ICT and Special Needs

1
Introduction

• ICT and Special Needs
• Transformation for all
• David Banes Director of Development -
  AbilityNet

2
Who are we ?

• ..is a national charity and the UK's leading
  provider of expertise on computing and
  disability.

3
AbilityNet and Change

• Ground up - Pushing for greater involvement of
  SEN Professionals as key stakeholders in the
  process through dialogue and feature articles
• Strategic - Working with Becta, Partnerships for
  Schools, Regional RSC and the broader SEN
  community pushing for greater SEN consideration
  to be made in the initiative
• Supporting - Working with numerous local
  authorities and schools and guiding them on ICT
  accessibility considerations.
• Commercial - Working with a number of ICT
  suppliers to enhance their ICT offering to
  schools and colleges

4
Where are we working in Transformation

• Richmond
• Essex
• Wandsworth
• Sheffield
• Coventry
• Bournemouth and Poole
• Westminster
• Tameside
• Tower Hamlets
• Manchester

Nottingham Manchester Waltham Forest Derby
County Hammersmith and Fulham Kent Sandwell
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The Renewal potential

• Renewal of colleges is a HUGE opportunity
• it could enrich the lives, opportunities and
  learning experience of hundreds of thousands of
  students with SEN
• or
• it could leave those very same students behind,
  facing even greater barriers to learning

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Demand accessibility

• The scale of renewal is one of the greatest
  levers. For the first time ever we can
• Oblige ICT suppliers to get things right
• Suppliers can be made to deliver what you need
  for your students, not just what they have to
  sell
• If necessary, make suppliers take some of their
  products back to the drawing board

7
The barriers

• A very busy time for those of you leading on
  procurement - ICT accessibility could very easily
  slip off the agenda.
• Can funds stretch to universal access ? -
  particular issues for special needs.
• No definitive national legislation on ICT
  accessibility.
• Those driving the process need to understand
  accessibility.

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Why

• Why is accessibility for all so important?

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What

• Lets look at some assistive technology and
  accessibility solutions

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Windows Ease of Use

• Accessibility within operating systems
• Ease of access centre / accessibility options
• Tuning the keyboard
• Tuning the mouse
• Changing the Display
• Vista Voice Recognition

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Alternative access methods

• Alternatives to the Standard Keyboard
• Alternatives to the Standard Mouse
• Magnification
• Speech output
• Literacy support
• Symbol users
• Switch users
• Other access options
• Touchscreen
• Voice Recognition
• EyeGaze

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Keyboards
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Pointing Devices
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Visual access

• Screenreaders
• Magnification
• Braille output

15
Literacy support
Dyslexia aids and Symbol processors
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Switch Users
Switches and switch interfaces
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From cause and effect and switch skill
development
To switch control of the whole computer
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Future Access

• Voice input becoming more
• prevalent and proficient
• Eye tracking control
• Thought control
• Ubiquitous AT

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Surface and Smart Table
http//www2.smarttech.com/st/en-US/Products/SMART
Table/
www.microsoft.com/SURFACE/index.html
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Accessibility isnt just access devices

• Also need to consider
• Underlying accessibility of all software and
  hardware we procure
• Accessibility of teaching and learning solutions
  such as whiteboards and student voting systems.
• Accessibility factors around learning platforms
  the framework and content

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Not just access devices

• Also need to consider
• Impact on SEN students of the way the service is
  delivered
• Building design and furniture can impact on ICT
  accessibility
• Innovative use of ICT to increase opportunities,
  independence and achievement for SEN students

22
A need to engage locally

• How do you make it happen ?
• Start the dialogue as soon as possible
• SEN professionals and students need to be
  recognised as key stakeholders
• SEN professionals should get to know those
  responsible for planning within the team and vice
  versa

23
A need to engage locally

• An open and comprehensive dialogue needs to take
  place to understand local needs.
• Everyone needs to understand what accessibility
  looks like and why it is important.
• SEN students needs should be considered and
  highlighted throughout the documentation such as
  strategies, visions and output specifications,
  and throughout continuing dialogue with suppliers

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Define your utopia

• Our vision is
• any student regardless of ability has equal
  access to ICT so that it provides true enrichment
  of their learning experience.
• students should be able to log on the learning
  platform wherever they are working most
  comfortably and find it fully accessible and
  delivering a learning experience and content
  which is appropriate to their level and needs.

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Define your utopia

• when students need any access technology, it is
  delivered to them in a seamless way over the
  network, regardless of the machine they log on
  to.
• all other teaching and learning ICT tools
  employed with the college allow Students with SEN
  to learn and participate fully.

26
Guidance to support you

• AbilityNet has drafted guidance
• to support you with this
• internal dialogue and to
• help you understand and
• specify your local
• requirements.
• Remember
• You get what you procure

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Understanding local needs

• What does accessibility look like ?
• What are your legal responsibilities ?
• What are your existing needs ?
• What are your likely future needs ?
• What local and external expertise is available ?

28
Understanding local needs

• What are the lessons from the past ?
• What is in place already equipment and
  expertise ?
• What are the legacy issues ?
• How far are we prepared to go with accessibility
  ?
• Is one students accessibility another students
  barrier?

