Accessibility Tools and Techniques Workshop Series offers morning session Aug. 20 on alternative methods for note-taking, reading and writing

Friday, Aug. 20, 10-11:30 a.m.

Rasmuson Hall, Room 105

Disability Support Services is offering a series of workshops showcasing new tools for students. These workshops will repeat on Sept. 10, Jan. 21 and Feb. 11. Please join us for light snacks and a workshop on:

10 a.m. Note-taking Devices: This session introduces devices and gives individuals a chance to play with them hands-on.

• Alphasmarts
• Tablet laptops
• Livescribe system

10:30 a.m. Reading Options: Many people benefit from being able to listen rather than just read visually. There are computer programs that are FREE and can read text out loud:

• Choice of voices
• Speed it up or slow it down
• Use highlighting, commenting and dictionaries as you read
• Create MP3 to take on the go

11 a.m. Writing Supports: Many individuals have difficulty translating their thoughts into written form. Sometimes tools like the following can help:

• Voice recognition, spoken language converted to typed text
• Word prediction, typing with fewer keystrokes
• Concept mapping/outline generation: Allows users to brainstorm in a concept map mode or use templates to create outlines that can be fleshed out into papers
• Proofreading written work by listening to it out loud as a way to catch mistakes

For more information, please contact Disability Support Services at aydss@uaa.alaska.edu or call (907) 786-4530.