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Your weekly dose of information that keeps you up to date on the latest developments in the field of technology designed to assist people with disabilities and special needs.
Show Notes:
Carolyn Phillips & Martha Rust (Tools for Life) www.gatfl.org/
Blind veteran skis and target shoots with assist from technology http://bit.ly/1fnpTAc
“Tablet solution in sightNew device to improve life of blind” http://bit.ly/1cRqv1m
Samsung Galaxy Core Advance brings new accessibility features | Android Central http://bit.ly/1fnmWQ0
Priest invents confession device for deaf Catholics | Inquirer Technology http://bit.ly/1fnjd57
Microsoft Will Help Launch a New Association for Accessibility Professionals – Microsoft Accessibility Blog – Site Home – MSDN Blogs http://bit.ly/1cRnApn
Wearable Assistive Hearing Device : http://bit.ly/1fnkGse
App: Panther Math Paper www.BridgingApps.org
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—–transcript follows —–
CAROLYN PHILLIPS: Hi, this is Carolyn Phillips, director of Tools for Life at Georgia Tech.
MARTHA RUST: And hello, this Martha Rust. I’m the Assistive Technology Specialist with Tools for Life at Georgia Tech, and this is your Assistive Technology Update.
[Music]WADE WINGLER: Hi, this is Wade Wingler with the INDATA Project at Easter Seals Crossroads in Indiana with your Assistive Technology Update, a weekly dose of information that keeps you up-to-date on the latest developments in the field of technology, designed to assist people with disabilities and special needs. Welcome to episode number 135 of assistive technology update. It’s scheduled to be released on December 27 of 2010. Today, my friends Carolyn Phillips and Martha rust are going to talk about Google apps for learning disabilities. Also I have a story about a new association that Microsoft is working on. Some interesting things about hearing and some tablet computer devices as well as a story about a blind veteran who uses assistive technology to ski and shoot. We hope you’ll check out our website which is eastersealstech.com. Give us a call on our listener line at 317-721-7124, or shoot us a note on Twitter @INDATAproject.
Are you looking for funding for your assistive technology devices? Here in the state of Indiana, we operate a low interest bank loan program for folks who wants to buy their own assistive technology. Visit assistivetechnologyfunding.com for more.
Steve Baskis is a veteran who wanted to serve in the military like his father and grandfather had, but as he was deployed in Iraq in 2008, he lost his vision during a military operation. However, that hasn’t deterred him; he has become a bi-athlete who relies on technology and a partner to help him with this cross-country skiing and shooting. She uses a firearm with a laser sight as well as some other audio cues that help with direction and Paul placement as it relates to skiing. He describes the sensation as if his partner is painting a picture was sound, and he can triangulate the sound and follow along as he skiing, and then the technology that allows him to line up the firearm will make a positive sound when is on target and a not so positive sound when he’s off party. He’s hopeful to participate in the Paralympics, and there’s an interesting story here on the trivalleycentral.com website from the Arizona area. I’ll pop a link in the show notes that you can read more about Steve Baskis, and how he is learning to ski and shoot with assistive technology.
The headline from the Boston Herald reads, “Tablet Solution in Sight.” We spoke to Brian McDonald maybe about a year ago about their work at the National Braille Press in the area of tablet and portable computers for folks who are blind or visually impaired. It sounds to me like they are about to launch the first tablet for folks who are blind or visually impaired. It’s an android-based tablet. It’s called the B2G20. It’s a 20-cell braille device that’s going to have a camera and Wi-Fi, GPS, optical text recognition and even a camera for taking photographs. They have enlisted the assistance of Deane Blazie and Mike Romeo who have been helping with development of this, and they’re excited about the product. They’ve raised about $1 million already? They need another $200,000 more to bring the device to market. They anticipate that it’s going to sell for under $2500. Sounds like a lot of progress is being made on this progress, and I’m going to pop a link in the show notes to the Boston Herald’s article where you can read more about this new tablet.
From androidcentral.com there is a story about the new midrange Android phone called the Samsung Galaxy Core Advance that’s going to have some accessibility features that are targeted towards folks who are blind or visually impaired or have other kinds of disabilities. One of the things is the buttons, they are going to be physical buttons on this phone that will allow folks who have access to an instant voice recorder as well as the camera. Also has some accessibility options that help folks who are blind or visually impaired to get some voice guidance when they’re taking photographs. Also there is a screen. To allow the device to be operated on the screen is black or turned off so that if you’re using a screen reader, you’re not wasting battery life on making your phone run. I’ll pop a link in the show notes over to the new information about Samsung’s Galaxy Core Advance. You have to check it out. Some cool accessibility features there.
