[SENco-forum] screen reading & dyslexia

I couldn't agree more with the use of Screen readers for letting a student
become an independent learner.

At the moment problem arise with the very limited way Exam boards will allow
ICT to be used.

My daughter uses TextHELP with predictive software ( it learns what she is
most likely to use), screen reader, and speaking spellchecker.  She relies
on these rather than a reader or a scribe.  It is not practical for her to
drag an LSA everywhere she goes, but she can carry a 2lb laptop and
specialist software.

Now she is approaching exams and unable to use the ICT as it was intended.
She also does not qualify for a scribe or reader as these are not her normal
method of working.

A speaking spellchecker does not give her an advantage it merely allows her
to identify and spell the word she needs.  She knows what word she wants -
her intellect is in no doubt- but she cannot spell it.  Not even near enough
for someone to transcribe.  She relies on the red squiggly line to even
alert her to the fact that there is a misspelling and she cannot see right
from wrong spelling.

To me it is wrong to encourage reliance on a 'strategy' which then cannot be
used in exams.  She is going to have to use it for the rest of her life,
like a Braille typewriter or a wheelchair, so what is the problem with using
it in exams situations?

Ian Litterick & ACE are pressing the exam boards to remedy the situation but
it may be too late as ever for her.

Sharon Tringham

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk]On Behalf Of Judith
Stansfield
Sent: 27 November 2006 20:14
To: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk; SENIT (SENIT); 'Discussions by and
for dyslexic people'
Subject: [senco-forum] Tips for creating text that is helpful
forscreenreading

Using a screen reader on a computer is very liberating for some dyslexic
users, as they can have text read and re-read if necessary, without
involving other people.  Screen readers are not real people and they
read what they see, but even if the pronounciation is a bit odd it can
still help.  Punctuation and acronyms can cause problems so Jean
Hutchins has put together an article for the next BDA Contact magazine,
with hints and tips so that those people creating text can make the text
even more easy to follow.  Jean is happy for this info to be made
generally available, so do please read it and pass on to anyone who
produces worksheets etc
Cheers
Judith

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Judith Stansfield
Farm Cottage, 24 East Road, Melsonby,Richmond DL10 5NF
stass at onyxnet.co.uk
01325 718139   07990572365
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hear Hear!

Jean Hutchins reports on members' experiences of listening to B.D.A.
publications.

	Roy wrote, "I 'read' BDA Contact magazine for the first time
cover to cover". He used mp3 files on a disk for a CD player. It took
two hours to listen. And he 'wrote' using dictation software.

	William said, "Listening to text-reading software is improving
my reading skills and my pronunciation."

	Cara wrote, "It was great to be able to listen at the same time
as following the text in the magazine".

There is a wide range of applications for listening and an even wider
range of software for those applications.  E.A. Draffan and Ian
Litterick start a series of articles explaining these ranges.

These three testers and B.D.A. New Technology Committee members all
agree that it would be helpful if text were written in ways that are
easier for listening. B.D.A. editors are working toward this. Dyslexics
may listen to web pages; they may scan printed text so that they can
hear it; they may ask for electronic copies. The Disability
Discrimination Act says we should make information accessible, though it
does not specify how this should be done.

So we suggest that text-writers should defy conventional writing styles
for the benefit of dyslexics. You may find it helpful to put an
explanation.

1. Read the text aloud and mark any natural pause with punctuation. That
includes:

	*	Stops after titles;
	*	Stops or semi-colons at bullet-point line ends;
	*	Stops after telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web
addresses, etc.

Initial capitals at the start of bullet points help pauses.

2. Put less familiar acronyms and initial letter abbreviations in full
every time,
e.g. ADD, CEO, DfES, DSA, FE, GCSE, HE, HR, ICT, LAB, LEA, MS, OBE, PE,
PHSE, MMU, RNID, YOIs.

	*	Because dyslexics forget what they stand for.

	*	Because acronyms may not be read aloud as one wishes,
e.g. as a word or as single letters.

3. Put hyphens to split compound words that might be read wrongly, e.g.
e-mail, co-operate, fund-raising, short-comings, spokes-person,
stake-holders. (They help visual readers too).

4. Different software and different voices, even within the same
software, vary, so do not rely on the one you have heard. PDF files,
DAISY books and MP3 files, made from the same Word file, are read
differently.

5. See Techno-Vision web for 10 very basic rules for making a Word
document so it will look good and make good Braille, Large Print, DAISY,
PDF. Make them accessible to everybody!
http://www.techno-vision.co.uk/10_Word_Guidelines.htm

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