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Learn about using voice as a method to control computers and electronic devices. This online course will consider the range of equipment available and the vocal, cognitive and visual skills that are required to use it reliably. This is a self-directed online study course. You can work through the activities in your own time, and it will be available for 3 months.
Course aim:
To summarise different ways that voice can be used to provide control of computers and electronic devices for typing and environmental controls. You will be introduced to the range of solutions available and how they can be used.
You will learn:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">The latest technology available for using speech to control devices</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">A brief overview of the skills required to use voice efficiently</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">What speech can and can&#8217;t do across the most popular devices</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">How to use voice-controlled devices if you use augmentative &amp; alternative communication (AAC)</li>
</ul>
Course includes:
Interactive online activities, videos and signposting to further information.
Suitable for:
Anyone wanting to learn more about alternative access methods that may enable independent control of activities for people with physical disabilities. This online course will enable you to work towards the following:
IPAACKS competencies:
Identifying Needs
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Aware of the role that technology can play in supporting education and participation</li>
</ul>
Implementation
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Knowledge of a range of different access methods</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Aware of the underpinning knowledge required by the person using AT</li>
</ul>
Facilitating Learning
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Aware of what AT is and that it can help people who have access and learning support needs</li>
</ul>
Special requirements:
You will be required to use one of the following web browsers: Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Safari.
Cost: £30

On-demand course

Our courses focus on the use of Assistive Technology to enable independence, access to education, learning and leisure activities, and communication.

Online

Exploring access and control of technology using adaptations to standard equipment.

Access

Access Methods – Voice

Discover more about mouse control as an access method. This course will introduce solutions that can improve accuracy and control when using a mouse. This is a self-directed online study course. You can work through the activities in your own time and it will be available for 3 months.
Course aim:
To introduce Mouse control as an access method and adaptations that can enable the user to improve their control.
You will learn:
<ul>
<li>What skills are needed for mouse use</li>
<li>Adaptations that can help to improve mouse skills</li>
<li>Hardware and software solutions that help with some difficulties using the mouse</li>
<li>To recognise mouse alternatives that are available</li>
</ul>
Course includes:
Interactive online activities, videos and signposting to further information.
Suitable for:
Anyone wanting to learn more about adaptations that can be made to mouse control to make it easier to use for people with physical difficulties. This online course will enable you to work towards the following:
IPAACKS competencies:
Identifying Needs
<ul>
<li>Aware of the role that technology can play in supporting education and participation</li>
</ul>
Implementation
<ul>
<li>Knowledge of a range of different access methods</li>
<li>Aware of the underpinning knowledge required by the person using AT</li>
</ul>
Facilitating Learning
<ul>
<li>Aware of what AT is and that it can help people who have access and learning support needs</li>
</ul>
Special requirements:
You will be required to use one of the following web browsers: Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Safari.
Cost: £30

Access Methods – Mouse

Learn about switch control as an access method. This course will introduce you to the different types of switches available and how these can be used to independently control a range of activities. This is a self-directed online study course. You can work through the activities in your own time, and it will be available for 3 months.
Course aim:
To introduce switch control as an access method and consider what and how it can be used.
You will learn:
<ul>
<li>To recognise a switch and what it can be used for</li>
<li>To identify different types of switches</li>
<li>To recognise different ways that switches can be used and activities they can control</li>
<li>The skills required to use a switch and how to teach them</li>
</ul>
Course includes:
Interactive online activities, videos and signposting to further information.
Suitable for:
Anyone wanting to learn more about alternative access methods that may enable independent control of activities for people with physical disabilities. This online course will enable you to work towards the following:
IPAACKS competencies:
Identifying Needs
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Aware of the role that technology can play in supporting education and participation</li>
</ul>
Implementation
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Knowledge of a range of different access methods</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Aware of the underpinning knowledge required by the person using AT</li>
</ul>
Facilitating Learning
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Aware of what AT is and that it can help people who have access and learning support needs</li>
</ul>
Special requirements:
You will be required to use one of the following web browsers: Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Safari.
Cost: £30

Access Methods – Switch

An introduction to using eyegaze as an access method. This course will introduce you to the types of eye tracking technology available and the skills required to use eyegaze as a control method. This is a self-directed online study course. You can work through the activities in your own time, and it will be available for 3 months.
Course aim:
To introduce switch control as an access method and consider what and how it can be used.
You will learn:
<ul>
<li>Why eye tracking technology has become so popular in the past decade</li>
<li>A brief overview of the skills required to use eye gaze efficiently</li>
<li>The types of eye tracking technology that is currently available and the features of this tech</li>
<li>Examples of considerations you might want to make when seeing if eye tracking technology will work for you or someone you know</li>
<li>How we can develop our eye gaze skills to make the most out of eye tracking</li>
</ul>
Course includes:
Interactive online activities, videos and signposting to further information.
Suitable for:
Anyone wanting to learn more about alternative access methods that may enable independent control of activities for people with physical disabilities. This online course will enable you to work towards the following:
IPAACKS competencies:
Identifying Needs
<ul>
<li>Aware of the role that technology can play in supporting education and participation</li>
</ul>
Implementation
<ul>
<li>Knowledge of a range of different access methods</li>
<li>Aware of the underpinning knowledge required by the person using AT</li>
</ul>
Facilitating Learning
<ul>
<li>Aware of what AT is and that it can help people who have access and learning support needs</li>
</ul>
Special requirements:
You will be required to use one of the following web browsers: Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Safari.
Cost: £30