The headline reads, “Priest Invents Confession Device for Deaf Catholics.” Father Romuald Zantua is a retired Lupino priest who has created a high-tech conversion device that basically consists of linking to laptop computers with some special software into what they call a St. Damien Confession Box. The idea is that if somebody who is deaf or hard of hearing uses sign language or otherwise has a hard time communicating with the priest about what the content of their confession might be, they may or may not want a interpreter involved in that process. The likelihood that a priest to hear the confession is fluent in some language is unlikely, and so I’m going to pop a link in the show notes, and you can read more about this interesting device that might help Catholics who are deaf or hard of hearing have a little more privacy in the confession booth.
Rob Sinclair is Microsoft’s Chief Accessibility Officer. He’s also very involved in the new accessibility association which is the International Association of Accessibility Professionals, or IAAP. You can find them at accessibilityassociation.org. They are involved in trying to bring together the knowledge and the resources of people who develop high-tech solutions and are interested in accessibility from the ground up. It’s an interesting project that Microsoft seems to be kind of spearheading here. I looked at their website a little bit, and it describes other partners and some of the efforts of the group. They are finally, formally launching the Association coming up here in March. The still a lot of things happening at the grassroots level, and there still is an opportunity if you’re interested to become one of the founding members of the organization. I’m going to pop a link into the show notes over to the Microsoft blog where you can read what Rob Sinclair has to say about the Association, and then there’s also a link over there to the website where you can learn more about the good work that they are doing and what’s on the horizon for them. Check our show notes for this link about the IAAP.
From engineering.com, I found a Kickstarter campaign that talks about a wearable assistive hearing device. I’ve got an excerpt here from the video that kind of describe this thing that looks like a necklace that the lady in the video is wearing, but it’s designed to help with those who are hard of hearing. Let’s check out this clip.
VIDEO: It’s a new kind of directional microphone, in fact we are recording this video with the microphone right now. Normally, directional microphones are big, and what we’ve developed is a directional microphone that’s small them and its engineer to give preference to sound that’s in a six-foot zone in front of you. Other ambient sounds are heard, but at a much lower level. So our microphone uses analog technology, and it’s designed to improve your understanding of nearby conversations.
WADE WINGLER: So I’ll pop a link in the show notes, and you can check out the Wear, which is a Kickstarter campaign for folks who need some amplification in their environment.
Each week, one of our partners tells us what’s happening in the ever changing world of apps. So here’s an App Worth Mentioning.
JULIE SMITH: This is Julie Smith with BridgingApps, and this is an App Worth Mentioning. Today I’m going to tell you about an app called Panther Math paper. This app was developed by Panther Technology. It’s available in the iTunes store, compatible with the iPad, and it’s $19.99. Panther Math paper allows a user to complete math problems on an iPad, therefore completing these problems without a pencil.
By tapping the features on the menu at the bottom of Panther Math, a user can complete simple to complex math operations. This app is based on universal design principles allowing for independent completion of mathematical operations by users with motor and/or learning challenges. Teachers can create math worksheets in this app and save them to specific folders within the app. Students can then access these worksheets and complete the assigned work. Students can use this app to copy and complete mathematical operations found in their textbook. This app is not a calculator; it is a digital math paper.
Math concepts that can be addressed with this app include addition, subtraction, modification, division, fractions, algebra, money skills, volume, weight, geometry, time, distance, and advanced math.
Trialing this app with a student who struggles with the mechanics of writing, it was immediately obvious that the cognitive command was decreased as this individual do not have to spend time struggling with putting an answer on the paper with a pencil. Therefore this student was able to focus his attentions on the mathematical operations. It was easy for him to choose the correct answer as his finger isolation skills were strong.
This app includes user guides that includes a quick guide, instructions, accessibility options information, grid options, and information about the five main keyboards, navigation directions, file management information, and a setting section. It was great to see such a strong user guide easily accessible within this feature rich app. As with other apps by this same company, this app is a tool in the toolbox for assistive technology professionals who seek options for individuals with disabilities.
Panther Technology has again proven that it embraces the universal design concepts. For more information on this app and others like it, visit BridgingApps.org.
