There are many very effective assistive technology applications to help those with learning difficulties and disabilities access computers and work more effectively, but they cannot always be used on lab computers or when in an Internet cafe.

This workshop aims to show you how you can provide this type of support for students with disabilities and those who have specific learning difficulties, including dyslexia, by making use of freely available applications that can travel with the student wherever they go! The menu used to gather the software is accessible to screen reader and keyboard users and suitable for the Windows operating system. There will be time to choose from a large selection of applications to suit your needs and take them away on your own personalised pen drive.

This activity will be followed up by making use of some the tools to evaluate Web 2.0 applications for their accessibility, discover which Web 2.0 sites have already had evaluations and the issues that arise.

Finally participants will make choices of a series of applications for a teaching and learning program involving student collaboration having discussed the attributes of many of the Web 2.0 services evaluated.

Please note: This is a BYO Windows laptop workshop. You will need a laptop with the ability to use a wireless Internet connection and you will need administrative access to your laptop to be able to install and remove software.