Matching Dyslexic Difficulties to Information Technology
By Sanderson, Andi; Dyslexic.com,Publication Date: January 2005
Article discusses hardware and software packages that can help to provide access to information technology for people with dyslexia. Six applications are discussed: (1) the Oxford Reading Pen, (2) spell checkers, (3) recording devices, (4) TextHelp Standard, (5) Inspiration, and (6) speech recognition software. The Oxford Reading Pen is a small scanner roughly the size of a mobile telephone that can be used to identify unfamiliar words, which can be scanned into the pen and displayed on a small screen. The device then presents the word’s correct pronunciation and definition in voice output. Spell checkers are self-explanatory, as they help users to spell words correctly as they are inputted into a small QWERTY keyboard. Many spell checkers also offer dictionary definitions and thesauruses, and can help the user to develop vocabulary skills. Recording devices are useful for students who have difficulty understanding oral information, particularly during classes, lectures, and seminars. Sessions can be recorded and played back at a later time with notes for supplementary detail. TextHelp Standard has the ability to read text out loud on the computer screen, and incorporates spell check and word prediction functions. This application can be very useful for beginning readers or people who have reading difficulties. Inspiration can be effective for people who can benefit from visual representations of words, as the software contains a library of shapes, symbols, and pictures, all of which can be presented in a variety of colors and with text captions. Speech recognition software, such as Dragon NaturallySpeaking and IBM’s ViaVoice, can help people to overcome difficulties in acquiring keyboard skills, as the user can speak into a microphone and compose text, open and close programs, and save and retrieve files. The degree to which these applications can help to support people with dyslexia is discussed.
Assistive Products Discussed: DRAGON NATURALLYSPEAKING
READINGPEN2
VIAVOICE STANDARD
VIAVOICE PRO USB EDITION
VIAVOICE FOR MAC OS X
INSPIRATION
TEXTHELP! SCREENREADER
TEXTHELP! READ & WRITE
Published by: Iansyst Technology Services, Ltd. (Website:http://www.iansyst.co.uk)
Link to text: http://dyslexic.com/database/articles/print/matching.html
