Accessibility has become increasingly available to those who have digital devices and Internet access. We are now able to easily modify the interface of these digital devices so that people with mobility or sensory challenges can communicate, learn, engage, view, share, manage/plan/organize, read, write, etc.
This week you will be looking at the accessibility features/applications/apps. You will gather information and report out on 2 examples that are of particular interest (be mindful not duplicate). Please include information about where to find these resources, how they work, and possible uses. Your initial response should be 300+ words.
This week you will be looking at the accessibility features/applications/apps. You will gather information and report out on 2 examples that are of particular interest (be mindful not duplicate). Please include information about where to find these resources, how they work, and possible uses. Your initial response should be 300+ words.
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Accessibility features in specific software
Assistive technology devices
- Accessibility Features in Firefox: This is Mozilla's official help site for Firefox's accessibility features.
- Apple Accessibility: This is Apple's overview site for accessibility features on Macs, iPods, iPhones, and iPads. From here, you can navigate to help documents for specific features. iPad Features
- AppleVis: This community-based website offers tips, tutorials, and product reviews for blind and low-vision users of Apple products.
- Setting Up and Personalizing a Mac for Diverse Learner Needs
- Mac Keyboard Shortcuts for Accessibility Features
- 9to5 MAC Accessibility
- Google Accessibility: This is Google's help site for accessibility features on Android phones and tablets and in Chrome.
- Microsoft Accessibility: Here, you'll find news on Microsoft's accessibility projects, as well as help pages on accessibility features in the Windows operating system and in the Microsoft Office suite.
- TutsPlus: OS X Accessibility 101: This tutorial offers in-depth explanations of accessibility features in the OS X operating system.
- Udemy Free Course
- Nook
- Microsoft Accessibilities
- Adobe Accessibility Features
- Kindle Fire
- Microsoft Office Provide a wide variety of free and pay resources and tools.
- Google Chrome Provide a wide variety of free and pay resources and tools.
- Android Features Provides a detailed list of how to customize your features.
Assistive technology devices
- Ablenet: Computer Access: Here, you can purchase a wide range of assistive-technology devices. You'll also find information on what types of devices are useful for specific disabilities.
- Compusult: Computer Access for Physical Disabilities: Compusult offers assistive and other kinds of technology to individuals and businesses. It also provides training courses on assistive technology.
- Inclusive Technology: Here, you'll find assistive-technology products, as well as educational software designed for K-12 students with disabilities.
- Alliance for Access to Computing Careers: This website offers information on accommodations and accessible design that can be useful for teachers and students in technology fields.
- My Web My Way: This site was created by the BBC. Here, you can find detailed guides on how to change a variety of settings to make your computer more accessible and easier to use.
- National Center for Learning Disabilities: Here, you'll find useful information on learning disabilities, assistive technology, and appropriate accommodations for work and school.
- Tech-Ease for All: This site has resources for teachers and parents who want to use technology and computers with disabled students.
Educational Blogging
- 21st Century Education Technology Along with his STEM tips, Gorman also highlights the effectiveness of project-based learning. All of his posts focus on methods to bring education into the 21st century.
- ADDitude Magazine: More than a blog, this site offers resources, tips, educational advice and more for families living with ADHD and learning disabilities. ADDitude Blogs: Read blogs written by those struggling with ADHD, teachers, and parents on this great site focused on the condition.
- Adjusting Course Here's a blog from a principal leading change in his school. Brad Gustafson's face can be seen at the start of all of Greenwood Elementary School's student-led videos. These videos are incorporated into Gustafson's blog, which also features many of his appearances on educational technology-focused podcasts. ADM Technology Blog.
- Alice Keeler Google's education solutions just keep expanding. Thankfully, there's Alice Keeler, a Google Certified Teacher and self-described super-nerd. Keeler's Teacher Tech blog helps make sense of the maze of updates the search-engine giant pumps out every few months. Keeler has more than 50 tips for Google Classroom under her belt, with an e-book on that series in progress.
