Assistive Technologies @ Your

LibraryPresented by Austin Stroud

Instructional Designer – Monroe County Public Library

IntroductionsMe:

•Instructional designer at Monroe County Public Library

•Adjunct Faculty at Ivy Tech Community College

•IT Trainer at Indiana University

You:

•Do you use or support anyone who uses assistive technologies at the Library?

•What are you hoping to learn more about today?

What is Assistive Technology?

What types of things do you think of when you hear the term assistive technology?

Assistive technologies make things easier to see and read.

Vision

Hearing

Assistive technologies make things easier to listen to or hear.

Speech

Assistive technologies make it easier to communicate.

Mobility

Assistive technologies make it easier for a person to move around.

Touch

Assistive technologies make things easier to feel or touch.

This list is not all-inclusive – there are assistive technologies to make almost anything easier to use.

What is Assistive Technology?Assistive Technology is defined in the Technology-Related Assistance Act (Tech Act) as "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 individuals with disabilities" (Tech Act, 1988). Assistive technology can be made at home and designed specifically for an individual, purchased in a local store, or ordered out of a catalog that is targeted toward people with disabilities and their families. Technology can be high tech or low tech. Examples of low tech are ramps, switches, switch-operated toys, communication boards, car door openers, dycem (non-skid material), reachers, roll-in showers, and velcro. Some high tech examples include computers, software, extended keyboards, electronic communication devices, power wheelchairs, and van lifts for wheelchairs.Source: http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/?pageId=2504

What Assistive Technologies are at the Library?

If the video does not load or play automatically, you can access it on YouTube via this link: http://youtu.be/AvMDq1rKLMU

Microsoft’s Ease of Access CenterNext, let’s play around with some of the tools in Microsoft’s Ease of Access Center on every computer at Monroe County Public Library. To open the Ease of Access Center:

1.Left click on the ‘Start’ button in the bottom left of your screen (the Windows logo).

2.Navigate on this menu to ‘All Programs’.

3.Find the ‘Accessories’ folder and left click on it to open.

4.Find the ‘Ease of Access’ folder and left click on it to open.

5.Left click on ‘Ease of Access Center’ to open all of the tools rather than clicking on one individually.

Magnifier

• Open the magnifier by left clicking on ‘Start Magnifier’.

• If you would like to practice using this tool on your own, you may find these reference sources helpful:

• http://tinyurl.com/m899zyp

• http://tinyurl.com/q88blyh

Narrator

• Open the narrator by left clicking on ‘Start Narrator’. You may also want to put your headphones on so you can hear what the narrator says.

• If you would like to practice using this tool on your own, you may find these reference sources helpful:

• http://tinyurl.com/kdzv3bs

• http://tinyurl.com/ldhylvk

On-Screen Keyboard

• Open the on-screen keyboard by left clicking on ‘Start On-Screen Keyboard’.

• If you would like to practice using this tool on your own, you may find these reference sources helpful:

• http://tinyurl.com/o8xe7uy

• http://tinyurl.com/pbocysn

Other ToolsThere are many more tools available on computers (and any Windows-based computer) at Monroe County Public Library, that unfortunately we won’t have time to go into detail with today. Some other things to note:

•Speech recognition: http://tinyurl.com/mr6674c

•Make the computer easier to see: http://tinyurl.com/oq2ooss

•Make the mouse easier to use: http://tinyurl.com/n99yhgh

•Make the keyboard easier to use: http://tinyurl.com/mycpl29

•Make it easier to focus on tasks: http://tinyurl.com/lncnbjf

Contact Information

Tour/QuestionsWith the time remaining, let’s take a look at some of the assistive technologies in the Library that you saw in the video we watched earlier. You can also use this time to ask any questions you may have about assistive technologies at Monroe County Public Library or in general.

Find out more about what the Library offers on our website:

http://mcpl.info/disabilities