The Government’s Home Access programme will see 7 to 14 year-olds with severe disabilities or Special Educational Needs from low-income families receive a computer and internet package with additional hardware or software to help them use a computer and the internet at home.

 As the first national programme to provide assistive technology (AT) in the home, Home Access marks a significant step towards achieving widespread digital inclusion. In support of this vision, iansyst will deliver bespoke AT packages in partnership with education experts XMA Ltd. Home Access computer packages with Assistive Technology have limited availability and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Families of children with severe disabilities or special educational needs should call the helpline 0333 200 1004 and find out if they are eligible for the programme.

Ian Litterick, Executive Chairman at iansyst, comments “To improve learning and help enhance digital inclusion, it is essential that learners with disabilities have equal access to ICT at home. The Home Access programme is arguably the largest procurement of assistive technology anywhere in the world and we are extremely proud to deliver this.”

 Read the press release for more information on the Home Access programme

This is a chance to get some hands on experience of some of the software and hardware available for people with dyslexia and other disabilities.

Our next preview days are:

• Friday 17th September
• Wednesday 29th September
• Wednesday 13th October
• Monday 25th October (half-term)

• Pre-booked morning and afternoon sessions are available
• Preview days are free of charge
• Please let us know when booking which type of Assistive Technology you are interested in seeing, so that we can endeavour to make it available.

For further information, including a request for the Buyers Guide or to book a place please email Emma Banks at emma.banks@iansyst.co.uk or call her on 01223 420101.

A member of your team called me back within the hour after I sent the wrong form to the completely wrong company. They then helped me find the right company, this level of customer service is rare and I greatly appreciate it, especially how confused I get!"

FW

Thank you so so much for helping me and the way you conducted yourselves."

SS Wolverhampton

The show takes place on Friday 15th and Saturday 16th October 2010 at the Business Design Centre, London.

And with iansyst’s expertise in SEN we thought we should book our exhibition stand so you could visit us at Stand Number ICT31.

So enjoy the visit and take away our valuable  knowledge on assistive technology to help those people with learning difficulties.

iansyst has been supplying suitable products with impartial advice and information for over 26 years, so we are well equipped to help you find the right solution for your needs.

For more information and registration visit Teaching Exhibitions

The Scottish Learning Festival is taking place at the SECC, Glasgow on 22nd and 23rd September 2010.

The Scottish Learning Festival is about teaching and learning. It offers a number of opportunities to enhance the education profession by providing:

• inspiration and new ideas
• an opportunity to network with peers
• a range of options to enhance the learning and teaching experience for all

In addition, teachers want practical advice and ideas about effective use of ICT in their classrooms to improve the quality of learning and teaching.

So why attend?

Well because iansyst will be there on Stand Number: L19 and we will welcome the opportunity to help you gain an insight into the assistive technology which will help you improve the learning outcomes of your students.

For conference programme and registration details please visit Scottish Learning Festival

Here is the travel information as well.

If you are a student you can find out about our new website www.its4students.co.uk where all the latest technology equipment for ’student life’ at University, including laptops, student computer software and computer peripherals can be found to purchase online.

You’ll also meet some of the iansyst’s Scottish team who can advise on the different aspects of the disabled students allowance (DSA).

They are a great team and you’ll benefit from saying hello.

So please visit the organiser’s website and find out more at UCAS events.

iansyst will be exhibiting at the conference and will welcome a visit from you.

iansyst provides assistive technology solutions for people with disabilities, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, repetitive strain injury, visual impairments and hard of hearing.

For more information about Keynote speakers, proposed conference timetable and other important details including directions, please visit ISEC2010 website.

Hilery works with staff, parents and children across some of East Lothian’s 35 primary schools and 6 secondary schools, to overcome some of the barriers to literacy.

Believing that technology is crucial for helping children with dyslexia to excel by teaching new ways of  learning efficiently and effectively.

A passionate advocate of collaborative learning Hilery was involved with Glow, the digital network of Scottish Schools.

