AT & Accessibility

"The use of technologies can increase teachers’ capacity to provide support, choice and ﬂexibility to students. It can also directly support the learning of individual students with wide differences in their abilities to see, hear, speak, move, read, write, understand English, attend, organize, engage and remember."

Learning Technologies: Information for Teachers

Teenage boy sitting on grass with his laptop.

Learning Technologies:

Information for Teachers

Resource to explain the basic AT tools of text-to-speech, word prediction, speech recognition, and visual thinking tools. (video: Technology to Support all Learners)

Further Information

SETT Framework: Student, environment, tasks and tools. Framework to help decide best tools to match to student needs.

UDL: Universal Design for Learning. Technology provides multiple ways to engage learners, present material and allow students choice in how to complete and submit work.

Assistive Technology by Device

In General

Most digital devices have been improving their accessibility features. It is important to recognize that these tools exist and are built into operating systems. It is important for users to be aware of and look for features that are continuously being improved, updated and expanded.

Android

Includes features such as screen reader, switch access, voice access, use captions, and control contrast, size, colour and font.

Chromebook

By turning on accessibility features, user can access text-to-speak, adjust the display, modify keyboard, mouse and touchpad controls.

iOS

Has similar built in features to support blind and low vision, deaf and hard of hearing, physical and motor skills, and learning and literacy. Requires user to enable desired features.

Mac OS

Has built in features to support blind and low vision, deaf and hard of hearing, physical and motor skills, and learning and literacy. Requires user to enable desired features.

Windows 10

Includes features for users with vision, hearing, motor and/or cognition challenges. There are also many 3rd party applications to provide further support.

AT Applications - Reading and Writing

Supporting Writing

ClaroRead: character recognition and text-to-speech for Windows or Mac

Clicker 7: use images to write, word prediction, for Chrome, Mac or Windows

Co:Writer: text-to-speech and word prediction, for Chrome, Mac or Windows

Dragon: dictation for PC / Dragon: dictation for Mac: $300

Kurzweil 3000: text-to-speech, word prediction, highlight and extract text, for Mac or Windows

Read:OutLoud: text-to-speech, highlight and extract, for Mac or Windows

Read & Write: Highlighted text-to-speech, voice input, word prediction, dictionaries, simplify text. All platforms: Google Chrome, iOS/Android, Mac OS, Windows.

WordQ: text-to-speech, speech to text, dictionary and word prediction for Chrome, Windows or Mac

dragon naturally speaking with green flame

black background with 3D box and Kurzweil title

Online reading practice that work with AT supports

Newsela: students select their own reading level on current event articles and can complete some additional learning activities. Teacher can assign articles. (online)

ReadTheory: reading comprehension selections and with quizzes that adjust to the learners reading level, provides feedback for wrong answers, and allow teacher to track and followup with each student (online)

TweenTribune: student chooses reading level for current articles then can answer quiz (online)