Resources

= = =Resources= toc The following resources serve to both inform people on a number of the various disabilities that affect people in the world, but also give them ideas on how to better help those with disabilities. Also included in this list of resources are tools educators can use to create presentations such as the ones on this site that can educate people on disabilities and inform them on how to use the assistive technology listed here.



**__[|Word Q]__**
URL: www.goqsoftware.com Company: Quillsoft Ltd. Price: $225.00

This is a review of the software not the website.

WordQ is a word prediction software that Provides a series of words that are commonly used in response to the users keystrokes. WordQ has a small interface window that appears on top of whatever window is being run and functions with any application where the user types. As the user types in letters, the software attempts to suggest the word being used, based upon the first letters and words previously written by the user. As they are writing, the user may use the directional keys or the number keys to select the desired word. Strengths and Weaknesses: WordQ is simple to use and easy to get the hang of. It can be used with the on-screen keyboard as well, so it works well for disabled students. However, it can take some time before the systems gets an good idea of what words to predict. It took a while before it began to predict the words that I wanted.



**__[|Jing]__**
URL: www.techsmith.com/jing/ Company: TechSmith Corporation

This is a review of the software not the website.

Jing is a screencasting computer program that takes pictures or videos of the user's computer screen which can then be uploaded to the Web. Strengths and Weaknesses: The software is fairly easy to use once one gets the hang of it. It allows one to record anything on the computer screen as well as record audio for the video. The problem is that there is a time limit to how long any one video can be, and you cannot undo anything that has been recorded. You either have to keep going or simply restart the recording and do it over again.



**__Windows Speech Recognition__**
Company: Microsoft Windows Windows Speech Recognition is a speech recognition application included with Windows 7. This allows the user to control the computer by giving specific voice commands. This can aid those who are blind as well as who have trouble reading or writing.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The software is quick to respond to the commands spoken to it through the mike, and it does a fairly good job a spelling the appropriate words, but it can have a great deal of trouble understanding the commands being given to it, and sometimes it misinterprets the words being stated. It can a great deal of time and practice to get this software to work the way one wants it to work.



**__[|Youtube]__**
URL Address: www.youtube.com

Youtube is a video-sharing website that allows users to upload, share, and view videos. This is a great site because it allows users to view videos that can be both entertaining and informative on people with disabilities. Strengths and Weaknesses: The site is easy to use, and uploading/embedding videos is not that difficult since the site is user-friendly. The problems is, since videos can be uploaded by anyone, not all of the videos are accessible to everyone. Many of the videos do not have the option of close captioned for those with auditory problems, nor does is offer any alternative for those who are not able to view the information.

Web Validator: WAVE detected 6 Accessibility errors on the home page of the site. WAVE detected 9 Accessibility errors on a video page of the site

Accessibility/UDL: There are a number of Javascript elements throughout the page that require either the use of a keyboard or a mouse. There are also a number of event handlers that may require the specific use of either a mouse or a keyboard. However, there are no red flags on the home page of the site. On one of the video pages, there are of course flash objects presents and there are not always HTML alternatives to youtube videos nor is there a way to provide captions to many of the videos. The only red flags that appear on this page are and error from an empty form label and an error from an empty link. This is due to the comments block, where registered users can enter their own comments about the video. It is empty because nothing has been entered yet.



**__[|WebAim]__**
URL: webaim.org

A site that not only provides information on various disabilities but also advice on how to make the web more accessible to everyone.

Strengths and Weaknesses: This site is very informative, and easy to navigate through. The site also offers various additional sites for the user to explore and learn even more about these disabilities.The site also provides links to numerous resources that can better help people understand those with disabilities as well as make the web more accessible.

Web Validator: WAVE detected no accessibility errors on the home page of the site, nor on the articles page or in the articles themselves.

Accessibility/UDL: Since this was a site created to educate others on disabilities and on how to make sites and resources more accessible, they made sure that the site itself was accessible and usable to as many people as possible. The only possible problems that I found on any of the pages reviewed were some javascript elements on some of the pages as well as the headings being incorrectly ordered on some of the pages.



