The document summarizes a project called DART2 that aims to disseminate assistive roles and technology in further education colleges. It discusses workshops held on assessment for assistive technology, the assistive technologist role, and hands-on sessions on software and apps. Case studies from colleges that received support describe implementing assessment procedures and assistive technology. Continuing professional development opportunities for assistive technologists are also listed.

1. DART2 – Disseminating
Assistive Roles and
Technology
A JISC ADVANCE FE & Skills Project

2. Very brief backstory
 2010/12 DART1, an LSIS funded project
 Beaumont College and National Star College worked with 8
colleges, in a ‘deep support’ capacity
 Beaumont and Star are ISC’s : Independent Specialist
Colleges
 One of those DART1 colleges was Henshaws
 Now we are running DART2, a JISC Advance funded
project:
 Beaumont College, National Star College, Henshaws College,
Colleges Scotland, NATSPEC, JISC all working together
 10 deep support colleges, 2 in Scotland
 3 workshops, delivered twice, once in Birmingham, once in
Stirling
 Two workshops have taken place in both Stirling and
Birmingham, the third workshop takes place in June.

3. The Workshop Series
 DAY1: Assessment for Assistive Technology at Queen
Alexandra College / Argyll Court - February 2013.
 This training was aimed at practitioners such as teachers /
tutors, learning support workers/assistants and people in an
AT role. Managers of these post holders may also be
interested.
 The event covered the following areas:
 What is AT assessment and who should be assessed for AT?
 Case study examples from DART2 colleges, (including both GFE
and ISC examples) of their assessment procedures
 A brief introduction to AT hardware and software
 Signposting to further assistance and organisations that can help
 Slides from Scottish event:
http://dart.beaumontcollege.ac.uk/?p=342
 Slides from English event:
http://dart.beaumontcollege.ac.uk/?p=358

4.  Day2: 24th April 2013 at QAC, 30th April 2013 in Stirling
 This event is for managers who may wish to establish the Assistive
Technologist role in their college and also for practitioners who are in this
role but wish to develop it.
 The event will be based on small group interactive practice / experience
sharing and is intended to be kept small so that participants all get
opportunities to contribute to discussion, as such places are few in number
so early booking is advisable. This event will cover:
 Definition of the Assistive Technologist role
 Examples of Technologist roles in both ISCs and GFEs will be given,
along with detailed information on the impact the roles have had (e.g. on
observation of teaching and learning grades)
 Training and CPD opportunities for people who are working in the role
 Funding the role
 The organisational structure and team relationships that can enable or
hamper the introduction of this role
 Slides from the Scottish event: http://dart.beaumontcollege.ac.uk/?p=391
 Slides from the English event: http://dart.beaumontcollege.ac.uk/?p=384
The Workshop Series

5.  Day3: 6th June at Beaumont College, 12th June in Stirling
 This will be a hands on session mainly designed for
practitioners such as teachers / tutors, learning support
workers/assistants and people in an AT role.
 The topics on offer include:
 The free ‘My Study Bar’ / ‘Edu Apps’ (AM)
 The Grid 2 for computer and curriculum access (AM)
 Clicker 6 (PM)
 The use of tablet PC’s (iPad, Android, Windows) by people
with disabilities (PM)
 NOTE: ENGLISH DATE FULL, SCOTTISH DATE (Argyll
Court, Stirling on 12th June 2013) HAS PLACES:
http://events.scotlandscolleges.ac.uk/events/show/4591
The Workshop Series

6.  Following an application and shortlisting process that was
overseen by JISC TechDIS 10 Colleges were selected
 Applications for the ‘deep support’ element were heavily
oversubscribed, with approximately three times more
applications than places available
 This indicates that there is a large unmnet need in the sector.
 Unsuccessful applicants received priority booking for the
workshop series. After the priority booking period, places will
are allocated on a first come, first served basis
 We plan to move to a paid consultancy basis for this support
going forward, but fear that contracting budgets will limit the
appeal of this
The ‘Deep Support’ Colleges

7.  The DART project board applied a set of eligibility criteria
when discussing each application, and selected the following
10 colleges to receive the ‘deep support’ element of the
project:
 Beaumont College to Support:
 Bridge College
 Myerscough College
 Kilmarnock College
 Edinburgh College
 National Star College to Support
 Derwen College
 Homefield College
 Queen Alexandra College
 Henshaws College to support:
 Landmarks College
 Percy Hedley College
 Royal College (Seashell Trust)
The ‘Deep Support’ Colleges

8. Assessment for
Assistive Technology
(These slides by Mike Thrussell @ Henshaws College)

9. Why do an assessment?
 Previous information may not be reliable
 Establish needs / Barriers
 To be Inclusive
 To establish whether needs can be met
 Motivation
 Set appropriate goals / programme

