Spotlight on Assistive Technology
By Erickson, Victor; Media & Methods,Publication Date: March/April 2004
Article provides a brief overview of a number of assitive technology (AT) programs and applications designed for students with disabilities, including: (1) My ComputerSpeaks from DiPrima Corporation, (2) Read & Write Gold from TextHELP Systems, (3) Kurzweil 3000 for Windows from Kurzweil Educational Systems, (4) Scholar from Telex Communications, Incorporated, (5) IcanEmail from R.J. Cooper & Associates, and (6) Inter_Comm from Mayer-Johnson, Incorporated. My ComputerSpeaks reads content on the computer out loud, including web pages, e-mail messages, Microsoft Word documents, and Adobe Acrobat text, while Read & Write Gold features text-to-speech technology as well as a voice output spell-checker and word prediction. Kurzweil 3000 reads words and sentences out loud as they are highlighted, while the Scholar is a digital talking book player for people who are blind or have low vision or have learning disabilities. IcanEmail is a voice output e-mail program that works with augmentative communication devices, while the Inter_Comm program allows students to send e-mail messages using picture symbols. The author contends that the use of these devices in academic settings can help students to learn more efficiently and effectively.
Assistive Products Discussed: KURZWEIL 3000 FOR MACINTOSH
KURZWEIL 3000 FOR WINDOWS
READ & WRITE GOLD, READ & WRITE GOLD FOR MAC, & READ & WRITE GOLD MOBILE
Published by: Media & Methods Magazine (Website:http://www.media-methods.com)
Link to text: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4145/is_200403/ai_n9465121
