Blog 5- Assistive Technology Tool

 


Taken from Voice4uaac.com

    Voice4u is a downloadable application for iOS and android. This is an app that is greatly appreciated to help make challenges easier for students with autism, speech challenges, stroke, traumatic brain injuries, and all other communicative disorders. Teachers can download this onto chrome books, tablets, or iPads if they use them in their classroom. This app will allow us to reach all learners especially those whom seem more challenged only because we often lack the resources they need for us to better comprehend what is going on with them. 

    If you're like me then you're probably thinking this app is a dream come true! It really is but it does cost $60 in the app stores. There is no need to worry though because they offer free license programs for organizations (2017). They recognize how the targeted audience that was stated above would greatly benefit from this application so feel free to share with the person in charge so they can sign up to apply. The turn around time of two weeks isn't bad at all and plus they feature the name of organizations they help on their site.


    This is such a rewarding feeling knowing that all students will now feel included. I can see Universal Design coming into action by including this application to help those who find it hard to get their thoughts out. It is a great app because it also uses symbols and text to speech approaches to get their point across. Copeland stated, "It is critical that we see all children as children first and help them find their abilities" and I believe this is very true regardless of how some can be a little more challenged than others. When Copeland mentioned with or without the usage of assistive technology than I understood how it matters that we are at least making an effort to close that gap for our students so they will not feel left out (Copeland, 2011). Librarians and teachers can use this tool when it comes to communicating with students or when they might want students to tell them a story using symbols. They can create videos from this also. It helps them state their writings and it can be sent digitally to teachers.

References
Copeland, C. A. (2011). School Librarians of the 21st Century. Knowledge Quest, 39(3), 64–69.

Free license program: Voice4u AAC app. Voice4u AAC App | Give Your Loved Ones Voices. (2017, February 27). https://voice4uaac.com/download/free/ 

Hagen, M. (2018, November 2). Voice4u - symbol-based communication app for those who have speech challenges. Closing The Gap. https://www.closingthegap.com/voice4u-symbol-based-communication-app-for-those-who-have-speech-challenges/

Spina, C. (2017, May 5). How universal design will make your library more inclusive. School Library Journal. https://www.slj.com/story/how-universal-design-will-make-your-library-more-inclusive

Voice4u - picture-based / text-to-speech AAC apps for those who have speech challenges. Voice4u AAC App | Give Your Loved Ones Voices. https://voice4uaac.com/

Comments

  1. the hoppe padOctober 7, 2022 at 9:34 AM

    I love that you found something that would be useful and the best part is it is...free. I think it is terribly unfortunate that cost is such a huge factor when discussing tools that will elevate our education system for ALL students. Large pictures with words is a great tool for students who rely on an electronic device for the day. It can help them better focus on what is to be done without reading through so many words. Thank you for showcasing this resource. Caroline Hoppe

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousOctober 9, 2022 at 6:43 PM

    I did not know about this app before you shared it, but I am really excited that I know about it now! I have a lot of students with disabilities within my program, and I think being able to utilize something like this would be extremely helpful! Also, I am looking to pursue elementary librarianship, so I think this app is especially important during that elementary age because, as Copeland states, it really helps them to find their abilities, and also helps learning be inclusive.

    ReplyDelete

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