On-Line Handout

Prepared by Chuck Hitchcock and Skip Stahl

This Page: http://www.cast.org/master/reference

Founded in 1984 as the Center for Applied Special Technology, CAST is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to expand opportunities for individuals with disabilities through the development of and innovative uses of technology. We pursue this mission through research, product development, and work in schools and educational settings that further Universal Design for Learning.

Through its applied research program, CAST investigates the needs of diverse learners and the effectiveness of Universal Design for Learning teaching tools and strategies in a variety of real-life contexts. Research is conducted in classrooms, homes and community organizations, and, increasingly, via the Internet. Support for this research comes from government agencies, foundations, corporations, other not-for-profit agencies, and individual donors. Applied research informs CAST's concept development and product design.

Product development at CAST focuses on the creation of accessible curricula and software that are defining the evolving standards of Universal Design for Learning. Current CAST products include a software tool designed to support learners of all ages who may lack the skills needed to read materials independently; evaluation tools for World Wide Web accessibility; and supported learning tools and curriculum in the areas of literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies. Products are developed in-house as well as in partnership with major educational publishers and university-based researchers.

For more information about CAST and its work: http://www.cast.org/

National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum (NCAC)

In a collaborative agreement with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs, CAST has established a National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum to provide a vision of how new curricula, teaching practices, and policies can be woven together to create practical approaches for access to the general curriculum by students with disabilities. This five-year project brings together OSEP and five key partners: Boston College, the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), Harvard University, and the Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER) to effect change that will improve learning outcomes for all students.

Now Available from NCAC

• Curriculum Summary Reports
  

  Effective Classroom Practices: Six classroom practices were chosen for review. Supported by theory and research, each report is written to provide the reader with a definition and description of essential features and attributes. Evidence of effectiveness is presented based on foundational and current research.

  An Overview - Enhancements Literature Review: A review of the literature to determine what recent research has to say about useful enhancements or adaptations to curriculum.

  NCAC Curriculum Teacher Survey: A convenience sample survey of teachers to find out what curricular adaptations and enhancements teachers make and use in their classrooms.

  Informal Survey of Textbooks: An analysis of a sample of the teacher's editions for programs across publisher, grade levels, and subject matter.

• Teacher Practice
  

  A Glimpse at Current Teaching Practices with Preliminary Survey Results
  This report outlines current trends in teaching practices, materials, and assessment approaches in America's now highly diverse classrooms.

  Teacher Planning and the Universal Design for Learning Environments
  The report discusses the utility of collaborative teaching approaches grounded within the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework.

  A Review of Recent Literature: Effective Teaching Practices and the Barriers Limiting Their Use in Accessing the Curriculum
  This report summarizes the results of a review of recent literature concerning barriers limiting access to the general curriculum and teaching practices that hold particular promise for eliminating or reducing them.

• Policy
  

  Links to NCAC state policy studies, hot issues and high stakes testing paper.

• Family Education and Advocacy
  

  Find articles for parents and family advocates on this page.

• Consensus Building
  

  Links to literacy, e-text and other information for educators.

December 1, 1999 and November 30, 2004, Agreement Number H324H990004
Bonnie D. Jones, Project Officer, U.S. Department of Education
David Rose, Principal Investigator, CAST
Chuck Hitchcock, Project Director, CAST

For learn more about NCAC: http://www.cast.org/ncac

Universal Learning Center (ULC)

The Universal Learning Center (ULC) will offer access to digital curricular materials for students with learning, sensory and physical disabilities. The ULC will provide resources to help them achieve higher standards in general education classrooms. The ULC plans to offer curricular materials across a wide range of subjects appropriate for grades K - 12. These materials will be comprised of core curriculum, supplemental works and research sources.

Universal Design for Learning - What is UDL?

Drawing on new brain research and innovative media technologies to respond to individual learner differences, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a new paradigm for teaching, learning and assessment. For UDL to become a reality in schools, we need flexible materials from curriculum developers; policies that support individualized goals, learning methods, and assessment; professional development practices that support educators in the UDL approach. But implementing UDL is ultimately the province of teachers. With true learning and engagement for each student as the goal, teachers reframe learning goals, teaching techniques, materials and assessment, individualizing for each learner with the help of flexible learning tools and media.