10. Who to assess?
 Learners with disclosed disabilities
 Referrals where there is an area of concern
 Time to assess varies

11. What is an assessment?
 The aim is to implement a bespoke solution to enable the
learner to access IT
 More of a process than an event
 Individual
 Multi disciplinary where appropriate

12. What skills and knowledge are
required?
 Awareness of others therapies (OT, SaLT)
 Overview of AT Hardware and Software
 People skills
 Observation
 Record keeping / Report writing
 Dissemination (plain english)

13. Areas To Consider
 Visual
 Physical Access
 Cognitive Understanding
 Positioning
 Motivators

14.  Slide credit – Margaret McKay from JISC RSC Scotland
”achieve to find the
best fit
or match between
the learner and the
environment”
Beattie R
(1999)
”finding the person -
environment -
performance fit”
Christiansen C and
Baum C
(1991)
"asking not what is
wrong with the
student but what is
needs to be changed
within the
environment”
Tilston et al
(1998)
"avoid locating
the difficulty with
student but focus on
the capacity of
educational institution to
respond to the student's
requirements”
Tomlinson
(1997)

15. Introduction to AT
Hardware
(From: DART Project Workshop Day 1)
With thanks to Mike Thrussell

16. Mainstream Hardware
 Accessibility ‘baked in’
 Cost effective
 Some adaptations needed

17. AV
 Cameras
 Digital Voice Recorders
 CD Players

18. Touch
 Motivational
 Simple
 Tablets
 Touch Screens

19. Alternative Keyboards
 Are many and varied, here are some examples:

20. Alternative Keyboards
 Where to buy:
http://www.inclusive.co.uk/hardware/alternative-keyboards
 Or try mainstream suppliers like: http://cpc.farnell.com/ Order
Code: CS20650 @ £25.62 for example:

21. Alternative Mice
 Also many and varied

22. Alternative Mice
 Again, Inclusive Technology has a great range:
http://www.inclusive.co.uk/hardware/mouse-alternatives
 Again try mainstream suppliers, even PC world:

23. Switches
 Lots of options (once more)
 Quite expensive
 Specialist suppliers only:
http://www.inclusive.co.uk/ha
rdware/switches-and-switch-
mountings/button-switches
 Require a switch interface
box for a computer:
 http://www.inclusive.co.uk/ha
rdware/switch-interface-
boxes
 I like the joycable:
 http://www.inclusive.co.uk/jo
y-cable-2-p2565

24. Head Mouse / Eye Gaze
 Head mouse uses a reflective dot, light emitter and a
camera:

25. Head Mouse / Eye Gaze
 Eye-Gaze has been very expensive, but the price is dropping
 See http://www.tobii.com/rexvip
 Market leader is http://www.tobii.com/en/footer-
pusher/business-area-footer/augmentative-and-alternative-
communication/
 PC-eye now (only!) £3,000

26. Head Mouse / Eye Gaze
 Eye-gaze has enormous potential for many users
 Cost is coming down
 Will be in consumer laptops and other devices shortly
 The ‘rex’ is the first Tobii consumer product
 It will even appear in cars
 Head mouse type are cheaper than eye-gaze £250 / £300
 If you want to know more see:
http://www.tobii.com/LearningCurve
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v
=XK1yjYSRc20

27. AAC Devices
 Low tech:
 Stored message devices
 Some have layers
 Overlays with symbols
 Cheap<er>

28. AAC Devices
 High tech:
 Often computer based
 Sophisticated
 Multiple page sets
available
 Incredibly expensive
 Require specialist
training to implement
 On-going support is
very important

29. AAC Devices
 High tech mainstream:
 Enter the iPad
 Not the first, or most accessible tablet
 Literally hundreds of apps
 See: http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/iphoneipad-apps-for-aac
 And: http://www.appsforaac.net/
 Also can use Windows 7/8 tablets and Android tablets for AAC
 We use a lot of Windows 7 tablets for AAC at Beaumont College
(more in Day 3 workshop and in software element today)

30. Introduction to AT
Software
(From DART Project Workshop Day 1)
With thanks to Mike Thrussell

31. JISC Access Apps / Edu Apps / My
Study Bar
 http://www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/techdis/technologymatters/enabli
ngtech/accessapps

32. The Grid 2
 Highly Flexible
 Communication aid
 Operating System
 Supports all methods of access
 Excellent customer support

33. Websites
 ‘mobile’ sites (e.g. m.facebook.com)
 Bespoke sites (e.g. accessyoutube.org.uk)
 Mouseless Browsing (Firefox add-on)

