TechnoTalk. News... The TASC Newsletter. Editorial. Inside. Volume 18 Issue 5 September 2009

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1 TechnoTalk The TASC Newsletter Volume 18 Issue 5 September 2009 Editorial In today s fast paced world, technology is king. Many of us use , mobile phones and the internet to keep in touch with friends and family. So where does that leave people with a disability who have difficulty accessing standard technology? In this edition, the TASC occupational therapists - Elizabeth Nade, Justin Ware, Rachelle Woods and I focus on some of the ways that people with a disability can keep in touch using the internet. I recently attended the National Disability Coordination Officer Program Forum - Accessing the Future, with the focus of assistive technology in education and employment. I have provided some information on the fantastic EduApps initiative presented by Gerry Kennedy; this development provides over 90 portable assistive technology applications available to download for free! There were also some other great presentations which will soon be available to download from the forum website - newcastle.edu.au/service/ndco/atforums/ downloads.html Happy reading, Liza News... Inside Speech Pathology Australia, in conjunction with AGOSCI and supported by Northcott Disability Services, are offering a 2 day Workshop in Sydney on Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd October 2009: Augmentative & Alternative Communication in Health Care Settings: Supporting Patients from Intensive Care Units into the Community by Melanie Fried-Oken For more information, see the SPA website: CPD_NSW_Flyer_22_October_2009.pdf Editorial...1 News: Speech Pathology Australia...1 Main Story: In Touch with the World on the Web...2 Article: EduApps...6 We welcome any feedback, good or bad, that you may have on our service. Please feel free to contact us by phone on , tasc@tscnsw.org.au or by writing to The Spastic Centre PO Box 184 Brookvale NSW 2100 TechnoTalk Newsletter is free and available from

2 Main Story: In Touch with the World on the Web by Liza MacLean, Elizabeth Nade, Justin Ware and Rachelle Woods. In today s fast paced technology world, it seems like there are more ways to communicate than ever text messaging, s, instant messaging and social networking are all a part of daily life for many people. But how do you communicate when you have a disability that can impact on your ability to speak on the phone, or type a text message or access a computer? There are a number of internet based options that can allow people with disabilities to keep in touch with friends and family with more ease than your standard home or mobile phone. Many people these days have access to a desktop or laptop computer and with broadband services improving across the country these options will become more popular and accessible. In this edition we will focus on VoIP, text messaging and the National Relay Service Internet Relay. In November we will continue this theme and provide information on instant messaging, social networking and voice and video options. The options discussed in this edition all require the user to be able to input text via a keyboard or keyboard alternative (such as an enlarged keyboard or an onscreen keyboard) to enter numbers or messages, and have access to a mouse or mouse alternative (such as a trackball, joystick, head mouse or switch scanning mouse emulation) for navigation of menus, etc. Users with a visual impairment or literacy difficulties may benefit from software options such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, talking web browsers, text-to-speech or other adaptive technology to enhance access to the options discussed in this article. If you need further information on mouse, keyboard or software options, please contact TASC for further information, as in this article we will be focussing on the internet options themselves, rather than the access options to the to the computer. VoIP VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and put simply, VoIP is anything that is capable of enabling you to chat over the internet with someone else. There are many forms, but basically VoIP phones fall into 2 categories: Softphones that are normally operated as software from a standard computer and Hardphones that look and feel similar to a standard phone, but send the users voice via the internet instead of the normal phone line. The types of VoIP that are most relevant for users with a disability are software-based because the separate VoIP Hardphones currently present similar physical access difficulties as standard telephones. Currently, the best known VoIP provider is Skype, however it is worth noting that there are literally hundreds of different VoIP Softphone options, most of which (including Skype) are free to download. The costs for using VoIP are generally quite low too: usually it is free to call other users who are online and using the same program and it costs about 3c per minute to call landline phones and 30c per minute to call mobile phones, depending on the Softphone that you are using. It is recommended to shop around for the different deals that are available; some providers also bundle broadband and VoIP services into one package. Please also be aware that there have been some reports of lesser known VoIP software advertising very low prices, but then charging users lots of hidden costs. Also, some VoIP software may contain adware, malware and viruses, so caution must be taken when downloading and installing these applications. In order to use VoIP you need a reasonably good internet connection. VoIP is not recommended for people who are using dial-up internet and there can be some issues with using VoIP with the slower variations of mobile broadband. Most broadband internet connections are fine for VoIP use (generally faster is better, check your download/upload

