By Amanda Connelly
For our blog post #8, we had to investigate seven different accessibility tools that would help students who have accessibility needs. Since I am a college student who attends Stockton, I thought it would be a good idea to explore the accessibility tools Stockton University offers to their large student body. Accessibility tools can be found on the Stockton University website by typing in “Accessibility Toolbox” into the search engine on the upper right hand side of the page, and then by clicking on the first result on the new page.
The first tool I will be focusing on is Easy Reader. Easy Reader is designed to help students/people who are visually impaired, have dyslexia (or any other neurodiverse condition), and/or who have any other print impairment. Easy Reader is a great tool because it gives the person using it the freedom to customize their reading experience. Users can adjust/magnify the words, change the color schemes, and can synchronize text with speech. They can also choose to use the speech setting to listen to books.
The second tool I will be focusing on is Learning Ally. Learning Ally offers a large selection of books that are meant to benefit people with dyslexia and/or other reading deficits. This app provides human-read audiobooks and also provides interactive learning tools. These tools include, highlighted text synced with audio narration, speed control, bookmarking, highlighting, as well as note taking.
The third tool I will be focusing on is AppWriter US. AppWriter is specifically meant to help people with reading and writing disabilities. The app offers integrated PDF reader, text-to-speech, suggestions for context based words, OCR scanning, as well as custom keyboard and a special Dyslexia-font.
The fourth tool I will be focusing on is Action Blocks. Action Blocks was designed for Androids and can make routine actions much easier by setting up customizable buttons on the phone’s home screen. With just a single tap, a person can call a friend, turn on the lights, watch a TV show, etc. Action Blocks can also be set up to speak phrases, which can be very helpful for people with speech and/or language impairments. This also includes people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices.
The fifth tool I will focus on is myHomework Student Planner. This app is meant to help students keep track of assignments, tests, homework, etc. in a calendar display. The calendar created by the app can then be synced to other platforms. This app is great for students who struggle with organization and/or time management.
The sixth tool I will focus on is NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA). NVDA uses software called a “screen reader” that reads text out loud and can translate visual information verbally to help students/people who are blind or visually impaired. NVDA also has the ability to convert text into braille if the user has a “braille display.” This tool was created so that blind and visually impaired people could freely and easily use/access the computer since computers play a huge role in everyday life.
The seventh and last tool I will focus on is Mathshare. Mathshare is an app that helps build positive math experiences and makes it easier to learn math. The app helps students stay organized and helps students solve problems by using step-by-step problem solving. Students are also able to explain their reasoning behind their answers, which teachers can then evaluate and understand how students got particular answers (for example, where they went right and where they went wrong). Mathshare can be very beneficial for students with dyscalculia or dysgraphia as well as students with learning differences and disabilities.