34. Clicker 6
 See:
http://www.cricksoft.com/uk/
products/tools/clicker/home.
aspx
 Literacy tool
 Some free stuff too:
 http://www.cricksoft.com/uk/
products/content/learninggri
ds.aspx

35. Read & Write Gold
 See: http://www.texthelp.com/UK/our-
products/readwrite
 Toolbar:
 Reading
 Text-to-Speech
 Screenshot Reader
 DAISY Reader
 Screen Masking
 PDF Aloud
 Reading Support
 Dictionary
 Picture Dictionary
 Speech Maker
 Pronunciation Tutor
 Translator
 Writing and Self-Editing
 Spell Checker
 Word Prediction
 Word Wizard
 Sounds Like and Confusable Words
 Verb Checker
 Speech Input
 Speak While Typing
 Study Skills and Research
 Calculator
 Fact Finder
 Fact Folder
 Fact Mapper
 Study Skills Highlighters
 Vocabulary List Builder

36. iOS
 Already mentioned AAC.
 Great for all sorts of Education apps.
 Not the only option, but best education app support?
 Hard to manage (your IT team may not like to deploy Apple
kit, and not without good reason:
 Licencing Apps is not easy
 Apple VL (Volume Licencing) does exist now, but it’s fairly
complex to do (legally)
 What follows is a list of apps that were prepared by Trevor
Mobbs (Beaumont College) for an LSIS LSW initiative.

37. iOS
 Grid Player – iOS, FREE
 http://www.sensorysoftware.com/gridplayer.html

38. iOS
 Clicker Docs – iOS, £17.99 / Clicker Sentences – iOS,
£14.99
 http://www.cricksoft.com/uk/products/apps/clicker-apps.aspx
 2 apps to support learners with literacy.

39. iOS
 Dragon Dictation – iOS, FREE
 http://www.nuancemobilelife.com/apps/dragon-dictation
 Pictello – iOS, £13.49
 http://www.assistiveware.com/product/pictello
 Bloom – iOS, £2.49
 http://www.generativemusic.com/bloom.html
 MorphWiz – iOS, £6.99
 http://www.wizdommusic.com/MorphWiz/

40. iOS
 Beatwave – iOS, FREE
 http://www2.collect3.com.au/beatwave
 Koi Pond – iOS, Android. FREE
 http://www.theblimppilots.com/home/?page_id=9
 Fluid – iOS, FREE
 https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/fluid/id312575632?mt=8

41. iOS
 See also:
 Guided Access:
 Guided Access is not an app, but a new feature in iOS 6 which
enables the device to be locked in to one app by disabling the
home button. Here is a useful guide about how to use it :
http://senclassroom.wordpress.com/2012/09/20/guided-access-
ios-6/
 Assistive Touch:
 AssistiveTouch lets you enter Multi-Touch gestures using one
finger or a stylus
 http://www.apple.com/accessibility/iphone/physical.html

42. Case Study 1: Runshaw
College, a general further
education College
(From DART Project Workshop Day 1)

43. Runshaw College
 Medium sized GFE (General Further Education College)
 Worked with Beaumont College in ‘deep support’ capacity in
the DART 1 project.
 The work included:
 Work shadowing
 Training
 Support with assessment
 Recruitment Support from Beaumont for the Assistive
technologist role.

44. Runshaw College
 In their own words:
 http://dart.beaumontcollege.ac.uk/?p=175
 And from Richard (their Assistive Technologist):
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxnN3UxiDQY

45. Case Study 2: RSC
Scotland / UHI (Mags
McKay & Mark Ross)
(From DART Project Workshop Day 1)

46. University of the Highlands and
Islands (UHI)
 Using VC for needs assessment
 In their own words:
 http://youtu.be/lsnax_QAl9c
 UHI consists of a number of HEi's and also FE Colleges and
has a wide remit in terms of numbers and geography.
Although it is called a 'University' much of the provision
takes place FE college - often based in very small learning
centres in small towns and villages across the UHI
geographical area.

47. University of the Highlands and
Islands (UHI)
 Using VC for needs assessment
 Some of the learning centres are very remote e.g. Outer
Hebrides - (Lewis, Harris, Benbecula) also the Northern Isles -
(Orkney and Shetland). Take Shetland for example - its most
northerly point is 200 miles from Aberdeen and also a mere 200
miles from Norway.
 This last point highlights the benefit of this remote assessment
of need as a viable option. Find out more:
 Find out more:
 Full write up of the UHI case study: http://www.rsc-
scotland.org/?p=514
 Link to recorded webinar archive about remote DSA assessment of
need: http://www.rsc-scotland.org/?p=771

