New Read:OutLoud® 6 Accessible Text Reader -- Easy and Timely Access to Widest Range of eBook Formats for Students
Assistive technology software makes it easy for struggling readers and students with disabilities to navigate the latest eBook formats and comprehend text in a multi-modal digital learning environment.
Volo, IL (PRWEB) November 4, 2009 -- Don Johnston Incorporated, the leader in assistive technologies, just released its new Read:OutLoud 6 accessible text reader. Read:OutLoud 6 is an assistive technology software that makes it easy for students with disabilities to navigate the latest eBooks and comprehend text in a multi-modal digital learning environment. The software makes the Internet accessible and includes a robust set of reading tools to support below-grade level readers. A new human sounding speech engine provides the latest Acapela voices to read text aloud to support auditory learners.
Read:Outloud 6 Reads Widest Range of eBook Formats
In today's schools, general education curriculum is not readily available in accessible formats for students with cognitive, physical or print disabilities, or for a student with a reading disability, such as dyslexia. This makes it nearly impossible for these students to read and comprehend paper-based textbooks and required education materials. An education movement is now under way to make general curriculum timely and accessible for students with disabilities. As digital textbooks and eBooks become more widespread in schools and homes, text readers will be required to download and read a variety of digital formats. Read:OutLoud 6 supports a broad range of digital formats. It is the only top text reader in the education marketplace that can open NIMAS, (National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard), DAISY, Bookshare and PDF files without conversion and fully supports RTF, TXT, XML and HTML files.
Read:OutLoud 6 will help U.S. schools comply with the accessible instructional materials requirement found in IDEA 2004 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). IDEA 2004 calls for local education agencies (LEAs) and state education agencies (SEAs) to provide timely access to the general education curriculum for students with print and physical disabilities, including those with IEPs (Individual Education Plans) and 504 plans.
In 2008, Bookshare, a non-profit organization, partially funded through the U.S. DOE, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) selected Read:OutLoud to access the eBooks and periodicals stored in its online library. Today, 65,000 Bookshare members can use a free version of Read:OutLoud to access over 60,000 accessible books. This includes digital textbook files from the NIMAC. (National Instructional Materials Access Center)
Read:OutLoud is an approved reading accommodation in many states. Last year, Indiana and Virginia, through the ICAM (Indiana Center for Accessible Materials) and GMU (George Mason University, Virginia) chose Read:OutLoud to be made available to every school as part of a statewide reading access initiative.
Dr. Cheryl Temple, Program Manager of Assistive Technology Services at Fairfax County Public Schools, VA, said, "In our district, students with special needs have used Read:OutLoud for years. Today, all Virginia students with IEPs have access to this reading software at school and at home. Teachers have told me that with Read:OutLoud and accessible eBooks their students are more motivated to read and to study independently compared to reading just traditional printed books."
Read:OutLoud 6 is known for its reading comprehension templates that support strategies recommended by the National Reading Panel and Reading Next Report. Templates include reading strategies like KWL, Compare and Contrast, SQ3R, Cause and Effect, and Vocabulary Study. Students use the assistive technology software to highlight information, take notes, look up definitions in a talking dictionary and accurately cite research sources through a bibliographer. Reading strategies and instructional supports align with state standards to help students capture main ideas and study for tests.
"Making curriculum accessible for students with disabilities doesn't have to be difficult," said Ben Johnston, Director of Marketing for Don Johnston, Incorporated "Printed textbooks have made the curriculum inaccessible for decades. School administrators are now evaluating their American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to make their curricula accessible and there is clear support from our government to use these funds to purchase assistive technologies. An accessible curriculum can make all the difference for these students."
Read:OutLoud 6 runs on Mac OS 10.4+, Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7. Single computer licenses start at $299. Unlimited Site Licenses cost $1,039 to $1,299 per building and includes take-home privileges for students and teachers. The Unlimited Site License installs on every computer in a building, making digital books and education materials accessible to any student. A 'Train in 30' tutorial guides students and teachers to be up and running in just 30 minutes.
Resource Links:
Watch Read:OutLoud Demo
http://www.donjohnston.com/readoutloud
Research Papers about Accessible Text Readers
http://www.donjohnston.com/products/read_outloud/research.html
Case Study: Spotswood NJ School District Sees Value in Assistive Technologies http://www.donjohnston.com/pdf/solo/SOLO_Technology_tools_Case_Study.pdf
Read:OutLoud Train-in-30 Tutorial
http://www.donjohnston.com/pdf/solo6/ReadOutLoud_6_Train-in-30.pdf
About Don Johnston Incorporated
Don Johnston empowers educators with specialized accessible technologies and supported reading and writing tools for students with cognitive, physical, and learning differences. Since 1980, the company has partnered with literacy experts, assistive technology specialists, speech language pathologists, psychologists, teachers, researchers, universities and scientists to develop over a dozen accessible technology products. The company also publishes Start-to-Finish®, a collection of paperback, audio and computer books for students reading below grade level.
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