No single curriculum or software program can provide all of the flexibility needed to create a UDL environment. This requires assembling a variety of tools, programs, materials, and Web sites that can be used in different combinations for different learners and for different teaching purposes. The flexibility comes in part from the collection itself, which enables varied approaches for reaching a given instructional goal, and in part from the inherent flexibility of each component.

To learn more about UDL: http://www.cast.org/udl/

Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning

This book is a comprehensive presentation of the principles and applications of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a practical, research-based framework for responding to individual learning differences in the classroom.

The book is supported with a Web site which provides not only the text of the book online, but is enriched with multimedia examples of UDL as well a number of interactive tutorials, tools and templates. The Teaching Every Student (TES) Web site supports educators in learning about and practicing Universal Design for Learning.

Visit the TES Web site: http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent

UDL Tools and Resources

Education requires both challenge and resistance, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL)- the framework developed by CAST for teaching, learning, and the development, selection, and use of curriculum- requires careful attention to the goals of any given learning experience when selecting curriculum materials. UDL, as conceptualized by CAST, strives to make the curriculum adjustable for students with varied abilities and learning styles rather than forcing students to work with a set curriculum with inflexible materials. The tools and resources described on these linked pages support UDL concepts.

For UDL Tools and Resources: http://www.cast.org/udl/ToolsResources3.cfm

CAST eReader

Available both in Macintosh and Windows versions, the CAST eReader adds spoken voice, visual highlighting, document navigation, or page navigation to any electronic text. The software can take content from any source--the Internet, word processing files, scanned-in text, or typed-in text-and combine it with the most powerful features of talking and reading software.

For information, contact Gabrielle King 39 Cross Street, Peabody, MA 01960; Toll Free: 888-858-9994; Fax: 978-531-0192; E-mail: gking@cast.org

To find out more about the CAST eReader: http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=211

Bobby WorldWide

Bobby (SM) was launched in 1996 to help Web designers throughout the world analyze their sites for accessibility for all Internet users, including those with disabilities. This interactive tool examines Web pages to identify potential barriers to access. Bobby offers prioritized suggestions based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines provided by the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Access Initiative. With the release of Bobby WorldWide, Web designers can now test their sites for compliance with the U.S. Federal Government's Section 508 standards. As Web designers use Bobby WorldWide, they learn how to address problems with their own sites and learn skills to design accessible sites in the future.

For more information about Bobby WorldWide: http://www.cast.org/bobby

The Strategic Reader: Textbooks Today, Web Tomorrow

To support higher level reading comprehension in high school students with learning disabilities, this formative research project is refining and further developing the CAST eReader as a strategic reading tool, providing text mark-up guidelines for publishers of digital textbooks, and creating instructional techniques for the use of the resulting tool and enhanced content. This project is supported by the Office of Special Education Programs of the U.S. Department of Education.

Engaging the Text: Reciprocal Teaching and Questioning Strategies in a Scaffolded Learning Environment

This research project seeks to determine the effectiveness of the highly regarded Reiprocal Teaching Method (RTM) for developing active reading comprehension strategies in combination with the use of traditional curricular content that has been significantly enhanced (using the CAST eReader) through digital text-to-speech and speech-to-text technologies. This project is expected to a yield the design of a new instructional approach to improve reading comprehension in middle school students with learning disabilities. This project is supported by the Office of Special Education Programs of the U.S. Department of Education.

eTrekker - A Web Learning and Productivity Software Tool

This two-year research and development project is creating a product, eTrekker, for Web-based learning and productivity. The software tool is expected to help students with learning disabilities to plan, search, analyze, read, organize, and present information from the Web.

Professional Development

Guided by the framework of Universal Design for Learning, representatives of CAST assist teams of regular and special educators, administrators, and instructional resource coordinators to effect systemic change at the district, state, and national levels.

For additional information: http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=171

National Consortium on Universal Design for Learning

CAST recently announced the formation of the National Consortium on UDL, a community of educators and other professionals dedicated to developing systemic practice models that better serve the educational needs of all students, especially those with disabilities. The principles of Universal Design for Learning are central to the mission of the National Consortium.

For more information about Consortium: http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=359

Wiggleworks

The Scholastic Beginning Literacy System is an inclusive early literacy curriculum co-developed by CAST and Scholastic Inc. Universal design features make WiggleWorks a flexible tool for teaching literacy skills to diverse learners and working with mixed ability groups in classrooms.

