Resources from slides

1. Assistive Technology @ Work
Presenter: Carrie Anton
Assistive Technologist & Accessibility Specialist
Athabasca University
VRA Canada, June 14, 2012
Resource File
Assistive Technologies
AT is used to enhance or facilitate a skill or area that has been impacted by a
disability.
AU Types of Assistive Tech Page (updated with new info and videos on free and
purchasable technologies)
http://lss.athabascau.ca/asd/services/assist_technology_types.php
AssistiveTechAU YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/assistivetechau
Adaptech Research Network (Canadian) Database of Free & Inexpensive
technologies http://www.adaptech.org/en/news/2011-09-04-updated-database-
free-inexpensive-computer-technologies
LD Simulation http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/intro.html
Vision conditions simulation http://webaim.org/simulations/lowvision
Built in AT and Accessibility Features:
Windows 7 Ease of Access Center
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/windows7/
Apple’s Universal Access http://www.apple.com/accessibility/

2. Organizing:
Mind Mapping “the ultimate organizational thinking tool –the Swiss army knife of
the brain!” (Tony Buzan, “the ultimate book of mind maps”, pg. 6)
Collaboration via File Sharing & Synching
Dropbox https://www.dropbox.com/
iCloud http://www.icloud.com
Microsoft SkyDrive http://skydrive.live.com
Google Docs https://drive.google.com
Reading Tools
LiveScribe Smartpen http://www.livescribe.com
Reading Pen (sometimes called highlighting pen)
http://www.wizcomtech.com/frn/catalog/a/readingpents/default.asp
ClassMate Readers
Digital Recorders & Mp3 players Olympus DM-4
There’s an App for That!
Audio Note http://luminantsoftware.com/
OneNote (MS Office) http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/onenote-help/make-the-
switch-to-onenote-2010-RZ101805102.aspx?CTT=1
Grammarly.com www.grammarly.com
Ginger phonetic sentence correction https://www.dropbox.com/
Evernote http://evernote.com/
Apps4Android http://www.apps4android.org/?p=3440

3. Google Eyes Free http://code.google.com/p/eyes-free/
Reading
Educause Horizon Report 2011 – trend in next 5 years are e-text, open source,
mobile
http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/2011-horizon-report
NMC Horizon Report 2012 Arising technologies http://www.google.ca/url?
sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CF8QFjAD&url=http%3A%2F
%2Fnet.educause.edu%2Fir%2Flibrary%2Fpdf%2FHR2012.pdf&ei=2AfZT5PZK6-
KmQXqrPj4Ag&usg=AFQjCNEvgL_X5NkNH_dA14Q97XkzdAkGuA
Accessibility of eBook Readers https://carmenwiki.osu.edu/display/10292/E-
Book+Reader+Accessibility+and+Comparison+Matrix#E-
BookReaderAccessibilityandComparisonMatrix-
EBookReaderFunctionalAccessibilityMatrix
Devices that Speak www.compusult.net
Accessibility Barriers to ALL AT
Inaccessible documents
JavaScript in apps
Inaccessible Flash
No Captions/ Descriptions created
Mouse exclusive control (no keyboard access)
Why Be Accessible?
The right thing to do - Equal Opportunity to education
Good for business – helps everyone not just people with disabilities. Can’t afford
not to be accessible. Accessible content works on mobile devices & computers

4. The Law
Employers Can
Create Accessible Documents
- Accessible Features in Word video
o Styles, Images, Tables By ATI Faculty Development Center, Fullerton,
2011
- WebAIM: web & document accessibility resource
- Karen McCall: (free & purchasable ) Resources for Creating Accessible
Documents
- Microsoft: Creating Accessible Documents
Label Images, provide captions/transcripts & descriptions for multimedia
Do not convey information solely by the use of color.
- Use alternative method of emphasis (italic, underline)
PDFs Start Somewhere
- Created from Word, PowerPoint, or a scanner by using styles (headings,
links, table headers & image alt text are maintained
- headings create Table of Contents with hyperlinks
- Styles are efficient & consistent formatting
- Styles save you time
Adobe Accessibility Resources Center for PDFs, flash, Adobe Connect web
conferencing & forms
Web Accessibility Resources
Accessibility & Usability Toolbars

5. Firefox Web Developer Extension
Firefox Accessibility Extension
Firefox WAVE Accessibility Toolbar
Internet Explorer Web Accessibility Toolbar
Accessibility Evaluators
Manual testing and human confirmation is necessary as accessibility evaluators
are not able to determine meaning and appropriateness. An image may have alt
text and pass the test but the label could be not appropriate.
WAVE
ATRC Accessibility checker WCAG 2.0
World Space (Deque) FireEyes for FireBug
Functional Accessibility Evaluator
Juicy Studio Luminosity & Contrast Analyzer & Firefox Toolbar
Juicy Studio Color Toolbar for Firefox
Fujitsu Color Selector application for use on any files
Flicker Test
Tests the flicker rate & aids creation of objects that decrease the chance of
seizures.
Captioning
Accessible IT has:
- Keyboard functionality
- Customizable font, color
- Visually identify focus of keyboard & mouse

6. - Predictable behavior from the keyboard and mouse
- Consistent operation/look
- Understandable controls & content (required fields, images, color, buttons,
form labels)
- Captions/transcripts & Descriptions
Candidates Can:
Be Honest.
- What do you have?
- What assists you best?
- Offer testing on systems.
- Be Patient: a process with you is education & the employer/IT people are
mostly unaware of AT & Accessibility
Skills
- AT Get it. Learn it, Use it. Acquire Technology while in school – assessment,
funding
- Type 40 wpm for office jobs
- MS Office, Browser
- E-mail Concepts (attachments, forward)
- Types of Documents (DOCX, PDF, MP3)
- Where You Save Things
- Defined Strategies for:
- Easy, Interactive Communication Method
- Reading method for the workflow

7. - Note Taking System
Contact Me:
Carrie Anton
Assistive Technologist
Access to Students with Disabilities
Athabasca University
E-mail: carriea@athabascau.ca or carrie.anton@hotmail.com www.carrieanton.ca