1) The document discusses various free enabling technologies that can help improve accessibility and inclusion for students, including text-to-speech, screen magnification, speech recognition, mind mapping tools, and browser extensions. 2) It provides information on and links to download free tools from Microsoft, Apple, and third parties like MyStudyBar that allow functions like text-to-speech, screen reading, word prediction, and screen magnification. 3) The document encourages attendees to try out some of the free tools like Balabolka, Orato and browser extensions and reflect on how these tools could benefit different learners.

1. 26/08/2015 Margaret McKay, subject specialist
(accessibility & inclusion) Jisc Scotland

2. Free enabling technologies:
Because little things can make a big difference
26/08/2015
Photograph with kind permission of Susan Wakefield Gibbons

3. 3
TraditionalApproaches versus Enabling technologies
Listen to a
lecture
Read printed
information
Take notes,
understand
or remember
Get feedback
Get tested
Now
Later
Replay it
Pause it
Complete it
On phone
On tablet
Listen to text
Critique it
Collaborate
on responses
Create video
In audio
As a visual
representation
Personalise how it
looks to make it
easier for me to read
Adapted from © Alistair McNaught Jisc

4. EnablingTechnologyTimelineFree Technologies 4
Accessibility
Personalisation
Productivity
Now free, often portable
or web based

5. EnablingTechnologies
Free Enabling Technologies 5
Do you use free or open source technologies? If so what
do you use and how do you find them?

6. Free and Open Source (FOSS)
Free Enabling Technologies 6
In small groups take 3 minutes to discuss the following:
What do you think are the pros and cons of free
enabling technology tools versus commercial tools?

7. Free & simple strategies
»Windows ease of access,
»Built in text to speech,
»Free enabling technologies (downloadable and
web based),
»Enhancing your browser.
Free Enabling Technologies 7

8. Apple Universal Access
Free Enabling Technologies 8
www.apple.com/accessibility/osx/

9. Windows Ease of Access
Free technologies
9
Keyboard shortcut from the login screen inWindows 7 - windows button + U
U

10. Windows Speech Recognition
Free Technologies 10
Find out:
• what it is,
• how it works,
• learn how to set it up.
http://tiny.cc/SpeechRecog

11. Making the most of Microsoft
Text to speech sits in the Quick AccessToolbar
(works withWord, PowerPoint and Outlook)
11
Text to speech in Office
How to guides:
http://tiny.cc/quickaccessTTS and http://tiny.cc/QA-TTS-Video
Free technologies

12. Activity (5 minutes)
Free Technologies 12
Try adding text to speech on the Microsoft Office Quick Access
Toolbar. Once you have done this add or copy/paste some text
into a word document and read it out using theTTS feature
Use one of the following how to
guides to help you.
http://tiny.cc/quickaccessTTS
http://tiny.cc/QA-TTS-Video

13. Activity: Add speak to your quick access toolbar
• Next to the Quick Access
Toolbar, click Customize
Quick AccessToolbar.
• Click More Commands.
• In the Choose commands
from list, select All
Commands.
• Scroll down to the Speak
command, select it, and then
click Add.
• Click add and the feature will
be added.
13

14. MyStudyBar
Free Technologies 14
http://eduapps.org/

15. Planning tools
XMind mind mapping tool
Find out more about Xmind
Case study using free mind
mapping software
Free Technologies 15

16. Reading tools
»Screen tints
› T-Bar*
› Rapidset
› ssOverlay
»Screen ruler
› Vu-Bar
»Text to speech
› Orato*
› Using orato in exams
Free Technologies 16

17. Writing tools
»Word prediction
»Portable dictionary
»Touch typing
»Spellchecker
»BalabolkaText to MP3*
Free Technologies 17

18. Creating accessible information
Free and easy to use technologies such as Balabolka will produce
mp3/audio versions of text based information
e.g. ’this information is also available as an audio file’
http://tiny.cc/Balabolka
Provide Information in Alternative Formats
18

19. Vision tools
»Magnification
»Mouse/cursor ring
»Screen reader
Free Technologies 19

20. 20
»Click on the MyStudyBar folder on your desktop,
»Click on the MyStudyBar ‘application’ icon,
Free Technologies
Opening MyStudyBar

21. Activity (15 minutes)Free Technologies 21
Use a tool from MyStudyBar
and reflect on how you might
use that tool with learners
»Read text back from a web page
using Orato and reflect on how
you might use that tool with
learners
»Use Balabolka to create a short
paragraph about the kinds of
learners/staff who would
benefit from text to speech and
save it as an MP3 file on your
desktop,
»Use Lingoes talking dictionary
to learn the meaning of a word.
Why might this be useful and to
whom?

22. NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA)
Listen to a student talking about
how she uses NVDA
http://tiny.cc/NVDAStudent
NVDA tutorial
http://tinyurl.com/howtouseNVDA
Checking web accessibility using
NVDA
http://webaim.org/articles/nvda/
22

23. Enhancing your browser:
Tools for independence
Title of presentation 00/00/2013 23

24. Reading
• Comfort: No Squint (Firefox)*
• Comfort: Theme and font size changer (Firefox)*
• Speed: Spreed (Chrome)
• Speed: Clearly (Chrome, Firefox and Opera) *
• Summarising: HeadingsMap (Firefox) *
• Comprehension: GoogleText to Speech (Google) *
Free Enabling Technologies 24

25. Try them out for yourself:
Links to browser based reading tools (created using Xerte)
• http://tiny.cc/NoSquint
• http://tiny.cc/TandFSChanger
• http://tiny.cc/SPREED-1
• http://tiny.cc/Clearly
• http://tiny.cc/HeadingsMap
• http://tiny.cc/GoogleTTS
Free Enabling Technologies 25

26. Browser and other free tools:Writing
Free Enabling Technologies
26
Voice recognition:
Voicenote 2 (Google Chrome)
http://tiny.cc/VoiceNote2

27. RoboBraille Case Study at UWS
27
http://tinyurl.com/Alt-Formats
Free Enabling Technologies

28. University of Kent Robobraille Pilot
Free Enabling Technologies
28
http://tiny.cc/KentRobobraille

29. Providing Information in Alternative Formats
Use free resources such as
Audacity to create audio
versions of text based
information or audio guides
to the services you offer.
http://tiny.cc/usingaudacity
Free Enabling Technologies 29
Audacity

30. Free and simple strategies
»Windows ease of access,
»Built in text to speech,
»Free enabling technologies (downloadable and
web based),
»Enhancing your browser.
Free Enabling Technologies 30

31. Accessible by Design Competition
http://tiny.cc/JiscAccessiblebDesign

32. Getting Started with Accessibility and Inclusion
Using assistive and accessible technology in teaching and learning
Enhancing Staff Support for Learners with Disabilities
Meeting the requirements of all students
Delivering an Inclusive Digital experience
JiscTechDisYouTube video playlists
Guides and resources
Jisc: Supporting accessibility and inclusion

33. Creating accessible information
Text to speech for productivity and inclusion
Inclusive mobile learning
Accessibility on the run: how accessibility cuts across different roles.
Load2Learn - http://tiny.cc/load2learn
Accessible eBooks - http://tiny.cc/Access_eBooks
Using free software to read eBooks - http://tiny.cc/reading_eBooks
MyStudyBar - http://eduapps.org/
33
Jisc: Supporting accessibility and inclusion

34. If you have questions:
Contact:
margaret.mckay@jisc.ac.uk
Mobile: 07443 984444
Skype: Margaret.Jisc
Twitter: @Mags_McKay
Except where otherwise noted, this
work is licensed under CC-BY-NC-ND
26/02/2015Free Technologies 34