For more about Wiggleworks: http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=216

Reading in the Computer Age

"In Learning to Read in the Computer Age, authors Anne Meyer and David Rose provide a thoughtful book that will help educate teachers in the theories and uses of computers for the teaching of reading. It presents rich knowledge both about computers and about the process of learning to read, relating computers to theories of the brain and to the teaching of reading skills and strategies. It also shows how computers can enhance student motivation and engagement."

(from the preface by Jeanne S. Chall, Series Editor and John F. Onofrey, Editor).

To read the book on-line: http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=18

The Future is in the Margins: The Role of Technology and Disability in Educational Reform

This paper was prepared under contract to the American Institutes for Research on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology (Contract 282-98-0029).

To read this white paper: http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=542

• eText Sources
• To Learn More About Emerging Standards for eBooks
• Federal Legislation and Bills Related to Accessible Materials
• Guidance for Creating Accessible Materials
• Text-to-Speech Supported Reading Software
• Supported Reading Software with Magnification
  
• Talking Browsers
• Screen Readers
• Text-to-Speech Supported Reading Hardware
• Portable eBook Display Devices without Speech
• Books on Tape

eText Sources

• The Online Books Page
  http://www.ul.cs.cmu.edu/
  A directory of books that can be freely read on the Web, plus an index to thousands of online books & text archives.

• Franklin Free Library
  http://www.franklin.com/freelibrary/
  With an eBookMan you can access the Franklin Free Library. Search the Franklin Free library for thousands of free titles for eBookMan. Free text and HTML files can be read in the Franklin Viewer application. Select titles are also available for purchase as Franklin Reader eBooks, which means they are searchable, require less memory, and offer additional features such as the ability to place bookmarks.

• The Children's Literature Web Guide
  http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown
  "An attempt to gather together and categorize the growing number of Internet resources related to books for children and young adults. Much of the information that you can find through these pages is provided by others: fans, schools, libraries, and commercial enterprises involved in the book world."

• Project Gutenburg
  http://promo.net/pg/
  The Project Gutenberg philosophy is to make information, books and other materials available to the general public in forms a vast majority of the computers, programs and people can easily read, use, quote, and search.

• The Texas Text Exchange (TTE)
  http://tte.tamu.edu/
  A consortium of disability service providers who share electronic texts (e-texts) with each other. These e-texts are used to accommodate students with disabilities. The TTE also provides information on the creation and use of e-texts. The TTE maintains an online digital library of e-texts, accessible only by TTE consortium members.

• The Alex Catalogue of Electronic Texts
  http://www.infomotions.com/alex
  A collection of digital documents collected in the subject areas of English literature, American literature, and Western philosophy.

• The National Academy Press (NAP)
  http://www.nap.edu/
  Created by the National Academies to publish the reports issued by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council, all operating under a charter granted by the Congress of the United States. The National Academy Press is the first publisher to provide its books entirely on-line, in full text format.

• TeleRead
  http://www.teleread.org/
  "Teleread is a non-partisan plan to get electronic books into American homes--through a national digital library and small, sharp-screened computers-in an era of declining literacy...Many educators and librarians love the idea of a national digital library full of electronic books. But they wonder if the business community would object to the tax money spent. The answer is: TeleRead would actually benefit business by massively popularizing the use of electronic forms-and driving down the cost of processing the paperwork of consumers. The same machines that were ideal for e-books could excel for e-forms. And business is starting to catch on to the benefits here."

• The Library of Congress
  http://lcweb.loc.gov/
  This list is not meant to be comprehensive. The resources listed provide a wealth of information on the state of digital libraries today.

• Electric Library
  http://www.elibrary.com/
  Contains only copyrighted content from reliable sources. Electric Library will deliver full-text documents from "natural language" inquiries. Search strings are automatically spell-checked, and the reading level of each document is noted. Sources include magazines and newspapers like TIME, U.S. News & World Report, People, The Economist, Sports Illustrated, USA Today, and The Los Angeles Times; scholarly journals like the Journal of Social History, Journal of Social Psychology, American Demographics, Journal of Economic Issues, and the Journal of Educational Research. A commercial site, but a very strong resource for students.

