attools



=Assistive Technology Devices & Vendors=

Also see Assistive Technology

//Please note that there is a lot of overlap of categories and companies. Be sure to explore the links in the three general areas of this list: General Information, Databases of Devices and Vendors of Other Devices or Services.// General Information Databases of Devices Daily Living / Environmental Controls Organization / Study Skills Reading/Writing Vision/Hearing Orthopedic/Physical Disabilities Communication Computer Adaptations Alternative Input Devices Vendors of Other Devices or Services

GENERAL INFORMATION
Synapse Adaptive http://www.synapseadaptive.com/ This is a commercial site, but their Access and Productivity Tools page includes information, downloads, and/or demonstrations of specific programs, information about ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance, and ergonomically correct products.

The Benefit of Accessible Design [Assistive Technology Research Institute of Misericordia University] http://atri.misericordia.edu/Papers/Web_Accessibility.php Look at the right side of the page for articles evaluating many types of assistive technology. Great site!

ATSTAR (Assistive Technology Strategies Tools Accommodations and Resources) Program http://www.atstar.org/user/login This “curriculum is designed to provide a framework to assist professionals as they work toward determining effective assistive technology solutions for students with disabilities.”There is also an ATSTAR Process for Administrators. You must register to enter the site. Identify the Right Assistive Technology [] One of the options on this page is to download the “Assistive Technology Decision Tree by UnumProvident [which] leads you through questions based on the type of impairment to identify assistive technology products that you might consider.”

DATABASES OF DEVICES
The ATA Hub (a searchable database of devices) http://www.ataccess.org/hub/

Assistive Technology Viewer http://natri.uky.edu/resources/viewer/index.html These are (mostly) video examples of people using assistive devices.

One Stop for Free Assistive Technology http://www.onlineconferencingsystems.com/at.htm This lists many open source or otherwise free AT applications

TechMatrix [|http://www.techmatrix.org] This searchable matrix is “a powerful tool for finding educational and assistive technology products for students with special needs.”

Assistive Tech – The National Public Website on Assistive Technology http://www.assistivetech.net This site is from the Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA). Encyclopedia of Assistive Technology []

DAILY LIVING/ ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS
Dynamic Living [|http://www.dynamic-living.com] 888-940-0605 “Simple solutions for the obstacles of everyday living”

Possum ECU & AAC at AbleNet [] Environmental Control Systems (ECS) and Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC)

ORGANIZATION / STUDY SKILLS
JOTT “Don't ban cell phones, teach kids how to use them strategically.” http://teachingeverystudent.blogspot.com/2008/03/jott-new-tool-for-learning.html “Once you register at Jott.com, use your cell phone, call jott, tell jott who you would like to "jott" and record your message. Within minutes, your message is converted to text via email or text message to whomever you jotted”.

READING/WRITING
ReadPlease http://readplease.com/ Look for the free version on ReadPlease, which is a screen reader (AKA text-to-speech) program. This site also has links to other products, including a for-fee version of Read Please. ‘’’

Read the Words http://readthewords.com/ COOL! This is a free online text-to-speech service where you upload or enter text, choose a ‘person’ to read your text, and then listen!

DyslexiWRite http://www.synapseadaptive.com/dyslexiwrite/

IBM Home Page Reader (talking Web browser) [commercial product] http://www-3.ibm.com/able/solution_offerings/hpr.html Spoken Text http://spokentext.net/ This is an “online text to speech converter. Using it you can easily create audio recordings of any text content.” The account is free.

VISION/HEARING
Vischeck http://www.vischeck.com/ Look at web pages as someone with color-blindness would see them. Click on the Daltonize button (http://www.vischeck.com/daltonize) to ‘correct’ images for colorblindness and the Examples button (http://www.vischeck.com/examples) to see examples.

Low Vision Aids for Computer Users [|www.allaboutvision.com/lowvision/computers.htm] Simulation: Screen Reader http://www.webaim.org/simulations/screenreader This is a simulation of a screen reader. Shockwave Player is required. (There is a link to download this free player from this page.)

