Grrr… I’ll try and keep this short. I’m annoyed by something and it may be unjustified so please let me know if I’m missing something.
Lots of switch users want to be able to access the Internet, right? The number of potential meaningful activities out there is enourmous and the very popular BBC iPlayer (as well as the ITV and C4 equivalents) should be able to offer TV on-demand to switch users as well as anyone else. But there’s a problem.
I generally see three recurring problems when attempting to access the Internet using one or more switches:
The first is the sheer number of links on a page that need to be scanned through. This can often be fixed by creating a ‘Scan 5 Links’ button (which I generally always do using The Grid 2) or by convincing the webmasters to build pages with less links (I’ll let you try that one).
The second major problem is the focus highlight as the tab moves around the web document. It’s almost impossible to see. Now you can use a User Style Sheet but these do not work properly for Internet Explorer 7 on many websites (including the BBC iPlayer). The user styles work beautifully in Firefox as can be seen in this screenshot. The yellow block is the moving highlight caused by a local userContent style sheet.
Unfortunately Firefox won’t allow a switch user to access Flash elements. The tab key just skips straight past unless a mouse is used to select the element first. This is a pretty significant flaw as it prohibits switch users from accessing video content on YouTube, iPlayer and pretty much everywhere else.
We’re left with the option of having an easy-to-follow tabbing focus highlight OR access to video content. Not both. Please fix it.
This certainly isn’t the first time that someone has come up with a way of getting computers to respond to brain activity but now there’s finally an actual tangible commercial product on the horizon.
An American company, Emotiv, have created a headset that tracks thoughts, emotions and facial expressions and uses this information to control software. Although designed with gamers in mind (is that a pun?) there’s no reason why the headset couldn’t, in theory, be linked up to other software such as onscreen keyboards. Even if this proves to be a problem the accessible gaming aspect is really quite exciting.
So is this thing actually going to work and can it be used to improve the lives of people with severe physical disabilities? Maybe. Emotiv promises that the headset will be in the shops by next Christmas at a remarkably low price of £150. That’s cheaper than some rollerballs and thousands of pounds cheaper than current eye control systerms. But whether the device is going to be practical and useful is another matter. Daniel Terdiman from CNET recently reviewed the device and had some success but felt there was some way to go.
Come to the first Communication Works event organised by CENMAC and Charlton School. This is a chance to meet lots of suppliers of technology that is dedicated to levelling the playing field for children with different ways of learning and communicating.
There is a rolling programme of seminars, many examples of best practice in and around London and advice and support. This show is aimed at teachers, SENCos, support assistants, parents, therapists, advisors and anyone who is interested in finding out more about what the right technology can achieve, and how to get it. This event is FREE - just come along! For details click here. For details of presentations, click here.”
Back in 2005 I wrote a little utility that allowed people to resize to the Windows XP On-Screen Keyboard (OSK). This is now available as a free download from the XP OSK page on my website.
Be warned that this utility was never built to be distributed to other people!
I’ve been recommending Screen Tinter Lite to people for a couple of years now. The program provides a rapid and easy way to change the Windows colour scheme. It’s far easier than trying to get to grips with the Windows Control Panel.
Screen Tinter Lite quickly changes the colour scheme in most programs, including Microsoft Word. Some programs require tweaking before they’ll listen to Screen Tinter Lite and because of this I’ve created special colour tutorials for Internet Explorer 7, Adobe Reader and Firefox.
I often recommend Screen Tinter Lite to people with Scotopic Sensitivity and visual impairments but it’s a great tool for anyone who uses a computer as it can be used to reduce screen glare.
IBM have combined their experience of speech recognition with signing avatars created by the University of East Anglia to create SiSi, an on-screen speech-to-signing translator. The available avatars can sign in BSL or Sign Supported English. Currently the system is a prototype but IBM are considering plans to make it commercially available.
An example of the technology can be seen below. While I obviously always welcome new advancements in assistive technologies it is clear from the video that the software is by no means ready to act as a replacement for a human signing interpreter. The avatar started lagging quite far behind the speaker and lacked the facial experiences required to express accurate meanings. On the other hand this technology could have some great applications for communicating relatively simple messages across the Internet or during PowerPoint presentations.
There’s a bit of confusion as to what has happened to the speech recognition element of Microsoft Office 2007.
Speech recognition was first introduced by Microsoft as a feature of Office XP in 2001. An improved version was then included with Microsoft Office 2003. It has been removed from the latest release, Office 2007, and is now part of Windows Vista.
“After seven years, there was literally no evidence it had any impact on student achievement — none.”
So the idea that a laptop for every child improves their education turned out not to be true. At least that’s what they’re finding in America, according to an article published in the New York Times today.
“Laptops had been abused by students, did not fit into lesson plans, and showed little, if any, measurable effect on grades and test scores.”
Babymouse is a freeware windows ‘lock-down’ program that reduces mouse functionality. It can disable all right-mouse clicks and restrict mouse use to an area of the screen. This makes it ideal for use in classrooms where pupils often get distracted by accidentally - and sometimes intentionally - clicking on icons, toolbars and the start menu.
I had high hopes for this software but is it any good? And is it really free?
The SEN Teacher website is a popular, easy-to-use resource of classroom materials relating to special educational needs. There are three main sections:
Printables contains 30 printable worksheet resources covering topics such as numeracy and handwriting.
Downloads consists of several Flash activities created by the site author, Simon Evans, and links to more similar activities and programs by other authors. All the software is free and ranges from basic hit-and-happen touchscreen animations to advanced switch access to Windows and painting programs.
Web links contains links to over 50 websites that should be in the ‘Favourites’ menu of any SEN teacher. It includes a comprehensive list of websites organised by disability, free resources and other supportive sites and portals.
The content and features of the website have increased significantly over recent months.
Lots of switch users want to be able to access the Internet, right? The number of potential meaningful activities out there is enourmous and the very popular BBC iPlayer (as well as the ITV and C4 equivalents) should be able to offer TV on-demand to switch users as well as anyone else. But there’s a problem.
The second major problem is the focus highlight as the tab moves around the web document. It’s almost impossible to see. Now you can use a User Style Sheet but these do not work properly for Internet Explorer 7 on many websites (including the BBC iPlayer). The user styles work beautifully in Firefox as can be seen in this screenshot. The yellow block is the moving highlight caused by a local userContent style sheet.
