School Data Solutions is working toward developing tools that will assist students with special needs or those needing accommodations. However, there are tools built-in to most operating systems and browsers today that will provide aid.
Zoom or Magnify
Within most browsers, a zoom feature will magnify the screen or the text size for students with some visual impairment. The following are links to instructions on using Zoom and increasing text size within several popular browsers:
To set zoom options at the operating system level, read the following instructions:
Text-to-Speech
To have any Classroom textual content read aloud to the student, consider using your operating system's built-in text-to-speech features. Browsers like Chrome and Firefox will require an add-on or extension. Safari accesses the built-in accessibility options of the Apple OS, and Internet Explorer calls upon Narrator, which is available in XP, Vista, Windows 7, and 8.
Dictation (Speech Recognition)
Classroom allows teachers to add essays and short answer questions to their assignments or assessments. For some students, typing or keyboarding can be challenging. To improve a student's response, try using computer-responsive dictation.
Later versions of the Windows OS, including Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8, have built-in speech recognition. Access the Windows Control Panel to set up dictation requirements and train the computer to recognize a student's voice.
Later versions of the Apple OS also have built-in dictation features.
Additionally, many third-party applications are frequently used for dictation.
At the operating system level, read the following for more information on general accessibility features:
Additionally, many browser add-ons, third-party screen readers, and free translation tools can be purchased for students with special needs.
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