I just found your list when friends referred me, and I've read through much
of this thread and thought I'd add a few thoughts.

First, I just want to begin by noting that text-to-speech systems are not -
in any way - just for people with limited reading skills. I've spent a dozen
years working with WYNN (still, I think, the single best "lifespan" literacy
solution available) and other text-to-speech systems. I've worked with
children as young as 8, with middle school students (we have two research
projects going right now), with hundreds of high school students and
hundreds of community college and university students, as well as wide range
of adult learners and workers through a state Voc/Rehab agency. In addition
to all of those WYNN applications I've done a great deal with Text-Help's
Read-and-Write, Microsoft Reader, NaturalReader (the free version),
ReadPlease (in the old days), CLiCk-Speak in Firefox (and FoxyVoice before
that), WordTalk, and on and on. And yes we've used the Reading Pen - though
really never with students, for whom it is simply not an appropriate tool.

Anyway, these tools work to support a vast range of learning needs, which is
what makes them "Universal Design Technology" and which is what makes their
inclusion in every classroom essential. From the student simply using the
Firefox add-ins to get new vocabulary pronunciation, or definitions, or
translations, to the student using the feedback systems in WYNN to build
reading comprehension skills, to second-language-learners, to students with
a range of visual or simply attention issues (which are helped immensely
when both hearing and vision are engaged in software which highlights the
words and sentences as they are read), these tools work. And students need
to have them on hand.

There is a place for all of these solutions. Surely no school computer
should be without the free supports in Firefox. But students who need more
will need software such as WYNN. In vocational applications or lifestyle
applications a Reading Pen is great as well (reading menus, prescription
bottles, addresses - or ensuring that the right part is being selected from
the plumbing/electrical/auto parts warehouse. Yes, students need to know
Adobe Reader will read to them. They need to know that Firefox has this
range of solutions. They need to know that new Mobile phone text readers are
coming - all the free and ubiquitous stuff - but they also need to see and
understand the power of the high end solutions, and they need those
solutions available so they can achieve their potential.

I have now seen dozens of complete "non-readers" successfully complete
university educations using WYNN for all of their reading. I have seen
hundreds of similar students complete vocational courses using it as well.
And for each of those there are 5 or 6 "weak readers" who've used these
supports extensively in order to finish their education. But I also know
that I meet many more students who struggle with reading (aren't over 2/3 of
American students below "proficiency" in reading?) who are denied real
access to texts because their schools refuse to become informed, refuse to
learn, and refuse to properly make their IT-systems accessible. And that is
a crime.

Ira Socol
http://speedchange.blogspot.com/

On 4/10/08, Jeanette Schandelmeier <Jeanette.Schandelmeier at lposd.org> wrote:

>

>  Adobe Reader has accessibility built in, in the form of a text reader –

> under "View".

>

>

>  ------------------------------

>

> *From:* technology-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov] *On

> Behalf Of *Jenner, Cathy

> *Sent:* Thursday, April 10, 2008 9:30 AM

> *To:* The Technology and Literacy Discussion List

> *Cc:* The Learning Disabilities Discussion List

> *Subject:* [Technology 1606] Re: Access to text, a social justice issue

>

>

>

> In our UDL project, we have placed Assistive Technology in several

> classrooms and in our libraries and Student Success Center. We also train

> all our peer tutors on using AT.  Our goal is to have students see AT as

> "just another tool" like a calculator.

>

>

>

> We have recently worked out a deal with our library to lend out two

> tools:  a mobile notetaker from Pegasus and also Keys To Access which has

> several applications on a flash drive.  Any student can get these from the

> Library for home use.  We have found screen reader to be very useful, but

> there is some work that goes along with them.  Not all screen readers work

> with all programs, for instance PDFs, Powerpoints, etc.

>

>

>

> We find we usually have to train students on  a combination of reading

> with physical masking and using screen readers.  We have not studied the

> direct impact of ONLY using AT with students, but both instructors and

> students continue to ask for AT, so it appears likely to be helping.

>

>

>

> In case you are thinking, "that's nice but we have no money", there are

> LOTS of free or very low cost technologies available.

>

>

>

> Cathy Jenner, Project Coordinator

> Universal Design for Learning Project

> Instructional Improvement

> Renton Technical College

> (425) 235-2352 x5639

> cjenner at rtc.edu

> http://www.rtc.edu/AboutUs/DSDPGrant/

> http://webs.rtc.edu/ii/dsdp.html

>

> *From:* technology-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov] *On

> Behalf Of *David J. Rosen

> *Sent:* Thursday, April 10, 2008 6:04 AM

> *To:* The Technology and Literacy Discussion List

> *Cc:* The Learning Disabilities Discussion List

> *Subject:* [Technology 1604] Re: Access to text, a social justice issue

>

>

>

> Technology Discussion List Colleagues,

>

>

>

> Thanks to Joan Medlen for her thoughts and suggestions (see her posting

> below).

>

>

>

> Let's continue talking about assistive technology and universal design

> products for adults who have difficulty reading -- both the technologies

> that can help adults improve their reading skills and technologies that can

> provide access  (by reading it out loud) to text that would otherwise be

> inaccessible to them.  I wonder if those on this discussion list have

> experience with using these products themselves or with their students. I

> would like to hear about those experiences.

