Dictation using Siri on the iPad 2

Although there are a couple of options for students to be able to create and store notes, I've tried to explore the most cost effective way of enabling students who have difficulty with written production to create and organize notes. Months ago, I discovered the Notability app, which allows you to create notebooks and within each notebook, store note pages.  At a reasonable cost of $1.99, this app has great functionality. You can add photos, audio recorded content, graphics, web links, and sticky notes.  I have now discovered that when you enable SIRI in your iPad settings, you can easily dictate the notes you would like to create into the notepage.  With SIRI activated, one can create highly customized notes with visual content to support the ideas covered in the classroom.

Here is an example of what can be created with the options in Notability.  I dictated the text from a book called,  A Buffet of Sensory Interventions: Solutions for Middle and High School Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders by Susan Culp, MS, OTR/L.  I added a photo, wrote on a sticky note, and added a link to a video on sensory integration.  The note was automatically dated and stored in the notebook of my choosing.  This is a great tool that has a multitude of options to allow students to easily gather and store information.

Dictation and Text-to-Speech with Google Chrome

I am always looking for ways to meld free technology applications together to produce great results.  The other day, I attended an IEP meeting for a student who required a dictation application, as written work production was a real challenge. Today, I tested out a couple of applications, loaded onto my Google Chrome browser, that would meet the above mentioned student's needs.  Google Chrome is fantastic as you can add apps and extensions to your browser which can make Internet searches, writing, and producing content a whole lot more accessible. The two applications that I loaded onto my browser from the Chrome Store are Speechlogger and SpeakIt! Speechlogger is a great, accessible dictation software that allows users to customize the dictation by adding a title, dictate using a USB microphone, and enter multiple entries that can be exported to a text file or emailed.  Using SpeakIt!, alongside this dictation software, gives the user the capability of highlighting their text and playing back what they have dictated.  An excellent tool for students who have access to a desktop or laptop computer with an inexpensive microphone.

Google Chrome

I received an email this morning from TCEA, a technology education and development organization that offers great conferences and workshops in Texas.  Now that Google Chrome has been added to our school division's image, it is time to start exploring this as a great accessibility tool for students that need additional support.  Here is just one of the many extensions and apps that can be added to the Google Chrome browser.  Have a read through these 'tech notes' for further information about Read and Write.

Accessibility on the iPad with iOS 6 software

Accessibility Features in the new iOS 6 Software

The accessibility features contained in the new iOS 6 software are located in:

>Settings>General>Accessibility

Voice Over
Voice over is a handy narrator, reading everything that is selected on the screens and within an app.  When voice over is turned on, the gestures used to navigate through screens and open apps change. Single tapping any app on your screen will bring up a box around the selected app. To enter the application, double-click the desired app. Swipe three fingers across the screen to move between your app screens. With voice over, you have the option of connecting a Braille device, having your notifications spoken, as well as customizing how the device reads aloud to you.

Speak Selection
Turning on speak selection will enable individuals with reading difficulties to have text read to them.  When speak selection is turned on, an individual can highlight text to be read and select ‘speak’ to hear the text read.

Mono Audio
Allows the user to adjust right and left audio channels to meet the individual’s specific hearing needs.  A must for individuals with hearing impairments when listening to music, videos, or podcasts.

Zoom, Large Text, Invert Colours
Designed for individuals with vision impairments, the zoom, enlarged text, and inverted colour options provide options for individuals with seeing difficulties.  The user has the option of zooming in on what’s captured on the screen, enlarging the print, as well as inverting the colours to maximize the viewing of the screen.

Assistive Touch
The iOS 6 software offers the option of customizing the gestures employed by the user to navigate through screens and apps. If swiping through screens is not manageable, the user can program the device to respond to their own particular gestures.

Guided Access
Allows the user to set restrictions within apps. Turning on guided access will prompt the user to set a restrictions passcode and then create the parameters in which another user can operate. For example, when guided access is turned on, another user cannot exit the current application and that same user may not have access to particular parts of the application.  A triple-click by the initial user will bring up the passcode screen in which a four-digit code can be entered, allowing the user to end guided access.

Note: The iPad 3’s are capable of just a little more, having SIRI, the automated voice control option available with the current iPhone 4S devices.

Here are some links to check out:

Accessibility in iOS 6: https://nfb.org/blog/atblog/whats-new-accessibility-ios-6

Mono- Audio explained: http://youtu.be/X1wCPiS45sU

Guided Access explained: http://youtu.be/N_cPotZ_q4c