Issue 3 Spring Edition 2008 e-quality Promoting accessible and inclusive e-learning finding a new voice through new technology INSIDE Disability Equality Duty - a Jewel and Esk perspective What’s happening at BRITE? New technology gives voice to learner Use your eyes: eye-tracking technology Portable applications to support learning ICT and inclusion days Best of the web Hints and tips for Word: AutoCorrect and AutoText If you require this newsletter in an alternative format, e.g., electronic, DAISY, large print or MP3, please get in touch with your RSC - see back page for contact details. Disability Equality Scheme – An added cost and a wasted opportunity? By Howard McKenzie Principal of Jewel and Esk College. The statutory duty to produce a Disability Equality Scheme (DES) requires a mighty, highly elaborate, laborious and bureaucratic edifice to be erected in each public entity. Belief systemsms To make equality and diversity work (not just for those with disabilities), the organisation must believe that a mixture of genders, races,disabilities, skills, beliefs and ages is essential to achieve its corporate aims. A belief system must be led; it needs a champion, that is why, as Principal of Jewel & Esk College, I lead our equality and diversity efforts, line managing our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager and the College Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Group. Jewel and Esk serves an area covering Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian, 81% of the population is economically active (UK=73%) and unemployment peaks at 2.5% (UK= 4.5%). That powerful, growing economy demands a diverse group of employees and an essential thing for all our students (with or without a disability) is to have the employability vocational skills to access the labour market. Impact assessments Our impact assessment says we ensure that our courses, facilities and processes those with disability because we asked them. As part of the DES process and the impact assessment, we established groups of course representatives, focus groups and conducted interviews and questionnaires with all those students who declared a disability (we did the same with the staff). The feedback informed action which was clear and reported back to the students and staff via our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), Discover. Benefits The majority of the issues raised seemed trivial, but were vital to those students and staff. The refectory doors opened the wrong way and the spring was too tough. The College is 40 years old and we didn’t know. Procuring adjustable height computer screens, (which turned out to be cheaper!) solved a series of issues for those who were partially sighted and those who had mobility difficulties. We have been able to work with the students and staff to address issues around our elderly lift. The single biggest benefit of our involvement of students was the contribution to the design of our £54m new college, their input with engineers and builders has been awesome. Added value? We haven’t wasted the opportunity and as we progress into year two we are confident there is more to learn. It is a huge cost in money, staffing, time and effort. Time will tell if it can add value. What’s happening at BRITE? By Kelly Mote, BRITE Assistive Technology Development Officer. BRITE (Beattie Resources for Inclusiveness in Technology and Education) works with Scotland’s colleges, assisting them to build their capacity to be inclusive learning providers. Based in Edinburgh, we currently provide resources and training to all Scotland’s FE colleges and have recently expanded our work into Northern Ireland, where delegates from both further and higher education institutions participate in our training programme. Training As one of BRITE’s two Assistive Technology Development Officers, I deliver training on assistive technology components of the BRITE Professional Development Award (PDA), Inclusiveness: Facilitating Strategies to Support Learners with Additional Needs. My colleague, Monty Lilburn, and I also regularly run half-day seminars, looking at ways technology be used to make college a more successful experience for students. Loan bank BRITE also operates an Equipment Loan Bank, through which subscriber colleges can access a wide range of assistive technology. The purpose the Loan Bank is to enable students and staff to evaluate equipment in the context in which it will be used, to ensure that the right choice is made before purchasing. We have built up our Loan Bank in response to requests and have found this the best way to avoid having any expensive equipment sitting unused on a shelf! Equipment is supported by easy-to-follow user guides and additional training and advice where required. If you’re not sure whether your college is a member of the BRITE Equipment Loan Bank, first have a look at the BRITE Participant List in the People section of our website at: www.brite.ac.uk BRITE Links Once you have identified the BRITE Link(s) for your college, get in touch with them and they will tell you whether your college is