Workshops

A Quantum Technology Education Initiative

Quantum runs technology workshops on assistive technology solutions for participants from primary, secondary and tertiary education, rehabilitation and employment settings. Workshops are available for all products at our offices or at external training facilities, depending on your preference.

Who will benefit

• Students
• Teachers
• Teacher Aids
• Parents
• Support Teachers
• Disability Coordinators
• Anyone who wishes to update their Assistive Technology skills
• Anyone wanting a comprehensive introduction to Assistive Technology.

Courses Available

• Blindness
• Low Vision
• Learning Disabilities

Quantum is uniquely positioned to provide a range of products and services that will assist the educational sector achieve equality of opportunity for students who have a print disability.

These Technology workshops will allow educators to make informed decisions when purchasing technology and will enable teachers and students to utilise the technology to its full capabilities.

Learning with Low Vision

Many thousands of Australians find it difficult to remain up to date in education due to poor vision caused by genetic factors or eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and retinitis pigmentosa. For many it means every day activities such as reading, writing, viewing their classroom presentations and teachers notes can be extremely difficult.

Our low vision products magnify everything from the white board to examination papers to a size that is legible for those even with severe vision loss.

Braille and Blindness Products

Our products help to "level the playing field" for the 62,500 legally blind people in Australia today and are used in all stages of education and on into the workforce and for recreational needs.

Our solutions include: screen reading technology, Braille writers and embossers for producing Braille documents, and accessible PDA devices for taking notes and creating documents.

Solutions for Learning Disabilities

It is estimated that between 3 and 10 percent of the population is living with a specific learning disability, the most common being dyslexia (difficulty in reading, spelling and written language). Quantum offers educational software which assists users to have greater understanding of text by using a bi-modal approach - simultaneous highlighting of text as it is spoken.

Choosing the right solution for your students! - A Quantum Technology Education Initiative

What do students need to be able do?

Note Taking: Learning from Audio Presentations

Equipment Solutions for Blind Students

• Portable Braille Note-takers
• Braille Writers
• Laptop with Screen Reading Software

Appropriate Courses

• An Introduction to Screen Readers
• Braille, An Overview

Equipment Solutions for Students with Low Vision

• Portable CCTV
• Laptop with Magnification/ Speech Software

Appropriate Courses

• CCTVs; An Overview
• An Introduction to Screen Magnification

Equipment Solutions for Students with a Learning Disability

• Laptop with literacy support software

Appropriate Courses

• An Introduction to Learning Disability Software Programs

Teacher-Student Interaction: Reading the Whiteboard/Blackboard, Reading Overhead Projectors and Learning from Visual Presentations

Equipment Solutions for Blind Students

• Portable Braille note-taker
• Laptop with Screen Reader
• Refreshable Braille Display
• Hard Copy Braille Printout
• Tactile Images

Appropriate Courses

• Braille, An Overview
• An Introduction to Screen Readers
• Braille Displays, An Introduction
• Creating Alternative Formats
• Tactile Image Creation

Equipment Solutions for Students with Low Vision

• Portable CCTVs

Appropriate Courses

• CCTVs; An Overview
• Computer Connectable CCTVs

Equipment Solutions for Students with a Learning Disability

• Presentations can be scanned and presented bi-modally, i.e., with auditory output synchronised with simplified text

Appropriate Courses

• An Introducation to Learning Disability Software Programs

Reading: Textbooks and Course Materials, Examination Papers

Equipment Solutions for Blind Students

• Alternative Format Software
• Translation Software

Appropriate Courses

• Creating Alternative Formats; Braille, Audio, Daisy

Equipment Solutions for Students with Low Vision

• Portable CCTVs
• Desktop CCTV
• Scanner/Reader

Appropriate Courses

• CCTVs, An Overview
• Computer Connectable CCTVs
• Optical Character Recognition, An Introduction
• Creating Alternative Formats; Daisy, MP3, Large Print

Equipment Solutions for Students with a Learning Disability

• Scanning software that simplifies the textual appearance and augments with auditory output

Appropriate Courses

• Optical Character Recognition, An Introduction
• An Introduction to Learning Disability Software Programs
• Creating Alternative Formats; Daisy, MP3, Large Print

Computer Usage: Typing Assignments, Research via Internet, Using the College Intranet - Email, List-Servs and Newsgroups

Equipment Solutions for Blind Students

• Computer with Screen Reading Software
• Electronic Braille Note-Taker
• Refreshable Braille Display
• Braille Writers

Appropriate Courses

• Braille Displays, An Introduction
• An Introduction to Screen Readers
• Braille, An Overview

Equipment Solutions for Students with Low Vision

• Computer with Magnification/Speech Software
• CCTV

Appropriate Courses

• Computer Connectable CCTVs
• Desktops with Magnification with Computer Access
• An Introduction to Screen Magnification

