WATA Bulletin: Spring 2005
Contents:
New versions of writing software promise updated and improved features for all users
Alan Knue, Program Manager, Washington Assistive Technology Alliance
The 20th annual International Conference on Technology and Persons with Disabilities, hosted by the California State University at Northridge Center on Disabilities (CSUN), was held March 14-19 in Los Angeles. This issue highlights a few of the innovations in assistive technology presented that we thought would be of interest.
WordQ, available from Quillsoft at www.wordq.com, is both a reading and a writing aid, providing word prediction and speech feedback wherever a user types or encounters text, including word processors, internet browsers, email handlers, spreadsheets and presentation slide makers. WordQ provides its features "on top" of the application and allows the user to move seamlessly between various open programs. It does not duplicate functions already provided by the program in use, such as spell checking, grammar checking and auto completion. For example, WordQ allows the user to hear the spelling suggestions made by Microsoft Word's own spell-checker. WordQ's ease of use and ability to work within programs familiar to users has made it a valuable tool since its initial release and it remains so in the upcoming edition.
New features of WordQ 2 include:
- a higher-quality text-to-speech engine
- in-context word prediction wherever the text cursor is placed
- "flexible spelling" prediction
- usage examples to distinguish similar words, and
- the ability to accept a new speech recognition plug-in module, SpeakQ.
SpeakQ, soon also available from Quillsoft, was developed by the Bloorview MacMillan Children's Centre (Toronto, Ontario) and the Education Development Center (Newton, Mass.). SpeakQ will enhance WordQ's writing aids with speech recognition capabilities. It will not replace the full functionality of products, such as Dragon NaturallySpeaking, as it is not intended to be hands-free. Basic voice commands for punctuation, new-line, new-paragraph, etc, are meant to help the writing flow, but this product assumes the user has some typing skills.
SpeakQ will support two styles of dictation. Like other speech recognition products, it allows users to dictate text directly into their documents. As with older speech recognition products such as Dragon Dictate, spoken words are displayedas a list of choices and further enhanced by word prediction. Users may select from the list of words, or add additional letters to further refine choices. The intent is to allow users to spend less time correcting recognition errors, and more time on content.
Co:Writer (available from Don Johnson, Inc., www.donjohnson.com) predicts words by employing linguistic word prediction, taking into account subject-verb agreement, grammar rules, word relationships, redundancy and user preferences. Another feature, FlexSpell, supports students using a phonetic spelling approach using thousands of phonetic spelling patterns, accommodating students who spell words as they sound. Topic dictionaries help users focus on a specific topic and span a number of subjects including history, science, sports and literature. Co:Writer has always worked with many word processors, including Microsoft Word, but the new Co:Writer Solo will also work in many other writing environments such as internet browsers, email programs, and other text-entry programs. Like WordQ, Co:Writer Solo will float its features "on top" of the application, providing the user with more flexibility and ease of use.
New or enhanced features of Co:Writer include a floating palette with customizable buttons, improved word prediction, improved FlexSpell, and more topic dictionaries.
Browser accessibility toolbars assist website developers and web users with disabilities
Jeff Witzel, Senior Computer Specialist, Washington Assistive Technology Alliance
The issue of web site accessibility is one that has been struggled over and fought for practically since the invention of the internet. Standards and guidelines, including those outlined by Section 508 and the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative, are steadily gaining footholds in the business of web design.
Assistive technologies such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, and accessibility features embedded in the operating system all work to lower the barriers that exist between people with specific disabilities and content on the internet.
For these technologies to work to their greatest advantage, it is important that the user be able to control the way content is provided, and that the author of the web page be able to identify specific areas where assistive technologies may not be effective. Without a full testing suite of assistive technology and software, it can sometimes be difficult for the web designer to predict these issues and deal with them effectively.
Two new free accessibility toolbars have recently become available for the Internet Explorer browser and the Mozilla Firefox browser. (Firefox is a free browser available from the Mozilla project, intended to compete with Internet Explorer.) Each is extremely useful both to users who require special display options when reading web sites, and to developers who need a quick way to see how their site looks under a variety of circumstances.