currently a member and how they are your key to accessing us! Your college BRITE Link(s) can also provide answers to any questions you may have about how best to support your learners. On the BRITE website you can find out more about inclusiveness in FE, assistive technology and staff development opportunities. We’re currently working on a new design and lots of new content, do stop by and have a look! Teamwork, innovation and a communication device help to give Alastair a voice Communicating with friends, family and colleagues is a normal and essential part of daily life. However, some people find it difficult to communicate by speech or writing. Despite being extremely bright, Alastair Kerr, a student at Angus College, has experienced the frustrations of communication difficulties for most of his life. Now, with the help of Hugh Henderson, his course tutor and a member of the student development team at the college, Alastair has a new communication device enabling him to communicate with staff and students. Finding a solution The process of finding a solution started when Hugh attended an RSC Scotland North & East workshop on The Grid 2, a pictorial-based software communication program which also provides synthetic speech. Thinking through the potential offered by The Grid 2, Hugh quickly realised the possibilities that combining the software with a mobile PDA device would offer Alastair. Working with a speech and language therapist and with the support of fellow colleagues, a system was developed which was ready for Alistair to put to the test. After the first, faltering trials it was clear that a new channel of communication had been opened up and that Alastair’s confidence could be given an immediate lift. Using symbol software with his PDA, Alastair can now participate in class discussion. Symbols allow Alastair to access words and phrases he commonly uses. He can share his thoughts and ideas with words, phrases and sentences which he pre-programs into the PDA. He is also improving his literacy skills using The Grid on a laptop, aided by prediction-based lexicons which Hugh has helped to create. Photography project And the transformation didn’t end there. Alastair is a keen photographer and enjoys graphic design. Hugh is currently working with him on a mini photography project exploring his hometown of Arbroath. Mind maps, generated by a free piece of software called FreeMind,(http://tinyurl.com/yq8mbb) are used to structure the project and as it has progressed Alastair has taken shots of Abroath Abbey and other historical sites. He’s particularly proud of one image which he animated with great results. As Hugh commented, ‘the main aim of the project is to provide Alastair with the skills to independently write a report and in time, complete a course assessment.’ Alastair says he’s very excited about his new communication device and finding a new means of expression that allows him to be fully included in the class. Spelling support in Word with AutoCorrect AutoCorrect can help to support learners with spelling difficulties by automatically correcting errors as they type. Microsoft Word comes with a number of default AutoCorrect words built-in. For example, if you type ‘teh’ Word will automatically changes the word to ‘the’. You can easily adjust or add words to Autocorrect, but it is always a good idea to sit with a student who has spelling difficulties and identify a list of words he/she has difficulties with. For example, if a student is studying Biology and they repeatedly type ‘fotosythisis’ instead of ‘photosynthesis’ Word will automatically correct the misspelling once the word or word list has been added to AutoCorrect. To add words, go to the Tools menu and select Autocorrect Options then select the AutoCorrect tab. In the Replace box type the misspelling, then in the With box, type the correction. Select the Okay button. Now try experimenting with AutoCorrect. Other features in AutoCorrect include ‘Capitalize the First Letter of Sentences’ and ‘Capitalize Names of Days’. Place a check in the boxes for those you wish Word to correct as you type or uncheck those you have no use for. Increase typing speed with AutoText AutoText can help to cut down keystrokes while increasing typing speed. It is a useful way of supporting learners with mobility difficulties. Highlight some text in Word then go to the Tools menu and select AutoCorrect Options, then the AutoText tab. In the box type in the shortened version of the word or phrase you would like Word to expand. The expanded text (the highlighted text) appears in the prevew box. Select the Okay button and try it out! If you have a hint or tip you would like to share then please email: cmill@rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk Open source and portable access Kenji Lamb, e-Learning advisor for e-Assessment (RSC Scotland North & East) discusses portable applications and accessible open source software. With the prices of portable USB flash drives dropping and memory sizes increasing (around £10 for 4GB at the time of writing), it’s quite possible that you’re already in the habit of