TOPIC
This article describes the Mac Access Passport (MAP) and provides examples of the third-party companies and products contained in it.
DISCUSSION Mac Access Passport Database Mac Access Passport (MAP) is a database that includes descriptive information about more than 100 Macintosh solutions for individuals with disabilities. Each record in MAP contains a product description and developer contact information. MAP includes information on tools for individuals with physical motor impairments, blindness, hearing and speech difficulties, and learning disabilities. The database can be searched by keywords, product name, developer name, disability type, and description text. You can view the Mac Access Passport on the World Wide Web at http://www.apple.com/education/k12/disability/ . The following information is distributed by Apple Computer's Disability Solutions Group. Mention of a particular product does not represent an endorsement, either expressed or implied, by Apple Computer, Inc. Learning and Speaking Disability Solutions Special Education Software There are over 1,300 educational software programs available for the Macintosh, ranging from those that teach adverbial clauses to ones that help students explore the anatomy of a whale. Some software comes alive with dazzling color, animation, and stereo sound; other programs are more basic by comparison, incorporating traditional teaching strategies such as drill and practice and memorization. Without knowing more about a particular student (What are his reading skills...spelling skills...comprehension skills? What are her academic and personal goals...interests...abilities?) it's difficult to recommend specific software. But it is possible for teachers and parents to make that decision once they have enough information about what software is available. Below are four companies that offer a wide selection of educational software for the Macintosh. Contact them via phone or email to find out about their various Macintosh education software solutions. Broderbund Software 500 Redwood Blvd. P.O. Box 6121 Novato, CA 94948 800-521-6263 AOL Keyword: broderbund Compuserve Go Code: BB Don Johnston, Inc. P.O. Box 639 1000 N. Rand Wauconda, IL 60084 800-999-4660 Edmark Corp. P.O. Box 97021 Redmond, WA 98073 800-426-0856 email: edmarkteam@edmark.com Sunburst a division of The Learning Company 101 Castleton Street Pleasantville, NY 10570 800-321-7511 Online: www.edutainco.com Dyslexia The Macintosh is favored by many people with learning disabilities because the software is so easy to use as all Macintosh software works essentially the same way. Once you learn one program, the next will seem very familiar. This fundamental consistency eliminates frustration for a lot of people. In addition to the Macintosh's ease of use, there is software that can help you structure and organize your ideas, check your spelling as you type (using your own list of frequently misspelled words), and analyze your written documents for grammatical errors. Some software can even anticipate the word you're about to type, and type it for you! When it comes to managing your daily activities, personal information management software can help manage different areas of your life: keeping an updated "To Do" list, maintaining your address book, and scheduling and reminding you of upcoming appointments. Don Johnston, Inc. P.O. Box 639 1000 N. Rand Wauconda, IL 60084 800-999-4660 Co: Writer Speech Communication Every Macintosh has speech capability built-in, which means a PowerBook, in addition to doing everything that a desktop Macintosh does, can travel with you helping you communicate with others. A PowerBook is small and lightweight, and can be carried in a backpack or easily attached to a wheelchair, making it a versatile communication tool. Using "text to speech" software, the Macintosh creates synthetic speech from typed-in words, allowing your PowerBook to speak any word or phrase aloud. The Macintosh also has the ability to record and playback a person's own voice (somewhat like a tape recorder), which results in a very high quality sound. Special software can help you manage computerized speech so that you can access the appropriate words on demand. Libraries of pictures, symbols, and graphics are often used to build "picture communication boards," enabling speech samples to be selected quickly and easily. Don Johnston, Inc. P.O. Box 639 1000 N. Rand Wauconda, IL 60084 800-999-4660 Talk:About and Write:OutLoud Mayer-Johnson Co. P.O. Box 1579 Solana Beach, CA 92075 619-550-0084 Title: Speaking Dynamically Pro Online: www.mayer-johnson.com email: mayerj@mayer-johnson.com Physical Disability Solutions Keyboards There are dozens of different kinds of keyboards for the Macintosh. Depending on your personal abilities and preferences, any of a number of them may be appropriate. The right keyboard for you may be the kind that looks like a traditional keyboard, but has large, touch sensitive keys to help make typing easier. Or maybe your keyboard is the kind that has only seven keys and uses a typing technique called "chording," originally designed for one handed typists. Other products include switch operated, onscreen keyboards that let you type with almost any part of your body, and "smart" keyboards that allow you to customize each key's position, size, and function. We suggest you contact the following companies to learn about, and perhaps sample, their keyboard products. Don Johnston, Inc. P.O. Box 639 1000 N. Rand Wauconda, IL 60084 800-999-4660 Titles: Ke:nx and Ke:nx On:Board IntelliTools 55 Leveroni Ct. Suite 9 Novato, CA 94949 800-899-6687 Email: info@intellitools.com Titles: IntelliKeys TASH International Unit 1-91 Station St. Ajax, ON