The Accessible Information Solutions Web Accessibility Toolbar, created and distributed by the Australian National Information Library Service, is available as an add-on component for the Internet Explorer browser. By extending the capabilities of the browser itself and interacting with existing style sheet technologies, this toolbar allows users to easily and interactively change the way a web page is displayed.
For those merely using the tool to read a web page, there are a variety of helpful features. Style sheets may be customized or turned on and off right from the toolbar, without requiring the user to access the browser's configuration settings. Images can be replaced with alternative text, or ignored completely. Colors can be replaced by grayscale. A useful "magnify" feature allows instant magnification of the entire page. Well-authored documents can quickly be reduced to just a list of their headings and subheadings.
For the accessibility-conscious web designer, the toolbar becomes exponentially more useful. For example: scripting languages can be instantly enabled or disabled, document structure analyzed, HTML code validated to W3C standards, and the size of the browser window dynamically adjusted to emulate different display sizes. A full reference to accessible web design techniques is available directly from the toolbar, as well as external links to accessibility testing suites. To download, visit www.nils.org.au/ais/web/resources/toolbar.
A similar product is available in the Mozilla Accessibility Extension provided by the Illinois Center for Instructional Technology Accessibility (iCITA). In addition to several features similar to those above, the Mozilla toolbar offers a high-contrast mode, a quick listing of all URL links on a page, and a data table analysis tool. iCITA also has a version of its toolbar available for Internet Explorer. To download, visit cita.disability.uiuc.edu/software.
These extensions are free and neither contains spyware or advertising banners. They can be easily installed, uninstalled, or hidden from view when not needed. WATA is providing these links for informational purposes, is not specifically endorsing any particular product and cannot be responsible for any changes made to your computer as a result of using these tools.
An Introduction to Assistive Technology: training to be offered June 20-23 at the UW
The Center for Technology and Disability Studies at the University of Washington offers An Introduction to Assistive Technology: Summer Institute 2005, June 20-23.
Topics will include assistive technology, the fundamentals, augmentative and alternative communication, computer access technologies, funding for assistive technology, technology for people with learning disabilities, seating, positioning and mobility, hearing assistance technology, environmental control units, web accessibility and individuals with low vision or blindness, and case studies and consultations.
During the hands-on labs, participants will experience alternative computer access hardware and software as well as software to aid individuals with blindness or low vision, limited mobility, or difficulties with reading and writing.
The fee is $495. For an additional fee, those who complete the entire institute can receive UW academic credit, Rehabilitation Counselor Certification Credits (CRCC), and/or Puget Sound Education Service District clock hours. For more information and registration, call 800-841-8345 (toll-free V/TTY in Washington State), email uwctds@u.washington.edu or visit the web at uwctds.washington.edu/si2005/index.htm.
Calendar of Events
RESNA 2005: 28th International Conference on Technology & Disability: Research, Design, Practice & Policy,
June 23 - 27, 2004, Atlanta , GA
RESNA 2005, sponsored by the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America,
brings together people who use, develop, manufacture and deliver assistive and rehabilitative technologies.
Information: RESNA, 1700 N. Moore Street, Suite 1540, Arlington, VA 22209-1903, 703-524-6686, info@resna.org
or http://www.resna.org/.
AAC in the Mountains 2005 Conference:
Literacy Instruction for Students with Severe Disabilities. July 18-19, Park City, Utah
Focuses on developing skills in alphabetic knowledge, phonological awareness and word play for students who
have severe speech and language delays, and/or severe speech and physical disabilities.
Information: 435-645-7737, fax 435-658-0925, mail@creativecommunicating.com or
www.creativecommunicating.com/aac2004.html.
AHEAD 2005: The 27th Annual Conference: Meeting the Profession. Aug. 2-6, Milwaukee
AHEAD is the premiere professional association committed to full participation of persons with disabilities in
postsecondary education. Information: PO Box 540666, Waltham, MA 02454 or
www.ahead.org/training/conference/2005_conf/index.htm.
For calendar updates, visit the Web at:
http://wata.org/calendar.htm
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The WATA Bulletin is supported by grant H224A3006 from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education, to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Olympia, WA.