Designing location based learning experiences for people with intellectual disabilities and additional sensory impairments

The research reported here is part of a larger project which seeks to combine serious games (or games based learning) with location based services to help people with intellectual disability and additional sensory impairments to develop work based skills. Specifically this paper reports on where these approaches are combined to scaffold the learning of new routes and ultimately independent travel to new work and educational opportunities. A phased development methodology is applied in a user sensitive manner, to ensure that user feedback drives the ongoing development process. Methods to structure this include group feedback on conceptual storyboards, expert review of prototypes using usability heuristics relating to the main system goals, and finally co-discovery methods with student pairs exploring all three modes of the system in real world contexts. Aspects of developmental and cognitive psychological theories are also reviewed and it is suggested that combining games based learning approaches with location based services is an appropriate combination of technologies for an application specifically designed to scaffold route learning for this target audience

Crowdsourcing e-book accessibility information and the impact on staff development

For students with print impairments, e-books offer great potential to remove barriers to information. However, for various reasons, not all e-books are fully accessible. Significant variability exists between different platforms and titles. To benchmark e-book accessibility, a group of library and disability professionals across the UK higher education sector organised a crowdsourced e-book accessibility audit, using simple criteria to capture end-user experiences. The audit can act as a framework for librarians and e-book providers to discuss accessibility and effect improvements. 275 e-books from 65 publishers across 44 platforms were audited, resulting in an interactive spreadsheet on the project website and individual feedback reports for each platform. Most of the volunteer auditors had little accessibility expertise so a by-product of the process was training to introduce key accessibility concepts and support for those using the audit tool. This paper explores the process, including key findings from a follow-up questionnaire for testers. The results indicate increased awareness of e-book accessibility and empathy for disabled learners and an appetite for further training, in particular using e-books with screen reading and text-to-speech software. The study suggests crowdsourced research can be highly effective on multiple levels

Assistive technology in learning and teaching

Assistive Technology has undergone a revolution in recent years. There are a wide range of hardware devices (such as refreshable Braille displays, switch input devices or hearing aids) and established software products (such as screen readers, on-screen keyboards and spelling aids). More people use mobile and portable devices and there is more free and open source software available. Here we give an overview of the different kinds of assistive technologies available in free and open source forms, or via the relatively new and ever-changing mobile and portable devices market. We outline the tools and how they might be used in learning and teaching. You can then make informed decisions about which tools might be appropriate for you or your learners. These materials are divided into the following sections: Assistive Technology built into your computer: Both Windows and Mac OS have built in assistive technology functions, which make the computer easier to use for many disabled people. This section describes the functions that are available and how you use them. Free and Open Source Assistive Technologies: In this section we highlight tools that are freely available at no cost, many of which are device-agnostic and many of which are portable, meaning they will run from a memory stick and do not require the user to have installation rights on their machine. Mobile Devices as Assistive Technologies, and Apps: Most smartphones and tablet devices have a range of accessibility features built in. There are also many functions that are not specifically designed for people with disabilities but may be particularly useful for learners with particular needs. This section describes how you can use the assistive features built into mobile and portable devices running iOS and Android operating systems, as well as examining the wide range of apps available to support disabled learners.

The Outline View

When creating a document it can be difficult to know from the outset what the final layout and structure of a document should be. Using headings and styles, users can create a document and structure it appropriately at the end using the outline function

Accessible Documents and Presentations

These materials are for anyone who creates documents and presentations in their work. There are many reasons why you should ensure that the documents and presentations you create are accessible and inclusive: There is a legal obligation for organisations to ensure that no-one is disadvantaged because of a disability; There is a requirement to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that as many people as possible can access your services; and these adjustments should be anticipatory, which means they need to be in place before you are aware that a disabled user is having problems. Making your documents and presentations accessible is good practice which can benefit all users regardless of ability. This resource is divided into the following sections: Accessible Word Documents: Most people in education today produce Word documents. Here we show you some simple ways to make your documents accessible using Word 2010. The principles apply equally to Mac Office and Open Office as well as any other similar tools, although the precise way of performing the techniques may differ slightly. Accessible PDFs: PDF documents are commonly used on the web, or may be provided to print impaired learners who have requested textbooks in an electronic format. There are accessibility features built in to the free Adobe Reader software to make them easier to read. Here we show you how to create a PDF that is accessible. Accessible Presentations: Many people working in education regularly use PowerPoint to deliver presentations. These can be a valuable resource for learners. Here we explain how to create accessible presentations using PowerPoint 2010.

Built-in Accessibility

Computers can be very enabling for people with disabilities. There are a range of built in features that allow users to personalise their machines and customise the way in which they interact with them.This resource is divided into the following sections: Getting Started: Some people have difficulty logging into computers in the conventional way. This may be due to a visual impairment or dexterity difficulties. In this section we look at some alternatives and introduce the Windows Ease of Access Centre. Changing the look: For many people, changing the colours and contrast or the font size and type face can be extremely helpful. The ability to zoom in or magnify enables them to access information more easily. Changing mouse and keyboard settings: Some people find using a mouse or a keyboard challenging. Here we look at how to make these input devices work better for different users as well as how to operate a computer without any keyboard. Audio alternatives: Did you know that your computer can read to you? In this section we show you how to use sound, text-to-speech and the TechDis Voices. We also demonstrate how users who are deaf or hard of hearing can enable some visual alerts instead of the default audio. Browsing the web: In this final section, we look at different web browsers and how each of them can be used in text-only view or without a mouse. We also explore how to use plug-ins, add-ons and extensions to your browser.

MouseKeys

MouseKeys is an accessibility feature which allows you to use the numeric keypad to control the mouse pointer

JISC TechDis Accessibility essentials guide: Making electronic documents more readable

The TechDis Accessibility Essentials Guide for Reading has been divided into the following three sections: Font colours and styles; Enlarging text and Navigating documents. These guides have been designed to give practical step-by-step information to enable anyone reading electronic material to amend its look and feel into a style which suits them, their audience or the context in which it is used

Introduction to accessibility and inclusion

We provide advice on technologies for inclusion and accessibility to help remove barriers for disabled students, staff, employees or customers. Here we provide an introduction to inclusion and accessibility. This resource is divided into the following sections: Definitions: We explain what we mean by inclusion and accessibility as well as defining a number of other terms where a shared understanding is important. Benefits: Everyone can benefit from accessibility. Experience has shown that measures taken to improve accessibility for people with specific needs also benefit the wider population. Responsibility: Responsibility does not begin and end with the disability experts. Everyone in an organisation has an important role to play when it comes to improving inclusion and accessibility. Legislation: There is a legal obligation for organisations to ensure that no-one is disadvantaged because of a disability. In this section we explore UK disability legislation. Reasonable Adjustment: There is a requirement to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that as many people as possible can access your materials and services. These adjustments should be anticipatory, which means they need to be in place before you are aware that a disabled user is having problems. Here we look at what this means.