi Droid - file
transfer, Air Data Cable-File Transfer
Switch Access
Depending on specific needs, each platform (iPad, Android, Computer, Chromebook)
there are solutions for switch access. Some switch arrays can be used on multiple
platforms. For example, the Don Johnston Switch Interface Pro can be used on a Mac,
PC, Chromebook and Android device.
Here are examples of using a switch to turn the pages in an eBook:
- Computer, Chromebook & Android - On a computer and Chromebook using the
Chrome browser and the eBook reader Readium (free) the Right and Left Arrow keys on
a computer keyboard turn forward and back through the pages. The Don Johnston Switch
Interface Pro can be set for those commands and can be used on an Android using the
eBook Reader Gitden Reader. The Blue2 (a Bluetooth Switch from Ablenet) can also be
programmed to do this on all three devices.
- iPad - turning pages in eBooks is not as straight forward as it is on the other platforms.
Both iBooks and Gitden Reader have a similar structure for turning pages. Since Switch
Control only has a few specific choices for switch settings for you to choose from, you
won't find a specific setting for turning the pages in a book.
Turning pages in iBooks using a switch
Whether you are using
Auto or Step Scanning,
you will still need to
move to the pages field at
the bottom of the screen.
Once you click on it
(Select) choosing the
Decrement button from
the pop-up menu will turn
to the next page. The
menu will remain open to
select it again to go to the
next page.
One issue with this is that the exit this menu is blocking viewing of text on the page.
Choosing the Escape option will close the menu. It takes the user scanning through four
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items to choose this, and then having to repeat the process to go to the next page. Using
Auto Scan you would need to wait as it scans through all the options and escapes out.
The J-Pad by Pretorian has an option using VoiceOver allowing you to select the pages
field, then using 2 switches, switch one will turn to the previous page, switch 2 turns to
the next page. The pop-up menu is never used.
Broadcasting
All of the devices can be plugged directly into a projector to display on screen. The iPad,
Android and Chromebook need to use an adapter cable to connect to the projectors VGA
plug.
The iPad uses a VGA Adapter from Apple
The Android uses a VGA adapter cable and can be purchased from
places such as Amazon.
The Chromebook has an HDMI port to connect directly to a
projector with an HDMI connector, but you can also use a VGA
adapter cable also, which can be found online from various places
including Amazon.
Airplay on the iPad
In addition, the iPad can broadcast its screen to a computer when both are on the same
WiFi network using programs, which are installed on the Mac or PC. Airserver for Mac
http://www.airserver.com/ and Reflector - Mac/PC http://www.airsquirrels.com/reflector/
- both have trial versions that can be downloaded and tried first. With either of the
programs launched on your computer, double tapping the Home button (IOS 5 or 6) or
swiping up on the iPad screen (IOS 7) will allow you to choose the Airplay button,
choose the computer from the list of devices the iPad can broadcast to, then turn
Mirroring on. Multiple iPads can broadcast to the same computer. Some school networks
block this ability due to Firewall settings, which can be changed to applications through
the firewall.
Dan Herlihy
[email protected] www.connectivetechnologysolutions.com
5
Examples of Apps common to both iPad and Android
AAC Speech Buddy
ABBYY TextGrabber + Translator
(Android, same as TextGrabber)
TextGrabber + Translator (iPad, same as
ABBYY)
Adobe Photoshop Express
Adobe Reader (open PDF Files)
Alexicom AAC (AAC app)
Animoto
ASL Dictionary (ASL Signing)
AudioNote
Aurasma
Baby Signing Lite - MSH (ASL Signing)
Blio - eBook bookshelf and reader
Book Creator for iPad, Book Creator for
Android
Chrome (browser)
ColAR Mix - Aurasma type app, creates 3d
image from coloring sheets
Common Core
Creative Book Builder (eBook creator)
DMD Panorama (create panorama images)
Dragon (Voice Recognition)
Dropbox
Google Drive
SkyDrive
EverClip -web clipper to Evernote account
Evernote (online notebook)
ezPDF reader (TTS, annotate PDF files)
Firefox (browser)
Flashcards Deluxe
Google Drive
Google Earth
GoToMeeting
iAnnotate PDF (TTS, annotate on PDF
files)
i-nigma - QR Code Reader
InstaPaper
iPrompts (AAC app)
Dan Herlihy
Join.me (broadcast computer screen)
Khan Academy
Magic Piano by Smule
Mindmeister (brainstorming)
My Writing Spot
MyScript (calculator)
NASA
Nearpod (online quiz program)
Overdrive Media Console
Periodic Table of Elements
Photo Transfer App
Photon Flash Player & Browser
Planets
Pocket
POETRY from Poetry Foundation
Puffin (web browser - plays Flash Files)
QR Code Reader
Quick Talk AAC (AAC app)
Readability
Send Anywhere
Sign 4 Me (ASL Signing)
Signing Savvy Member App
SimpleMind Free mind mapping
Simplenote
SlideShark
Socrative (online quiz program)
Songify
Sono Flex Lite (AAC app)
SparkNotes (study guides)
Spelling Test by FunExam.com
SplashTop Remote Desktop
SpringPad (online notebook)
StudyBlue (flashcards)
Symbaloo (bookmarks stored in cloud)
Talking Tom
Tap to Talk (AAC app)
Vizzle (Autism app - subscription account)
Voice4u AAC Communication
Whiteboard: Collaborative Draw
Wunderlist (online to do lists)
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