Cost Saving Solutions for Assistive Technology

1. Cost Saving Solutions for Assistive Technology Andrew Cioffi

2. Welcome and Introductions • Andrew Cioffi • Assistant Director, ODS, Suffolk University • Instructor, NEAG School of Education, UConn

3. Overview • AT Overview • Cost saving solutions: Students • Cost saving solutions: DS Providers • Comparing costs

4. Assistive Technology, defined • Any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability • IDEA 2004

5. Categories of AT • Aids for Daily Living • Blind/Low Vision • Communication • Computers • Controls • Deaf/Hard of Hearing • Deaf Blind • Education • Environmental Adaptations • Housekeeping • Orthotics • Prosthetics • Recreation • Safety and Security • Seating • Therapeutic Aids • Walking • Wheeled Mobility • Workplace Categories taken from Abledata.com

6. Common AT in DS Offices • Screen Reader • Text-to-speech • Speech-to-text • “Talking devices” • Assisted listening devices • Screen enlarging s/h* • Accessible viewing s/h • A/V recording devices • Note taking s/h • Adaptive furniture • Peripherals • Mobile devices *S/h = software and hardware

7. Disclaimer We will discuss key pieces of tech and their alternatives • Any observations have been made by me through trial and error • Your experiences may differ • I am not endorsing particular products • Lower cost alternatives have their place! But in many cases, can not replace full featured products

8. Technology for Student Usage

9. Tech for Student Usage • Screen Reader • Will read everything on the screen (windows, pop-ups, dialog boxes, document text, etc.) • Can navigate, and edit preferences (i.e. read with cursor, read with arrow keys) • Hallmark software: JAWS, Window Eyes • No cost alternative: NVDA • Pros – Cost, Similar function to JAWS, Quick accessibility checks, Demonstration purposes • Cons – Less sophisticated (Tables, MathML, etc)

10. Tech for Student Usage • Text-to-Speech • Will focus “reading” on the text of a digital or alt format text • Multiple features depending upon program • Hallmark software: Kurzweil, Read/Write Gold • No cost alternative: Natural Reader • Pros – Cost, Accurate TTS w/highlighting, Floating Bar • Cons – Less features in demo version, Advertisements • Native alternatives: iOS/MAC Speak Selection, Windows (8) Narrator, Adobe Read Out Loud, ChromeVox, TONS of mobile apps (Voice Dream)

11. Tech for Student Usage • Speech-to-Text • Voice recognition that dictates voice captured through a microphone. Can also control operating systems. • Hallmark software: Dragon Naturally Speaking, Dragon Dictate for Mac • Native alternatives: Windows speech recognition, Mac Dictation • Not as full featured, No ability to save a voice profile • Mobile apps: Dragon mobile apps, Evernote, Voice assistant, others…

12. Tech for Student Usage • Assistive Listening and Viewing • AT or AT services that allow for accessing listening and/or viewing for students with sensory-based disabilities • Hallmarks: CCTV, handheld magnifiers, MAGic or Zoom Text, FM system, TV system, IR loop system • Alternatives: mobile devices and applications* (ZoomReader, soundAMP, etc) • Alternative format texts • Course content in accessible formats • Hallmarks: Outsourcing, Learning Ally • No cost: AccessTextNetwork, Bookshare, Project Gutenberg, Librivox, Library of Congress *recall disclaimer!

13. Tech for Student Usage • Note taking assistance • Hallmark: Livescribe pen • Low cost: Pear Note, Evernote • Apps for Learning and Executive Function • Hallmarks: Inspiration, Kurzweil, Read and Write Gold • Low cost: mobile apps! (mind mapping, reading, writing, scheduling, flashcards, etc. Thousands of great examples)

14. Other Native Accessibility Features • Windows – Ease of access center, speech recognition, high contrast, magnifier, narrator, scalable elements, sound notifications, text/visual alternatives for sound, mouse keys, sticky keys, toggle keys, etc. • Mac – VoiceOver, Zoom, Dictation, Invert Colors, Cursor Size, Braille Display, FaceTime, Closed Captions, Screen Flash, Mono Audio, Slow Keys, Sticky Keys, Mouse Keys, Onscreen Keyboard, Dictionary, Text to Speech, Word Completion, Speech • Mobile – vary by device, but many of the above listed features are available

15. Technology for DS Providers

16. Tech for DS Providers • Alternative Format Materials Prep • Relatively Low Cost Software: OmniPage and ABBYY FineReader (OCR software), MathType (Math WYSIWYG), • Free Software/Web based solutions: Calibre, Artweaver, SensusAccess, RoboBraille, Readability • Media Delivery • Campus LMS (i.e. Blackboard), Dropbox, Hightail, Wetransfer

17. Tech for DS Providers • Tech for accommodation delivery • Notetaking: Smart Pens, Pear Note (or similar), iPad, mobile apps • Exam proctoring: TTS software, STT software, assistive viewing S/H • Tech for Office Management • iPads! • AT for demo/loan

18. Comparing Costs

19. Comparing Costs • Assistive Technology • Weigh out cost/benefit of multiple options (including outsourcing and insourcing) • Track your numbers and usage • Be sure to factor in number of students • Project long term impact • Consider purchasing upgrade plans

20. Comparing Costs • AT Services and Alt Texts • Track time spent by staff and student workers • Track “additional costs” • Audiobooks purchased, books purchased to be cut and scanned, cost of scanning • Track “other readings” • Staffing?

21. Some Cost Saving Solutions • Braille • Refreshable Braille Displays • Embossers (w/ tactile graphics functions) • Captioning • Transcribing: Dragon, insourcing, outsourcing • Timing: YouTube, Powerpoint, Camtasia • Additional Staffing • Professional staff, intern, graduate student, student workers

22. Other Resources • ATHENA: Free AT Software Inventory • http://access.uoa.gr/ATHENA/eng/pages/home • Web Accessibility Center: Free AT Software • http://wac.osu.edu/conferences/emrc08/free_at.html • Open Source Assistive Technology Software • http://www.oatsoft.org/