The very popular digital media discussion service VoiceThread has launched a new accessibility option called VoiceThread Universal.

VoiceThread Universal...

• is designed for those who use screen-readers to access online media.

• removes extraneous visual and text elements;

• concentrates on providing clear and concise information;

• makes it possible for more learners and more practitioners to participate in online conversations about media.

Note: VoiceThread is popular with ed...

Visuals Engine is a free useful resource from ConnectABILITY.

Visuals Engine provides six customizable templates for creating...

• achievement charts;
• choice boards;
• schedules; and
• story boards;

To use the Visuals Engine...

• choose a template;
• choose images or upload images for each box on the selected template;
• type text, if required, to accompany each image on the template.
  

Note: ConnectABILITY provides, at ...

The Dynamic Keyboard program provides a "reduced target" on-screen keyboard with word prediction; it is also free.

The keyboard offers a simple interface to enter text using reduced keys on the screen. Watching the video below helps potential users understand how it works; note - Dynamic Keyboard is being used by a typist using the (also free) myEye eye gaze tracking program.

Other Dynamic Keyboard access methods include...

• Intellikeys;

• a mouse or mouse emulator;

• joyst...

I missed the Office Platform Team's release of two new Microsoft Office 2010 Accessibility Add-ins on March 17th, however, better late than never.

The two new add-ins are the...

1. Subtitling Add-in for Microsoft PowerPoint (STAMP); it helps Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 users add closed captions to the video and audio files that they add to presentations; boosting impact for those, in the target audience, with hearing disabilities.
   It also enables video and audio in PowerPoint to be localis...