iPad TechnologyAccessibility and Apps for Assisting Students with Disabilities

Royce J. Jacomenrjacomen@vt.edu

Coordinator of Assistive TechnologyT/TAC at Virginia Tech

January 24, 2012

The Evolution of the iPad

Todayʼs Focus

Is the iPad right for my students/child?

iPad Accessibility Features

Apps for Students with Disabilities/Academic Apps

Is The iPad Right For My Child?

“Making the wrong decision can be very costly in a variety of ways- unrealized expectations of individuals and families, unproductive use of professional time, ineffective use of limited resources, high rates of device abandonment or under utilization, and most important, the irreclaimed time lost for living, education, employment, or recreation by the individual whose functional capabilities were not increased, improved, or maintained by the technology.”

-Joy Zabala, Ed.D

SETT Framework for Tools/Apps

Student•Functional concerns

•Independence

•Contributing factors

•Student’s interests

Environment

•Anything or anyone around the student

•How many students are in the environment?

•Physical layout

•Support

•Who else uses devices?

•Physical access

•Attitudes and expectations

•Other locations

Task •Exactly what students will need to do

• Actual activities

•Achieve educational goals

•Be an active participant

•Choose wisely

•One size does not fit all

Tools to address Task•Tools is always last

•Devices, services, and strategies-student succeed

• NO TECH, LOW TECH, MID TECH, and HIGH TECH

•Assist a student in moving forward

•Well-thought-out plan for the tool

iPad May Be “Magical,”

but It’s Not a “Miracle”

R.J. Cooper

1) If a person has a significant motor impairment that affects their arm and/or hand and/or fingers, then operating the iPad will be a challenge.

2) Someone with severe cognitive impairments is definitely going to have a challenge with the iPad. That which you and I take for granted in using the iPad, is completely unknown to the disabled person. They might drop the iPad, try to mouth it, press on the back rather than the front, and many other unfocused actions.

3) Many parents and professionals feel that their learner’s “acting out” is due, in part, to frustration from their inability to communicate. I agree.

iPad Accessibility Features

http://www.apple.com/asia/ipad/features/accessibility.html

VoiceOver

Zoom

Large Text

White on Black

iBooks

•Turn Accessibility Voiceover on•Adjust speech settings•Touch home screen•Locate iBooks•Touch once and double tap•Open book(touch once, double tap)•One touch for a line•Two swipe down•Three Swipe across•Take notes and highlight•Add PDF files to the library

•Add books or documents in PDF format•Save document or book to desktop•Open iTunes account•Add document or book to books•Sync iTunes account with iPad•Turn voiceover on•Open iBooks•Open collections (Books and PDFs)•Locate document or book in PDF•Open and have read aloud

iBooks

500,000 + Apps

Apps for Autism

www.autismspeaks.org

Social StoriesBehavior

Communication/Articulation Visual Schedules and To-Do Lists

Reading and WritingMath

Art and Music

Social Stories

Stories-2-LearnSocial Skills

Story Kit

Strip Design

Pictello

Book Creator

Behavior

Going Places

AutismXpress

Behavior Tracker Pro

The Angry Octopus Book

iEarnedThat

iRewardChart

Communication/Articulation

Speakit!

Verbally

SoundingBoard

TouchChat

Proloquo2go

Grace

NeoPaul

iAssist Communicator

ArtikPix

Visual Schedules and To-Do-Lists

First Then Visual Scheduler

Vocal Lite

To Do’s List

Epic Win

Sundry Notes

Visual Schedule Planner

Reading and WritingToo Many to List

iBooks/Touchy Books etc.Story Patch

Magnetic Lite AudioNotes

Dragon Dictation

iRecorder Story Wheel

ABC Writing

Bamboo PaperPopplet Lite

Story Builder Sentence Builder

Mad Math

Counting Coins

Kids Clock Challenge

Pizza Fractions

Math

Art and Music