Posts about specific apps/applications
Although I’m not a smart phone user – at least not yet – I have been amazed at the wealth of apps that are available. Lately I’ve been exploring what kinds of apps are available for individuals with disabilities. One that I discovered recently is Money Reader which works on both smart phones and IPads.
The power of technological innovation is sometimes astounding.
Mario Romero a post-doctoral researcher at Georgia Institute of Technology has co-developed an app, called BrailleTouch, that could help blind people send text messages and type e-mails on touch-screen smartphones. The free app, which is being developed for Apple iOS and Google Android devices, should be available in a matter of weeks.
A Dutch graphic designer and dyslexic, Christian Boer, developed a font specifically for dyslexic readers. The Dyslexie font works by tweaking the appearance of certain letters of the alphabet that dyslexics commonly misconstrue, such as “p”, “b” and “d,” to make them more distinct from each other and to keep them “tied down,” so that the reader is less likely to flip them in their minds. The letters in the font are also spaced wide apart to make reading them easier.
The font is available for purchase, in either English or Dutch, from Boer’s website in English or Dutch. The font can be used on either the Mac or Windows operating system, but not on devices such as iPads. However, a software company called LingApps says it will soon offer an assistive reading and writing application for iPad that uses Dyslexie.
Some U.S. schools are now using the font ,but there’s not yet been any major study by a educational system or government to gauge the font’s value in teaching young dyslexics how to read. Boer does not tout the font as a “cure” for dyslexia but as a tool that can help individuals with dyslexia.
Check out Scientific American’s deeper dive into the project, which includes a link to a Dyslexie version of the article, so you can compare it to the magazine website’s font.
For details on how Boer created the font, check out this video.
This summer, I participated in “CPD 23 Things,” an online continuing education opportunity sponsored in part by the Nebraska Library Commission. Participants (librarians) experimented with a variety of social media tools (e.g., Prezi, Pushnote, Google Docs, Evernote, citeulike and many more). We were to experiment with items discussed in one or more posts (“Things”) each week and blog about them. In addition, some weekly assignments asked us to think about our personal “brand,” library advocacy, and other elements of professional development.
The experience was almost overwhelming in that there were so many things to explore and often times we were comparing similar tools, (e.g., Google Docs and Dropbox). At the same time we were also asked to think about whether we would or could make meaningful professional or personal use of any of the tools we were experimenting with.
Like many who participated, I tried some tools that I knew immediately that I would have no use for. There were other tools that I need to think about and experiment with some more; there were a few tools that I was already using or that I embraced and am using now.
The “23 Things”program was a positive experience and I’ve continued to read about and explore new tools and resources. Truthfully, it is daunting to not only try to remain aware of emerging technologies but also to sift out the gems from the dross and chaff.
Assistive technology or equipment adds its own layer of complexity to our computer dependent society. Being savvy about assistive technology and equipment can also be a formidable task. Sometimes identifying and acquiring the proper technology or equipment is not the only challenge. User-friendliness, learning curve, and price add to the issues that must be considered. In terms of computer software or equipment, issues of compatibility with existing hardware or software, and license requirements are additional considerations.
We indeed live in exciting, if dizzying times. Some adaptive technology and/or software has gone “mainstream” now and is marketed to a broader audience (Dragon Dictate comes to mind). With the advent of “smart” phones (and similar “smart” technology), more and more apps are being developed that open up the world for individuals with disabilities. This is good!
A recent article from Mashable Tech, 4 Ways iPads Are Changing the Lives of People With Disabilities is only one of several articles I’ve skimmed recently that talk about how IPads, and other “smart” tools are enhancing the lives of people with disabilities. An April 2011 post from the Blind Blogger entitled, Creating a Mobility App for Blind People, talks about a mobility app for the Android phone. Thomsen Young
compiled a handy list of the top 10 “most useful” iPhone apps for deaf and hard of hearing consumers.”
Educational apps are also beginning to proliferate and at our recent conference, WinAhead members were fortunate to have an informative presentation by Lenette Sprunk of ESU 3 about a number of useful apps and technology such as the LiveScribe smart pen (I want one!). The image below shows the apps Lenette shared with attendees.
It’s exciting to see how smart phones and similar technology are tools usable by everyone including individuals with disabilities. The pace of technological development is dizzying but exciting. Learning how to remain technologically savvy and aware is a significant challenge we all face but it is worth it.
WINAHEAD 