13/1/2012

Ref: 111220IS

Comments from Abi James, Head of Product Innovation at iansyst Ltd, provide a snapshot of the effects that changes in technology and education are having on the assistive technology market and what suppliers must do to address this.  
Changes in the assistive technology market

Abi comments: “Over recent years, the wide use of smartphones and more recently mobile tablet devices, such as the iPad, has led to a change in how users prepare and access information, along with how they access their preferred technologies. Learners no longer need to be sat at their desks to write an essay, or research information as online learning content can now be accessed on a wide range of devices – tablets, phones and even televsions. Assistive technology suppliers need to embrace these developments in technology and come up with innovative ways in which to satisfy this demand for accessing information in a learner’s preferred format, across multiple platforms.

The World Health organisation estimates that one in seven of the world’s population has some kind of disability, so a large number of smartphone users will benefit from improved accessibility. It is expected that in the next 12 months more people will access the internet via their mobile phone than by a computer. The mobile phone industry is starting to realise that accessibility and usability go hand in hand and improvements for those with disabilities can assist all. For example, Apple’s Siri speech recognition technology and Dragon Dictate’s app is making waves with smartphone users. While such assistive tools have been used for decades by those with disabilities, providing them on a smartphone platform makes them available to all users, and for those with a disability it can mean going from no phone access to having all the benefits that assistive technology can bring in their pocket, at any time.

Innovation

Assistive technology suppliers must ensure that adequate solutions are available to enable people with learning disabilities to access their files in their chosen format and take advantage of on-the-go technology. Products must be designed for the end-user, as a simple and quick way of adapting their content - whether an email, document, image or file - into the format they want, on the device they want to use. iansyst is currently working to address the missing link in creating and transferring accessible files between platforms to create accessible formats in the Cloud, on desktop computers and via mobile devices. This will enable users to synchronise files for online conversion across different platforms and to access them in their desired format whenever and wherever they wish.

For example: A dyslexic learner starts a new course at college. On his first day, he is asked to read a 12-page document on his course. Using the new cloud-based technologies iansyst has been working on, he can access the internet and convert the document into an accessible format, enabling him to hear the document on his phone as a Podcast.

However, accessibility helps everyone, not only those with disabilities. Many smartphone users may need to make the font larger to read small text, use an external keyboard to assist with typing, or hear a web page read to them while travelling. These solutions have assisted people with disabilities for years and users of handheld devices can now benefit from these solutions to make accessing information on the move more convenient for them too.   

Partnerships

In order to successfully fulfil the requirements of today’s smartphone and tablet users, technology companies must collaborate in order to provide users with the best solutions to suit their needs. Strategic partnerships enable companies to develop innovative solutions to national problems, something that is extremely important in the changing technology market where people need solutions quickly.

Education

Assistive technology can help in the classroom not only for those with SEN but for an entire class.  For pupils with literacy difficulties or those who struggle with reading, assistive technology can be used to help achieve more, improve results and build confidence and motivation to help pupils to reach their full potential and, in turn, help improve school results.

The increase in the pupil premium has the potential to bring the benefits of extra teaching and specialist equipment to those who need it (and will benefit from it) the most. Assistive technology, such as text-to-speech tools can improve access to the curriculum for those learners with SEN and literacy difficulties, while structured learning tools have been shown to improve motivation.

In higher education, students no longer just use a single computer. Developments in technology will enable learners to get access to text documents in an accessible format whenever they need it, wherever they are. Students with learning difficulties can now use the assistive technology that they use on their PC across all devices, enabling them to study, prepare documents, send emails or texts or hear web content read aloud from their smartphone or tablet device. These technologies personalise learning for the individual and remove the boundaries that existed prior to being able to access these technologies across all platforms.

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