Read the Press Release and find out more about Hilery Williams, she is truly inspirational.

iansyst has over 26 years of experience providing assistive technology products; software and hardware, as well as training, consultancy services, advice and information for individuals, students, employers and educationalists.

Read the Press Release and find out what’s on offer.

iansyst was one of the two companies providing Assistive Technology for the pilot scheme in Oldham and Suffolk during 2009; grants were available for low-income families living in the pilot areas via an application process.

What is Home Access?

• Tuesday 10th August
• Monday 23rd August

We will be demonstrating a range of the programs and assistive technology tools we can supply, and our staff will be on hand to guide you through your choices or answer your questions.

• Morning and afternoon sessions will be available.
• Preview days are free of charge although booking is essential.
• Please let us know when booking which type of software you are interested in seeing, so that we can endeavour to make it available.

For further information, including a request for the Buyers Guide or to book a place please email Emma Banks or call her on 01223 420101.

Part 1: Developing Composition Skills
St Johns Innovation Centre, Cambridge
23rd June 2010

Who is the course for?

The course is suitable for anybody working with students with SpLDs in Further and Higher education whose roles include study skills development, such as:

• Study support, disability or Dyslexia/SpLD support staff;
• Disabled students allowance (DSA) trainers and assessors;
• Lecturing or IT staff interested in Assistive Technology linked to study skills.

What does the workshop include?

We will explore key issues relating to writing difficulties, using a variety of practical activities linked to technology solutions. These will include:

• Making individual learning plans and recommendations for writing development;
• Exploring the writing process;
• Drafting and editing essays, using writing ladders and templates;
• Planning and managing writing assignments.

What technology will be covered?

Text-to-speech proofreading tools; mind mapping software; speech-to-text software; spell checkers; word predictors; scanning pens; and electronic dictionaries.

What approach will be used?

This informative and supportive workshop is geared to the needs of participants. We will combine discussion, practical activities and hands-on use of assistive technology. You will also take away a USB drive containing course materials, teaching templates, and technology demonstrations and tutorials.

Who are the trainers?

The course will be led by Charmaine McKissock, Lead Study Skills Consultant, and Michael Pitcher, Assistive Technology Specialist Manager. Charmaine is experienced as a support tutor, DSA assessor, manager, writer and trainer specialising in SpLDs in FE and HE. Michael has successfully trained many students and colleagues in Assistive Technology Strategies.

What does it cost?

£195.00 per delegate, including free technology resources and mind mapping software.
Due to the hands-on approach of this course, places are limited.
Email info@iansyst.co.uk or call 01223 436660 to register. Alternatively please download and complete the following form:

• blank application form composition skillsOpens in new window

Many people find it difficult to access the world of books.  Whether through dyslexia, visual impairment or motor difficulties, thousands of ‘would be’ readers are destined to be ‘unable to’ readers.  However, commonplace technologies can transform access to books.  Where librarians and publishers work together to provide digital copies to disabled users, magnification, colour change, keyboard access and text to speech can transform the reading experience giving genuine independence to the user.

Elsevier, a leading publisher of science and health information, has won the first ever JISC TechDis Publisher Lookup Award for Accessibility announced at the London Bookfair on Wednesday, 21st April 2010.

Elsevier are awarded JISC TechDis Award

The Awards recognise publishers who have excelled in changing and adapting their business processes to meet their customers accessibility needs and are the brainchild of Alistair McNaught, senior advisor at JISC TechDis. Alistair said: “Elsevier were selected from a really strong field of candidates. Judges were impressed with Elseviers response rates to customer enquiries and their strong, embedded accessibility strategy. Accessibility is a cross-management responsibility at Elsevier and evidently part of the organisational culture.”
Putting the spotlight on accessibility benefits everyone and now, thanks to the Awards, we’ve created a kind of community of practice where publishers are learning from each other.”

For more information about the Publisher Lookup Award for Accessibility you can read the Press Release

JISC TechDis Publisher Lookup Award for Library Service: Providing alternative formats

For several years, JISC TechDis has been working with publishers to clarify accessibility issues and raise awareness of the needs of people with disabilities. The JISC TechDis Publisher Lookup Award for Library Service seeks to identify and commend publishers whose responsiveness to requests brings significant benefits to disabled learners.