Equipment Solutions for Students with a Learning Disability

• Augmented word processing with scaffolding features, e.g., Outline, extract, highlight
• Augmented web browser speaks and simplifies complicated layouts
• Simplified email systems

Appropriate Courses

• An Introducation to Learning Disability Software Programs
• Creating Alternative Formats: Daisy, MP3, Large Print

Self-Directed Studies: Research activities and Personal Learning (reading, completing projects and assignments)

Equipment Solutions for Blind Students

• Computer with speaking print scanner
• Screen Reading Software
• Braille Display
• Braille Translation Software
• Braille Embosser
• Braille Writers

Appropriate Courses

• An Introduction to Print Scanning with Speech Output
• Braille Displays, An Introduction
• Braille, The Overview
• An Introduction to Screen Readers

Equipment Solutions for Students with Low Vision

• Computer with Speech Print Scanner and Magnification/Speech
• Software
• CCTVs

Appropriate courses

• An Introduction to Print Scanning with Speech Output
• An Introduction to Screen Magnification
• CCTVs, An Overview

Equipment Solutions for Students with a Learning Disability

• 'Burn to Audio'. Scan documents and conver to Daisy and MP3 formats
• Converting all text materials in accessible formats
• Documents can be scanned and presented bi-modally ie; with auditory output synchronised with simplified text

Appropriate Courses

• Creating Alternative Formats
• An Introduction to Learning Disability Software Programs

Quantum offers a broad range of technology solutions for the education environment. We aim to complement the wide range of products we provide, with accessible, understandable and tailored workshops for educational professionals. With the appropriate assistive technology, students who are Blind, Vision Impaired or have a Learning Disability can more easily achieve academic success.

Students need assistive technology:

• In lecture halls, tutorials, or in the laboratory
• In the library or resource room
• With assignments and course work
• In examinations and tests

The workshops offered by Quantum will expand the knowledge of those involved with assistive technology equipment.

Workshops in consultation with a Quantum representative really help to find the most appropriate solutions for your organisation and students.

The right product is the first step to achieving success; the next is ongoing training and support. Quantum maintain a dedicated software support hotline and also provides professional training on an individual or group basis.

What do the Workshops cover?

Learning Disability Programs

Software for Learning Disabilities

Software programs designed to aid individuals with cognitive disabilities such as dyslexia are avalaible. The programs provide a bi-modal access (visual and auditory enhancement) to any tupe of electronic information including scanned, web, word docs, PDF's and others. These programs can speak out text whilst simultaneously highlightening the spoken words. There are various options available for people with a Learning disability needing bi-modal access within a Windows environment.

Alternative Format

A common requirement of students with a print disability is the ability to convert electronic information into a format that meets their individual needs. Programs are now available to enable users to convert electronic files or scanned material into audio files, DAISY files, large print, text or Braille. The emphasis is on simple user interfaces that control the conversion of a document into the most popular formats.

Solutions for blind individuals

Screen Readers grab information from the computer screen and send it to a speech synthesizer. The synthesizer then produces the information in clear, understandable speech output. Using this technology, students who are blind can listen to the content of documents such as articles, journals and web pages to promote independence in researching, editing and submitting work.

Translation and Scanning Software

Software programs that enable the user to quickly conver text to Braille are available. Scanning software is used in conjunction with an ordinary flatbed scanner. Once the required printed material is scanned, the software can transform information into text which can be spoken in synthetic speech or translated into Braille.

Braille, Braille Displays and Braille Note Takers

For students whose literacy medium is Braille, there is a wide array of devices for producing hard copy Braille (embossers), having Braille access to a PC (Braille Display) or a stand alone Braille note-taker. Braille writers allow students to produce a Braille copy of their notes or items essential to learning such as course outlines.

Tactile Graphics Makers for Access to Graphs and Diagrams

produce high quality tactile graphics using heat sensitive capsule paper. The raised images are easy to produce and ideal for communicating graphical ideals and information.

Solutions for Students who have Low Vision

Magnification and Speaking Software for the PC

Magnification software enlarges images on the computer screen to a size that is readable for people with Low Vision. It also provides the user with options to enhance the mouse pointer and cursor. The software will speak out and track icons, menus and text in word-processor documents and Web pages, as well as speaking the user's typing.

Print Magnification

Electronic Magnifiers are appliances that display a magnified and/or enhanced image of printed materials; text books and course work. Users can choose from monotone or full colour viewing. Desktop units are available with adjustable flat panel monitors or can be used in conjunction with an existing PC monitor. The units are used by a broad range of students in a permanent location. There is also a range of portable and computer connectable options.

All workshops can be tailored to your specific needs.

Some workshops and ongoing training will incur a charge.