- Tech Matrix Choosing AT materials for learners
- Technology and Media Center for CEC
- Closing the Gap AT website for educators
- The Week in Education Scholastic Review of Education in the News.
- Center for Teacher Quality a high-quality education system for all students, driven by the bold ideas and expert practices of teachers.
- SpEdChange This blog, maintained by Ira David Socol, narrows in on educational opportunities for students with special needs and unique learners.
- Accessible Education Materials This site provides resources for educators, parents, students, publishers, conversion houses, accessible media producers, and others interested in learning more about AEM and implementing AEM and NIMAS.
- The Georgia Project on Assistive Technologies Quality Indicators for Assistive Technologies
- All Learners Learning Every Day ALL-ED is a network of instructional routines that have been pulled from extensive empirical base on learning and motivation. The routines are integrated into a practical dynamic network that teachers can use on their feet in the classroom to ensure that all learners are learning every day. Pilot research suggests that ALL-ED has a significant impact of both participating teachers and their students. Fordham faculty research grants were used to support the pilot research for ALL-ED.
- AppleWriter Level the playing field for anyone struggling with reading and writing regardless of platform and device.
- Bilingual Special Ed: Dr. Claudia Rinaldi is an assistant professor in special education at Boston College.
- BYOT This is a blog from the mind of Dr. Tim Clark, director of learning innovation of the K–12 digital learning platform SAFARI Montage. BYOT Network is all about empowering teachers to transform classrooms into learning communities with technology.
- Center for Teacher Quality a high-quality education system for all students, driven by the bold ideas and expert practices of teachers.
- Class Integrate Blogging on Educational Resources and Class Tips
- Diane Ravitch’s Blog: Education historian Diane Ravitch discusses education, both in the past and in the future, through this blog.
- Disability Scoop Disability Scoop is the Premier Source for Developmental Disability News
- Dyslexie Font A font for students with dyslexia.
- EdTechTeacher and EDTech Blog and EDTech Tidbits
- Edublogs has grown from a single idea in 2005 into the largest and most trusted provider of educational blogging in the world. We believe in the power that blogging can have to transform the educational experience of students and have seen first hand how Edublogs have increased ownership of learning, engaged students, and become a source of pride in the classroom.
- The Edublogger Welcome to The Edublogger – A blog that helps educational bloggers with emerging technologies in education! The Edublogger has been set up by Edublogs — “the largest education community on the Internet” where you can sign up for a free WordPress-powered blog — and is dedicated to helping educational bloggers with emerging technologies in education, share their own experiences and promote the blogging medium.
- Edudemic (social media) What is the best way to improve education using social media? That’s the big question that Edudemic hopes to answer. You’ll find regular doses of helpful ideas, infographics, news, videos, and more when you visit Edudemic. Do you ever wonder how schools, universities, colleges, and large groups in general should use social media? Students are often early adopters, frequent users, and overall lovers of technology and social media. Edudemic is run by a handful of graduate students and teachers with a passion for learning and educating.
- Edutopia We are dedicated to improving the K-12 learning process through innovative, replicable, and evidence-based strategies that prepare students to thrive in their studies, careers, and adult lives.
- Flipped Learning (new ways of teaching) Flipped Learning was created by Jon Bergmann, a teacher, educational coach, and writer who has helped educators around the world reconsider what education can look like. He, along with Aaron Sams, are considered two pioneers in the Flipped Class movement. They co-wrote the book on the Flipped Classroom.
- Free Technology for Teachers (free tech resources and tech reviews) The purpose of this site is to share information about free resources that teachers can use in their classrooms. This blog has won multiple awards by many publications, and recently in 2010 Free Technology for Teachers was awarded the Edublogs Award for “Best Resource Sharing Blog,” “Best Ed Tech Support,” and “Best Individual Blog.” Free Technology for Teachers is read by an audience of more than 44,000 daily subscribers (as of March 1). Free Resources from the Net for Every Learner The web is full of great educational resources. Use this blog to more easily find them, especially those which cater to the needs of students with learning disabilities.