We are delighted that this award is sponsored by Dolphin and iansyst – companies with proven track records in supporting disabled users to access learning in a variety of formats.

The vision of the award is to raise awareness of the benefit of digital formats for disabled users so that everyone – learner, tutor, support worker and publisher – can be better equipped to use technology to transform learning opportunities.

The publisher lookup awards seek to raise awareness and improve practice by offering

• librarians a chance to nominate publishers who have shown real professionalism in meeting requests for alternative formats - see JISC TechDis Library Award. Closing date Friday 03 September 2010.

For more information about the Library award please see the Press Release.

Products and services to suit all needs

• 
  

  Specialised training available

iansyst provides a range of innovative product solution options with supportive services for education, working environments and individuals.

Create that Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) quote quickly and easily at iansyst technology services where you will find all the information you need.

Need a product? Information, advice & guidance for dyslexia and a wide range of other disabilities at www.dyslexic.com

Are you a student requiring the latest technology to help you with your studies; to buy a laptop, computer peripherals, software & more, check out www.its4student.co.uk

Fulfil your legal Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) requirements at www.re-adjust.co.uk where you will find a range of services and products to help enable your employees.

EarlBright is the publishing division of iansyst which features partnerships and new innovative technology at www.EarlBright.com.

Our company aims to benefit the customers’ aims of being responsible consumers, including the sourcing of more power-efficient computers and solutions for customers. This includes the current initiative we’re running to develop more online and digital training material, as well as interactive training sessions to reduce the environmental impact of client training.

Our Purchasing Department seek to build relationships with responsible and respected suppliers to minimise the potential risk of purchasing products that would be exploitative of other economies, employees or natural habitats. We try to use manufacturers that comply with the ISO 14001 International Certificate.

its4students

Since the launch of its4students the website has gone from strength to strength, with students being given the opportunity to purchase all their technology requirements to enhance their studies.

This latest press release has offered students a chance to win a Lenovo IdeaPad U350, just by signing up to the Newsletter.

In his speech at the dinner Ian Litterick drew attention to the British Assistive Technology Association and suggested that assessors and Access Centres might like to consider joining. BATA’s website is at www.bataonline.org

Being our first conference it has been a huge learning curve to make this event a success. Feedback by most assessors was very positive:

“very well organised.”

 “enjoyable, informative presentations and workshops”

“Great venue, great staff and great services! Well done!”

“It has been a very beneficial conference. One of the best I have been to. Well worth running again.”

“Would love another conference of this sort again - it’s been invaluable.”

However, we are aware that areas will need to be addressed when we organise another conference and we are grateful for your feedback to enable us to achieve this.

assess 2010 would not have been possible without the support and assistance of our speakers and sponsors, so we would like to extend our thanks to them for all their help.

We will be posting more information about the event, including podcasts, presentations, videos and photographs on our websites shortly.

day 1 Conference Programme

iansyst will also be attending as an exhibitor, so please come and visit us.

The following information will tell you when, where and who are the key speakers.

Dates: 7th and 8th May 2010

Sunningdale Park Hotel, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 0QE

The leading practitioners’ conference for SENCOs, Learning Support Coordinators, teachers and senior managers working in independent and international schools.

Day One: Friday 7th May 2010

Keynote speaker: Sally Goddard Blythe - The Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology

“The concept of developmental readiness is not new, but the government’s focus on literacy and targets have meant that children’s physical readiness is rarely taken into account. My presentation will focus on signs and symptoms of developmental immaturity in the classroom and what can be done to help.”

Day Two: Saturday 8th May 2010

Keynote Speaker: Robyn Steward - Asperger’s trainer and broadcaster

“My presentation will hopefully give you a positive and memorable real life story. I will draw on my experiences growing up with Asperger’s; having attended school, college and university. I really believe you need to hear from a person - not just a text book.”

