Fuel Ed accessibility features:
Macbooks:
Eugene School District 4J has purchased this Google Chrome extension district-wide. It offers an assortment of tools that can benefit all students and includes text-to-speech, onboard dictionaries, highlighting tools, speech-to-text, word prediction, and more. These features work well in Canvas and can provide comprehensive support.
Sync Google Chrome -4J students and staff must “sync” their Google Chrome browsers to their 4J accounts to access the Google Read&Write (R&W) extension. Open this Quick Guide for step-by-step instructions.
Watch the video below to see how to “sync” Google Chrome
Reading Support
Text-to-speech (TTS) -TTS can be helpful for a number of emerging readers. It can support students with visual impairments, learning disabilities, motor challenges and it can build reading skills.
Set up Text-to-Speech –Students and families can setup TTS on their 4J Mac Computers at home using the instructional videos below for support. There are 2 main TTS tools available to students on a Mac. The built-in Mac TTS feature will read any selectable digitized text on the screen. The Google Read&Write extension will read most text accessed through the Google Chrome Browser. Depending on the application, website, or content, a specific TTS tool can be chosen to optimize the reading experience.
Watch the videos to see how to setup built-in Mac text-to-speech.
Part one: video
Part two: video
- Read&Write for Chrome works in some fields in Fuel Ed and not others.
- Text-to-speech. Three options: Read&Write for Google Chrome hover speech or select text and hit play tools work in some screens and also when a student chooses PRINT VERSION when given that option; built-in screen reader in Fuel Ed on some pages, not all; and screen reader built into Macs-Control R to read highlighted text-should always work.
- Translate single words: built-in toolbar in Fuel Ed on some pages and also Read&Write toolbar
- Dictionary. Fuel Ed toolbar will read aloud word and definition and Read&Write toolbar will read aloud word and definition and also has a picture dictionary
- Two videos-part 1 and 2 demonstrating tools for reading/comprehension
- Writing: Read&Write toolbar works in the comments section of assignments. Word prediction and dictation/speech-to-text works. video
- Workaround for using writing tools in text boxes: video
Fuel Ed-iPad accessibility tools
- Reading- In general built-in iPad text-to-speech can be glitchy. (Sometimes works perfect then stops working)
- Fuel ED’s text-to-speech tool “Read” works the most reliably but sometimes users cannot select which text they want read back nor advance/rewind through it. The “Speak Selection” can work in combination with it to highlight specific text. The “Read” option is only offered with the textbook-type content.
- “Speak Selection” and “Speak on Touch” together can provide access when the built-in Fuel Ed “Read” option is not available. For example reading assignment instructions, menus, and prompts.
- Speak screen can be effective for whole pages of reading, but often too many menus/prompts at the top of the screen bog it down
- PDFs posted through Fuel Ed and opened in “Books” works flawlessly for text-to-speech and marking up/annotating.
- PDFs attached externally to Fuel Ed content with a link takes a user to another browser tab. Text may not be accessible here. But, from this new tab:
- “Open in” allows user to open pdf in Books
- which can be read back using all 3 built-in iOS TTS tools -(Speak selection, Speak Screen, Speak on Touch)
- Can provide markup/annotation in combination with writing supports: word prediction, dictation.
- “Open in” allows user to open pdf in Books
- Writing -Pretty consistent across the platform and the iPad in general
- R&W keyboard provides word prediction wherever writing is done on an iPad. Must use the onscreen keyboard.
- Dictation/Speech-to-text using the standard iPad dictation feature (next to the space bar) works well.
iPad Accessibility Features
- READING
- TEXT-TO-SPEECH –TEXT-TO-SPEECH -Text-to-speech can be helpful for a number of emerging readers. It can help students with visual impairments, learning disabilities, and it builds reading skills.
- Turn-on Text-to-Speech –Watch this video
- Updated iOS –Watch this video
- Using Text-to-Speech with Fuel Ed –Watch this video
- Turn-on Text-to-Speech –Watch this video
- TEXT-TO-SPEECH –TEXT-TO-SPEECH -Text-to-speech can be helpful for a number of emerging readers. It can help students with visual impairments, learning disabilities, and it builds reading skills.
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- WRITING
- SPEECH-TO-TEXT & WORD PREDICTION -Speech-to-text (dictation) can help students express what they know. Allowing students to submit their ideas using their voice can be a great 1st step in the writing process and can help students to get their ideas into written format. Word prediction can support students with spelling, reading, and motor challenges. It helps students to build spelling skills and can help students with motor challenges to type with fewer key strokes.
- Setup Built-in Dictation & Word Prediction – Watch this video
- Setup Read&Write Word Prediction Keyboard –Watch this video
- Using Speech-to-Text and Word Prediction with Fuel Ed –Watch this video
- SPEECH-TO-TEXT & WORD PREDICTION -Speech-to-text (dictation) can help students express what they know. Allowing students to submit their ideas using their voice can be a great 1st step in the writing process and can help students to get their ideas into written format. Word prediction can support students with spelling, reading, and motor challenges. It helps students to build spelling skills and can help students with motor challenges to type with fewer key strokes.
- WRITING
- PDFs -Reading & Writing
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- MARKUP AND READ FUEL ED PDF ASSIGNMENTS USING ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES –Watch this video
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Florida Virtual School (FLVS) accessibility features:
MacBook
Google Read&Write for Accessibility in FLVS
Eugene School District 4J has purchased this Google Chrome extension district-wide. It offers an assortment of tools that can benefit all students and includes text-to-speech, onboard dictionaries, highlighting tools, speech-to-text, word prediction, and more. These features work well in Canvas and can provide comprehensive support.
Sync Google Chrome -4J students and staff must “sync” their Google Chrome browsers to their 4J accounts to access the Google Read&Write (R&W) extension. Open this Quick Guide for step-by-step instructions.
Watch the video to see how to “sync” Google Chrome. video
Reading Support
Text-to-speech (TTS) -TTS can be helpful for a number of emerging readers. It can support students with visual impairments, learning disabilities, motor challenges and it can build reading skills.
Setup Text-to-Speech –Students and families can setup TTS on their 4J Mac Computers at home using the instructional videos below for support. There are 2 main TTS tools available to students on a Mac. The built-in Mac TTS feature will read any selectable digitized text on the screen. The Google Read&Write extension will read most text accessed through the Google Chrome Browser. Depending on the application, website, or content, a specific TTS tool can be chosen to optimize the reading experience.
Watch the video to see how to setup built-in Mac text-to-speech. video
Read&Write for Google Chrome works fairly well with some workarounds in assignment fields with instructions and a text box for writing. video
FLVS has some built-in tools for reluctant writers: video
Reading and other tools that are built into FLVS
FLVS has nice built-in tools for reading and comprehension such as text-to-speech with highlighting and two dictionaries. video
FLVS iPad accessibility tools
Read&Write and iOS Dictation work great to support students in FLVS. Also FLVS has some nice built in features for students to make video/audio recordings to express their learning.
Writing Accessibility. video
FLVS built-in tools from Texthelp in combination with iOS text-to-speech tools provide nice accessibility with reading content.