Multi-modal Interactive Maps for People With Visual Impairments: Featuring a Stantum multitouch screen with a tactile layer

To learn more about this project, take a look at the video and related publications below. This is a great example of a team that is harnessing emerging technologies to improve the lives of people with disabilities.


Video: "Multimodal Maps for Blind People"


Website


Publications
Anke Brock, Philippe Truillet, Bernard Oriola, Christophe Jouffrai (IRIT CNRS and Universite de Toulouse) Usage of Multimodal Maps for Blind People: Why and How
ITS’10, November 7–10, 2010, Saarbrücken, Germany
Paper: http://www.irit.fr/~Philippe.Truillet/projects/doc/MultimodalMapsForTheBlind-ITS10.pdf
Poster: http://www.irit.fr/~Philippe.Truillet/projects/doc/Poster-ITS10.pdf

Stantum (Multi-touch screen used for the application.)
Ivy Middleware (Used in this application.)

Cross-posted on the Interactive Multimedia Technology blog

Animoto, Tokbox, iSpeech: Good on-line resources for implementing Universal Design for Learning and supporting assistive technology.

I just received an email from a colleague with the following cool links:

Animoto
http://www.animoto.com --creates cool slide shows... You will want to sign up for the Educator Pass, it takes a day or two to verify.

"Animoto is a web application that automatically generates professionally produced videos using their own patent-pending technology and high-end motion design. Each video is a fully customized orchestration of user-selected images and music. Produced on a widescreen format, Animoto videos have the visual energy of a music video and the emotional impact of a movie trailer."

This would be great for student work presented on interactive whiteboards!

Tokbox
http://www.tokbox.com -if you have a webcam you can create messages and post to a website or email

"Tokbox is a free service that lets you talk with your friends over live video. Here's how it works: you sign up and we give you a link. When you want to talk with anyone, just give them the link - they click and you chat."

iSpeech
http://www.ispeech.org --- is a text-to-speech program. Has a speech synthesizer so you can type or paste in a message to hear it talk

"Read with your Ears: iSpeech blog covers text to speech topics relating to iSpeech.org. iSpeech converts websites, RSS feeds, blogs "