assistivetechnology101.com Open in urlscan Pro
101.0.98.90  Public Scan

Form analysis
1 forms found in the DOM

GET https://assistivetechnology101.com/

<form action="https://assistivetechnology101.com/" class="search-form searchform clearfix" method="get">
  <div class="search-wrap">
    <input type="text" placeholder="Search" class="s field" name="s">
    <button class="search-icon" type="submit"></button>
  </div>
</form>

Text Content

Skip to content


ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY 101

Menu

 * Windows 11
 * Mac
 * Chromebook
 * iPad
 * Software
 * Browsers
 * Google Accessibility
 * For Teachers
 * For Parents


DIGITAL INCLUSION, AND SPECIFICALLY DIGITAL LITERACY, IS BECOMING JUST AS
CRUCIAL TO WELL-BEING AND SUCCESS (TO LEARN, TO EARN AND TO VOICE CHANGE) AS THE
ABILITY TO READ AND WRITE.

– UNICEF, JUNE 2021


Read more

Many families and teachers will be able to relate to the quote above, and the
images to the right.

Prior to the covid-19 pandemic, UNICEF had placed significant emphasis (see the
Every Child Can Read program launched in Thailand in 2019) on literacy (the
ability to read and write) – with good reason! In Australia, more than 43% of
adults have literacy levels below that required to actively participate in all
aspects of everyday life (Australian Bureau of Statistics). This was recently
highlighted in the recent SBS series Lost for Words which follows a group of
Australian adults with varying ranges of literacy ability progressing through an
adult literacy program, highlighting the challenges they have faced and continue
to face in their day to day lives. Literacy rates in many third world countries
are significantly worse.

Of course, adult literacy begins with children’s literacy in schools.

Since covid-19, and the mass cessation of much of the world’s face-to-face
school learning (and/or the introduction of blended models), digital literacy
has been put in the spotlight (as highlighted in the article that the above
quote was taken from Collectively projecting an equitable, diverse, inclusive
digital and innovation revolution) with almost an implied assumption that people
can read and write. As the preceding paragraphs indicate, that is not always the
case.

The top stock image on the right could easily be a picture of the author of this
website and her son, though it doesn’t come close to showing the tears and
frustration we felt at the beginning of remote learning. We both (our family and
the school) knew that he had a learning disability (severe dyslexia and poor
working memory) but the reality of having to work remotely across a range of
different platforms was a nightmare. It severely impacted his ability to keep up
with classwork and my ability to work – everything suffered.

The bottom image is how I imagine many teachers felt initially, and continue to
feel now, at times, as we start to come out of lockdown and back to face to face
learning.



Students with low literacy have been severely disadvantaged during remote and
blended learning where there are expectations that they can read and follow
written instructions – often with limited support at home due to the parent’s
ability to support the student due to their work and other family commitments
and/or their own literacy challenges (see the Victoria University 2020 report
Impact of learning from home for disadvantaged children). This can impact not
just the remote classroom, students may also have difficulties in understanding
timetables, how to access classes and which platform they should be using. This
can lead to failure to keep up with set work and reduced engagement in the
remote learning classroom (and the flow on effects).

Teachers can support these students by adapting their approach and encouraging
students to use assistive technology.

What is assistive technology? According to the Assistive Technology Industry
Association (ATIA), assistive technology is defined as “… any item, piece of
equipment, software program, or product system that is used to increase,
maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of persons with disabilities.”
Assistive technology takes many forms, for this website, we are only using it in
the context of computer software “… screen readers and communication programs”
and “... inclusive or specialized learning materials and curriculum aids” and “…
specialized curricular software.”

This site has been developed to showcase the most common assistive technology
resources available to students with low literacy as of October 2021, however
please be aware that there is a huge range of tools that have not been discussed
here and that the number of available resources is continually increasing as new
technologies become available.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


MANY OF THE ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY TOOLS INCLUDED IN THIS WEBSITE ARE USEFUL FOR
ANYONE – THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT FOR LOW LITERACY TO USE THESE TOOLS.


HOW TO USE THIS SITE

Use the tabs above for the device you or your students use to see what assistive
technologies are available to you and how to install and use.


WHAT IS LOW LITERACY?