carrying a copy of your important files on a ‘stick’ to your classes. However, turning up to a lecture with a presentation safely tucked away in your pocket doesn’t always guarantee that things will go smoothly. I still blanch when I think of the time I tried to open my PowerPoint 2007 presentation on a PC running the previous version of MS Office. What felt like hours passed as I attempted to download and install a viewer application, only to discover that I didn’t have the appropriate rights to install the software (not my proudest moment I have to admit). Although it was an annoying inconvenience for me, it can be more serious for those who need to use particular applications to make content on a PC accessible. And even where assistive technology is available, many users prefer to stay with the applications they’re accustomed to using. Fortunately, help is now at hand with the ability to install portable applications on your flash drive. These programs will run from their own folders, without having to install them onto the computer. Simply plug your flash drive into an available USB socket and you’ll have access to your own library of software! The RSC has collected together a range of free and open source applications (including a selection of accessibility tools) which you might find useful. For example:WebbIE: an accessible browser for the visually impaired; Power Reader: a dyslexic text reader/learning tool; RapidSet: a user-friendly background and font colour manager. The suite also includes a complete Office solution, organiser, dictionary & thesaurus, mind-mapping tool, audio editor, as well as much more! Everything is wrapped up in a simple menu system which sits neatly on your taskbar. To download the latest package and find out more about the included applications, please visit: www.rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk Use your eyes! By Adam Waits, Smartbox Assistive Technology Advisor. In the last few years a small family-run British company, Smartbox AT based in Malvern, Worcestershire has been working with Tobii technology AB in providing a new kind of assistive technology for individuals with the most severe physical difficulties. Eye-controlled communication The MyTobii P10 is a portable eye-controlled communication device. The device can be mounted anywhere suitable for the user, e.g. on a desk, wheelchair, or bed. Many disabled users benefit from this technology, including those with cerebral palsy, high-level spinal injuries, switch users and others with severely limited physical movement. The technology works through the use of infra red lights and a camera hidden away at the top and bottom of the screen. These track what your eyes are looking at on the screen. This device is relatively easy to set up with a short calibration period, meaning that the user can be up and running within minutes. The Grid 2 In combination with the MyTobii, users are generally making full use of The Grid 2 to allow them to write and receive e-mail, text messages and browse the web through a series of on-screen keyboards. These can provide symbol support for those who need it, through to full computer access. Experience has shown that individuals find the technology more user friendly than alternatives such as switches, with eye tracking being faster and less tiring. In some cases users have been able to communicate and access a computer for the first time. Case study Chris is 22 years old and a MyTobii P10 user. He has cerebral palsy which has a huge impact on his motor control and ability to communicate with speech. Chris is unable to use standard keyboards and mice, but has always been keen to use a computer. He soldiered on with two switches positioned beneath his chin, controlling a variety of computer devices throughout school and college with varying degrees of success. Last year Chris successfully trialled a MyTobii and now has one of his own. It is mounted to his wheelchair, so he can use it wherever he goes. The eye tracking has transformed Chris’ access to the computer. Using a combination of The Grid 2 and the MyTobii, he is confidently communicating, e-mailing and text messaging from his computer. He even can be found showing off his skills on YouTube! (http://tinyurl.com/6rbrts) Chris takes the device to college which he attends part time. The device is having a massive impact on his ability to independently communicate, learn and enjoy computer access, something that most of us take for granted. Visit smartbox at: www.smartbox.com The best of the web A guide to some of the best assistive technology resources on the web! Hyperigo Hyperigo is a web based resource which allows you to view a range of accessible and inclusion related websites by selecting a thumbnail. The site has been categorised into RSC related resources, Open Source and free software, useful links and assistive technology suppliers. To visit the site go to: http://www.hyperigo.com/rscaccess/ Alternative formats In collaboration with the Publishers Association, Techdis have produced a guide to obtaining publications in alternative formats. The guide is for