Further information  about workshops, booking, fees, venue with map and event flyer can be found at Learning Works 2010 SEN Residential Conference.

This is the UK’s leading event for HR and occupational health professionals, rehabilitation and therapy specialists, disability employment advisors, ergonomists and other professionals responsible for the environment, health and wellbeing of people at work.

This successful event will be returning for its fourth year with even more programmes to choose from, along with over 150 exhibiting organisations.

The event takes place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham. We will be on Stand 80, so please do come and see us.

For more information on the event and venue, please visit the organisers’ website:

The event is being held on Friday 26th and Saturday  27th February 2010 and is an opportunity to hear about the latest research and best practise for supporting and teching individuals with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties.

For more information about the conference, including pricing, please visit Dyslexia Solutions Demystified.

its4students

iansyst have now launched a new website: www.its4students.co.uk where students can purchase all of their technology required for further education; from Dell Laptops, Apple ipods, Canon Printers, Adobe software and much, much more.

The press release goes into further detail about this exciting new project at iansyst.

Several new products and new versions of current products were available for viewing at iansyst’s BETT 2010 stand; these included CapturaTalk, Audio Notetaker, MindGenius, Oribi VeritySpell, LiveScribe Pulse Smartpen and the latest Nessy Learning Programme.

The press release gives a brief overview of these products along with the partnerships which include iansyst.

Ever needed an expert?

Neil Milliken Head of Mobile Development at iansyst has a wealth of experience of assistive technology and how it can benefit everyone. His particular passion is Mobile Technology and he has formed partnerships with other companies such as Raspberry Software Limited to further develop CapturaTalk.

More information about Neil can be found on this press release.

The final article is a company overview. iansyst has over 26 years experience of assistive technology and the benefits it has brought to people of all ages with a variety of disabilities including; dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, visual impairments, hard of hearing and disabilities which require ergonomic solutions.

The company press release gives more details about iansyst.

its4students

With iansyst’s vast knowledge and understanding of educational needs, along with our relationships with leading IT suppliers such as Apple, Toshiba, Dell, Olympus, Canon and Adobe we now bring you www.its4students.co.uk  (iansyst technology services for students).

Designed specifically with students in mind, its4students.co.uk  is focused on meeting all the technology requirements of today’s students, by bringing our expertise together in one setting to provide reliable, affordable, yet high quality products, along with an efficient, accurate and timelycustomer service.

The website will provide students with a portal to purchase innovative tools developed to enhance and aid the studying process from laptops, software, digital voice recorders and assisitve technology for people with learning difficulties, to the iPod Touch and the exciting Alienware games platforms.

So take a peek to find out more at www.its4students.co.uk.

JISC TechDis Awards

For several years, JISC TechDis has been working with publishers to clarify accessibility issues and raise awareness of the needs of people with disabilities.  The Publishers Lookup awards aim to recognise the work of publishers in this area through the Publisher Award for Accessibility and the Library Service Award.

The ‘Award for Accessibility: Reshaping business processes’ seeks to identify and commend publishers who have developed workflows, practices, protocols or organisational structures that maximise their ability to be able to respond to the needs of disabled customers.  The closing date for nominations for this award is Friday 12th February.

The ‘Award for Library service: providing alternative formats’ award aims to identify and commend publishers whos responsiveness to requests brings significant benefits to disabled learners and to raise awareness of the benefit of digital formats for disabled users.  The closing date for nominations for this award is Thursday 1st April.

More information about iansyst and our involvement with accessibility issues can be found at:

www.iansyst.co.uk, www.re-adjust.co.uk, www.dyslexic.com/altformat, www.dyslexic.com/library

To make a nomination for one of the awards please go to

JISC TechDis Publisher Lookup Award for Accessibility or JISC TechDis Publisher Lookup Award for Library Service

The following comments have been sent in regarding our trainer – Tony Vella, who trained this customer on the following pieces of software: Dragon, Inspiration, Read and Write and Audio Notetaker.