Free Technology 4 Teachers The purpose of this site is to share information about free resources that teachers can use in their classrooms.
- Funshine This blog offers special education resources organized by content area, including Common Core, differentiated instruction, behavior management, and more. Sign Up for the Newsletter.
- I Speak of Dreams: This blogger focuses on effective parenting and education and learning disabilities, among other topics.
- The Innovative Educator (creative teaching ideas) This blog is a great place to look for fresh ideas about how to teach students course material. Created by Lisa Nielsen, who writes for, and speaks to, audiences across the globe about learning innovatively and is frequently covered by local and national media for her views (which include the need for “Passion [not Data] Driven Learning,” as well as “Thinking Outside the Ban” to harness the power of technology for learning), The Innovative Educator was named Get Degrees 2011’s “Most Trusted Education Blog,” and it has received many other blogging awards and nominations as well.
- Jan Palmer — Special Ed Teacher, BCBA: Jan Palmer works with children and adolescents with developmental disabilities in regular classrooms, specialized settings or one to one situations. http://mspalmersclassroom.weebly.com
- LarryFerlazzo Larry shares daily web resources, classroom lessons, updates on the latest education-related research, and educational policy links. Many relate to teaching English Language Learners, and others related to mainstream K-12 teachers and students.
- The Learning Network The New York Times Learning Network is a free blog for teachers, students and parents that provides teaching and learning materials and ideas based on New York Times content.
- MindShift (research, policy, and cultural issues) Technology is revolutionizing the world of education—replacing familiar classroom tools and changing the way we learn. MindShift explores the future of learning in all its dimensions—covering cultural and technology trends, groundbreaking research, education policy and more. The site is curated by Tina Barseghian, a journalist and mother of a grade-schooler.
- On Special Education: Education Week shares the latest on special education topics through this blog.
- PBS Learning Media is a new, free, online media-on-demand service developed for PreK-12 educators featuring interactives, images, video, audio files and more with lesson plans, background essays, and discussion questions.
- Project Ideal This Website is part of a teacher preparation program intended to better prepare teachers to work with students with disabilities.
- Project Reach UDL lesson sharing and planning resource site
- ReadWriteThink Resources galore.
- Reality 101 Maintained by the Council for Exceptional Children, this blog is populated with posts from new special and gifted educational teachers.
- Special Education and Disability Rights Blog: Do you know what rights your students have under the law? Read this blog to learn more about the education advocacy issues related to special education and how you can help.
- SpEdChange This blog, maintained by Ira David Socol, narrows in on educational opportunities for students with special needs and unique learners.
- SpedPro: SpedPro provides a source for current professional information about special education.
- Teaching Students with Learning Difficulties: This blog is for teachers, lecturers and support staff working with students with learning difficulties over age 16.
- Teaching Tolerance A place for educators to find thought-provoking news, conversation and support for those who care about diversity, equal opportunity and respect for differences in schools.
- Thinkfinity has 55,000 standards-based K-12 lesson plans, student materials, interactive tools and reference materials are reviewed by the nation's leading education organizations to ensure that content is accurate, up-to-date, unbiased and appropriate for students. At Thinkfinity.org, you'll find primary source materials, interactive student resources and grade-specific research lists to help you tailor materials to meet your needs.
- Thrive On the Autism Spectrum: This is a positive blog about autism spectrum disorders, autism, Asperger’s and ADHD. Patricia also maintains Coach for Asperger’s and Social Skills for Kids.
- Universal Design for Learning Theory and Practice Text
- The Web Connected Classroom
- The Week in Education Scholastic Review of Education in the News.
- What Works Clearinghouse We review the research on the different programs, products, practices, and policies in education.Then, by focusing on the results from high-quality research, we try to answer the question “What works in education?” Our goal is to provide educators with the information they need to make evidence-based decisions.
- Wright'sLawBlog A look at the legal side of special education and advocacy.