The document discusses assistive technology that can be used in various work environments. It describes how assistive technology enhances functionality and access for people with disabilities. It provides examples of assistive technologies that can help with common work tasks like organizing, writing, reading, communicating, and collaborating. It also discusses accessibility features and settings available in Windows, Mac OS, and mobile operating systems.
Emergent Methods: Multi-lingual narrative tracking in the news - real-time ex...
VRA Conference Assistive Technology @ Work
1. Assistive Technology @ Work
Presenter: Carrie Anton
Assistive Technologist & Accessibility Specialist
VRA Conference 2012
2. Where Do We Work?
Programming Medicine
Finance Social
Project Management Services
IT Art
Analytics & Forecasts Music
Inventory Control Teaching
CAD/CAM Architecture
Administrative Sciences
Clergy Sport
Construction/Labor
3. Assistive Technology
Any item, equipment, software or system
used to increase, maintain, or enhance
functionality & access.
AT is used to enhance or facilitate a skill or
area that has been impacted by a disability.
Assessment Process: (Joy Zabella)
Person > Environment > Task > Tool
4. What Do We Do at Work?
Organize
Manage our Time
Write
Read
Communicate
Collaborate
5.
6. Accessibility & AT Features Should
Built in to System Preferences
Designed to provide multiple, flexible ways to
access content
Accessibility Features for visual, keyboard &
mouse options, people with hearing loss
Standard Customization for what we see, how it
works and consistency
7. Windows 7 Ease of Access Center
Magnifier
High Contrast
Narrator screen reader
Remove Animations
Remove background images
Voice Recognition
On screen Keyboard
Sticky Keys
Tons of 3rd party AT AU
Toggle Keys (alerts Num, Types of Assistive Tech
Scroll, Caps) Page
Filter Keys (ignore hits) Microsoft Accessibility Tools
http://www.microsoft.com/en
Visual Alerts for sounds able/products/windows7/
MSN for chat
13. Organize
COLOUR
Lists
S
Agenda
h
Filing,
Shape
Procedures
p
Notes
e
Syncing &
Sharing L-I-N-K Ideas
Mobility
14. Mind Maps
Revolutionary Method of……
Note Taking
Group Brainstorming
Studying
Presenting ideas
More effective than linear
notes
MindView, Inspiration, Mind
Node, Personal Brain, etc.
“…the ultimate organizational thinking tool –
16 Aspects of Business
the Swiss army knife of the brain!” (Tony
Thinking
Buzan, “the ultimate book of mind maps”, pg.
6)
15. Sticky Notes
Windows: Open Sticky Notes by tapping the Start button. In the search
box, type Sticky Notes, and then tap Sticky Notes. Use a keyboard or
stylus to hand write.
Apple: Open the Apple menu, then select Stickies. If a blank note
doesn't appear, open the File menu and select New Note (or press
Command-N).
16. Time Management
Calendars/ Agendas
various views
Color coding
Alerts – visual or
auditory
Clocks/Watches
18. File Systems & Syncing
Use Folders
Folder Sharing for
easy access
View Options
Customize Icons
Security Concerns
computers >
device
19. Writing
Typing/mouse use
Hand Writing
Recognition
Note Taking Systems
Spell Checkers
Dictionaries
Grammar Checkers
20. Prediction
as you type it predicts the
rest, you choose from a list
Customizable vocabulary
some have Text to speech
WordQ, CoWriter
Mobile Devices built in
Auto Correct
Auto Capitalization
Double space = period
Connect your input device
(keyboard)
Sometimes default is off
23. Apple OSX
unique track pad OS X Mouse use
gestures On screen keyboard
Trackpad schemes
Multi finger gestures
24. Voice Dictation
5 Main Considerations
Strong Voice Pattern
Train it – Patience
Speak Continuously
Consistent Hardware
Computer Knowledge
Dragon Naturally Speaking –
Windows
Dragon Dictate – Apple
Mobile Apps (SIRI,
GoogleTalk, Dragon Dictate,
voice to text apps)
25. Hand Writing Recognition
Tablets
Computers
Mobile Devices
Apple OS X &
Windows 7 Home
A Bamboo or Intuos Premium & higher
tablet connected to your Windows Journal
mac, you will find an Icon
labeled “INK” in your Bamboo & Intuos
System Preference Pen Tablets
Windows install app.
26.
27. More Note Taking Systems
Record, Listen, Share
SmartPens
LiveScribe
Scanning Pen
Digital Recorders
http://www.livescribe.com/en-us/
28. There’s an App for That!
NotAbility
NotesPlus
OneNote in MS Office
Audio Note
EverNote
Every platform
30. Reading
Text to Speech
Text to Mp3
Magnification
eReaders
Braille
Screen Masking
Audio Books
Reading Pens & OCR Scanning
Dictionaries, Translators
Speaking Devices
Digital Recorders & mp3 players
31. Screen Readers & Text to Speech
All platforms, free & commercial
Consider what you want, where
Braille support
Application support
Usability (multiple fingers required)
Apple leads the way as far as Free built in on multiple
platforms (iPad, iPhone, computer)
Android developers are making an attempt but its not
consistent and everywhere (proprietary apps).
Windows Narrator is still there. 3rd party products like
JAWS, Window Eyes lead this feature rich category.
