Google is trying to improve the wheelchair-accessibility information in Google Maps, following a 125,000-signature-strong petition calling on it to do so.
Read more at: Google Maps Asks Users To Improve Wheelchair-Accessible Data | Fortune.com
Author Archives: timj
Disturbed sleep patterns may be key to ADHD, study finds
Struggling to concentrate, having too much energy and being unable to control behaviour – the main manifestations of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) – have been linked to disruptions in sleep.
Read more at: Disturbed sleep patterns may be key to ADHD, study finds
BBC Radio 4 – The Edge of Life
Documentary examining the ‘zero suicide’ approach to prevention first devised in Detroit and now changing attitudes to care in the UK.
Source: BBC Radio 4 – The Edge of Life
Are universities going to become more inclusive?
Pretty soon, lots of teenagers will be receiving their A-level and BTEC results and find out if they will go to their preferred choice of university. I can remember how exciting and also nerve-wracking it felt to go to university for the first time. If you are deaf like me I think it can be even more so: will it be easy to follow the lectures? Will I make friends? Is communication going to be a problem?
Read more at: Are universities going to become more inclusive? | National Deaf Children’s Society Campaigns blog
Cygnet Project: Mentoring Scheme for Young People with Autism Spectrum Conditions
The results of a two-year pilot study evaluating the effectiveness a tailored mentoring scheme had in improving the mental health and wellbeing of young adults aged 16-24 with Asperger syndrome (AS) or high functioning autism (HFA) have now been published.
See http://www.researchautism.net/cygnet-project for the results of the study.
Have I been wrong about voice recognition? | TechRadar
Has voice control finally come of age? While I’ve been barking voice commands at my Amazon Echo for a while now, and using voice-activated assistants such as Siri on my smartphone for even longer, I hadn’t really considered how far voice recognition has come in recent years.
Read more at: Have I been wrong about voice recognition? | TechRadar
EquatIO Math Writing Software
texthelp are releasing a new product which aims to take the pain out of creating mathematical expressions digitally.
EquatIO is a stand alone product that can be used in conjunction with Read&Write to read out equations it creates.
Find out more at: EquatIO Math Writing Software. A Digital Math Tool For Teachers & Students Of All Abilities | Texthelp
The time management software that actually works | TechRadar
Your time is valuable and there are hundreds of tools that claim to help you make the most of it. Some are genuinely useful but others add needless complexity to your day, introducing new systems that force you to change the way you work rather than adapting to suit you.
Read more at: The time management software that actually works | TechRadar
Dean Kamitsis: Deaf students should have the same access as other students at university | The Limping Chicken
Deaf student Dean Kamitsis writes about his experience studying a foundation university course:
The Limping Chicken is the UK’s deaf blogs and news website, and is the world’s most popular deaf blog. It is edited by Deaf journalist and filmmaker Charlie Swinbourne.
Microsoft Word now reads text aloud to help people with dyslexia – The Verge
Microsoft has been testing a number of text-to-speech features in Word over the years, but it’s finally found a solid way to implement the feature. In the latest Office 365 updates this month, the software giant is enabling a new Read Aloud feature in Word. It’s similar to the existing Read Mode that was introduced in December, but it now includes the ability to easily change speed and voice, while interacting with text or highlights and making edits in real-time.
The new options to interact with text while Word is reading text aloud mean the feature is more finely tuned towards users with dyslexia. Reading the text aloud makes it easier to spot and correct mistakes, and the option will also help those who just want to proof read a document. Read Aloud is probably a feature you’ll want to use with your headphones, and it’s now available in the review tab for Office 365 testers, with general availability to everyone later this year.
Source: Microsoft Word now reads text aloud to help people with dyslexia – The Verge