Free Resources from the Net for EVERY Learner » Access

keyboardr (Online Resource)

Paul Hamilton — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:36:48 +0000

Internet search engines have proliferated to the point where it is impossible to keep up with all the available variants. I’ve come across one this week that has caught my attention. Thanks again Richard Byrne!

keyboardr is a meta-search engine that I believe has potential to make web searching easier for many individuals who face special access challenges.

keyboardr incorporates a form of word prediction; and it can be used entirely from the keyboard, without requiring a mouse. As you start typing into the search box, the search engine immediately begins coming up with results for the most likely terms you are looking for. For example, I wanted to search for text to speech. By the time I had typed in “text to”, keyboardr had come up with what I wanted.

Just as the search process is facilitated by the word prediction feature, accessing search results is facilitated in keyboardr because you can easily move between results with the arrow keys on the keyboard. When you want to check out a result, you can choose it by hitting the Enter key. Pressing the escape key puts your cursor right back in the search box so you can start over or move in another direction with your search.

As a meta-search engine, keyboardr looks in four specific places–Google “Web”, Google Images, Wikipedia, and Youtube. Results are displayed predictably in the same place on the page for every search. These are the same four places where I often begin looking for information.

I’ve embedded a video below in which Julius Eckert, the developer of keyboardr, show how it all works and outlines future plans for his site. He would like users to consider making keyboardr.com their home page on the web.

keyboardr.com from Julius Eckert on Vimeo.

AccessApps (Downloadable Programs)

Paul Hamilton — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:08:21 +0000

I’m writing today about a bundle of powerful free applications that facilitate and enhance access in multiple ways. This one’s an extra special set of resources that should be available everywhere. Please help spread the word.

AccessApps is a suite of 41 free applications that can be downloaded and then run directly from a USB memory stick on any Windows computer. This means that anyone who needs these programs can use them anywhere–in the classroom, at home, at work, or wherever.

The list of applications is extensive, and it includes Open Office for word processing, programs that provide reading and writing support, visual support applications, accessible browsers, multimedia tools, and much more. I’m not yet familiar with all the programs, but the ones I do know are of high quality. I look forward to exploring the applications that are new to me.

Three download options are available–the entire suite of 41 applications (739 Mb), a ‘Lite’ selection of 20 (64 Mb), or ‘Pick n Mix’ where you choose exactly what you want. I downloaded the ‘Works’, and that took a little over 2 hours. It then took considerable time to extract all the files from the downloaded zip file and then copy them to my memory stick. Once installed on the memory stick, everything functions flawlessly.

AccessApps has been developed, and is now distributed, by RSC (Regional Support Centre Scotland North & East) They have also very helpfully made available tutorial videos that walk you through the process of downloading the applications and installing them on a USB flash memory stick. Extensive text documentation is available in several formats–from the website, and on the memory stick itself.

The entire suite requires at least a 2 Gb memory stick, but a 4 or 8 Gb stick would be better because it would allow for storage of a significant collection of personal files along with the programs. Here’s what the user interface, or the memory stick’s ‘Start Menu’, looks like.

Access Firefox (Online Resource)

Paul Hamilton — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:55:32 +0000

Last week, Google released the shiny new web browser that they’ve aptly named “Chrome“. After taking it for a test drive, I have to admit that I rather like it. It’s incredibly fast, and I love the way it gives me almost my entire laptop screen for viewing web pages. Still, Chrome reminds me of just how very much more I appreciate Firefox.

I believe that Firefox should be available to every learner in every school. That’s because of the accessibility features that are built into Firefox and because of the available Firefox add-ons that further facilitate access for individuals with diverse learning needs.

In a blog post entitled “Learning to give up…“, Ira Socol convincingly makes the point that text-to-peech software is an essental tool that should be available to all learners, not just to those with designated “special” needs. I think every classroom teacher would do well to read Ira’s post!

With Firefox, text-to-speech software can indeed be available to all learners when reading online. That’s because there is a free Firefox add-on called CLiCk,Speak that conveniently offers text-to-speech. This is but one example of the countless add-ons for Firefox that enhance accessibility and that help to make learning possible for many who might otherwise give up.