National Federation for the Blind Guidelines for Web Page Accessibility [|http://204.245.133.32/tech/webacc.htm] This is an article, Making Your Web Site Accessible to the Blind, by the Director of Technology at the National Federation of the Blind. LS&S [|http://www.LSSonline.net] 800-468-4789 ”Products for the visually impaired and hard of hearing”

Doubleday Large Print [|http://www.JoinDLP.com] Large print book club

ORTHOPEDIC/PHYSICAL DISABILITIES
Broken Beauties http://www.brokenbeauties.com/ A site featuring “fashionable” orthopedic equipment.

EP Foundation for Education World Congress & Exposition on Disabilities [|http://www.wcdexpo.com] 877-923-3976

Infogrip [|http://www.infogrip.com] 800-397-0921 “Disability – education – ergonomics – computer solutions”

Empowering Resources (ERi) [|http://www.eridevices.com] 866-eri-7255

RJ Cooper [|http://www.rjcooper.com] 800-rj-cooper

Sammons Preston / Ability One Company [|http://www.sammonspreston.com] 800-323-5547 “The preferred source of rehabilitation professionals”

COMMUNICATION
Prentke Romich Company [|http://www.pretrom.com] 800-262-1984 “Communication without limitations” Proloquo2Go [] "Proloquo2Go™ is a new product from AssistiveWare that provides a full-featured communication solution for people who have difficulty speaking. It brings natural sounding text-to-speech voices, up-to-date symbols, powerful automatic conjugations, a default vocabulary of over 7000 items, full expandability and extreme ease of use to the iPhone and iPod touch."

Possum ECU & AAC at AbleNet [] Environmental Control Systems (ECS) and Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC)

COMPUTER ADAPTATIONS
SmartNav [commercial product] http://www.naturalpoint.com/smartnav/ “SmartNav allows complete computer control for users interested in ergonomic and assistive technology devices. By controlling the cursor with subtle head movements, a whole new level of independence is realized.”’

Low Vision Aids for Computer Users [|www.allaboutvision.com/lowvision/computers.htm]

CrissCross Technologies [|http://www.crisscrosstech.com] This site has audio tutorials and games for “people who use talking computers”

Agent Author http://www.isp.uio.no/AgentAuthor/

Vox Proxy [|http://www.voxproxy.com]

IBM Home Page Reader (talking Web browser) [commercial product] http://www-3.ibm.com/able/solution_offerings/hpr.html

ALTERNATIVE INPUT DEVICES
Eyegaze Communication System [|http://www.eyegaze.com] 800-393-4293 “Communicate with the world using only your eyes!”

Eye Response Technologies [|http://www.eyeresponse.com] Their main product is the ERICA Communication System

IntelliTools Authors Network (ITAN) http://www.intellitools.com/Authors_Network/home.htm Dragon Naturally Speaking: Helping All Students Reach Their Full Potential] (PDF) [] “A White Paper for the Education Industry from Nuance Communications”

(video) An interview with Don Oliver, a user of Dragon Naturally Speaking []

VENDORS OF OTHER DEVICES OR SERVICES
Adapted Computer Technologies http://www.compuaccess.com/index.htm Adapted Computer Technologies Specializes in systems integration and training of computer assisted devices to individuals with disabilities, rehabilitation/vocational counselors and employers of persons with disabilities.

Access Ingenuity [commercial] [|www.accessingenuity.com]

Attainment Company [|http://www.AttainmentCompany.com] 800-327-4269

Brain Train [|http://www.braintrain.com] 800-822-0538

Council for Exceptional Children [|http://www.ced.sped.org] 888-232-7733

Don Johnston [|http://www.donjohnston.com] 800-999-4660 “Leader in learning intervention resources”

Dunamis [|http://www.dunamisinc.com] 800-828-2443

Educators Publishing Service (EPS) [|http://www.epsbooks.com] 800-225-5750

PCI Educational Publishing [|http://www.SpecialEd.net] 800-594-4263

AT KidSystems http://www.atkidsystems.com They creates “products that emerge from the human factors engineering research and development activities of AnthroTronix, Inc.”

Tool Factory [|http://www.toolfactory.com] 800-220-8386

Laureate Learning Systems http://www.llsys.com/professionals602/index.html