The Family Center on Technology and Disability

Welcome to the FCTD resource review database. Hundreds of assistive and instructional technology resources have been identified, reviewed, and annotated for your reference. Direct links to each resource have been provided in most cases. You can target your search by entering a key word or phrase in the search box on the right side of the page, or you can scan through the resources below. The filters beneath the search box allow you to further customize your research by topic, disability, and material type. We are constantly adding new resources to our database, so we hope you’ll return regularly. If you have suggestions for additional resources, please contact us at fctd@aed.org.

UDL Implementation: A Tale of Four Districts

From the CAST UDL Center website, UDL Implementation: A Tale of Four Districts recounts the efforts of four school districts to implement Universal Design for Learning. Each school district had a one-year grant and the support of UDL facilitators and CAST, Inc. to create and deploy an effective district plan. To help other school districts in the UDL implementation process, the CAST UDL Center website presents each case, describes UDL ...

Published: 2013 by Ganley, P. & Ralabate, P. , Reviewed: 6 days ago

The Inclusive Class

The Inclusive Class is a website created by Nicole Eredics, an educator from British Columbia who has devoted her life to finding ways to make inclusion successful for children with special needs. The website includes a blog, podcasts, archives that link to 154 posts, and links to Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Nicole shares her collection of resources for teachers and parents using a tool called LiveBinder. She also has a ...

Published: 2013 by Nicole Eredics , Reviewed: 6 days ago

LearnZillion

Learn Zillion is a website dedicated to providing resources for proficiency in common core classes and is available to teachers, parents, and students. The website contains lessons on a variety of math, language arts, science, and social studies topics for all grade levels. A user must create an account to access the different areas but there is no cost associated with using any of the resources. Teachers from across the ...

Published: 2013 by LearnZillion , Reviewed: May 29, 2013

Voice Dream Reader

The Voice Dream Reader app reads a range of formatted files including PDF, ePub, Text, Word, PowerPoint, Pages, Keynote, RTF, and HTML. The default voice for Voice Dream Reader is the Acapella Speech Engine installed with Heather. Additional voices can be added for $1.99 each from within Dream Reader. The app is very easy to use. To read text, simply click on the play button on the bottom of the ...

Published: 2013 by Voice Dream LLC , Reviewed: April 25, 2013

Magnifying Glass with Light-digital magnifier with flashlight

This free magnifying app may be very useful for kids (or adults) with low vision when print is too small or the room is just too dark. Just point the iPhone/iPad camera at whatever you need to magnify, move the on-screen slider, and the full screen display will enlarge whatever you are looking at up to 5X. If it is dim or dark, the iPhone/iPad LED light can be turned ...

Published: 2013 by Falcon in Motion LLC , Reviewed: May 15, 2013

Tools for Life: Our Favorite Apps

Georgia's Assistive Technology Act Project has developed a very easy, searchable database for apps. This database is a tool that allows individuals to search for apps by disability or multiple disabilities as well as by price ranges and device types. Every app housed in this database has been used and/ or tested by one or more members of the Tools for Life team as well as by people from across ...

Published: 2013 by Georgia's Assistive Technology Act Project , Reviewed: May 29, 2013

Switch Accessible Apps for iPhone

This resource is a list of switch-accessible apps for iPad and iPhone. The first section of the PDF file contains a list with the icon of each app, what device it is developed for (iPhone or iPad only), a brief description of the app, keystrokes that can be used to emulate a switch, and switch access description such as visual scanning, auditory scanning, 1-, 2- or 3-step scanning. In this ...

Published: 2013 by Jane Farrell & Alex Dunn , Reviewed: May 02, 2013

Talking Goggles

Talking Goggles is an application for smartphones that uses the camera to recognize images and speak aloud what it finds. It recognizes logos, landmarks, books, products, artwork, text and more. It can be used as a scanner/copier. In video mode, it can 'watch' video and if it captures familiar images, can describe them aloud. Customizable features include using the LED light of a smartphone to illuminate images in dim light, ...

Published: 2013 by Sparkling Apps , Reviewed: 6 days ago

UDL Exchange

CAST UDL Exchange connects teachers to UDL resources, lessons, and themed collections. The UDL Exchange is free and users can comment or ask questions about UDL items created by others and can customize resources and lessons offered by members. Each member has an area to gather UDL lessons and resources and the option to add to lessons, share, remix (customize), recommend to others, or mark favorites. A free UDL Exchange ...