FREE – NVDA, SAToGO, Thunder, WebAnyWhere, VO
33. Text to Mp3
Apple great feature - Convert to Speech using iTunes
(on an Apple computer)
Other text to mp3 conversion is done by 3rd party
Zoomtext 10
JAWS 13
Read & Write Gold
Kurzweil
Natural Reader Pro
Text Aloud
Premier Assistive
& more
37. Customizing Appearance
Text Only
Slow internet
speed
Mobile devices
Certain
technologies
Only see certain
colours or contrast
Less Distracting
Change viewing
preferences in
browsers,
documents, mouse
& font size/color,
remove images
38. Other Reading Tools
Magnification
System
Braille
Printer
Refreshable Braille
Display
40. Devices that Speak
ScanTel - identify bar coded items
DigiCite - electronic device that converts LED
displays to speech, works with telephone
consoles, measurement, recording and test
equipment, etc
TeleTalk - provides access to telephone console
indicator & message display information for blind
users
(from Compusult www.compusult.net
41. Communication & Information Access
Messaging – language is changing LOL
Aug Comm devices are portable & durable
Lower cost on things like iPad (Proloquo)
Collaborate – social networking, web
conferencing, captioning, chat, texting
42. Other Everyday CITs
InterpreType: Connect
2 Netbooks or devices
Video Messaging
Captions in Web
Conferences (Elluminate,
Adobe Connect)
Video Relay Service
Transcripts
IASL
E Buddy, Z4Mobile,
ZVRS,
Speak It app
43. AT Enhances the Workplace
Contribute To The Team
Give Value Added
A Voice & Expression
Deliver Creative
Innovative Results
Efficiency (speed)
Accessibility Benefits
Everyone
44. Trends
Horizon Report 2011 – trend in next 5
years are e-text, open source, mobile
Devices
Accessible eReaders
CAUTION: Free apps
-Difficult finding
support
Less Feature Rich
Need more apps to
do what a commercial
app can do
45. Tablets & Cell Phones
Great Functionality
Lower Cost
Portability
Touch Screen is
easier for many to use
Intuitive
Not a computer
replacement, yet
47. Android Devices
Most phones Android 2 &Tablets Android 3
Android 4 ice cream sandwich is expected to be
the most accessible Android yet
Accessibility still is up to 3rd party developers
Apps4Androd & Eyes-Free lead the way with their
IDEAL brand proprietary accessible apps
Many note taking apps are also available on
Android as they are in IOS (EverNote, AudioNote,
DropBox, etc)
Accessibility is not there yet
48. Android Accessibility
Built In
TalkBack – speaks
what you touch
sometimes
SoundBack –
makes a sound
when things are
pressed
KickBack – vibrates
when keys are
pressed
49. It’s a Start for Android
Voice Dictation
Auto Correct
Auto Capitalization
Double space = period
Connect your input device
(keyboard)
Default is off
Kickback, SoundBack
TalkBack
51. More IOS Accessibility
Holding home button
opens voice dictation for
certain commands SIRI or
not Siri
Features carry over the
entire device & most apps
53. Accessibility Barriers to ALL AT
Inaccessible documents
JavaScript in apps
Inaccessible Flash
No Captions/Descriptions
created
Mouse exclusive control
(no keyboard access)
55. Definition of Accessibility
At the most basic level, Accessibility is about
people being able to get & use content.
Practice of making online content & applications
usable by everyone
Appropriate design ensures that all users have
equal access to information & functionality
Is not about just digitizing or virtualizing
56. Why Be Accessible?
The right thing to do - Equal Opportunity to
education
Good for business – helps everyone not just
people with disabilities. Can’t afford not to be
accessible. Accessible content works on mobile
devices & computers
The Law
57. Employers Can…
Accessible Documents - using styles
(headings, Lists), Alt text for images, proper
use of tables, don’t rely on color to convey
info, chunking of info, captions/transcripts.
Plan ahead and make all spaces usable
(above standard)
Create respectful & accessible training env
(material, spaces, activities)
58. Candidates Can
Be Honest.
What do you have?
What assists you best.
Offer testing on systems.
Be Patient: a process with you is
education & the employer/IT people
are mostly unaware of AT &
Accessibility
59. Skills
AT - Get it. Learn it, Use it.
in school & out there is funding
Skills
Type 40 wpm for office jobs
MS Office, Browser
E-mail Concepts (attachments, forward)
Types of Documents (DOCX, PDF, MP3)
Where You Save Things
Strategies for:
Easy, Interactive Communication Method
Reading method for the workflow
Note Taking System
60. Tech Best Practice in Seeking
Have an e-mail... That you check
Have a cell phone... That you answer
Figure out your Transportation issues
Clean Profiles (facebook, twitter, Flickr, YouTube).
Any answer impacts first impressions
They hire confident, skilled & personable people (disabled
or not)
Offer opportunities not criticism.
Your network is your advantage.
61. Opportunity Awaits
A pessimist sees the
difficulty in every
opportunity; an
optimist sees the
opportunity in every
difficulty.
62. Questions?
Thank You!
Carrie Anton
Assistive Technologist
Access to Students with Disabilities
Athabasca University
1200, 10011 109 Street, Edmonton, AB T5G 3J2
Ph: 780-421-2548
E-mail: carriea@athabascau.ca or
carrie.anton@hotmail.com