"It was very evident that Tony certainly knows his stuff which is paramount in a trainer. Excellent knowledge combined with an excellent patient attitude make Mr Vella a very effective trainer. I would not hesitate to recommend Tony to anyone. Both my wife and myself felt very comfortable with Tony in our house with our young family."

"The training was structured in a logical way and at a sensible pace. After every point, Tony checked back to ensure my understanding. When I hadn’t fully understood something we would again go back over it until I had understood."

"Despite there being a lot of information to take in I did enjoy the training. I think that this has a lot to do with Tony’s very easy attitude and it being made aware to myself that it was ok to ask any questions or to ask for something to be repeated."

C.R. University of East Anglia

“My trainer made everything understandable and clear.” DS, OU Student

“Thank you for the opportunity to gain new skills and to be able to do my college work at home has alleviated so much stress from me” DS, Somerset College

“Would be happy to contact iansyst again, as everything has been brilliant. Especially the training, as the training given was useful and tailored to what I needed. Thank you!” CE, University of Glamorgan

“This training was enjoyable and effective, and has given me the confidence to use the equipment to the best of my ability” GH, Reading University

“Very helpful, without this training I wouldn’t be able to take full advantage of the software” NO, Exeter University

“Really good to have a trainer who has an understanding of my learning needs without me having to translate how I think. The trainer was most helpful in adapting the training to suit what I needed” MT, Bridgewater

“I was surprised at my trainer’s ability to be able to communicate effectively with myself as my knowledge re IT is limited. He asked for feedback at every stage of the process. He made me feel relaxed and praised my ability throughout the training , which made the process very enjoyable.” EM, Bristol

“Fantastic, first class, could do with more as it just triggers better ways of working. Thank you. I can use these methods, now, today and it effects the whole of this county’s Police force!” SL, Police Inspector

“The training was a positive experience. The trainer looked at ‘how I learn’ as this supported the training. I can now use the IT support and have gained confidence in my ability, Thank you.” SW, Social Worker, Bristol

“The software is very useful and seems very user friendly. The trainer was very patient and explained things thoroughly.” JO, Caerphilly County Council

“I liked the way I could control the way I like to learn. I was surprised how I got to understand my own ability and skills, and how much I can do with the help of the programmes. I’ve now got some great useful tips I can use at work, Thank you.” TY

This challenging and thorough audit pass reflects iansyst’s commitment to both quality and its customers, which ranges from assessor support through supply of equipment to training and support.

Quality measures from DSA-QAG include the following key performance indicators: rapid quote response times for assessors; timely customer communications; delivery of goods within a specific timeframe and many more.

iansyst’s own added quality assurance measures mean we provide tested, high quality and reliable branded equipment. We also have an in-house customer services department to help with any queries and a technical support team covering both hardware and software issues. Additional quality services include iansyst’s national training department who are ‘CRB enhanced’ vetted, disability awareness trained and perfectly positioned to help with the needs of disabled students.

Students who receive their Disabled Students’ Allowance can be confident their total solutions package of assistive technology and training from iansyst will provide them with a positive and favourable experience.

Information regarding assistive technology, training, news and events can be found at iansyst technology services Assessors Quoting System

It was the helpful and flexible attitude I experienced that provided the resolve to place an order with iansyst rather than with the supplier proposed by Student Finance, even if this meant self-funding the difference…”

TG: Father of a university student studying medicine at Kings College, London.

iansyst, a leading education technology supplier and expert in technology for dyslexia and specific learning difficulties, has been promoting the use of mind mapping technology in education for over 15 years. iansyst currently supplies 35,000 education contacts in schools and 12,000 contacts in universities and colleges.

MindGenius Education helps students to capture, organise and execute on ideas and grow in confidence as they are able to quickly organise thoughts. It helps schools make teaching more interactive and keep students engaged. With MindGenius, iansyst will be able to offer its customer base more choice and a one-stop-shop service as the consultancy offers complementary products, services and training.