• University of Virginia's Electronic Text Center
  http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/
  The Electronic Text Center provides access to over 5,000 texts (1,200 of these are available for the Microsoft Reader format), including classic British and American fiction, children's literature, and books on American history.

• WizeUp
  http://www.WizeUp.com/
  Digital textbooks are professor-required, publisher endorsed content. Textbooks are supplied with the "WizeUp" application that features note-taking inside the book with full search, sort, and print capability, an integral highlighter, the ability to bookmark hyperlinks to the book, the Web, instructor notes, multimedia and more. Collaborating publishers include Wiley, Norton, Harcourt, Addison-Wesley Longman.

• WebCT
  http://www.webct.com/
  WebCT is "courseware", a delivery system for Internet-based curriculum, assignments, assessment, etc. and has developed strategic content agreements with the following publishers: Pearson Education, including Addison Wesley Longman, Allyn & Bacon, Prentice Hall and Pearson Professional, Reference and Technology imprints; Thomson Learning, including its publishing companies Brooks/Cole, Course Technology, South-Western College Publishing, and Wadsworth Publishing; Archipelago; Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishing Group; Cambridge Physics Outlet; Harcourt College; John Wiley & Sons; McGraw-Hill Ryerson and W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

• Audible
  http://www.audible.com/
  Audible's broad collection of audio books, audio magazines and daily audio digests of leading newspapers from over 100 content providers will be available for seamless PC- based playback using the Windows Media Player, representing a significant addition to the listening options available to users of Windows Media. In addition, downloaded programs are played back through the Audible MobilePlayer or MobilePlayer-Plus, 3.5-ounce, handheld playback peripherals, or through a computer's sound system.

• Bartleby.com
  http://www.Bartleby.com
  Bartleby.com houses an online collection of copyright-free books that come with navigational and cross-referencing tools. E-book versions for personal computers or handheld devices can be downloaded for $1 per title.

• Follett Software Company
  http://www.fsc.follett.com/
  Follett Software Company now offers e-books through a partnership with netLibrary. Users can pull up MARC records and preview netLibrary books and materials for free. Just as with a print book, an e-book that a school library purchases can be "checked out" to a device until the circulation period runs out, at which point it disappears from the device and is available for electronic circulation again.

• Galaxy Library
  http://www.galaxylibrary.com/
  Galaxy Library offers free and fee books in many electronic formats: Adobe PDF, Everybook , Glassbook, GoReader, HTML, ION (eMonocle), MS Reader, Open Ebook, Palm, Print Copy, WindowsCE.

• Rosetta Books
  http://www.rosettabooks.com/
  RosettaBooks claims to be the leading electronic publisher of quality backlist books focused exclusively on the electronic medium. RosettaBooks delivers content in a range of e-book formats compatible with all emerging e-book platforms. MS Reader, Acrobat eBook Reader, Adobe PDF , Gemstar REB1100, Gemstar REB1200, Peanut for Palm, Peanut for P.P.C., Night Kitchen TK3

• Abacci Books
  http://www.abacci.com/books/default.asp
  Project Guttenbuerg meets Amazon -- free digital text versions of classic literature -- with reviews.

To Learn More About Emerging Standards for eBooks

• Open eBook Forum
  http://www.openebook.org/
  The purpose of the Open eBook Forum (OEBF) is to create and maintain standards and promote the successful adoption of electronic books. The Open eBook Forum (OEBF) is an association of hardware and software companies, publishers, authors and users of electronic books and related organizations whose goals are to establish common specifications for electronic book systems, applications and products that will benefit creators of content, makers of reading systems and, most importantly, consumers, helping to catalyze the adoption of electronic books; to encourage the broad acceptance of these specifications on a worldwide basis among members of the Forum, related industries and the public; and to increase awareness and acceptance of the emerging electronic publishing industry.

• Specifications for the Digital Talking Book - ANSI/NISO Z39.86 - 2002
  HTML version: http://www.niso.org/standards/resources/Z39-86-2002.html
  PDF version: http://www.niso.org/standards/resources/Z39-86-2002.pdf
  Abstract: This standard defines the format and content of the electronic file set that comprises a digital talking book (DTB) and establishes a limited set of requirements for DTB playback devices. It uses established and new specifications to delineate the structure of DTBs whose content can range from XML text only, to text with corresponding spoken audio, to audio with little or no text. DTBs are designed to make print material accessible and navigable for blind or otherwise print-disabled persons. ANSI Approval Date: 03/06/02, Status: Approved and Published Standard.