**__[|Slideshare]__**
URL: www.slideshare.net

A site that allows users to upload and save their PowerPoint presentations for free. The presentations can then be embedded onto blogs and wiki pages.

Strengths and Weaknesses: I found the site easy to use once I learned how to upload and embed my presentations. One feature that I enjoy about the site is that it posts all of the text from the presentation as a transcript after the presentation section of the page. The only real problem that I had with the site was that is sometimes would freeze for no reason and then my slideshow would not work for a little while.

Web Validator: WAVE detected 21 accessibility errors with the site.

Accessibility/UDL: There are a number of Form labels missing throughout the page, there is also a fieldset present, but the corresponding is missing. There are a number of javascript elements in the page, but they are simply advertisements and do not pose an accessibility issue.



**__[|ScreenCast]__**
URL: screencast.com

A Website that allows a user to upload and save up to 2 GB worth of images and videos for free. These videos can be linked or embedded onto blogs and wikipages.

Strengths and Weaknesses: This site allows me to upload any of the presentations that I have created with either Camtasia or Jing with far fewer problems than Youtube. Unlike Youtube, this site had no problem accepting the captions I placed in the videos. I can also embed these videos onto my page just as easily as any Youtube video. One problem I have with the site is that sometimes when I try to upload a video to it the site will tell me that I cannot without an updated version of screencast, and then just a few minutes later it will accept the video with no difficulty. I never downloaded an updated version of screencast, so I was not sure why it suddenly accepted the video. Also, I could not always embed the video onto wikispaces with first editing it. Some of the embedding code it not compatible with wikispaces and it needed to be edited before the site would accept the video. In this case, the problem was

Web Validator: WAVE detected 11 accessibility errors througout the page

Accessibility/UDL: There are a number of Form labels missing throughout the page, and there is also some invisible content that may pose an accessibility issue for those who cannot use a mouse.



**__[|Inspiration 9]__**
URL: www.inspiration.com/Inspiration Company: Inspiration Software, Inc. Price: $59.95

This is a review of the software not the website.

A visual thinking and learning tool for students and teachers. Inspiration helps students create visual diagrams such as idea maps, graphic organizers, concept maps, mind maps, webs, and many other diagrams.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The trial version of this software worked fairly well, and it did not take me long to figure out how to create my chart for the wiki. The software is quite user-friendly in my opinion, but problems arose when I tried to save it. The software did not allow me to save the chart into a more general web format such as jpg or gif. I ended up needing copy the image and past it in photoshop just so I could save it and upload it to the site.



**__On-Screen Keyboard__**
Company: Microsoft Windows

A visual keyboard with all the standard keys. The user can select keys using the mouse or another pointing device, or they can use a single key or group of keys to cycle through the keys on the screen.

Strengths and Weaknesses: I am so used to using a regular keyboard that using this one to type was time consuming and at times frustrating. Still, I can see the benefits of this. When I started using computers I had to look down and check every button I pressed and I often did not see what I was typing until I was finished with my latest sentence. I could not type and look at the screen at the same time. An on-screen keyboard, however would have been of great help. I could easily see this as a useful tool for a student with a learning disability or one who cannot type while looking at the screen at the same time.



**__[|Text Aloud]__**
URL: www.nextup.com/TextAloud/ Company: Nextup LLC Price: $29.95

This is a review of the software not the website.

Text to Speech software that converts your text from MS Word Documents, Emails, Web Pages and PDF Files into natural-sounding speech. Users can listen on their PC or create audio files for use on portable devices such as IPods.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The Text Aloud software reads the text placed into it rather well, and I have little trouble understanding it. Not only can it read text that has been copied and pasted into the software, it can also read word docs and pdf's that have been uploaded to it. The software also has a number of button options that allow users to control Text Aloud without the use of a mouse. One problem I faced when using the software, though, is that when certain files were upload to Text Aloud it would be uploaded peculiarly, with words and sentences broken up at random.