Abi James, managing consultant, product innovation at iansyst says: ‘MindGenius provides powerful tools for teachers and students via a simple and easy-to-use interface that help them learn more productively.’ She continued: ‘iansyst has a long established relationship with MindGenius. The software is one of the leading concept mapping programs available to our core market and is complementary to other assistive technologies we provide.’

iansyst will be the sole UK distributor for MindGenius Education and will also be reselling MindGenius Business.

Dustin Newport, commercial director for MindGenius said: ‘MindGenius has many applications in learning as well as business. iansyst is the best partner to provide support in the field of education as they understand the technology, have trained sales specialists who understand the education market and will be following up on all the leads we generate in this sector.’ According to Newport: ‘MindGenius and its customers will benefit greatly from iansyst’s expertise and we look forward to carving out a significant share of the education market as a result of the partnership.’

iansyst (Stand F119) and MindGenius will be appearing at the BETT educational show in January.

About iansyst

iansyst Ltd was founded in 1983, to provide educational software, advice and good value training.

Since then the company has grown into an organisation with a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of a wide range of assistive technology solutions for disabilities which include: dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, visual impairments, hard of hearing, disabilities which require ergonomic solutions and other mobility disabilities. iansyst also caters for those people who find using assistive technology eases their daily lives.

iansyst is proud to offer a range of assistive technologies, expertise, training and support, backed up with a professional and understanding approach. Whether you are an individual, parent, student, education professional or an organisation we have the experience on hand to help you meet and overcome the day-to-day challenges you may face. www.iansyst.co.uk

About MindGenius

The first MindGenius applications were released in 2001 by software developers Gael Ltd and, since then, the user base has grown in excess of 300,000 registered licences. In March 2008, MindGenius Ltd was set up as a separate trading entity. In September 2008 MindGenius Ltd became certified Microsoft Partners with an ISV / Software Solution competency, and the MindGenius application achieved certified for Microsoft Vista status at the same time.

Find out more at www.mindgenius.com, or contact info@mindgenius.com or +44 (0)1355 247766.

Visit us on stand F119 to discover the assistive technology for people with dyslexia and other disabilities.

BETT 2010 will be held at Olympia in London between 13th to 16th January 2010.

For more information regarding the exhibition please visit: BETT 2010

You may also want to attend the seminar featuring Ian Litterick’s discussion on ‘The Home Access Assistive Technology bundle: what does it mean for schools?’ held on Thursday 14th January at 3.45pm in room S25. Further details can be found here:

Speaker Ian Litterick is the Executive Chairman of iansyst Ltd, the assistive technology company who provide solutions so highly valued they become an essential tool for daily living. Ian is also a British Dyslexia Association New Technologies Committee member.

Another seminar you may wish to visit is called ‘Spell checking when working on line’ featuring speakers E.A. Draffan from University of Southampton and Dr Abi James from iansyst Ltd. More details about this seminar can be found here.

The enABLE show is the UK’s only national event to focus on helping people with disabilities or limited mobility to lead an active, independent and full life.

iansyst will be demonstrating the latest assistive technology available. Visit us on Stand 412 – to find out how we can help.

The exhibition will be held at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry on 6 & 7 November 2009.

We would love to see you there.

For for information about the event please visit enABLE 2009

Visit us on Stand ICT31 to see the latest technology in action, meet the team and talk to the staff about  your assistive technology requirements.

We would be delighted to meet you.

For more information about the exhibition please visit: Special Needs London

Visit us at Handheld Learning Conference – stand number QC2 and discover how to capture information and have it read aloud whilst on the move. iansyst will be demonstrating the latest version of Capturatalk, (www.capturatalk.com) an innovative software program that works on Windows Mobile phones.

The conference is being held at:

The Brewery, Barbican London between 5th to 7th October 2009.

For more information about the conference visit Handheld Learning 2009.

Strengthening links between partners Posturite, ergonomic furniture specialists and iansyst, the assistive technology company, have lead to a number of seminars being held recently.

These seminars were designed for corporate clients to show how assistive technology can be successfully used in the workplace. Over 120 top organisations attended the seminars; which have received glowing feedback.