• Daisy Consortium
  http://www.daisy.org/
  The DAISY Consortium is establishing the International Standard for the production, exchange, and use of the next generation of "Digital Talking Books". The DAISY Consortium is made up of organizations world-wide serving persons who are blind or print disabled.

• World Wide Web Consortium
  http://www.w3.org/
  The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) develops interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) to lead the Web to its full potential as a forum for information, commerce, communication, and collective understanding.

Federal Legislation and Bills Related to Accessible Materials

• National Library Service Factsheet
  http://www.loc.gov/nls/reference/factsheets/copyright.html
  Information about Copyright Law Amendment, 1996: PL 104-197
  "Under the Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill, H.R. 3754, Congress approved a measure, introduced by Senator John H. Chafee (R-R.I.) on July 29, 1996, that provides for an exemption affecting the National Library Service program. On September 16, 1996, the bill was signed into law by President Clinton. The Chafee amendment to chapter 1 of title 17, United States Code, adds section 121, establishing a limitation on the exclusive rights in copyrighted works. The amendment allows authorized entities to reproduce or distribute copies or phonorecords of previously published nondramatic literary works in specialized formats exclusively for use by blind or other persons with disabilities."

• Instructional Materials Accessibility Act of 2002 (IMAA)
  http://www.afb.org/info_document_view.asp?documentid=1709
  Introduced on April 24, 2002 to members of Congress, the Instructional Materials Accessibility Act of 2002 (IMAA) is intended to improve access to textbooks for students who are blind or who have other print disabilities in K-12 schools. The bipartisan legislation aims to ensure that instructional materials for blind or other people with print disabilities are received in an accessible medium at the same time as their non-disabled peers. To this end, the IMAA will utilize technological advances to produce an efficient system for acquiring and distributing these materials in specialized formats, which include braille, synthesized speech, digital text, digital audio, and large print.

Guidance for Creating Accessible Materials

• American Council of the Blind (ACB)
  http://www.acb.org/accessible-formats.html
  "A Guide to Making Documents Accessible to People who are Blind or Visually Impaired" is available from The American Council of the Blind (ACB) at their Web site, and can be downloaded free of charge. A grant allowed ACB to develop the publication which can be purchased in print, large print, audiocassette, or braille (at minimal cost). The guide also contains links to other blindness organizations where readers can find additional resources concerning braille, large print, audible formats on tape and CD, and electronic and online publishing guidance to assure accessibility.

Text-to-Speech Supported Reading Software

• CAST eReader
  http://www.cast.org/udl/CASTeReader211.cfm
  CAST eReader is a software tool designed to support learners of all ages who may lack the skills needed to read materials independently. The software can take electronic text content from any source and read it using synthesized speech and visual highlighting. The program's universal design features allow it to meet a wide range of needs, abilities and interests, supporting those who have difficulty reading. Available in both Macintosh and Windows versions for grade 3 to adult.

• Read & Write
  http://www.texthelp.com
  TextHelp, now known as Read & Write, is a text-to-speech software program available in Windows format for users grade 2 to adult.

• TextAloud MP3
  http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/stories/info/0,,00173O,.html
  NextUp Technologies’ TextAloud MP3 v1.05 is a text-to-speech program that reads aloud and can save audio to .wav or.mp3 files for later listening. This easy-to-use system is great for convenient reading of files and especially for conversion of files into formats that could be transferred to a portable MP3 device, although conversion can be slow. Available for Windows 95, 98 or NT.

• Tex-Edit Plus
  http://www.tex-edit.com/index.html#Tex-Edit%20Plus
  “Tex-Edit Plus version 4.0 is a scriptable, styled text editor that fills the gap between Apple’s bare-bones SimpleText and a full-featured word processor. It’s fast, efficient, and has a clean, uncluttered interface. It’s also great for cleaning up text which is transmitted over the Internet.” This shareware is available for Macintosh in English, German, French and Japanese. Previous versions in Spanish, Italian and Danish are also offered.

• HearIt!
  http://www.ldresources.com/tools/shareware.html
  HearIt! utilizes a control panel item that works with the Speech Manager to speak all the text you can highlight. This is freeware and is available for Macintosh users, grade 2 to adult.

