Assistive Technology Supports for students with disabilities, learning differences and/or long-term health conditions.
Technology is all around us, and it is increasingly playing a central part in facilitating learning for students with disabilities, learning differences and/or long-term health conditions. Assistive Technology (AT) facilitates learners in discovering, exploring and taking ownership of how they learn to meet their academic requirements, achieve their learning goals and realise their potential in life.
Our students use a range of AT to assist their reading, writing and note-taking, such as Grammarly, Immersive Reader, Dictate, Bookshare, Livescribe Pen, Glean and Inspiration.
Below you can find information and resources on a range of Assistive Technologies that can help students with their learning.
For more information about Assistive Technology supports for students with disabilities/learning difference/additional requirements contact academicresource@carlowcollege.ie
The Fund for Students with Disabilities is funded by the Government of Ireland
The dictate (speech to text) feature is available in Microsoft Word Online, part of Office 365. It is a great way to support you to get your thoughts in print. If you make a mistake while you are typing with your voice, you can fix it with your keyboard. All you need is a microphone and a reliable internet connection.
Learn how to use Dictation in Word here
Grammarly is a proofreading tool that will help you avoid spelling, grammar and punctuation errors, word choice and style mistakes in your course work, emails and more!
Find out how Grammarly works here.
Do you have difficulties with the organisation of ideas, and remaining focused long enough to get ideas written down – have you tried mind mapping?
Mind Mapping is about giving the learner the freedom to visually capture, express, and communicate their ideas and demonstrate their understanding of concepts.
Learn about the many advantages of online mind mapping with Inspiration – a Mind Mapping tool.
Bookshare Ireland is Ireland’s largest accessible digital library, available for all people with print disabilities (Dyslexia). With over 500,000 titles available in a range of accessible formats, Bookshare Ireland makes reading easy.
Instead of listening and writing simultaneously, Glean enables the learner to capture all spoken information, make brief text notes, highlight key moments, and insert relevant lecture slides whilst maintaining their ability to listen, focus, and participate.
Never miss a word™! The Livescribe Smartpen allows you to record everything you write, hear or say with ease. The camera located at the tip of the pen tracks the exact location of the nib on the page and allows you to write digital notes.
The Livescribe Smartpen allows you to:
- Record audio files while taking notes simultaneously.
- Write digital notes using special dot paper.
- Replay your lectures by tapping on your notes.
- Transfer your notes and audio to your PC or laptop via a USB cable.
- Use Echo Desktop™ to store, organise, replay and share important notes.