Access Firefox is a website that I’ve written about before, but I believe it’s well worth another mention. Access Firefox is a tremendous resource for anyone interested in making the internet accessible to all learners. Access Firefox details the built-in accessibility features of Firefox. It also describes and links to numerous add-ons. The site is well organized and uncluttered. It has been designed with accessibility in mind, and demonstrates what an accessible website can look like.

If you are in a position to exert any influence at all, please advocate for the use of Firefox on the computers that are being used in schools. Alternative browsers available today don’t come close in terms of helping to meet the diverse range learning styles and learning needs that exist in every classroom.

Accessibar (Firefox Add-on)

Paul Hamilton — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 03:51:38 +0000

I wish classroom educators were not so stuck on using Internet Explorer. Firefox is a superior web browser in almost every respect, and this is especially true for individuals with special needs. Kate Ahern recently mentioned another add-on for Firefox that offers a set of convenient tools to enhance accessibility.

Accessibar is a toolbar that can be installed as an add-on for the Firefox browser with a set of tools to make the internet more accessible for people with special needs. Accessibar is especially useful for those with low vision. As with all toolbar icons in Firefox, the toolbar shown below can include text that names the function of the icon. All of the Accessibar functions can also be activated with keyboard shortcuts that can be configured by the user.

In the words of the toolbar’s developers, here’s what the Accessibar tools will do for you.

Web page fonts and background colors can be changed from a selecton of 70 colors on current session
Icons with configurable shortcut keys to increase and decrease Font size.
Line spacing can be increased or decreased to five different spacing settings incrementally.
All images (including Flash) displayed on a web page can be selected as being hiden or shown.
All changes made to web page display can be restored to original page settings by pressing “Restore Page“.
Changes made to the currently displayed web page persist until “Restore Page“ is selected.
Integrated Text To Speech reader. Reads out strings hovered over as well as focused elements.
Reader settings can be configured allowing the selection of the voice, volume, speaking rate, pitch, and voice range.
Toolbar functions have configurable Hotkeys (keyboard shortcuts).

I tested Accessibar’s text-to-speech function, and I found it to work reasonably well. It does an especially good job of reading links and buttons. As a sighted reader, however,I much prefer to use CLiCk,Speak for reading passages of text. I wonder if it might be the same for individuals with low vision if they are able to use Accessibar’s tools to enable them to see the web page effectively. I added the CLiCk,Speak buttons to the Accessibar toolbar. The only drawback is that there are no keyboard commands for the CLiCk,Speak buttons.

Access Firefox (online resource)

Paul Hamilton — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 17:41:46 +0000

Welcome to this Treasure Chest of Free Stuff!

FREE online resources and downloadable programs for learners.

About 3 years ago, my son told me I should get with the program and switch to Firefox. Since then, I’ve become a diehard fan and promoter of the browser. Because I work in the field of assistive technology, I especially appreciate the add-ons that have been written for Firefox to make the internet more accessible for people with special challenges. I’ve written here about CLiCkSpeak, FireVox, and Mouse Gestures. Today I’m highlighting a website whose sole focus is the accessiblity features of Firefox.

Access Firefox The raison d’etre for this site is clearly stated in its tagline: “Because the Internet is for everyone.” That resonates with me. The internet has created gateways to the world and facilitated connections that simply had not been available to many people with special needs before.

Access Firefox has catologued a significant list of Firefox extensions and themes that enhance Firefox accessiblity. The site offers assistance for anyone who needs to figure out how to download and install these add-ons. Access Firefox is also doing its bit to promote ongoing development of add-ons that facilitae access.

Ken Saunders, the site’s creator, is legally blind; and the majority of resources listed on Access Firefox are for individuals who are either blind or who have low vision. CLiCkSpeak, however, is an example of an add-on for sighted individuals with reading challenges. Mouse Gestures is an add-on that makes the internet accessible to individuals with physical challenges that keep them from using a typical hand-operated mouse.

The accessibility features that are being written for Firefox illustrate the power of open source software and of communities that form in response to specific needs.