**__[|WAVE]__**
URL: wave.webaim.org/

A free web accessibility evaluation tool that allows users to find accessibility errors in the web-pages. WAVE does this by showing the original web page with embedded icons and indicators that reveal the accessibility of that page.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The site does a good job of checking for any possible problems with the site, and has helped me in seeing if there were any major problems with any of the sites that I checked. I sometimes found it difficult to follow all of the key icons that the site used, and sometimes I was not sure what the problem was even with the icons there to describe it.

Web validator: When I attempted to evaluate WAVE with WAVE itself I got this message: WAVE FATAL ERROR A fatal exception has occurred. In your attempt to WAVE a WAVE page, you have crashed WAVE and likely destroyed the internet. Way to go! It may be possible to continue normally. Finally, a site with a sense of humor. I then ran it through Cynthia Says, and it passed.
 * Please enter a non-WAVE URL above
 * Please select a file to upload above
 * Press any key to acknowledge that you will never do this again _

Accessibility/UDL: The site is fairly straightforward, and it shows no accessibility issues. The site also offers several options for viewing the information provided by WAVE, including images and icons, A review of the structure of the site, the text of the site, or of the outline of the site.



[|The FASD Center]
URL: www.fascenter.samhsa.gov/

This site is devoted to informing people about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), an umbrella term used to describe that range of effects that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during her pregnancy. Though there is no cure for FASD, it is 100% preventable.

Strengths/Weaknesses: This is a simple site that give excellent general information on FASD, as well as links to organizations and resources that also help better inform people on FASD. The information on the site was easy to follow, and I had no difficulty understanding what was being said on the site.

Web Validator: WAVE detected 2 accessibility errors with the site.

Accessibility/UDL: There are linked images on the site with no alternative text, and in some cases the alternative text is very long when it may not need to be. There were some event handlers, but they did not seem to cause any accessibility issues as I have tested the link and it could be accessed with either a mouse or the keyboard.



[|Learning Disabilities]
URL: nichcy.org/disability/specific/ld A site that informs, and provides examples of people with learning disabilities. A great site to teach people how difficult it can be for some people to learn.

Strengths/Weaknesses: The site contains information and examples of those with disabilities, as well as links to tools and resources that can better help those with disabilities. This site is helpful for both teachers and parents of children with learning disabilities.

Web Validator: WAVE detected 19 accessibility errors with the site

Accessibility/UDL: The accessibility errors on the site come from the options to share with sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Windows Live. As for the site itself, there are fewer accessibility issues. There were some event handlers, but they did not seem to cause any accessibility issues as I have tested the link and it could be accessed with either a mouse or the keyboard. There is also an alert to pop up windows for the links but I tested them and they did not seem to be an issue, the links seemed to work just fine and open up without any issues. The main problem is that the links on this site are poorly accessible since they are just activated http:// links. Links such as this are not friendly to screen-readers.



[|Understanding Disability]
URL: www.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=ntl_understanding This site informs people about the various disabilities that affect people in the world. This is a great way to teach people about the various disabilities that can affect people in the world.

Strengths/Weaknesses:This site contains fantastic information on different disabilities that affect people in the world. I learned a great deal about the various disabilities listed here that I never learned before. They also include the information in Spanish, that impressed me.

Web Validator: WAVE detected no accessibility issues with the site.

Accessibility/UDL: There are a number of javascript elements in the page, but they are simply advertisements and do not pose an accessibility issue. There is an alert to the fact that several of the images have the same alternative text, but upon checking them I noticed that was because they had the same blank space as alternative text.



__Photoshop Elements__
Company: Adobe Systems Price: $99.99 A program that allows users to create, edit, organize, and share images. This is a great way to create images that can be uploaded to web sites as visual aids.

Strengths and Weaknesses: The software is user friendly and has a number of useful features. One of my favorites is that if I choose to copy an image I can select the option File->New->Blank File the software created a new blank file that perfectly matches the size of the copied image when it pasted into photoshop elements. The software also allows users to save images into a number of web-friendly formats including .jpg and .gif. One problem I have had with the software is that a number of the editing tools can be difficult to use without a fair amount of practice. The magic wand tool and quick selection tool, for example, are extremely sensitive and will often select more that the area chosen by the user. This can make editing images a challenge at times.



