IssieCalc vs INSTRUCT_RERConAAC

IssieCalc – Talking Accessible Calculator IssieCalc is an accessible, fully customizable calculator developed by the Beit Issie Shapiro Technology Consulting Center in collaboration with SAP Labs Israel. Designed for individuals with learning disabilities, visual impairments, motor impairments, or cognitive challenges, IssieCalc puts powerful personalization in the hands of users, caregivers, educators, and therapists. SHOW ONLY THE KEYS THAT MATTER * Choose exactly which keys appear. Every other key is hidden completely, allowing users to focus on the relevant keys. * For example, start with just the digits 1 to 5, plus, and equals, then add keys as skills develop. COLOR EVERY KEY YOUR WAY * Group keys and give each group its own key color and text color. * Highlight a single key, such as a number being practiced. * Make the exercise window stand out by choosing different colors for it. * Built-in templates, including high contrast for low vision. * Adjust the font size and weight. DIFFERENT NEEDS, DIFFERENT CALCULATORS * Create several calculators, one for each user, lesson, or stage of learning, and easily switch between them. * Show just the basic calculator, just the scientific calculator, or let the user switch between them. * Large, clear keys, in both portrait and landscape views. HEAR THE MATH * Turn on spoken feedback to hear what is entered: choose to hear each digit, each complete number, or both. * Hear the text in the exercise window at any time using the speak button. * Choose the language in the app settings. * Adjustable speech speed. * You choose how many digits to read after the decimal, so long answers stay short and clear. WHO IS IT FOR? * Students learning arithmetic step by step. * People with visual impairments. * People with motor difficulties who need large, uncluttered keys. * People with learning difficulties or dyscalculia. * Anyone who wants to customize their calculator’s appearance. ABOUT US The Technology Center at Beit Issie Shapiro is a leading hub for innovation in assistive technology. We promote the use of technology by and for people with disabilities to maximize their participation and quality of life. IssieCalc is one of our series of free apps designed to improve participation in communication, play, and learning. Read about them here: https://beitissie.org.il/en/applications/

Create short trainings using research backed teaching methods quickly. The app leads the user through creating a checklist of the steps necessary to complete a task and adding video models for each of those steps. INSTRUCT was built to answer the problem that communication partners are often unfamiliar and untrained in AAC, so they preempt opportunities for communication and participation. Current training approaches for partner training are generally inefficient (e.g. one-on-one training) or ineffective due to not being personalized or limited in scope and reach. Our answer is this user-friendly app for creating partner trainings to teach partners AAC strategies. We do this by prompting the user to break a strategy down into step by step instructions creating a checklist and to add video demonstrations of each step. This app has bene evaluated for usability of the app and effectiveness of the trainings we are prompting users to make. We are still waiting on data for usability, but the trainings have bene shown to significantly increase the partners' strategy use and significantly increase successful interaction with someone who uses AAC. Many of the trainings will be made freely available via an online library currently in progress. URL will be added once the online library design has been finalized. This application was developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90REGE0014) to the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (RERC on AAC). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This application does not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, or HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.