WADE WINGLER: Today on assistive technology update, I have a repeat a set of guests, Carolyn Phillips and Martha rust our friend of mine from Georgia from Georgia Tech and Tools for Life program down there. I can just have them have one conversation while they were here. We had so much fun stuff to talk about, we decided to turn the Mike’s back on and talk a little bit about something a little more technical. Before we jump into that, in case you missed their previous interview, Carolyn is the director of Tools for Life at Georgia Tech. Carolyn, how are you?
CAROLYN PHILLIPS: Hey, I’m great.
WADE WINGLER: Good, and Martha is an Assistive Technology Specialist there as well. Martha, you doing okay?
MARTHA RUST: Doing great.
WADE WINGLER: Excellent. So when we met last time, we talk a little bit about discovering personal genius and learning styles and learning disabilities and those kind of things. This time, we’re going to get a little techie. Are going to talk about some nuts and bolts kind of stuff. I know that one of the questions that I get from people who are aware that they have learning disabilities or more often parents of kids with learning disabilities. They say, my child or myself has been diagnosed with dyslexia, dysgraphia, one of those kind of learning disabilities. We’re starting to understand what that means, but we know that there is technology that can up, but there’s so much technology out there. What’s the important stuff? What’s the critical stuff? Where do I start? I know that’s what you guys are in town, you’re going to be giving a talk that kind of gets to the heart of that matter. I’m going to kind of turn you guys loose and asked the question what is the critical assistive technology or apps for learning disabilities and how do you figure that out. Give me your top list of stuff that people really have to know about the stuff.
CAROLYN PHILLIPS: We are very excited to be with you today and very excited to talk about this topic in particular. We are both techies and multiple ways, and so talking about figuring out the right device and all that, we encourage folks with learning disabilities to really try things out and not be afraid. There’s this technophobia, and we encourage people to jump outside of that comfort zone and really get involved.
There are many different devices out there. This has evolved very quickly, and just since 2007 people app and tablet world has incredibly evolved. So we don’t want you to overlook specific devices that really might be the best fit for you. A lot of people are familiar with the iPad, right? That was revolutionary when that came out. I’m a big fan myself. iTouch, iPhone, I think a lot of people overlook the iTouch, and I encourage people not to do that, because that’s a solid device so check it out. But on top of that, you also need think about devices like the Microsoft Surface which already has built into its the idea of apps and that you can use that in a very dynamic way, but the platform where accessibility features are built in. The same thing is true for iOS with Apple and their iPad, iPad Mini, iTouch, iPhone. But the other devices that we want to make sure folks are aware of is the whole slew of Android devices, Samsung Galaxy is one of our favorites. That also Nook, it’s really solid with their product and what they’ve developed there. It’s worth looking into. Then of course conversation about the Kindle Fire, is one that you want to consider. We encourage folks to go back to their assistive technology program and their state and try some of these devices out and really gets to learn more about them.
The last thing that I want to say before I turn this on back over to Martha is considering a disability. There are reasons why you choose specific devices because they have accessibility features built-in. Android really has moved forward, and I’m excited about their movement when it comes to accessibility. But you want to think about what it is you need. Do you need something to read out loud? Does that need to be easy? If that’s the case, then that will help you decide and go a certain way. Martha, anything you want to add this before we jump into reading apps?
MARTHA RUST: I just want to reiterate what you’re saying. The some really great technology out there, a lot of times people get hung up on one, but I always as the people, the person I’m working with, what do you plan to work with it? Are you going to use it for school or are you going to use it for employment? What do you want to do with it, and kind of look from there. Also I look at if they already have a smartphone, what type they are working on as well. Because of their familiar with android, we’ll look at Android. If they are familiar with iOS, I’ll look at the iOS with them. But there’s just so much out there, and I love this topic.
Working with Carolyn, when it first came out all the apps craze. When I was researching all that, there wasn’t just one place to find apps. At that time it was really just the iOS that was out there. It was hard to find apps, so we literally sketched out on a napkin at a restaurant our App Finder database. I just wanted to say that you can find tons of apps on our App Finder website which is on our website which is www.gatfl.org, and on the right-hand side will see an icon of a cell phone with apps popping out of it. This is where you’ll find all the apps that we’re going to talk about today and much more. Our App Finder is actually set up in different categories so you can look for apps for reading or whatnot or organization. It’s not just the iOS, I wanted to make it so it’s a one-stop shop. So if you’re searching for the android or you’re searching for the iOS or who are searching for Microsoft or Kindle, you can find it on our App Finder.