Access Methods – Eyegaze

Discover more about touch control as an access method. This course will introduce solutions that can improve accuracy and control when using a touchscreen. This is a self-directed online study course. You can work through the activities in your own time, and it will be available for 3 months.
Course aim:
To introduce Touch as an access method and adaptations that can enable the user to improve their control.
You will learn:
<ul>
<li>How touch as an access method fits in with other approaches used by people with disabilities</li>
<li>To recognise the different skills needed for touch, and how you can improve them</li>
<li>To identify useful equipment that can support people with disabilities to access touch computers</li>
<li>To name free features that are built in to devices that make it easier to use touch to interact</li>
</ul>
Course includes:
Interactive online activities, videos and signposting to further information.
Suitable for: Anyone wanting to learn more about adaptations that can be made to touch control to make it easier to use for people with physical difficulties. This online course will enable you to work towards the following:
IPAACKS competencies:
Identifying Needs
<ul>
<li>Aware of the role that technology can play in supporting education and participation</li>
</ul>
Implementation
<ul>
<li>Knowledge of a range of different access methods</li>
<li>Aware of the underpinning knowledge required by the person using AT</li>
</ul>
Facilitating Learning
<ul>
<li>Aware of what AT is and that it can help people who have access and learning support needs</li>
</ul>
Special requirements:
You will be required to use one of the following web browsers: Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Safari.
Cost: £30

Access Methods – Touch

Introducing Ace Centre&#8217;s Look2Talk resource: an award-winning guide to making a communication book for children and adults who communicate using eye pointing.
Course aim:
To introduce Ace Centre&#8217;s award winning Look2Talk resource and explore who a colour-encoded eye pointing communication book would be suitable for. This session will provide an introduction to the materials and how you might begin to implement them with an individual learning to communicate by eye pointing.
You will learn:
<ul>
<li>To identify who Look2Talk would be suitable for and why</li>
<li>How to use Look2Talk to teach encoded eye pointing as an access method for communication</li>
</ul>
IPAACKS competencies:
<ul>
<li>Identifying Needs: Recognize when someone has communication support needs</li>
<li>Implementation: Be aware of the underpinning knowledge required by the person using AAC</li>
</ul>
Course includes:
A live webinar providing an overview of the Look2Talk materials and signposting to further guidance.
Suitable for:
Practitioners who work with people who use AAC and are responsible for developing communication resources.
Special requirements:
You will be required to use Microsoft Teams, or one of the following web browsers: Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Safari
Time: 12:30 &#8211; 13:00pm UTC (a link will be emailed to you)
Cost: FREE

Runs on specific date

Webinar

Look2Talk + Live Q&A

Developing Level (Teacher-supported online study)
<h3>Course aims:</h3>
Introducing Ace Centre&#8217;s award winning Look2Talk resource (L2T), exploring who a colour-encoded eye pointing communication book would be suitable for.
This course is provided through 2 online webinars. It provides an introduction to the Look2Talk resource, and how you might begin to implement this with people who communicate by eye pointing. It will provide information for parents and professionals who need to make and use a communication book for people who communicate using their eyes alone.
<h3>You will learn:</h3>
<ul>
<li>To understand the principles, organisation, and progression within Look2Talk.</li>
<li>State which level of Look2Talk would be suitable for an individual and why.</li>
<li>Consider appropriate vocabulary selection for an individual.</li>
<li>Identify important communication partner skills to support the learner.</li>
<li>Manipulate Look2Talk templates in chosen communication software to create a communication book</li>
</ul>
<h3>Suitable for:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Parents and practitioners who work with people who use AAC and are responsible for developing communication resources.</li>
</ul>
<h3>IPAACKS Competencies:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Level 2: Implementation
<ul>
<li>Awareness of the eye pointing access method</li>
<li>Awareness of individual vocabulary needs based on language level, age, culture etc., as well as environmental and participation demands</li>
<li>Able to select and expand vocabulary appropriate to the person using AAC, with guidance as appropriate</li>
<li>Awareness of the communication partner skills and learner</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Level 3: Knowledge of how to develop resource, using evidence base to inform activity</li>
</ul>
<h3>Course includes:</h3>
3 months access to online materials, 2 live webinars and free trial of Boardmaker 7/ InPrint3
<ul>
<li>Session 1: 16th January 2024 (13:30-16:30 UTC): Provides a comprehensive overview of the rationale for the Look2Talk resource. It explores the principles of eye pointing as a means of access to communication and supports the decision-making process for vocabulary/message selection. This session will also provide guidance for developing the functional use of Look2Talk.</li>
<li>Session 2: 23rd January 2024 (13:30-16:30 UTC): This session provides participants the opportunity to create a personalised Look2Talk resource using commonly used symbol software.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Special requirements:</h3>
<ul>
<li>A Windows computer to install and trial Boardmaker 7/ InPrint3</li>
<li>You will be required to use one of the following web browsers: Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox</li>
</ul>
Time: 13:30-16:30 UTC (for each session)
Cost: £120

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