Effectively used, technology offers a wide range of benefits for teaching and learning. E-learning in its many guises supports accessibility.
The inherent flexibility of digital formats almost always adds value for all concerned, allowing them to personalise the way they access content. For the end user, digital formats can be changed, adapted and acted on in a variety of ways.
Assistive and enabling technologies
Here we explore and explain some technologies that can assist or enable users to learn more independently. There are also over 80 Heat projects showing how these have been used in practice.
Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)
There are a wide range of free (freeware) and FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) tools available over the internet. Here we explain what some of them are and what they can do for you and your learners.
Mobile and portable
There has been increasing interest in the use of mobile and portable devices in education.
Two new high-quality, youthful and modern voices (TechDis Jack and TechDis Jess) that can be used with text-to-speech tools.
Web and online
So much more content is now being delivered online over the internet. This content can be highly inclusive and accessible but with poor thought and design it can exclusive and restricted.
Xerte Online Toolkit (XOT) is a free Open Source tool which allows staff with limited technical skills to create rich and accessible online content.