Published: 2013 by CAST , Reviewed: April 25, 2013

Tools4Students

Tools4Students is an iPad app, available through the iTunes store, that is designed for students in grades 2-8 to assist in reading and writing. The app offers 25 different organizers related to vocabulary and comprehension. Students can use a chosen organizer to help them structure their thinking while they are reading or to help them prepare ideas for a writing assignment. The completed app can be saved on the iPad, ...

Published: 2013 by Mobile Learning Services , Reviewed: May 28, 2013

The Assistive Technology Blog

"The Assistive Technology Blog" is a publication of the Virginia Department of Education's Training and Technical Assistance Center (T/TAC) at VCU (not to be confused with AssistiveTechnologyBlog.com, also reviewed here by FCTD). It is a very simply organized blog of hundreds of resources that can be accessed by month or by by these categories: - Assistive Technologies - AT and Standardized Assessment - AT and Transition - AT for Math ...

Published: 2013 by Susanne Croasdaile , Reviewed: April 01, 2013

The Speech Newsletter

The Speech Newsletter is a joint newsletter/blog project between Advantage Speech Therapy Services and Children's Therapy Group "with the goal of providing newsworthy information to highlight professional tips, tricks, and tools that will help you help those kids around you!" Each month the newsletter provides information on a different topic. The first blog posting that appeared November 2012 covered technology and how it can be used in a therapeutic setting. ...

Published: 2013 by Robyn Romano & Brooke Todd , Reviewed: April 01, 2013

EdCeptional

EdCeptional is a blog of the EdReach initiative, identified by them as one of their channels. It is one of 18 channels listed on the EdReach web site at www.edreach.us. Other interesting titles include LitTech, TheatreCast, EdGamer and Wilderness Classroom. In fact there is such a breadth of information that navigating it all can be a bit overwhelming at first. Some links go to other EdReach.us pages, some to external ...

Published: 2013 by EdReach , Reviewed: April 25, 2013

StudyBlue

The Study Blue website is designed to give high school and college students - and teachers - a place to study online or when mobile. Free access is provided via the website or through social media. Students can connect with other students and teachers can set up study tools. The site includes flashcards and online notes. Students can use the pre-made online flashcards or they can create their own, just ...

Published: 2013 by StudyBlue, Inc. , Reviewed: May 15, 2013

Transition Hub

Transition Hub is collection of online tips, assessments, and toolkits related to transition planning and customized employment for students with disabilities. The website is a bit stark but the resources are excellent. The assessment page includes links to both free and paid assessment tools, and the customized employment page offers three guides and several articles related to customized employment. Some of the transition manuals and toolkits include the FCTD "Family ...

Published: 2013 by Unknown , Reviewed: April 25, 2013

Ian Bean - Downloads

This website is the work of Ian Bean who worked at Priory Woods School in the UK and then at Inclusive Design, using and developing software to help students with disabilities learn with technology. All of the downloads at this website are free to download and use and exploring the website reveals an incredible array of resources to help you design free switch-based or touch screen activities to use with ...

Published: 2013 by Ian Bean , Reviewed: April 26, 2013

Applying Floortime to Technology: How My Child with Autism Learned to Use the ...

This article is written by a mother who developed an approach to teach her autistic daughter how to use an iPad. She wanted to improve her daughter's fine motor skills and prepare her for effective learning in preschool. The mother describes the process she used to create interest in using the iPad and then helped her child develop appropriate skills. She writes that she first tried to introduce the iPad ...

Published: 2013 by Tammy Graham , Reviewed: May 22, 2013

iTransition

iTransition from PepNet is a tool that can be used by school counselors, deaf education teachers, parents, and students to explore the idea of transitioning from high school to college, training programs, or the world of work. Designed for use with high school students from the age of 14, the tool addresses three areas related to transition: Career Interests and Education Choices, First Year College Success, and Essential Skills for ...

Published: 2012 by PepNet2 , Reviewed: February 01, 2013

Youth on the Move

Youth on the Move is a website created by the University of Massachusetts to address all aspects of transition. It is a comprehensive website that looks at services starting in high school and continuing through graduation and the "move" into life after the IEP. Some of the services are specific to Massachusetts but many of the ideas presented are relevant to individuals in other states. There are sections on developing ...

Published: 2012 by University of Massachusetts Boston , Reviewed: January 17, 2013

Mango Reader

Mango Reader is a free interactive reading platform from tech startup MangoSense. Mango Reader allows users to create books and read existing Mango Book content enhanced with video, audio and quizzes. Although the Reader platform is free, users need to buy Mango Books from the Mango Reader store. Most Mango Books are free or inexpensive ($0.99 to $3.99) and several children's classics are available (Rapunzel, Little Match Girl, ‘Twas The ...

Published: 2012 by Mango Reader , Reviewed: February 20, 2013