L1S 3H2 CANADA 905-686-4129 Product: MacMini Keyboard Logitech, Inc. 6505 Kaiser Dr. Fremont, CA 94555 800-231-7717 sales 702-269-3457 Tech Support Product: NewTouch Split Keyboards Online: www.logitech.com Pointing Devices You can fine-tune your mouse's sensitivity to a degree by using software that comes with your Macintosh. But this kind of refinement may not adequately address your needs. You may need an altogether different kind of pointing device. If so, there are many from which to choose: head controlled mice, trackballs (in effect a mouse turned upside down), joysticks, mice of different sizes and speeds, writing pads that function as mice, touch sensitive screens that act as mice, and even remote controlled mice. How do you determine which pointing device is the most appropriate for your needs? First, find out what's available beyond the contacts listed below. Try visiting your local news stand and browsing through a computer magazine devoted to Macintosh technology; there you'll find new and different pointing devices being advertised regularly. Edmark P.O. Box 97021 Redmond, WA 98073 800-426-0856 Products: Mac TouchWindow email: edmarkteam@edmark.com Kensington Technology Group 2855 Campus Drive San Mateo, CA 94403 Product Information: 800-235-6708 Installation Help: 800-535-4242 Online: www.kensington.com Products: TurboMouse; Orbit Mouse (for USB) Logitech, Inc. 6505 Kaiser Dr. Fremont, CA 94555 800-231-7717 sales 702-269-3457 Tech Support Products: MouseMan; MouseMan (for USB); TrackMan; MarbleMouse Online: www.logitech.com Input Systems With the right hardware and software, a Macintosh can become a powerful system for learning, working, and playing. But that won't matter to you until you're able to find a way to control the computer...your way. Keyboards and mice are traditionally used to control personal computers. Although you may not be able to use these devices, you can choose between a number of alternatives, including a voice recognition system that allows a person to control the computer by talking to it, an onscreen keyboard that facilitates typing without physically touching the keys, and a head-controlled keyboard/mouse that lets a person type using head movements. There are, in fact, a number of possibilities that will allow people to use a Macintosh for whatever they want. Contact the following companies to learn more about their access products. Madenta Communications 9411A 20 Avenue Edmonton, AB T6N 1E5 Canada 800-661-8406 Doors Origin Instruments 854 Greenview Drive Grand Prairie, TX 75050 972-606-8740 972-606-8741 Fax Products: HeadMouse; HeadMouse for Portables Online: www.orin.com email: sales@orin.com Visual Disability Solutions Speech and Braille The Macintosh was the first truly graphics based personal computer, which helps account for a common misconception that it's inaccessible to people who cannot see. In fact, when used with innovative software programs, the Macintosh is fully accessible to blind individuals. When it comes to navigating the Macintosh's screen, software called outSPOKEN gives audio cues to onscreen visual images such as icons, windows, menus, and cursor location (the numeric keypad replaces the need for a mouse). outSPOKEN is compatible with virtually all Macintosh applications, so blind people can use a Macintosh just as sighted people do in the office, at home, at school, anywhere. Another program called Duxbury Braille Translator converts text to Braille and formats printing on a Braille embosser. For more information, contact the following companies: Berkeley Systems 2095 Rose Street Berkeley, CA 94709 510-540-5535 510-540-5115 - fax 510-540-0709 - TTY e-mail: access@berksys.com Title: outSPOKEN Duxbury Systems, Inc. 270 Littleton Rd., Unit 6 Westford, MA 01886 978-692-3000 Title: Duxbury Braille Translator, v10;2 Online: www.duxburysystems.com email: info@duxsys.com Telesensory 455 North Bernardo Avenue Mountain View, CA 94043 800-537-3961 Braille Embossers Magnification There are several things that can be done to enlarge the images on the Macintosh computer's screen. One solution, CloseView, is software that magnifies the screen image up to 16 times its regular size. CloseView works with virtually all Macintosh software, and is free it's included as part of the Macintosh's system software. (An enhanced version of this software, called inLARGE, is also available as a separate product from Berkeley Systems.) Other magnification solutions range from monitors that display images in multiple resolutions to magnification lenses that attach to the outside frame of the Macintosh's monitor. You may also want to consider using software that reads text aloud, so that instead of looking at the words on your computer, you can listen to them. Contact the companies below to learn more about their access products for people with vision impairments. Berkeley Systems 2095 Rose Street Berkeley, CA 94709 510-540-5535 510-540-5115 - fax 510-540-0709 - TTY e-mail: access@berksys.com Product: inLARGE Florida New Concepts Marketing, Inc. P.O. Box 261 Port Richey, FL 34673 800-456-7097 Product: Compu-Lenz Online: http://gulfside.com/compulenz email: compulnz@gte.net This article provides information about a non-Apple product. Apple Computer, Inc. is not responsible for its content. Please contact the vendor for additional information. The following Tech Info Library article can help you search for a particular vendor's address and phone number: Article 17159: " Locating Vendor Information " |
||||||
| Document Information | |
| Product Area: | Apple Software |
| Category: | Software Information & Resources |
| Sub Category: | General Topics |
Copyright © 2000 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.