anyone who needs to source text books in large text, digital talking books or other formats. The web address is:http://tinyurl.com/59naa7 Dyslexia resource A new resource for dyslexic students has been developed by the University of Sheffield. Designed by a former dyslexia tutor the website offers a range of writing, reading and referencing tutorials specifically aimed at dyslexia related difficulties. As well as being easy to navigate the tutorials are supported with clear, quality audio speech. This free resource is aimed at both FE and HE students. To find out more go to:http://tinyurl.com/63evdt Free ClaroRead USB stick for assessors The RSC North and East Scotland in partnership with ClaroRead are pleased to announce a special offer for assessors and learning support staff. If you are an assessor or support learners with literacy or visual difficulties the RSC can provide you with a Claro Assessor USB stick for free! The Assessor USB stick contains ClaroRead Standard, ClaroView, ScreenRuler and Lightning Magnifier and includes a RealSpeak voice. The main benefit of ClaroRead’s USB stick is that it runs without the need to install any files. Everything is contained within the USB stick which will run on any PC computer. To find out more, please contact Craig at the RSC, North and East Scotland either by phone: 0131 559 4112 or by email: cmill@rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk Coatbridge College offers inclusive website for all learners, The accessiblity and usability features of the Coatbridge College website. By Craig Mill There was a time in the not too distant past when the ‘Bobby’ logo signified that a college website was accessible. Bobby approval Bobby was designed to aid webmasters in creating standard compliant websites while increasing their accessibility. Bobby tested web pages using the guidelines established by the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Access Initiative (WAI). The lengthy online report generated by Bobby often resulted in a maze of indiscernible HTML jargon that left many webmasters in a state of puzzlement. Bobby has since been replaced with a range of web-based HTML checklists. While the W3C still provides universally recognised guidelines, recently developed web accessibility checkers provide a more ‘accessible’ way of checking websites. One in particular is IBM’s aDesigner2, a freely available HTML checker which provides easy to understand graphs and pie charts in plain simple English. Usability However, something that is often overlooked in developing websites is the usability. How, for example, does a leaner with a screen reader, or someone with a complex motor difficulty access your college website? Access for all Errol Luders, the web developer at Coatbride College, was keen to ensure that as wide a group of learners as possible would be able to access the information on the college’s website. Errol invited myself and Margaret Mckay, the RSC eLearning Advisors for Accessibility and Inclusion, to test the site with a range of assistive technologies. I set to work testing the site with voice recognition, a screen reader, switch access (using EZ keys), Intellikeys (adapted keyboard) with a trackball as well as a head camera pointing device. I then tested a variety of stylesheets enabling a learner with visual difficulties to customise a web browser to meet their individual preferences. Errol’s hard work was not in vain as the college’s web site passed with flying colours on all of the usability tests. Careful planning by Errol as well as easy-to-use navigation and use of plain English have all contributed to a successful and accessible and inclusive college website. The usability test is currently available on DVD and will shortly be on the Access and Inclusion blog. If you would like a consultation on the usability of your website or a copy of the DVD, please contact:cmill@rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk Penfriend - more than just word prediction! Custom lexicons, screen reading in European languages - Penfriend can support a range of learning needs.Penfriend is an easy-to-use Word prediction program that offers a number of features to learners with additional support needs. One of the benefits of Penfriend XL is the ability to create and customise subject-specific lexicons. For example, a student studying psychology who struggles with certain words can create a psychology-specific lexicon. Penfriend will list the words in context and read each word when the mouse pointer is placed or hovered over the prediction word list. It is possible to directly copy and paste word lists which can then be saved as a new lexicon. Newly created lexicons can be simply ‘drag-and-dropped’ into the prediction window. The settings will automatically change, providing a flexible learning solution for learners with literacy difficulties. Support for visual difficulties Penfriend can also be set up to support learners with a visual impairment. By using high contrast colours, large fonts and the built-in screen reader, Penfriend will echo single words, sentences and paragraphs. As