Assistive Technology
Jump to:
Assistive Technology as an umbrella term that refers to “any device or system that allows an individual to perform a task they would otherwise be unable to do, or increases the ease and safety with which the task can be performed” (Royal Commission, 1999).
JISC Techdis has always believed in this approach and has built the ethos of the Service on this premise JISC Techdis can help explore the funding and technical issues that may affect their application or implementation of assistive technology at both strategic and user levels.
The JISC Techdis Toolbar was one example of this approach. Created in partnership with the University of Southampton's School of Electronics and Computer Science, the Toolbar was the result of an initiative designed to enable internet users to better access information and interact with less accessible web content. The downloadable application, released and trialled as a beta version in January 2010, provided a range of editing and speech tools that could be used across a number of different browsers and seeded many subsequent developments that have since replaced it.
Some assistive technologies will have some benefit for all users , while others used by a minority of users, will enable access to digital resources and opportunities that would otherwise be impossible for this particular group of users to experience. It is by working across this spectrum that JISC Techdis has built up such a wealth of information and expertise.
Some of the most commonly used assistive technologies and their benefits are under-exposed and as such opportunities are missed by users who do not know of the benefits and productivity that these tools can bring. For example many commercial suppliers of these types of application will now refer to them as productivity tools firmly aiming them at the business efficiency market. . Mindmapping techniques that were once the domain of the dyslexic users, now can be found in many boardrooms and used to deliver presentations by sales force teams as another way of exemplifying their products.
JISC Techdis has explored the use of Free and Open Source alternatives to commercial software. This is an important area of work as all organisations need a return on their investments and value for money plays an ever increasing important role. JISC Techdis offers a portfolio of free tools and techniques that will help both education and business understand the benefits of assistive technology in either supporting users who may or may not have specific needs, to providing business efficiencies.
Related Resources
- Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)
- Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI)
- The WIDE Project (Widgets for Inclusive Distributed Environments)
- WIDGaT: A W3C Widget Design Authoring Toolkit
- HEAT Scheme
- Using Office more effectively
- Supporting dyslexic learners - tails wagging dogs?
- Getting to grips with assistive technology
- Fostering independence with free portable software tools
- Browsing better
