Yes! The Spectronics website can now "talk" to you - reading out the content of its pages - courtesy of the new BrowseAloud technology from textHELP Systems in Ireland.

How does it work? You simply need to download the small BrowseAloud program from the textHELP website at www.textHELP.com/badownload/install.htm Then when you visit a "speech-enabled" website, you simply point and click, or have website content spoken out automatically as you pass your mouse over text.

Does it work with every website? No. Only with those which are speech enabled. In addition to the Spectronics website at www.spectronicsinoz.com these include:

Closing the Gap
www.closingthegap.com

LD On-Line (Learning Disabilities On-Line)
www.ldonline.org

British Dyslexia Association
www.bda-dyslexia.org.uk

BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk

Two Australian sites soon to be added to the growing list of sites include the Assistive Technology Project at ANU (Australian National University)
www.anu.edu.au/disabilities/atproject and Griffith University in Queensland. Griffith Uni has made a considerable investment in development of a fully accessible website for all visitors, including students completing Flexible Learning Units on-line.
See www.gu.edu.au

We also see this as a useful free tool for you to use in trialling screen reading with people with learning disabilities. Use it to assess whether screen reading aids comprehension of text-based materials on-line.

Back to Top

One of the great strengths of IntelliTools software has always been the availability of "free players". Why are free players important? In practical terms, it simply means that if anyone using IntelliTalk II, IntelliMathics or IntelliPics Studio creates an activity which they think could be useful for others, they can save those activities and send them on to others to use - even if the other users don't have a full copy of the programs in which the activities were created.

Visit the IntelliTools website to download these free IntelliTools Players.

The IntelliTools company also appreciates that all teachers and therapists working with students with special needs are pressed for time! As a result, they are developing a whole series of ReadyMade activities. These activities are a series of curriculum-based activities built with IntelliTools Classroom Tools (IntelliTalk II, IntelliMathics or IntelliPics Studio) to help students develop

• literacy


• maths


• social studies


• and science skills

Back to Top

When computer users can't operate a standard mouse, navigating Windows computers can be very frustrating! The new Tracker One is an impressive tool based on our initial trials. Users control mouse movement via a reflective dot on their forehead (or glasses). We particularly like the way it performs even in bright lighting conditions - very important for Australia! Additional software offers onscreen keyboard with word prediction (called Screen Doors) and dwell clicking software to click the mouse by simply holding in place for a set period of time (called MagicCursor).

Being a USB device and not requiring any software installation, Tracker One also interfaces well with communication devices which accept mouse input - for example the Portable Impact Tablet. Please contact Spectronics if you would like a copy of the current Madentec catalogue.

Back to Top

Our website Activity Exchange continues to grow slowly ... with two new activities added recently. Looking for suggestions on how to use simple one-message communication devices? Read through the ideas contributed by Amanda Hartmann at www.spectronicsinoz.com/activities/activity.asp?activity=117

Want to see images of Australian currency appearing in your copy of Writing with Symbols 2000? Sarah Clutterbuck has built a clever Australian Money Wordlist at www.spectronicsinoz.com/activities/activity.asp?activity=94

Note: The Australian update to Writing with Symbols 2000 is due out in October of this year - and will include scanned money images as well as many new Australian Rebus symbols. This is a free update which will be sent to anyone who has purchased Writing with Symbols 2000 Version 2.5 this year - and has returned their registration forms to Spectronics.

Back to Top

We receive many enquiries about the "Picture This Photos in Boardmaker Libraries" which were available in the past specifically for use with Boardmaker. They were designed as photos which automatically appeared in Boardmaker along with all the other symbols when you searched for a word. Since the release of the "Australian Version" of Boardmaker, we now use Australian English as our search language. Unfortunately, the Picture This Photos in Boardmaker are only designed to automatically appear if you set your search language to US English .... not really helpful to us here!

So, until that problem is resolved, we have stopped selling the Picture This Photos which automatically appear in Boardmaker. BUT we do still sell the Picture This ... Pro photo collection. This is an excellent high quality photo resource. The photos have all distracting backgrounds removed, and can be resized right up to A4 size without losing quality. Any one of these photos can be cut and pasted into a Boardmaker board, or into a Boardmaker library to then appear in future searches. Please contact us if you would like help in using the photos in this way.

Back to Top

• Looking for funding for assistive technology workshops in Queensland?
  Why not consider applying for a Quality Teaching Program Grant? For more details visit www.education.qld.gov.au/learning_ent/ldf/qtp
  QTP is specifically aimed at supporting the learning of teachers working in Education Queensland. Learning proposals seeking support must be initiated and implemented by teachers for teachers. Teachers are encouraged to seek strategic partners to broaden and deepen learning experiences. Other States? Let us know of similar programs and we will spread the word through this newsletter!



• Draft:Builder UK Version finally released!
  Don Johnston Inc has been working very hard for us on finishing off the UK version of Draft:Builder (because we can't use the US version with US spelling). This program steps students from the "concept map" created by programs such as Inspiration, right through to the written first draft. It is a great tool for students who have difficulty organising their written work. For more information please visit our website at www.spectronicsinoz.com/browse.asp?cat=5670



• Discover almost there for Windows XP!
  Well, at Spectronics we understand totally if you are feeling a little cynical about our claims that the Discover series of computer access options are nearly ready to be released for use with Windows 98; ME; 2000 and XP. We were cynical ourselves! But, after initial Beta testing, we are feeling really positive! Madentec in Canada has taken over development of the Discover range and has lots of "great stuff" planned for computer access by switch users. Official release date for the fully Windows compatible version of Discover products is September 2002. We will keep you posted via this emailed update and our website as soon as we receive the new programs and have tested them out fully for you.



• Australian State Fonts
  Looking for computer based fonts for cursive and linked cursive writing in your State? Want dotted, balloon and numbered fonts to assist your students with their handwriting and to assist you in preparing worksheets? During our recent trip to Tassie, we were shown a great site which offers your State fonts for just $25. You can also use these fonts in many of our programs, including Writing with Symbols 2000, Clicker 4, IntelliTalk II and more. Check them out at www.schoolfonts.com.au/

Back to Top

You have received this newsletter because you told us at Spectronics that you would like us to keep you up to date with technology changes. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, click on the following link to unsubscribe:
http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/email/unsubscribe_me.asp
or click on the following link to change your subscription details:
http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/email/edit_me.asp

Please feel free to forward this newsletter or sections of it on to your colleagues. You are also free to post it up onto the Web. All we ask is that you acknowledge the source as Spectronics Email Updates and list our contact details below with any posting.

Past copies of our email updates can also be found at http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/library.asp?library=email_updates