Low literacy is defined as per the below and is taken from the OECD Country Note
(Australia) – Survey of Adult Skills First Results report. Levels 3, 4 and 5
have been excluded here, but are available in the full report.

Below Level 1: “Tasks at this level require the respondent to read brief texts
on familiar topics and locate a single piece of specific information. There is
seldom any competing information in the text. Only basic vocabulary knowledge is
required, and the reader is not required to understand the structure of
sentences or paragraphs or make use of other text features.“

Level 1: “Tasks at this level require the respondent to read relatively short
digital or print texts to locate a single piece of information that is identical
to or synonymous with the
information given in the question or directive. Knowledge and skill in
recognising basic vocabulary, determining the meaning of sentences, and reading
paragraphs of text is expected.“

Level 2: “Tasks at this level require the respondent to make matches between the
text, either digital or printed, and information, and may require paraphrasing
or low-level inferences.“

The Australian Government Style Manual includes information on literacy and
access and defines the following factors that affect literacy in English:

 * where people live
 * their linguistic background
 * their education
 * how old they are
 * their abilities and limitations
 * how they access information

English as a Second Language

If English is your second language, you’ll find many of the resources in this
site are also very useful.

Scanning Pens - are they worth it

Many of the reviews online for scanning pens come across as poorly disguised
commercials to encourage purchasing.

So, I’m going to write my own review as a parent of a child that has a scanning
pen. These are my key things you should consider:

 1. Don’t purchase something when they are too young – I would suggest late
    primary to early secondary.
    If you do earlier than this you risk it being lost, not being used properly,
    or used as a replacement learning the required literacy skills.
 2. Make sure they treat it with the respect that it deserves, it’s a very
    expensive piece of equipment and a powerful tool when used correctly.
 3. Whether the use of the c-pen is supported in your child’s class –
    fortunately for us, my son’s schools (primary and secondary) have been very
    supportive. We even did a mini in-service for my son’s primary school to
    educate staff on how it could be used.
 4. Utilise all the functionality – it comes with an in-built dictionary and has
    the ability to scan printed text directly to your computer.

The scanning pen we bought is called a c-pen, 4 years later it’s still going
strong.

Audiobooks

What resources are available to students that need to improve their literacy
skills?

For a comprehensive listing of current evidence based resources, please see the
AUSPELD website
https://uldforparents.com/further-reading/appendix-5-recommended-apps-list/

AUSPELD have produced a 70 page guide for parents called Understanding Learning
Difficulties that we recommend every parent and teacher read and use as a guide.

See AUSPELD Learning Difficulties PARENTS
“This Guide has been designed and produced to provide parents and carers with
current information about the nature of learning disabilities in children, and
to offer practical guidance on the most appropriate identification, intervention
and support.” – AUSPELD, uldforparents.com




ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I am (Fiona Czuczman) a geologist and IT specialist with over 25 years
experience across both industries. I am currently completing a Master of
Education (Secondary) and have produced this website as part of my assessment
for EDU5DEI – Digital Environments and Innovations as a resource for teachers to
quickly find assistive technology solutions for their students and to have them
consider how they communicate work and expectations to families and students.

As a parent of a secondary student with very low literacy, diagnosed with severe
dyslexia and poor working memory, the remote learning program was impossible for
him to navigate on his own. I found the only way for him to be able to
participate in class was for me to know his timetable and the platforms each of
his class teachers were using (initially there was no conformity between
classroom teachers). Then I had to be with him during class to login and to
listen in on classes so I could keep track of verbal instructions as well as
having to read the majority of written instructions. Over time the workload was
reduced, a consistency of platforms was introduced, and my son became more
competent at navigating the digital technology himself. With the continued
application of assistive technology, combined with ongoing literacy instruction,
I’m confident he’ll have a bright future!



Assistive Technology 101 has been created to provide teachers and families with
information available to assist students with low literacy.


CONTACT US

Fiona Czuczman
Ph: 0402 209 505
Em: fiona@assistivetechnology101.com


QUICK LINKS

 * Windows 11
 * Mac
 * Chromebook
 * iPad
 * Software
 * Browsers
 * Google Accessibility
 * For Teachers
 * For Parents

Copyright © 2021 Assistive Technology 101. All Rights Reserved.