• HELP read
  http://www.pixi.com/~reader1/allbrowser/
  HELP Read freeware has received numerous software awards and is highly recommended by many Web sites and software reviewers. Available in Windows version for grade 2 to adult.

• Text Talkster v1. 0
  Code It Freeware http://www.code-it.com/downloads.htm
  TT 1.0 is a software application that once activated the program icon resides conveniently hidden in the lower right system tray ready for instant use. It speaks the content of the clipboard by means of an animated character after you have copied any text (i.e. e-mail, web page, text document). In simple language, it is a blue animated Genie that speaks the clipboard content. This application uses Microsoft Active X Agent© Technology. The software has been beta tested and "talks" all clipboard content regardless of what type document it was copied from.

• Microsoft Reader Software for a Desktop or Laptop
  http://www.microsoft.com/reader/
  Microsoft Reader is a free software application designed to deliver an on-screen computer reading experience that for the first time approaches the convenience and quality of paper.

  Microsoft Reader is the first product to include ClearType display technology. ClearType greatly improves resolution on LCD screens to deliver a print-like display. Microsoft Reader also pays strict attention to the traditions and benefits of good typography. It offers a clean, uncluttered layout; ample margins; proper spacing, leading, and kerning; plus powerful tools for book marking, highlighting, and annotation. Support for SAPI 4 and SAPI 5 voices is included.

• Acrobat eBook Reader
  http://www.adobe.com/products/ebookreader/overview6.html
  The free Adobe® Acrobat® eBook Reader^TM enables you to read eBooks on your notebook or desktop computer. This reader software displays eBooks with the pictures, graphics, and fonts similar to printed books. Both the Windows and Macintosh versions take advantage of system-level text-to-speech support (no synchronized text highlighting) to read the text from an eBook or PDF file.

  NOTE: If the Publisher grants permission to enable this feature, the legend Read Aloud will appear on the program's command bar. Clicking this command will display simple audio-player controls and will read the text aloud.

  The Acrobat eBook Reader also provides extensive text magnification capabilities.

• Scan and Read Lite
  http://www.premier-programming.com/
  Offered free to schools and other non-profit training organizations around the world. Please contact Premier Programming for more details to see if your organization is eligible. For more information about this promotion contact: kenneth@premier-programming.com

  Features of Scan and Read Lite include:

  • Fast Scanning and Text Recognition
  • 17 Different voices
  • Adjustable Reading Speed on the Fly
  • Spell Checking with over a 100,000 Word Dictionary
  • Word processing
  • Open Existing MS-Word Files
  • Import Existing Images to Process
  • Automatic Image Rotation
  • Works with both Jaws and Window Eyes
  • Works with any TWAIN compatible scanner
  • Supports Windows 98, 2000 and Windows NT, ME
  • Magnification up to 400%
  • Different Color Schemes

Supported Reading Software with Magnification
(No Text-to-Speech Support)

• eMonocle Reader
  http://www.ionsystems.com/emonocle/
  An Open eBook (OeB) Reader Application that Exceeds the Low Vision Requirements for both the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 508. Installed as a downloaded application, the eMonocle Reader will offer standard features of word and phrase search with navigational controls (either keyboard or mouse commands). Page turning commands mimic the real life book turning experience; no scrolling or page manipulation is required to read text or graphics from one page to the next. Any graphic may easily be enlarged or rotated for improved viewing at a click of a button to fill the entire screen or larger than screen size for full detail disclosure.

Talking Browsers

Similar to the eReader but designed for those with visual impairments.

• ReadPlease 2002
  http://www.readplease.com
  ReadPlease will read any text on your computer screen -- from your browser, e-mail, word processor or spreadsheet. Three versions are available from the ReadPlease Web site including a free, quality screen reader.

• Web Talkster v3.2
  Code It Freeware http://www.code-it.com/
  WT 3.2 is a "talking web browser" that is released as free with an option to register. This browser takes advantage of Microsoft Agent© technology.

  This software application gives you the option of having the browser "talk" the text content of a web page by means of one of many available antimated characters to choose from, by simply clicking the "Speak" button. In simple language, it is a talking web browser. The software has been beta tested and "talks" all formats of web sites with the exception of approx. 4% (beta test results) due to exotic programming formats and frame configurations.