well as reading information on the desktop, Penfriend works with all Office applications and browsers. Gaelic and European languages Another useful feature is Penfriend’s ability to predict and read text in many European languages and voices. It does this using a dictionary of known words, along with detailed knowledge of when they are likely to be used. Every time a letter is typed, Penfriend comes up with a new list of the most likely words within the given context. It can also read back paragraphs of text from other applications using the clipboard. The RSC Scotland North & East is a registered Penfriend Training Centre. For more details please contact: cmill@rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk ICT and Inclusion days. The ICT and Inclusion days demonstrate new innovative software and hardware. By Craig Mill. The CALL (Communication Aids for Language and Learning) Centre’s series of free one-day exhibitions and demonstrations of hardware and software for learners with additional support needs were recently held in venues throughout Scotland. The focus of the ICT and Inclusion events was primarily on the use of technology in education, which included a comprehensive display of assistive technologies from a range ofsuppliers. In addition to the exhibition, there was a series of short seminars presented by local teaching staff, therapists and other invited speakers (including yours truly) on the everyday use of the technology. New assistive technologies A new product that particularly impressed me was WriteOnline, Cricksoft’s new software tool for learners with literacy difficulties. WriteOnline is an online word processor with a range of built-in support tools such as word prediction, word banks, writing frames and text-to-speech. Both the word bank and word prediction lexicons can be set-up to reflect the specific subjects that students study. Cricksoft claims that students will be able to use WriteOnline anywhere: at college, at home, in the library and even on the bus – but that it works best with an Internet connection, though it can also be used offline. You can find out more about WriteOnline by visiting the Cricksoft website: www.cricksoft.com/uk/writeonline/ Tactile learning Two other new products which caught my attention were the SpotDot Embosser and IVEO Touchpad. The SpotDot Embosser, offers the ability to print combinations of text, images, and Braille (with the option of colour) directly from MS Word or Excel. It can also print raised visual images producing tactile graphics on paper. Coupled with the tactile diagrams, this provides blind students with a multisensory approach to learning. The IVEO touchpad works alongside printed copies from the SpotDot embosser by allowing additional information to be tagged to graphics. For example, if a blind student wanted to explore the complexities of the human eye, the touchpad could read information that had been tagged when the student touches selected parts of the raised image. There is no limit to the amount of kind of information which can be included, for example audio, if this enhanced the learning experience. Scanned images, PDFs, and PowerPoint slides can also be imported into the program and made accessible. If you would like more information on either the SpotDot Embosser or the IVEO Touchpad, please visit the ForceTenco website: www.forcetenco.co.uk. Alternatively if you would like to find when the next ICT and Inclusion Days take place, go to the CALL website for more details: http://callcentre.education.ed.ac.uk/ RSC accessibility and inclusion courses RSC Scotland North & East can provide or broker a wide range of accessibility and assistive technology related courses. Most of the courses below are delivered in half-day (3-hour) sessions. If required, workshops can be extended to allow more time for hands-on experience. Courses may be delivered at the RSC in Edinburgh or we could discuss delivery at your own institution. For example, one option may include a workshop using our laptops. It is also possible to mix elements of courses so that the focus of the training meets your requirements. The JISC RSC offers fully equipped training facilities Creating accessible Word documents and alternative formats Using ICT to support students with literacy and dyslexia-related difficulties RSCtv: short 20-minute online tutorials Supporting students with learning disabilities - Clicker 5, Clicker Paint and ClozePro An introduction to The Grid 2 Introduction to voice recognition - Dragon NaturallySpeaking Getting to grips with screen reading software (JAWS) Writing with symbols: Communicate InPrint 2 Low cost, no cost assistive technologies - open sources and free software Web 2 and online tools to assist students with additional support needs Engaging learners with challenging behaviour (creating digital CVs) Supplier days To discuss any of our courses please contact the JISC Regional Support Centre Scotland North & East: Tel: 0131 559 4112 Email: support@rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk Internet: www.rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk