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Web Posted on: December 17, 1998


A Hands-on Introduction to the Windows Access Pac ( - A Complete Solution for Windows Users in One Convenient Package.

Suzanne Feit
IntelliTools South
Simi Valley, CA

Scott Schafer
IntelliTools
Novato, CA

Abstract

The IntelliTools collection of creativity tools - IntelliKeys(, IntelliTalk(, Overlay Maker(, IntelliPics(, and ClickIt! ( - are now available for Windows users. This hands-on workshop, will introduce the Windows version of these tools and show how they can be used to help teachers, parents and trainers create and adapt materials for their classrooms. Solutions for assessment and access for students who need a multi-sensory environment, will be addressed. Activities that demonstrate solutions that teachers have used to successfully adapt curriculum, will also be presented. These activities, and many others, can be found on the IntelliTools Web Activity Exchange at www.intellitools.com.


Major Points of Presentation:

1. The workshop will demonstrate how the tools in the Windows Access Pac can help all students become more successful and independent learners. Extensive hands-on tutorials will be used to familiarize participants with each of the tools and their applications.

2. Access to the curriculum will be a primary focus. The types of curriculum adaptations presented, will be appropriate for either a full inclusion or special class environment.

3. Participants will leave with a copy of the IntelliTools Web Activity Exchange and Accessible Training Materials CD-ROM. This CD contains a host of activities that can be used as soon as participants return to their classrooms. A complete set of IntelliTools Training Tutorials and supplemental training slideshows are also included on the CD.


Access Solutions using the tools in the Window Access Pac

Since learning styles vary from student to student, it's important to look at a variety of input methods in addition to the traditional letter by letter keyboard. In particular, we will look at ways to provide students with auditory and visual feedback to meet different learning needs. Participants will see how adaptations made with the IntelliTools family of tools, give learners the chance to develop skills and independence.

The IntelliKeys is a keyboard with a changing face. For some users, the standard computer keyboard can be confusing - even overwhelming. The keys may be too small; their order difficult to remember; or there may be just too many keys to deal with at one time.

The seven Standard bar coded overlays that ship with IntelliKeys provide different access solutions for individual students.

  • The large, high contrast letters on the Alphabet Overlay are easy to see and access. Often an alphabetic layout provides a more structured environment for locating letters.
  • The numbers, control keys, and arrows on the Basic Writing Overlay allow mouseless access to the computer.
  • The Arrows Overlay can be used to illustrate access to mouse driven programs.
  • The Numbers Overlay is an excellent example of how access can be limited to just the keys necessary to complete a task. The complexity of the regular computer keyboard can be very intimidating.
  • The IBM and Apple QWERTY overlays provide one finger access to the keyboard and to all mouse functions.
  • The Setup Overlay allows you to change the keyboard response rate and sensitivity so people with poor fine motor skills can access the computer more successfully and independently. A response rate of 1 is very slow, 15 is the default.
  • New lock-on Keyguards for Standard Overlays and Keyguards for Custom Overlays can make a tremendous difference for many users with disabilities. Keyguards help prevent unintentional keystrokes and allow users to isolate keys and make more accurate choices.

IntelliTalk

IntelliTalk is a talking word processor for writing and communication. This inexpensive talking word processor has a full range of voice and speech options.

  • Students can hear each letter, word and sentence as they type. This reinforces early literacy goals of letter recognition, word usage and sentence development.
  • Font size, style and background colors can be adjusted for students with visual problems.
  • Auditory feedback enables students to hear text read out loud from any text source.
  • Unique delete feature allows students to delete words, sentences and paragraphs for easy editing.

Overlay Maker

Overlay Maker is a drawing program that lets you create overlays for IntelliKeys. It can be used to create customized learning solutions for individual students. It's also an ideal tool for making curriculum adaptations. Participants will learn how to use Overlay Maker to:

  • Design the layout, graphics and text for custom overlays.
  • Add tactile objects to overlays and turn access into a multisensory experience.
  • Promote a more inclusive learning environment because students can touch pictures or words as they participate in classroom activities.
  • Design overlays to reinforce basic skills, demonstrate comprehension, and access a variety of commercial software.
  • Employ strategies and templates, such as the "I Can Write" series, which can be found on the IntelliTools Web Exchange. Participants will learn how the "I Can Write" series allows students to break down the writing process into small steps to promote success and independence.

IntelliPics

This multimedia authoring tool is used for creating accessible multimedia activities. Activities can be quickly created using students' voices and stimulating graphics. Overlays can be customized to suit an individual's fine motor, gross motor, visual, and cognitive needs.

  • The ready-to-use activities that ship with IntelliPics provide a wonderful resource for early learners. The Animals IntelliPics Activity is a rich source for developing number concepts, colors, sizes, directionality, as well as animal names and sounds. The Animal Keyguard overlays found on the Web, demonstrate easy ways to further adapt this activity.
  • The sound features of IntelliPics, which allow students to record their own voices, promote articulation, expression, and vocabulary development.
  • A wealth of IntelliPics activities have been created by teachers and therapists and can be found on the IntelliTools Web Exchange. These activities demonstrate how technology is being integrated into the curriculum around the world. A number of these activities, which are included on the CD participants will receive, will be reviewed with suggestions for further adaptations.

ClickIt!

Many of today's software programs involve pointing to active locations on the screen and clicking with a mouse. ClickIt! allows a person who can't use a mouse to touch an overlay or a switch to activate these locations. Participants will learn how to use ClickIt! to make popular software programs accessible.

  • IntelliTools has used ClickIt! to create a series of Instant Access Overlays for popular software programs from Edmark and Living Books.
  • The Edmark Instant Access Overlays allow students to touch pictures on the overlay that directly match the computer screen.
  • The Living Books overlays allow students to explore the software by scanning or as a cause and effect activity.
  • Participants will learn how to add scanning and selection sounds to further customize access for students. In addition, adding tactile objects to these overlays enables more kinesthetic feedback.

The IntelliTools Activity Exchange

The IntelliTools Activity Exchange on the World Wide Web, features activities submitted by teachers, therapists, and parents from around the world. These activities demonstrate how curriculum is being adapted for students in many different learning environments. Most of these activities take advantage of IntelliKeys and are accessible using customized overlays and switches. Many can also be accessed by a mouse or the regular keyboard promoting a more inclusive environment.

By using the tools in the Windows Access Pac to view activities from the Exchange, workshop participants will have a greater understanding of the potential of the tools for creating accessible curriculum solutions for students with special needs.

Sharing resources, developing inclusive solutions, and helping others use the creativity tools in the Windows Access Pac, are some of the ways IntelliTools promotes access to the curriculum.