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.

Lendoak at aol.com wrote:



> David Rosen and Cathy Jenner,

>

> Regarding technology text readers (text converters) for people with

> limited reading skills:

>

> Congratulations for your initiatives.  Could you help us with answers

> to a few questions?

>

> -  Since text is often written in a more formal style compared

> to conversation, it may be harder to understand when this formal

> style is auded.  Do you rewrite the formal style to a more

> conversational style text before converting it to speech?

>

> -  What rate (words per minute) is used in the spoken text?  Reason

> for this question:  In Tom Sticht's book "Auding and Reading" 1974,

> page 104, shows that information retention by marginally literate men

> falls off sharply for spoken rates much faster than 128 words per  

> minute.`

>

> best wishes,

> Len and Ceci Doak

>

>

> In a message dated 4/1/2008 8:43:45 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,

> AnnPk at olis.ri.gov writes:

>

>     Could you tell what screen readers you use and what they cost. I

>     am looking good screen readers at a reasonable cost. Thanks.

>

>     Ann Piascik

>     Library Program Specialist III

>     RI Office of Library and Information Services

>     One Capitol Hill - 4th Floor

>     Providence, RI 02908

>     Tel: 401-574-9314

>     Fax:401-574-9320

>     annpk at olis.ri.gov <mailto:annpk at olis.ri.gov>

>

>

>

>>>> cjenner at rtc.edu 3/31/2008 12:50 PM >>>

>>>>

>

>     We are doing something like that with our Universal Design for

>     Learning Project.  Screen readers and other assistive technologies

>     are in our participating classrooms (we have several ESL and ABE

>     instructors participating) for ANY student to use.

>

>     The project looks at the progress of the students who have gone

>     through our LD diagnosis process and get accommodations or use

>     learning strategies and/or assistive technologies.  We don't track

>     the non-disabled or non-disclosing student, but the AT is still

>     there for anyone to use and instructors encourage it.

>

>      In one of our classrooms, the instructors actively teach with

>     Wynn Reader which is assistive technology for dyslexia (but it

>     helps everyone in this ESL classroom).

>

>

>

>     Cathy Jenner, Project Coordinator

>     Universal Design for Learning Project

>     Instructional Improvement

>     Renton Technical College

>     (425) 235-2352 x5639

>     cjenner at rtc.edu <mailto: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: Saturday, March 29, 2008 6:45 AM

>     To: Women and Literacy Discussion List The Poverty Race; The

>     Technology and Literacy Discussion List

>     Cc: Glenn Young

>     Subject: [Technology 1585] Access to text, a social justice issue

>

>

>

>     Colleagues,

>

>

>

>     On the Learning Disabilities discussion list this past week there

>     has been a fascinating discussion initiated by Glenn Young. He has

>     proposed that it is time to focus on helping adults with learning

>     disabilities learn to read -- get meaning from text -- using

>     technology, i.e. having computers and hand-held devices read text

>     out loud, focusing on getting meaning, not on learning how to

>     decode text. The archives of the discussion will be found at

>

>     http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/learningdisabilities/2008/date.html

>

>

>

>     Glenn wants to see his idea piloted and evaluated.  I think that's

>     a good idea -- not that I think we should stop teaching reading,

>     but that we should help learners get access to information from

>     text, especially when learning to read text well may take a very

>     long time, or when it might not be possible. Inexpensive

>     electronic text readers can help those with learning disabilities

>     get access to the meaning of text that might not otherwise be

>     available to them. I think this is an issue of social justice.

>

>

>

>     I wonder what readers on this discussion list think of Glenn's

>     idea. For example, should adult basic literacy programs routinely

>     help basic literacy learners get access to electronic text

>     readers, as they also help them to learn to decode text?

>

>

>

>     David J. Rosen

>

>     djrosen at comcast.net <mailto:djrosen at comcast.net>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>      

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>

David J. Rosen
djrosen at comcast.net