48. CPD opportunities for
Assistive Technologists
(From: DART Project Workshop Day 2)

49. CPD opportunities for Assistive
Technologists
 Ace Centre training: http://acecentre.org.uk/training
 Day courses
 Accredited courses: http://acecentre.org.uk/assistive-technology-
unit
 MMU courses: http://acecentre.org.uk/cpd-opportunities

50. CPD opportunities for Assistive
Technologists
 The BRITE initiative (Scotland based, online offer to
anywhere): http://www.brite.ac.uk/about.html
 http://www.brite.ac.uk/courses
 http://brite.adobeconnect.com/p4d2l32ee53/

51. CPD opportunities for Assistive
Technologists
 University Opportunities, start with FAST:
http://fastuk.org/services/trainingcourses.php
 Trevor Mobbs of BC is on this MSc course at Coventry:
 http://fastuk.org/services/courseview.php?id=125
 http://wwwm.coventry.ac.uk/hdti/Pages/index.aspx
 New MSc in AAC at Dundee:
 http://www.dundee.ac.uk/psychology/study/masters/mscaac/

52. CPD opportunities for Assistive
Technologists
 The technology companies:
 AAC:
 Smartbox: http://www.smartboxat.com/support/training/
 Dynavox: http://uk.dynavoxtech.com/training/
 Liberator: http://www.liberator.co.uk/aac-training
 Other AT:
 Inclusive Technology: http://www.inclusive.co.uk/training-and-
consultancy
 And specific software opportunities . . .

53. CPD opportunities for Assistive
Technologists
 JISC
 JISC TechDIS:
 Events: http://www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/techdis/events
 Resources: http://www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/techdis/resources
 http://www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/techdis/investinyourself
 http://www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/tbx
 JISC RSC’s:
 http://www.jisc.ac.uk/rsc
 Find out who your accessibility and inclusion advisor is

54. Inclusivity CPD Jisc RSC
Scotland:
Scoop.it!
http://www.scoop.it/t/inclusive-elearning
http://www.scoop.it/t/inclusive-marketing
http://www.scoop.it/t/tablet-devices-living-
learning-productivity
http://www.scoop.it/t/ebooks-and-accessibility

55. RSC Scotland Showcase
Case studies highlighting effective practice from
FE/HE in Scotland
http://www.rsc-scotland.org/
 Learning & Teaching
 Access & Inclusion
 Assessment
 Learner & Support Services
 Technology & Business Systems
 Regional Collaboration

56. RSC Scotland Inclusion Blog
http://www.rsc-scotland.org/inclusion/

57. CPD opportunities for Assistive
Technologists
 THE DART PROJECT WORKSHOPS – Day3: 6th June,
Beaumont College
 This will be a hands on session mainly designed for
practitioners such as teachers / tutors, learning support
workers/assistants and people in an AT role.
 The topics on offer include:
 The free ‘My Study Bar’ / ‘Edu Apps’ (AM)
 The Grid 2 for computer and curriculum access (AM)
 Clicker 6 (PM)
 The use of tablet PC’s (iPad, Android, Windows) by people
with disabilities (PM)
 NOTE: ENGLISH DATE FULL, SCOTTISH DATE (Argyll
Court, Stirling on 12th June 2013) HAS PLACES:
http://events.scotlandscolleges.ac.uk/events/show/4591

58. CPD opportunities for Assistive
Technologists
 Informal opportunities:
 ALT mail list
 JISC mail lists (ask your JISC RSC advisors)
 Karten Network Google Group

59. CPD opportunities for Assistive
Technologists
 Web sites for self directed CPD:
 http://www.scope.org.uk/help-and-information/communication/aac
 http://www.callcentre.education.ed.ac.uk/Home/
 http://acecentre.org.uk/information-sheets-publications
 http://www.communicationmatters.org.uk/page/resources/elibrary
 http://www.abilitynet.org.uk/factsheets
 http://speechbubble.org.uk/
 Specific Software Tutorials eg:
 http://www.cricksoft.com/uk/products/tools/clicker/training.aspx
 http://www.youtube.com/user/SmartboxAT

60. THANK YOU
 SAFE JOURNEY HOME
 Email us:
 Rohan.slaughter@scope.org.uk
 Trevor.Mobbs@scope.org.uk
 Mike.Thrussell@henshaws.org.uk
 asparkes@natstar.ac.uk
 Margaret.McKay@glasgow.ac.uk
 kh@rsc-northwest.ac.uk
 Maclachlan.R@Runshaw.ac.uk
 Follow us:
 @rohanslaughter
 @mikethrussell
 @axessibility (Andrew Sparkes)
 @Mobbst
 @FilMcIntyre (BRITE)
 @kevhickeyuk (JISC RSC NW)
 @Mags_McKay (JISC RSC Scotland)
 @Sporygog (Richard Maclachlan)