3 speed with your internet service provider a minimum of 512/512 kb/s is recommended). It is also recommended that you have a computer that is less than 3 years old if you want to use VoIP software. Even though VoIP is essentially designed as a voice-based communication method, the majority of the VoIP software available gives the user a broad range of options for textbased communication, such as SMS text messaging, and instant messaging (please see the remainder of this article for more information on text messaging and the next edition of TechnoTalk for more information on instant messaging). Many VoIP software options also allow video chat when a computer-to-computer call is made. While the quality can occasionally be poor, this feature enables users who use visual communication aids to implement these during a phone call. To use a video chat feature each person who wants to be seen needs to have a webcam. These are available from all computer retailers and are often built-in to newer laptop computers. The beauty of a VoIP Softphone for a person with a physical disability is that it moves the telephone access method from a physical phone, which a user may have difficulty accessing, to a computer, which a greater number of people are able to access with adapted hardware and software. This move enables a greater number of people with disabilities to access telephone-based communication. For users who use switches to access their computer there are a few options emerging to make VoIP more accessible without having to use your switch access to do time consuming mouse movement. Both The Grid 2 by Sensory Software and also a program called QualiFriends by QualiWorld integrate with Skype, however when testing these, the interface was found to be very limited and it was not possible to get the software to send the synthesised (computer generated) speech from the software directly to Skype. It was possible to make standard voice calls to other Skype users (not standard phones though) and send instant messages via Skype to other users that were online. the features of each please see Comparison_of_VoIP_software. For a consumer guide from the Communications Alliance on setting up a VoIP service see com.au/activities/voip Text messaging Text or SMS messaging provides a mobile, immediate and relatively private and cheap method of communication. In addition to its universal appeal it seems to have become synonymous with youth culture, becoming a significant means for young people to keep in touch with each other. It is also a convenient way for people with hearing impairments to communicate via the mobile phone network. Generally, sending an SMS requires the user to compose and send a message using a mobile phone keypad. Recipients of a message need to be able to open messages and then read the text. At various stages of this process a person may experience difficulties due to the physical, visual or literacy demands of the task. There are however several ways that text messages can be sent and received via a computer to enable users with special access needs to use SMS. They include: SMS - this involves sending and receiving SMS messages using an program via an SMS provider. Generally most programs are compatible and include Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express and Lotus Notes. Usually the user types the text message in the body of the and enters the target mobile number at the beginning of the address, for example, @pcsms.com.au. While there are limitations to the accessibility of VoIP Softphones, they certainly open up a broader range of possibilities for people with disabilities who want to access a telephone. It is anticipated that there will be a greater number of fully accessible VoIP options in the near future. Please note, most VoIP phones (Softphone and Hardphones) will not work in the case of a power failure. Also, many VoIP phones are unable to dial emergency services numbers (i.e. 000). For a list of VoIP Softphone options and a comparison of

