Jim Luther's
Adapted Computer Access Materials For Windows
New applications for Windows!
CDSpecial - an adapted CD player
MMP - an adapted media player
Launcher6 - an easily edited program launcher and simple dynamic screen communicator supporting multiple access methods
eStoryMaker – a simple means for turning text, picture and sound files into an accessible e-story.
PowerPoint for Special Needs:
PowerPoint, Microsoft's popular slideshow tool, is easy to use and a great way to produce multimedia materials that are easily accessible by switch users. If you have adapted mouse that you can plug a switch into, you are all set to advance the slideshow with each mouse click. PowerPoint lends itself to e-stories, cause and effect presentations, jukeboxes and more, without enhancements. If you are new to PowerPoint and want to learn, click on the following link:
PowerPoint Basics Including a Cause and Effect Example
In spite of PowerPoint's strengths, it lacks some features that would enhance its value as a tool for creating useful and accessible materials for individuals with disabilities. This web site offers some enhancements to the standard capabilities of PowerPoint including:
A no-programming method to provide a linear, 1 or 2 switch, auditory scan of objects called "scan shapes" on any slide.
Support for making multiple choice, and fill in the blank tests.
Support for text-to-speech using Microsoft Agent technology.
Support for directly activating scan shapes using a keyboard (allowing you to take advantage of the Intellikeys keyboard.)
Support for a picture manipulation scheme I call pictTogglers that make pictures appear or disappear from a slide. Find out more about how to use pictTogglers and download blank pictToggler templates.
You will need at least Microsoft PowerPoint 97 for Windows to take advantage of these enhanced features. Some of the materials may work with or PowerPoint X for the Macintosh. If you know how to put together a PowerPoint presentation that includes pictures, sounds, actions and AutoShapes then you already have all the skills you need to create enhanced PowerPoint slideshows that support and more.
Try out some sample enhanced PowerPoint slideshows
Templates you can use to build your own enhanced PowerPoint slideshows
A PowerPoint based visual tutorial for building Scanning Shapes Slideshows
If you have Microsoft Office, open the following tutorial in Internet Explorer and build a Scanning Shapes slideshow simultaneously in PowerPoint.
How to build a Scanning Shapes Slideshow
A Revised Handout for Pushing PowerPoint Past Its Limits
Based on a presentation for Closing The Gap given on October 17, 2003
The handout explains the basics of the technology that provides the enhancements, what they are, and how may be able to use them to provide enhanced accessibility to your PowerPoint presentations. Specifically, I explain how to extract the modules that provide the enhancements to PowerPoint from my templates, and how to import them into your slideshows. There is also a section on links to other sites with additional information regarding Visual Basic for Applications and other enhancements to PowerPoint. Pushing PowerPoint Past Its Limits
Contact Jim Luther for custom adaptations for toys, computer access, environmental control, or whatever other brilliant ideas you might hope to realize.
jamjolu@hotmail.com