Accessible Tools

 What Are Accessibility Tools?

Accessibility tools are tools that provide extra aid for those who need it. Examples of this can be through speech, recordings, and even pictures. These tools allow for a better educational environment because they help to make sure everyone has an even chance of success within classrooms. Seven examples of accessibility tools are:

1. Screen Readers:

             Screen readers, otherwise known as closed captions, helps to provide visual words for those who are hard of hearing, deaf or who cannot focus and understanding simply by hearing words. Closed captions are available in many used websites that provide videos or presentations such as YouTube, Microsoft, or Google Slides.

2. Screen Magnifiers:

            Screen magnifiers help to create bigger words for people who have issues seeing things that are in smaller font or overly colorful/difficult font. Increasing the size of the font allows for the reader to view what needs to be seen at a rate in which won't hurt their eyes or cause stress which can create anger, headaches, or confusion. 

3. Sign Language Translators

            Aiding the deaf community and making sure they have equal aid is extremely important. many websites and apps create a visual sign language display of words that are being said within a video. This tool is helpful for websites that do not offer closed captions on videos, or captions that lag behind gestures. Sign language translators allow for gestures and words to be aligned with the video created.

4. Voice Command 

            

            Voice command helps to aid those who have difficulty writing or simple cannot write or type. Voice command is a tool that allows the speaker to talk the words needed as the computer writes it out for them. This program idea is similar to speech-to-text in ways that it writes what you need down, but this one also allows for the user to say a type of punctuation and have it add in that needed "." or "!". 

5. Eye Trackers

            Eye trackers are important due to the fact that many people who are born without limbs, have motor regulation issues, and or sensitivities to textures, cannot or will not touch keyboards. Eye trackers help to aid the person by letting their eyes guild the page needed. If they need to click on something, they hold their eyesight onto the area needed for roughly five to ten seconds. If they need to scroll, stare at the scroll bar for a few seconds and look down or up. Things like this are difficult to use at first, but help to create a more open picture on how technology can aid people

6. Screen Recorders

            Screen recorders can be used for helping a multitude of things, but overall screen recorders are useful for teaching lessons, showing examples of things, etc. This tool can help students to be able to look back on a lesson taught by the teacher and go step by step, replaying the moments that may have confused them. This especially for learners with disabilities, can help drastically improve their understanding when outside of the classroom setting. 

Overall, accessibility tools can be helpful and aid anyone who needs them. New tools are being in the works every day on different platforms. All with one goal: Helping to improve the world.