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A Day at the Special Needs Fringe
With star speakers and 50% more exhibitors than last year, there was plenty to see and do at the Special Needs Fringe - and the show was bursting with new products too!
It was good to see
so many specialist companies from the United States with brand new hardware and
software on display. The Classroom Suite from
IntelliTools of
California was one of the highlights, with its combination of award-winning
classroom software IntelliMathics 3, IntelliPics Studio 3 and IntelliTalk
3.
The AbleNet stand was a popular port of call, with the new and improved BIGmack. BIGmack is already well known as a quick and easy way to record and play back a single message; now it has longer recording capacity and a great new look, with a practical black base. Also being demonstrated was the new BookWorm, a great way of enabling people with physical disabilities, autism and other difficulties, to read a regular book. This versatile product could also be used to 'read' out learning materials of your own creation, or even a recipe during a cooking activity.
Visitors could also see a brand new
communication aid with added environmental controls. The latest development
from AMDi is the
Tech/Talk plus Environmental Control
Unit. It acts as a communication device, but with the special sockets
included, it also allows the user to turn on and off up to four different mains
appliances. And it's all wireless, so no spaghetti!
The UK special needs companies at the Fringe were not to be out-done in terms of new developments. Over at the Traxsys stand (formerly known as Penny and Giles), visitors could try out the new Traxsys/Inclusive Scan4 - another new speech output device, this one designed to introduce switch scanning techniques. The Scan4 received the accolade of 'Highly Commended' at the BETT Awards gala dinner on the 7th January.
Another innovator at the show was Telesensory, producer of technology to assist people with low vision. Their Sales Manager Tony Fox explained that, as flat screen technology is improving, the company is producing magnification products that are more portable than those previously available. Their latest launch is the pocket-sized Pico, a magnifier that allows the user to read fine print anytime, anywhere. It has the added benefit of an integrated light source, so that people can read even in dimly lit areas.
This year the Inclusive
Technology Development Team had their own exhibition stand to showcase their
latest software. Among other titles, these included
Big Bang, a collection of cause and
effect activities for students with profound and multiple learning
difficulties. It has eye catching images, stimulating movement and crazy sound
effects to grab the user's attention and encourage interaction with the
computer. Also in development is Let's Go To The Seaside, a story-based program
with a combination of cause and effect and simple choice-making activities. It
includes a picnic, looking at creatures in a rock pool, building on-screen sand
castles and more.
An exciting symbol-supported web browser will be available from Widgit in the summer, but visitors to the Fringe could see a sneak preview. Communicate Webwise allows people to view websites with symbol support and they can also choose to hear the text spoken. The software makes the Internet accessible to those who have difficulty understanding text and uses Widgit Rebus Symbols, a comprehensive set of line drawings for supporting literacy.
A visit to the exhibition would not be complete without seeing Sensco's sensory room. A unique product, the Sensory Corner combines the elements of a multi-sensory room with a seating unit designed to allow interaction between its users. The unit includes various stimuli and cause and effect activities in an environment that provides an oasis of calm - for learners with special needs and tired exhibition visitors alike!
The Special Needs Fringe also featured informative keynote seminar sessions by Arjan Khalsa from IntelliTools, Maggie Wagstaff of Becta, Lisa Petit of Mayer-Johnson, Bob Black of the Down's Syndrome Association, Carol Allen of Hadrian Education Centre and Trish Davidson of CENMAC.