Tablets can provide assistive technology support for students but earlier tablet PCs had limitations like weight, battery life, and screen size. Newer tablets address some of these issues but still have different capabilities than desktops. The cloud allows content to be automatically converted into different accessible formats like large print or audio for use on different devices. Services like azzapt provide this type of accessible content conversion and storage in the cloud. This allows students to access support materials in their preferred format regardless of their location or device.

1. What’s New?
September 2012
Abi James

2. Tablets as an assistive technology
- New story or old?

4. Tablet PC’s & OneNote for
Engineering Students (2007)
“Notes are less confusing as errors are erased
easily”
“So much easier - everything is in the same
place, all organised, not a piece of paper floating
in the bottom of the bag.”

5. But Tablet PC had
shortcomings…
• Weight: ~2kg
• Battery power: ~ 3 hours
• Performance affected when running many
apps
• Interface – pen driven devices running
Windows
• Screen size too small required external
monitor
• Expense – more than standard laptop

6. Is a Tablet the same as a
Personal Computer? No
• The devices have
different feature and e-book
function reader
• They are designed
for different
purposes PC Tablet
• How are they best
used for those
studying at HE level?

7. Where do we use these
devices in studying?
On the next slide…
• 2 stars = a task this device is designed to do
and it does it well
• 1 star = a task you can achieve with the device
but it can be a complicated (and possibly
unreliable) process
• No star = a task the device can not achieve
without additional devices or too many
compromises

8. Usage E-book Tablet e.g. Touch, Desktop / laptop with
device ipad, Android AT software
Purchase ebooks
Search & download
academic papers
Read aloud text books
Read aloud papers &
learning resources
Record audio and
graphical notes
Take text notes in lectures
Research on the internet
Create a mind map
Make notes from a text
book
Draft an assignment
Proof read an assignment

9. But its more about the
practicalities of the device….
Practicalities E-book device Tablet e.g. Touch, Desktop / laptop
ipad with AT software
Battery life 30 – 100 hours (only 5- 10 hours 1.5 – 4 hours (some
uses power when lightweight models
change page) may go to 8 hours)
Performance N/A basic TTS, internet , Possible to run all
word processing, applications
online tools
Weight 0.2-0.3kg 0.35 – 0.8Kg 1.5 – 3.0 kg
Screen E-ink, 6-7 inches High resolution, full 13 – 17 inches
colour 7 – 10 inches (laptop)
19+ inches desktop
Interface Buttons and arrow Touch interface; Keyboard and mouse
keys external keyboard,
mouse

10. Windows 8 on Tablets

11. Assistive Technology & Mobile
Tablets: Don’t forget they are not
computers
One One
app at a task at
time a time
Simple Simple
to use to move

12. Why do tablet devices work as
assistive technology or learning
device?
• Instant on, discrete yet
• Powerful and long battery life
• Wide range of apps and resources available
• Mainstream device with mainstream support
• But not all tablets are the same….

13. Android vs. iOS tablets
Android iOS
File Management More like a PC Difficult, requires cloud tools
Range of tools Limited but growing 500 000+ but AT mainly aimed at
ASD and communication support
Multi-tasking Can offer a range of tools Apps are Sandboxed, often
in one app or that link focussed on a single task
together
Accessibility Improving but still Built-in, good support particular
requires additional apps for VI
Assistive Can provide an AT Range of education focussed tools.
Technology supported working Reading/Writing support tools
environment with a range hampered by Sandboxing but
of At tools improving e.g. ClaroSpeak
Accessing web High-spec tablets can Limited by lack of Flash support
content access Flash content
Range of devices 7 – 13 inch screens. Wide iPad only
range of quality and
power

14. CapturaTalk for Android:
Reading & Writing Support on a
tablet
CapturaTalk for Android provides a range of reading
& writing support tools for Android devices :
• Reading aloud with highlighting web pages, text
documents, PDF files and eBooks
• OCR photos and images & hear text read aloud.
• Talking word processor to assist editing, proofing
and writing of text.
• File management tools and integrated dictionary

15. Exploring CapturaTalk for Android
www.capturatalk.com

16. Assistive Technology & the Cloud

17. Office 15 / 2013
• All about document sharing on the Cloud via
SkyDrive & other Microsoft services
• Using the ribbon interface but also hints that
it is designed more for reading content with
PowerPoint “Read” view & reflowing PDFs in
Word
• AT packages that integrate with Office will
need to be extensively tested

18. Cloud, eBooks & accessible
content
• Mobile devices & touch interfaces are all
about accessing content
• For disabled students content must be
accessible and personalised to suite their
individual needs.
• eBook & content providers e.g. journals do
not always match these needs
• Accessible services like azzapt being launched
to fill this gap.

19. azzapt service
www.azzapt.com
• Web portal and iPhone app acts as
front-end for cloud storage azzapt.com/login
...
provider
• Files automatically convert to
users preferred format on upload
• Format preferences by devices
type – desktop, tablet or mobile
devices
In beta, will be launched early 2013

20. What Conversion are available with azzapt?
azzapt Output Can be applied to
action
Edit *.docx with different font style MS Word, Open Office
and sizes, font and background documents, PDF & RTF files.
colour e.g. large print version
Read *.pdf with different font style MS Word, Open Office
and sizes, font and background documents, PDF & RTF files
colour e.g. large print version
Audio *.mp3 audio file created using MS Word, Open Office
text-to-speech engine documents, PDF, RTF, Plain
text files, ePub books
Book *.ePub eBook format, opens in MS Word, Open Office
eBook software or apps documents, PDF & RTF files.

21. Example of an azzapt service
user
• Emma, studying part time & travelling to college and
to different locations for work.
– Prefers to work on mobile or tablet whilst travelling
– Slow reader, prefers to absorb information via audio.
• Gets emailed PDF from tutor/colleague.
– Uploads PDF using azzapt web site on her desktop computer.
– On the way home she access her azzapt enabled app on her
tablet and accesses ePub version which is read aloud and
can be annotated
– While at the gym she listens to MP3 audio version on her
mobile

22. Cloud makes M-learning real:
AT support on the go
Through cloud
tools additional
support can be
provided to
students when
they need it

23. Further information
Iansyst Ltd
Fen House
Fen Road
Cambridge CB4 1UN
Tel: 01223 420101
Abi James abi@iansyst.co.uk