• WeMedia Talking Browser
  http://www.wemedia.com
  Different from a screen reader, the WeMedia talking browser becomes the actual browser through which you surf the Net. Complete with large buttons and keystroke commands for easy navigation, the browser 'speaks' the selected text within the browser.

  You can go from link to link using the up and down arrows on your keyboard, and you can either select the text you would like to read, or let the browser read the entire page. There's a helpful tutorial page that can help you get started, and tell you more about how to use the keystroke commands to navigate the browser.

Screen Readers

• Jaws for Windows
  http://www.hj.com/main.html
  JAWS (Job Access With Speech) provides speech technology that works with your Windows 95/98/Me or Windows NT/2000 operating system to provide access to today's popular software applications and the Internet. JAWS uses an integrated voice synthesizer and your computer's sound card to output the content of your computer screen to speakers. JAWS also outputs to refreshable Braille displays. This technology provides access to a wide variety of information, education, and job related applications.

• Window-Eyes
  http://www.gwmicro.com/windoweyes/index.htm
  Window-EyesT is our screen access program for Windows 95 and 98. Window-Eyes allows a blind or visually impaired person access to Windows and Windows applications. Window-Eyes includes a free copy of the Microsoft text-to-speech. If you are using Windows 9X and have a compatible sound card this speech is an excellent alternative to expensive dedicated voice synthesizers.

• Outspoken
  http://www.aagi.com/
  A customizable screen reader available for both Macintosh & Windows, outspoken reads and prints to Braille all navigation elements, document, dialogs and web pages

Text-to-Speech Supported Reading Hardware

• Rio One
  http://www.sonicblue.com/audio/rio/rio_one.asp
  Designed as an MP3 audio player, the Rio One (like other MP3 players) can download and playback ANY MPE audio files, including document files saved as synthetic speech MP# files using TextAloud MP3 or other applications.

  A successor to the Rio 300 - the best-selling digital audio player - Rio One delivers up to one hour of skip-free music with 32 MB of upgradeable on-board memory. Add flash memory for up to 5 hours of playtime.

  • 32 MB of built-in memory for up to one hour of music
  • Upgradeable to 160 MB with flash memory cards (sold separately)
  • Supports MP3 and Microsoft Windows Media (WMA) formats
  • Capable of supporting future audio standards
  • USB connection for the fastest music transfers

Portable eBook Display Devices without Speech

• eBookMan
  http://www.franklin.com/ebookman/default.asp
  Franklin Electronic Publisher's eBookMan is an electronic multi-media handheld device. Three models include a Franklin eBook Reader, an audio book player, an MP3 compatible music player, address book, date book, to-do book, and memo book, all using natural handwriting recognition. Each is equipped with a USB port for connection to a PC (optional serial connection also available) and features optional memory expansion through industry standard Multimedia (MMC) cards. With an eBookMan you can access the Franklin Free Library for free text and HTML files which can be read in the Franklin Viewer application of the eBookMan.

• eBook from GemStar
  http://www.gemstar-ebook.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/eBookstore
  The technology providers behind the next generation of new reading devices from RCA, and we are a source for digital books, magazines and newspapers. Unlike PCs or handheld computers, eBook reading devices deliver a reading experience comparable to traditional paper books, while adding powerful electronic features for note taking, fast navigation, and key word searches. eBook is useful for reading in all the places you love to read and perfect for all the material you like to read: bestsellers, fiction, all the top genres, even popular magazines, and newspapers.

Books on Tape

• Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D)
  http://www.rfbd.org/
  Celebrating their 50th Anniversary as the nation's educational library for people with print disabilities RFB&D has a 77,000-title library of taped textbooks, reference and professional materials for people who cannot read standard print because of a disability. Internationally, they serve nearly 78,000 people with "print disabilities" (which include blindness, visual impairments, learning disabilities or other physical disabilities), and have titles available for students in kindergarten through post-graduate studies. The library includes a broad selection of titles from literature to history to math and the sciences. They also have a large selection of reference and professional materials available for members.

• AFB Talking Books
  http://www.afb.org/
  The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) has recorded tens of thousands of titles for the U.S. Library of Congress onto millions of records and cassettes. AFB's full digital and analog recording, editing, duplication, and packaging services are now available to a whole new audience that has recognized the reach and convenience of a spoken-word audio product.

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