So I want to just cover some of the favorite apps. Again they change so fast, so I encourage you all to check out the App Finder come and if you’re using some that you really like that aren’t in there, then let us know because we definitely add them in. There are so many when it comes to reading. One of my favorite one is called ClaroSpeak US, where you can actually, if you have a book and electronic format, you can save it in Dropbox and open it right up with this app and it will freak out to you. You can set the background color, you can set the font color, you can set the sound, the voice, how that you want it to read from. This is made by Claro Software.
They also have another app that just came out which is one of my new favorites called ClaroPDF. It’s the same kind of thing where you can import PDF documents, and then you can actually have them read to you out loud which is really nice. I worked with a sin recently who is a mechanic, and he is going to school in engineering come and he has put all of his books on his iPhone using the ClaroSpeak app, and when he is underneath the cars, everyone thinks he’s listening to his own music, but he’s actually studying. I think that’s so school buddies does that. It’s very creative.
There’s also several different bookshares. If you have a book share membership, you can get the book share app for free. That’s an online accessibility library. As for free members who qualify for students and for schools. They have over 200,000 different titles of books out there. As well as audible.com is another one. They have over 150,000 different types of audiobooks and is a membership. It’s a great one as well. Lots of different larger companies like Kurzweil, which actually has their own app version now called Firefly. Don Johnson Snap and Read also has come out and they are working on an app for that. That’s another good one. ReadtoGo is one of my favorites too. It runs for about five dollars come and you can download books and have them read out loud as well. There are some free ones out there. iScroll is a free one that actually you can change the fonts, you can change the background color, you can change the font color, and it actually scrolls. So it’s free, and I encourage you to just try it out. Then Voice Stream is another text to speech that highlight as a great. What I really like about Voice Stream is it a little bit more on the expensive side when it comes to apps, it runs for about $10, but it imports from book share, it imports from Dropbox, Guttenberg, Word docs as well as PDF.
WADE WINGLER: And I’ve had some changes to use Voice Stream, and I’m pretty happy with that one as well. The voice is not on it, and the presentation data gives is pretty nice as well.
CAROLYN PHILLIPS: It sure is. Without a doubt, reading apps are incredibly important. There’s over 30,000 different reading apps out there, so once again and reiterating, come to our database and give us your favorite reading apps and check out what we’ve got.
There’s a new one that I’m excited about, and I am one of those that’s dependent upon reading apps. I use Perfect OCR when I want to read a menu. I’m often asked in folks, and I was always asking them to read the menu for me, so I take a picture really quickly and it reads it out loud to me. But the BARD Mobile. This is one that Martha introduced me to come and I think it’s really exciting where this one is heading. Do you want to talk about it?
MARTHA RUST: yes, this is so exciting. They’ve been working on this for a while paid it’s actually from the National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, so if you have a membership already, then the app is free. You can download it. It’s only on the iOS system right now. I just met with someone and they got some things they need to work out for the Android side. You can actually download your magazines enter books right in here. What really cool about this app for those who actually have the physical device, the app looks just like the physical device be much, so you already know how to control it.
Another one I want to give a shout out Youmano (spelling?). This one is what if I perish to because it’s the news read out to buy real people. So it’s a human voice reading it to you not just a computer voice. If you upgrade it, you can actually download it and save it within a file. You can create your own file so if you’re on the airplane, you can actually have it right back up to you.
CAROLYN PHILLIPS: Excellent. Some of my favorite writing apps. That’s one of those areas that we worked a lot with with folks with learning disabilities and other disabilities to. Some of the ones that really I think a change people’s lives, Ginger App, for example. It’s free, and it can actually assist with grammar support. This also software and a website that you can access for Ginger, but this way you can actually make sure that you’re saying and expressing yourself really how you want to be understood. You can use this with Outlook and Gmail and text messages, and that’s exciting to see that evolution.
I’m also excited about Brevity which is word completion app. It also has some amazing features. This one is for iOS, and it’s a couple for those of us who kind of stumble as we are trying to figure out what’s the next word, what is it I’m trying to say.
One of my favorites that I use all the time – and I was one of those that transitioned from the old version of this as Dragon Dictation. 1987, Dragon Dictation popped up, and I was working at the University of Georgia, and I instantly started using it. I was training other people on it, and it was upwards of $25-$27,000 at that time, and I’m thrilled that is actually right here on my iPhone and I can use it which is great.