[|Camtasia Studio 7]
URL: www.techsmith.com/camtasia/ Company: TechSmith Corporation Price: $299.00

This is a review of the software not the website.

Camtasia Studio 7 is a screen video capturing software that allows flexible recording options that allows you to capture all or a portion of the screen. The software also allows you add in captions, your voice, music tracks, and other audio files from your computer.

Strengths and Weaknesses: Camtasia offers more options than Jing, including the ability to create captions for the video, add effects to emphasize certain points of the presentation. There are a great deal of options to Camtasia and what one can do with a recorded video. Unfortunately, while Jing is free, Camtasia costs a fair amount of money. Also, it does take a little getting used to in order to get it to work. It took me a while to figure out how to edit my selected video. Sometimes, I would select one video from my library, but when I went to edit it the software would go back to the video I previously edited.



[|Teaching Tolerance]
URL: www.tolerance.org/ Teaching Tolerance is a company that attempts to reduce prejudice, improve relations with students who are different, and support equitable school experiences for all children. They provide free educational materials to both schools in the United States and abroad. They print a magazine twice annually as well as post various articles, activities, and teaching materials online. This is a great site to teach people about understanding diversity.

Strengths/Weaknesses: This site has a plethora of interesting articles, but since it covers all forms of diversity and not just those with disabilities, it sometimes took a while to find articles that related to people with disabilities. The stories on the site, though, were very interesting.

Web Validator: WAVE detected 6 accessibility errors with the site

Accessibility/UDL: There are a number of read flags on the page where a form label is present, but it is not associated with any form, , or. There is also an alert to pop up windows for some of the links but I tested them and they did not seem to be an issue, the links seemed to work just fine and open up without any issues. The site also has a number of problematic link text that do not make sense out of context.

[|Blindness/Visual Impairment]
URL: nichcy.org/disability/specific/visualimpairment A site that informs about people with blindness and visual impairments.

Strengths/Weaknesses: The site contains detailed information on those who are blind or visually impaired, as well as links to organizations and resources that can better help those with this disability. This site is helpful for both teachers and parents of children with blindness or hearing loss.

Web Validator: WAVE detected 19 accessibility errors with the site

Accessibility/UDL: The accessibility errors on the site come from the options to share with sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Windows Live. As for the site itself, there are fewer accessibility issues. There were some event handlers, but they did not seem to cause any accessibility issues as I have tested the link and it could be accessed with either a mouse or the keyboard. There is also an alert to pop up windows for the links but I tested them and they did not seem to be an issue, the links seemed to work just fine and open up without any issues. The main problem is that the links on this site are poorly accessible since they are just activated http:// links. Links such as this are not friendly to screen-readers.

[|Deafness and Hearing Loss]
URL: nichcy.org/disability/specific/hearingloss A site that informs, and provides examples of people with deafness or hearing loss.

Strengths/Weaknesses: The site contains information and examples of those with deafness/hearing loss, as well as links to organizations and resources that can better help those with this disability. This site is helpful for both teachers and parents of children with deafness or hearing loss.

Web Validator: WAVE detected 19 accessibility errors with the site

Accessibility/UDL: The accessibility errors on the site come from the options to share with sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Windows Live. As for the site itself, there are fewer accessibility issues. There were some event handlers, but they did not seem to cause any accessibility issues as I have tested the link and it could be accessed with either a mouse or the keyboard. There is also an alert to pop up windows for the links but I tested them and they did not seem to be an issue, the links seemed to work just fine and open up without any issues. The site also has a number of problematic link text that do not make sense out of context. The main problem is that the links on this site are poorly accessible since they are just activated http:// links. Links such as this are not friendly to screen-readers.

Notification
Please note that all of the previous images on this page were screenshots taken by the creator of this wiki.

Back to Top