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Specifying requirements

• An idea of the key accessibility factors which we
  need to outline throughout the process, covering
• Hardware such as PC
• Hardware such as laptop computers
• Hardware such as teaching and learning tools
• Managed services
• Operating system and network configuration
• Software
• Learning Platforms
• Assistive technology software and hardware
• Building design and furniture

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Hardware

• Attaching peripherals
• Compatibility with access software
• Legacy connections
• Screen size
• Laptop weight, battery life, ease of opening

31
Teaching and learning technology

• Height adjustable interactive whiteboards
• Alternative access methods for whiteboards
• Slates
• Local images of whiteboard
• Input method on voting systems

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Managed Services

• Will local specialist technician knowledge be
  lost?
• What about instant replacement agreements and
  their impact on SEN students
• Can users of bespoke ICT systems access network
  facilities
• Access to control panel for accessibility
  features
• Accessibility settings available regardless of
  log on location
• Can non standard access equipment be installed
  without long delays

33
Operating system, software learning platform

• What accessibility options are available in the
  operating system?
• What third party access software is available?
• Log on for non keyboard users
• What about the application and learning software?
  Will this have accessibility built in?

34
Learning Platform

• Will the learning platform chosen be accessible
  in terms of both framework and content?
• How far will you be willing / able to go with
  learning platform accessibility?
• Will the learning platform offer any level of
  meaningful experience for those with the most
  complex needs?

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Some good practice

• http//www.myguide.gov.uk/myguide/MyguideHome.do
• http//www.symbolworld.org/
• http//www.widgit.com/rainforest/html/start.htm
• http//www.widgit.com/products/webwide/index.htm

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Some good practice

• http//rime.tees.ac.uk/arc/projects/vlefeedback/in
  dexVLE.htm (Portland)
• http//www.askability.org.uk/
• http//www.charltonschool.com/students/start.htm
• Browsealoud

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• Accessible log on issues
• http//iamtesting.org/accessible_login/info.php
• Point symbolisation and speech
• http//www.abilitynet.org.uk/easy/

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Digital content - Accessibility

• Subtitles
• Close captioning
• Audio Description
• Plain Text
• Large Print
• MP3
• Daisy
• Braille
• Will there be standards and will staff get the
  time and training to deliver?

44
Assistive technology considerations

• Can AT solutions be delivered over the network or
  is pendrive AT the way forward
• Is licensing appropriate?
• Will AT software keep up with operating system
  and application software updates?
• Will students requiring special access use their
  own machines or will all campus computers be made
  accessible?
• Funding for AT
• Hardware readily available and with necessary
  drivers installed

45
Building design and furniture

• Power sockets
• Height adjustable furniture
• Positioning of computer equipment
• Lighting and windows
• Space for equipment and manoeuvring

46
Consider innovation

• Innovation in ICT has as big a transformational
  role to play in SEN education as it does in
  mainstream education.
• RFID tags
• Catering
• Visual timetables
• Etc etc
• However, be led by your learning goals rather
  than the technology.

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Immersive environments for education
48

• 3d displays no glasses
• http//www.reachout-interactives.com/
• real-time 3D interactive educational software and
  software curriculum based activities.

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• MILE - http//www.experia-innovations.co.uk/rooms
  /room.php?room_id5 
• Multisensory Interactive Learning Environment
  combines, video, sound, vibration, odour, lights
  etc for a very immersive learning experience.

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• http//www.apexeducation.co.uk/
• 3D scenes to support and access life skills,
  field trips, geography, UK places of Interest
  etc. 

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• Photosynth at http//photosynth.net/Default.aspx
  - tool to stitch photos together to replicate a
  3D experience lots of interesting places up
  there already Venice, Pyramids etc 

52

• Google Street View just launched for the UK
• http//maps.google.co.uk/maps?hlentabil
• but you have been able to use it for a while to
  get a 3D like experience of important sites in
  other countries the coliseum for example.

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• How can we support you?
• New Opportunities New Solutions

54
Motivation

• The divide needs a new bridge
• Beyond Employment and Education
• What motivates ?
• Community
• Connection
• Fun

55
IT Connect for Disabled

• Digital world is a single entity
• Our response to that must be consistent
• Single Gateway to Digital Access
• Facilitating
• Access across Life stages
• Access across Geography
• Access that follows the user not the context or
  the platform

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Integrated Networks
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Integrated AbilityNet

• Virtual
• www.abilitynet.org.uk
• www.abilitynettraining.org
• www.abilitynet.wetpaint.com
• www.twitter.com/abilitynet _at_abilitynet
• www,youtube.com/abilitynet
• www.myspace.com/abilitynet
• www.facebook.com/abilitynet

SOC SSOC
Remote enquiries_at_abilitynet.org.uk 0800 269545
Physical
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Integrated me

• www.abilitynet.org.uk/blog
• www.abilitynet.org.uk/podcast
• Linkedin
• Friends reunited
• eBay

david.banes_at_abilitynet.org.uk david_banes_abilityn
et 07989 409287
59
Thank You !

• David Banes
• david.banes_at_abilitynet.org.uk
• 07989 409287