The other one that I like is CatchNotes. This is one that you can use for Android or iOS. It’s free. I like how it is color coded.
MARTHA RUST: It is color coded. It helps also was organization. What I like about it is I could either type a note and or I can just speak and use my voice and get the note right there. Some of the other software programs like Text Help and Word Queue, they also have app first now, so like iWordQueue that works a lot like their software, and iWriteRead is the Text Help version which is really great. And then there’s also a Story Patch where you can create your own story using just pictures versus sitting down and typing. For some students I work with, this is a way they can get their information across and that they are understood by using pictures versus letters and typing and that.
I think we’re going to wrap up today with some of our favorite organization apps. I do have to say one of my favorites is the built-in reminders app for the iOS. Shameless plug probably to Apple. I do have an iPhone. I use it all the time because it has that GPS built into it so I can dictate notes to myself. So I can say remember to put something in my work back when I get home. As soon as a pull-up in my driveway, my phone will go off to remind me of that and help me keep organized in that way.
Another one of my favorites is AudioNote. AudioNote is a great app that records as well as timestamps. If I want to take notes during a meeting or what not, I can have it record. I can use the on-screen keyboard to type. I can use a stylus to write or to draw. Then I can go back and where it is time stamped I can start right there and I don’t have to go back and listen to the whole hour or whatnot ahead of it.
CAROLYN PHILLIPS: It’s very cool when we’re talking about organization, because we really are talking about organization throughout your life. There are excellent apps, for example MyMedSchedule, which is for Android and iOS. It helps organize medications. I serve as a caregiver for my mom, so she has over 20 medications, so trying to keep the organized is critical to be able to do that with MyMedSchedule. Also Bump, so I can get information from folks without depending on my dyslexia, my dyscalculia transposing numbers and letters. Literally being able to touch devices and getting information. Then of course Picture Scheduler that helps with figuring out sequence of events and how you’re going to move through the day. I like a lot of the ones that have to do with grocery shopping, iGrocery for example. But of course any of them that deal with banking and organization and easy ways to pay. Remember the Milk, and also reminders like you were saying, but also iHomework for those of you with learning disabilities that are still working your way through school. There are great organization apps out there like iHomework. Once again, that’s for iOS, but it can help you keep organized. No one your tests are. And what that does is it leads to peace in your life and helps you be more efficient. A lot of these do work with the accessibility features, and some of them have them built and like where you use your voice.
The one that I think is really cool is the whole idea of mind mapping. It’s exciting, just like you were saying, the idea of idea sketch. I’m excited about all the ones that Martha mentioned and also how well she’s done as far as organizing these. Do let us know your favorite apps. We hope this is one of those things that will stimulate you to email those to us or jump on our website.
WADE WINGLER: I feel like we’ve just written a train of apps that’s blazing through because we went through tons of them and lots of them. I’m going to ask that we put together a list of those that we talked about today, and I’ll pop those in the show notes so that the folks who are listening, will try to get them up there so that you can go back and listen to that. I’ll remind folks of a couple of things. One, apps change all the time which is why you and others have these great list to see what’s new and what’s coming out. Carolyn, at the beginning, you mentioned that the Tech act projects around the US have the ability in many cases to let people borrow a device and try it with those apps. I’ll also pop a link into the show notes. We’ve set up a forwarding address. If you go to eastersealstech.com/states it will take you to the listing of the state so that people can find a lending library and their area so they can try a tablet device or one of these portable devices and some apps.
Carolyn Phillips is the director of Tools for Life at Georgia Tech, Martha rust is an assistive technology specialist there, and they have given us what I think is a very critical list of AT apps for folks who have learning disabilities. Ladies, thank you so much for hanging out with us today.
CAROLYN PHILLIPS: Thank you, we appreciate it.
MARTHA RUST: Thank you.
WADE WINGLER: Do you have a question about assistive technology? Do you have a suggestion for someone we should interview on Assistive Technology Update? Call our listener line at 317-721-7124. Looking for show notes from today’s show? Head on over to EasterSealstech.com. Shoot us a note on Twitter @INDATAProject, or check us out on Facebook. That was your assistance technology update. I’m Wade Wingler with the INDATA Project at Easter Seals Crossroads in Indiana.