Technology is a great tool in learning. For students with disabilities, the use of technology is necessary. In many cases, access to technology helps students overcome barriers due to their disability so they are able to access materials or produce work as their peers do. Use these resources to help:

 Chromebook Accessibility

All Chromebooks come out of the box with basic accessibility features built in.  These features include: screen reader, on-screen keyboard, adjust mouse cursor size, and high-contrast mode, to name just a few.  Click here for more information and scroll down to the bottom for directions on how to enable accessibility features on a Chromebook: Chromebook Accessibility

 Typing

Typing Club is a simple website that helps kids learn how to type. The site focuses on touch-typing (using all of your fingers on a keyboard, without looking at the keys). There are over 600 lessons on TypingClub, along with many games and videos. The site covers everything from basic to more advanced skills. Kids of all ages can use TypingClub. 

 Using spell check and grammar check

Spell check is a feature readily available in Microsoft Word as well as Google. Many students may need to be shown how to use this by paying attention to red or blue lines under words that are in error. Show them how right-clicking on a word will give them choices to correct spelling and grammar errors.  

 Grammarly

Grammarly is available for free for the Chrome browser and helps support writers with spelling and grammar. Here are directions on how to install it on your Chrome browser: Click here. 

 Reading Support

For students with dyslexia, blindness, cerebral palsy, and other reading barriers, Bookshare is a free online library that provides access to over 800,000 ebooks in easy-to-read formats. Click here to go to Bookshare

 ReadWorks is a free, online resource which supports reading comprehension skills.  Students with reading barriers can utilize the ‘paired text’ tool, which will read the text to the student as they read along. This tool is also embedded into follow up, comprehension question sets. Click here to go to ReadWorks

 YouTube may also have books online with audio and visual support, just search for the title of your book. 

 Writing Support

Education Place offers students visually engaging graphic organizers to use during the prewriting phase. These organizers are useful in helping students classify ideas and communicate more effectively. Click here to go to Education Place 

This site only offers PDF format; if you’re unable to print these, you can redraw them on a piece of paper. 

 Tar Heel Reader offers students a collection of free, easy-to-read, and accessible books on a wide range of topics. Students can write their own books, with opportunities to edit and revise their work before publishing them to the site. Click here to go to Tar Heel Reader

AT on the IEP

If your child/student has had an assistive technology evaluation and the IEP states that technology and you need support, please contact your child’s teacher or email MATCHTeam@rcsdk12.org