4 Return messages are also received as s and SMS messages can be stored in Sent and Inbox folders. Many SMS providers exist, including the major Telco companies: Telstra and Optus. They all vary in price, method of payment and undoubtedly reliability, speed and functionality. Most offer a free trial. It is important to carefully scrutinise companies that offer free or very cheap plans. Computer SMS - this option involves using a dedicated application to write and send SMS messages from a computer. There are two main ways that messages can then be sent: 1. The first being via the Internet as with Telstra s Online Text Buddy option. This is an application that can be downloaded for free from the Telstra website for users with Telstra mobile phone accounts. The program enables users to type out and send SMS messages using their PC when online. Charges are billed to the users mobile phone account. It is important to note that return messages can not be received on the computer but are sent to the mobile phone. This could be a significant disadvantage for many users with special access needs. 2. The second way that messages can be sent and received is by connecting a mobile phone to the computer either via a cable or wireless connection and using a dedicated application to compose and store the messages on the computer. Once the message has been written it can be sent to the mobile phone and then sent out as a regular SMS message. Check with your local mobile phone provider if this option is available and whether the software offers all the features that you require. Online SMS - this involves using an online web based service to write and send SMS. Users enter the dedicated site using a user name and password. Again, most providers offer a free trial period. Charges then usually apply and again vary greatly. One such provider of this type of service reported that it is heavily used by numerous schools to enable students with disabilities to SMS like their peers within the wider school community. They are able to do text from any online computer either at home or at school, to stay in touch with their friends. Some providers require the user to have a mobile phone account, for example, Telstra s MyInbox. Free or very cheap SMS web sites do exist but scrutinise these carefully before signing up and again check if return messages can be received online or only sent to a mobile. Voice SMS this option involves composing an SMS that is converted and sent as a voice message. The phone rings to alert the person of the voice message and is only given once the call is picked up. This is a useful feature if sending a message to someone who has literacy difficulties or a visual disability. Esendex is one provider that offers this feature from their Web based SMS service and the cost is the same regardless of whether the SMS is sent as a text or a voice message, which is approximately 23 cents a message. Please see for more information. MMS - (Video and Picture Messaging) this options enables images, audio and video clips to be sent from a mobile phone to an address. A virtual phone number is provided to the user to send the multimedia message to, which is then automatically redirected to an address. This is considerably more costly compared with sending an SMS message but a powerful way for a person who has difficulty accessing a standard mobile phone to receive MMS messages.

5 National Relay Service - Internet Relay The National Relay Service is an Australia wide telephone access service provided for people who have complex communication needs. It is also available to anyone who wants to call someone with complex communication needs. The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is no additional charge to the user and is accessible to anyone in the wider telephone network. There are a number of ways to communicate over the telephone through the National Relay Service. One of these is the Internet Relay; all you need is an internet connection! An Internet Relay call is what is known as a Type and Read call. The caller types their side of the conversation and then reads the responses from the person on the other end on their computer or mobile phone. An internet call can be made on your computer; laptop or internet enabled (3G) mobile phones. All calls through the National Relay Service are relayed through a relay officer, who is online to ensure your call goes smoothly. You can type and read your conversation entirely via your computer or mobile phone connected to the internet. The relay officer will become your voice and read out loud your conversation to the other person. The relay officer will then listen to the response and type it back for you to read and respond to. The conversation goes on from there. All calls are confidential and all relay officers and other National Relay Service staff have signed a confidentiality agreement. Internet relay calls are free, except for your normal internet connection costs, to calls in Australia. Exceptions are calls to international numbers or calls to premium (1900) numbers within Australia. You will need a National Relay Service account if you would like to make these types of calls. You can also retrieve answering machine and voice mail messages over internet relay. For more information on the National relay Service and Internet Relay calls please refer to their website: (internet relay information) So as you can see, there are some interesting ways people with a disability can use the internet to communicate, and in our next edition we will continue this theme, in the meantime, we hope you can start chatting!

6 EduApps by Liza MacLean Gerry Kennedy (IT Consultant) presented at the NDCO Forums recently on this exciting initiative from Scotland. A portable app is an application or program that can be run from a portable USB device, such as a thumb drive, PDA, ipod or external hard drive on any computer without having to install the program. This provides access for users anywhere, anytime to the programs and information required to support their access and participation. EduApps includes the following bundles of portable apps (over 90 programs) to support learners and educators: AccessApps - a range of e-learning solutions to support reading, writing, and planning as well as sensory, cognitive and physical difficulties LearnApps - a range of applications with learning in mind TeachApps - includes applications specifically for developing and testing learning materials These bundles include a range of programs such as: office and presentation software; web browsers; , calendar and organiser programs; multimedia tools such as audio and video editors and players; graphics and image editors; reading and writing supports; keyboard and mouse alternatives; visual supports; security software and games. All the apps are free to download either as a bundle, or you can mix and match and choose the range of programs required for individual needs. All that is a required is a minimum 4GB USB to store the programs and the user files that will be saved with the programs. For more information see the EduApps website: The Spastic Centre 321 Mona Vale Road, Terrey Hills NSW PO Box 184 Brookvale NSW 2100 T: F: E: scnsw@tscnsw.org.au