The Family Center on Technology and Disability
Assistive Technology Works
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
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
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: 5 days ago
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
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
Educational Technology Guy
David Andrade is a classic tech geek who found educational technology (and a new career) after years as an engineer. Andrade’s background benefits his blog, Educational Technology Guy, in its clear focus (classroom technology) and precise, accessible descriptions of his favorite gadgets and their plethora of uses. Teachers won't be intimidated by technical jargon as Andrade’s posts are short and user-friendly for busy blog hoppers. His eagerness to explore technology ...
Published: 2012 by David Andrade , Reviewed: April 26, 2013
Box of Tricks
Jose Picardo is a full time teacher of languages at Nottingham High School. Among other efforts, he has created the Box of Tricks web site as part of his effort to consult with and train educators on the use of new and emerging technologies to "support, enhance, and ultimately transform teaching and learning." The blog is a wealth of illustrations of creative use of technologies in mainstream education. Over 50 ...
Published: 2012 by Jose Picardo , Reviewed: March 11, 2013
DIFability RAD
This blog was written by Catherine Burzio, a transition specialist, over a 7-month period in 2012. It has a lot of postings relevant to students with disabilities and the educators and others who work with them. The title of the blog is Differing Abilities, Resource a Day. Weekly postings contain links to a range of information, including legislation, technology, websites, and books. There is a post about the top ten ...
Published: 2012 by Catherine Burzio , Reviewed: April 26, 2013
Maily
Maily was designed for young children from 4 years old up. It allows them to send personalized emails to mom and dad, their grandparents or close friends easily, rapidly, and securely. To create and send their own emails kids can use digital pencils, brushes, photos, personalized backgrounds, stickers, and short messages that have been pre-set and can be sent with just a click. New emails from family or close friends ...
Published: 2012 by Goodnews.is , Reviewed: February 01, 2013
Fun Educational Apps
Created by a parent, the Fun Educational Apps site reviews iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch applications. The range of listed software is enormous, with the reviews sorted by age (from 1 to 12+) and by specific categories (reading, math, science, etc.) to make searching simple. Free and low cost applications are featured, though costs vary widely across all the reviewed software. Giveaways are common as are sales from developers and ...
Published: 2012 by Fun Educational Apps , Reviewed: April 26, 2013
The Super Book of Web Tools for Educators
This 83-page ebook was created by eleven prominent bloggers, teachers, and school administrators to encourage the use of technology in the classroom. The book opens by talking about the fact that good teaching involves the creation of relationships among students and ideas, and highlights how technology can help teachers build those relationships. The first section of the book offers the perspective of a school administrator who discusses the control of ...
Published: 2012 by Larry Ferlazzo , Reviewed: January 30, 2013
MITS Freedom Stick
The Freedom Stick is a USB "thumb" drive with a large collection of public domain software intended to provide increased access for students with disabilities. The concept and contents were developed by the Regional Support Centre - Scotland North and East with some support from Mozilla. It has been packaged as the MITS Freedom Stick by Michigan's Integrated Technology Supports (MITS) in Lansing, Michigan and made available through their web ...
Published: 2012 by Michigan's Integrated Technology Supports , Reviewed: February 20, 2013
eSpecialMatch.com
Designed as a social network for individuals with disabilities and their families, eSpecialMatch.com is meant to offer members support and resources for a wide array of needs. Organizations and service professionals are also welcome to post information about events or resources that may benefit other members. eSpecialMatch works like a web ring. The site seems relatively “young” compared to other social networks and has its share of small forums and ...
Published: 2012 by Mike Radicone , Reviewed: November 13, 2012
Preparing for the Post-Secondary Environment: Strategies and Technology ...
Focusing on the reasons students need to be able to successfully organize their work and schedule their time effectively, Cheryl Lepard and Linda Petty (AccessAbility Services, University of Toronto Scarborough) draw the correlation between good time management and organization skills and greater postsecondary academic success. The article lists several reasons to further students’ self-determination skills by teaching time management and homework organization starting in high school. Lepard and Petty describe ...
Published: 2012 by Cheryl Lepard & Linda Petty , Reviewed: November 13, 2012
Tales2Go
Tales2Go is a literacy tool in the form of audiobooks. With a library of over 2000 books, children (and adults) can listen to popular books, following along with a hard copy version of the book, or just listening for pleasure. Research has shown that struggling readers benefit from audiobooks in learning phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Tales2Go is not disability specific and can be used to enhance literacy ...
Published: 2012 by Tales2Go , Reviewed: November 13, 2012
Doorway Online
Doorway Online is a collection of free learning activities originally developed with funding from the Scottish Borders Council in 2009. Since that time the activities have increased in scope to include Literacy, Math, Typing and Memory activities. The site includes accessible educational activities that learners will find easy to use independently. Each exercise has a range of accessibility and difficulty options. Accessibility is found through keyboard, mouse, touchscreen or scanning ...
Published: 2012 by Doorway Online , Reviewed: November 13, 2012
Dexteria
Dexteria is a set of hand exercises that helps users improve their fine motor skills and strengthens handwriting readiness for children and adults. Dexteria includes the activities "Write It" (handwriting), "Pinch It" (for pincer) and "Tap It" (for finger isolation). Although they are billed as "therapeutic exercise programs", each activity is fun and engaging. See this app in action at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqvtvBn3hzU. The application includes an automatic tracking and reporting feature ...
Published: 2012 by BinaryLabs , Reviewed: November 13, 2012