>

>

>

> *What difference(s) does assistive technology or universal design for

> learning make for adult learners, and for adults who cannot read but can get

> meaning from text if it is read out loud?*

>

>

>

> I am also cross posting this on the Learning Disabilities discussion list

> to invite those who subscribe to that list to join the discussion here. I

> believe some of our colleagues in that discussion forum have a great deal of

> experience to share. [ To join the Technology List Discussion, go to:

>

>

>

> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/Technology

>

>

>

> So, to continue the discussion, another screen reader that may be useful

> is:

>

>

>

> The CAST Ereader (now replaced by AspireREADER for PCs).

> http://cast.org/products/ereader/index.html

>

>

>

> I wonder if anyone on this discussion list uses these products that Joan

> Medlen and I mentioned,  and if so, what you find as their strengths and

> weaknesses. Are there other products that you use and like better, and if

> so, why?

>

>

>

> Another example, a  text reader,  the Reading Pen

>

>

>

> http://www.readingpen.com/

>

>

>

> scans, defines, and pronounces words from printed material. You just run

> the pen over the line of text and listen to the text being read out loud

> through a speaker or through tiny headphones. There is a version designed

> for adults. Its cost is under $300. Anyone here have experience using it?

> Know any adult learners who use it? What are its advantages and

> disadvantages?

>

>

>

> David J. Rosen

>

> djrosen at comcast.net

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> On Apr 6, 2008, at 1:51 PM, Joan Medlen wrote:

>

> HI all,

>

>

>

> It may be called a "text reader," but for computers, is often called a

>

> "screen reader." They all have their good points and not so great points,

>

> but the premise of having things read to assist with learning is one that

>

> is commonly used with kids in special education programs. There are a

>

> number of reading programs that highlight the words as the program reads

>

> the text as well.

>

>

>

> Some vendors text readers include:

>

> Don Johnston, Inc. http://www.donjohnston.com/

>

> Intellitools: http://www.intellitools.com

>

>

>

> These are, of course, primarily designed for school-aged children, but

> look

>

> closely for the tools that may be able to do what you want for adults.

>

> Write:Outloud and  Read: OutLoud are likely the programs that make the

> most

>

> sense and are very versatile - they operate within or like a word

>

> processor. I know a lot of people who use them who have learning

>

> disabilities. They are also electronically based.

>

>

>

> I do know there are text readers that can read printed text, but I can't,

>

> for the life of me, remember the name of the one I have seen or find one

>

> quickly while writing this. They do exist - look in tools for people who

>

> are blind and visually impaired.

>

>

>

> There are many different screen readers for computers while surving the

> web

>

> and doing email.  Some of the more common are

>

> JAWS:

>

> http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws.asp

> (expensive)

>

>

>

> One that I downloaded to use for a demonstration was free and very easy

> to

>

> use is:

>

> http://www.screenreader.net/

>

>

>

> As for the understandability of the more formal language often used in

>

> pamphlets and books, I would imagine it depends on the target audience. I

>

> believe there are many people who are very comfortable with formal

>

> language, but cannot read as well as those who will need the less formal

>

> approach. But being able to hear information - even if the language still

>

> needs to be decoded - is better than not being able to access the

>

> information at all!

>

>

>

> If you have access to a search engine that can scour education journals,

> I

>

> would recommend a lit search for use of text readers, text-to-speech, and

>

> so on in journals for special education. This is a huge area for the

> folks

>

> in assistive technology and augmentative communication. I'm sure there

> are

>

> articles that can lay the groundwork or be generalized for further

> studies

>

> with people who do not have "disabiltiies."

>

>

>

> Last, for the social justice piece, I submit two pieces that I like a

> great

>

> deal:

>

>

>

> 1. The Literacy Bill of Rights: Yoder, D.E., Erickson, K.A. and

>

> Koppenhaver, D.A., Center for Literacy and DisabilityStudies, P.O. BOX

>

> 3888, DUMC, Durham, NC

>

> 27710  http://dsasdonline.org/admin/files/AT-Literacy.pdf

>

>

>

> and

>

>

>

> 2. The Communication Bill of RIghts:

>

> http://www.asha.org/NJC/bill_of_rights.htm from the National Joint

>

> Committee for the Communication needs of people with severe disabilities.

>

>

>

>

>

> Take care,

>

> Joan

>

> -----------------------------

>

> Joan E Guthrie Medlen, R.D., L.D.

>

> Clinical Advisor, Health Literacy & Communications

>

> Special Olympics Healthy Athletes

>

> joan at DownSyndromeNutrition.com

>

>

>

> At 03:59 AM 4/6/2008, you wrote:

>

>  Hello Len,

>

>

>

> This is Glenn Young's idea, not mine, although I think it has merit

>

> and should be tested. As I understand it, the idea is to help adults who

>

> need it to get access to information by providing text readers, not

>

> by changing the text. A text reader -- as I am using the the term --

>

> is a piece of software that reads printed or digital text out loud.

>

> In many versions of this kind of software the rate can easily be

>

> controlled by the user; in some there are tools that allow the user

>

> just to hear a difficult word here and there, or a word at a time, or

>

> a sentence at a time or a paragraph at a time.

>

>

>

> David J. Rosen

>

> djrosen at comcast.net.

>

>

>

>

>

> ----------------------------------------------------

>

> National Institute for Literacy

>

> Technology and Literacy mailing list

>

> Technology at nifl.gov

>

> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology

>

> Email delivered to djrosen at comcast.net

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>   ------------------------------

>

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>

> ----------------------------------------------------

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>




-- 
Ira David Socol
irasocol -at- gmail -dot- com
socolira -at- msu -dot- edu
http://speedchange.blogspot.com/
http://riverfoylepress.com/
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