At our latest seminar in London, held at the RSA (previously, Royal Sun Alliance), 98% of attendees rated the event as either good or excellent. Feedback included “Dragon software blew my mind”, “Very good mix of products – well worth my attendance” “extremely informative and capabilities are most impressive”.

Due to the success of these seminars we plan to add some additional dates later in the year, we will keep you posted as to dates and venues.

To register your interest for these events please email emma.banks@iansyst.co.uk

iansyst’ s aim is “To provide relevant technology products that represent best value with quality training and support services to meet the specific needs of the individual.” (Excerpt from the Mission Statement).

In order to provide products such as computers, hardware and software with these services to a wide customer base we have provided a range of web services to suit all needs:

www.dyslexic.com is our leading website for products for people with dyslexia and other disabilities. There is a wealth of information and guidance to help people make informed choices when purchasing.

www.itspc.co.uk website is the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) Online Assessor Quoting System. It is designed for assessors to create quotes quickly and easily for students who have applied for their DSA grant.

www.re-adjust.co.uk provides employers and employees with a range of products, service solutions and information for disabled employees to help them succeed in the workplace.

www.capturatalk.com refers to the latest mobile technology solution provided by iansyst. CapturaTalk is an application for the mobile phone providing text-to-speech software.

www.earlbright.com is the NEW publishing division of iansyst Ltd – with new technology innovations, training services and partnerships to help create assistive technology for everybody.

At iansyst, we have gained considerable experience in assistive technology and how it can be applied to help dyslexic and disabled individuals of all ages. We want to extend the use of assistive technology to benefit all individuals in the ever-changing environments of work, education and home.

As part of our commitment to delivering technology products and services that are highly relevant and useful, the EarlBright team is constantly on the lookout for new contacts with fresh ideas to help bring innovative technology to life.  We are keen to establish new alliances and partnerships; working with specialist developers, publishers, research teams and channel partners to create and launch new technology solutions.

If you are interested in working with EarlBright Publishing either as a partner, reseller, or in some other enterprise project, then please contact us. Tel: 01223 420101 or E-mail info@EarlBright.com

As the iansyst consultant for the secondary education sector, Sharon works directly with schools, delivering workshops, software demonstrations, training and advice for teachers and pupils. She also works with Local Authorities to help them achieve their BDA kitemark and hosts conferences for dyslexia and some related disabilities throughout the UK. As one of the consultants on the Re-adjust Team, she delivers seminars, undertakes workplace assessments as well as supporting individuals on 1 to 1 coping strategies.

Sharon Can Talk About:

Dyslexia in Schools:

Sharon’s passion for providing the best technologies to suit individuals’ needs is borne from spending 22 years as a Special Education Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) in schools. This experience has given Sharon a thorough understanding of the constraints and restrictions of funding in schools. While teaching, Sharon saw first-hand the dramatic effect assistive technologies can have on the education and confidence of SEN pupils, and she wants to help make these technologies more widely available to those with dyslexia and related disabilities.

Dyslexia in the Workplace:

Sharon’s talks regularly include the following areas

• The workplace assessment
• Types of reasonable adjustments
• Strategies for different disabilities

Skills & Experience:

Sharon joined iansyst in 2002. She has also worked in comprehensive schools across Nottinghamshire and provided Special Education Needs (SEN) training for Governors.

Sharon is highly qualified to support people with dyslexia with a BEd (Batchelor of Education), OCR Diploma in Special Learning Difficulties, Post Graduate Diploma in Dyslexia, MA in Education and is an Associate Member of the British Dyslexia Association.

Whilst a SENCo Sharon took part in a research project “The Effect of Voice Recognition Software on English and Dutch Dyslexic Students” (2000) with Dr Andi Sanderson & Anneke Smits, and consequently is able to give a more informed response on the application of voice-activated software in schools.

In her spare time, Sharon also works part-time as a dyslexia support tutor for the Open University, providing advice and support to students with dyslexia.

Reviewing the use of handheld devices and the assistive technology applications for mobile phones; the interview discusses how these can be used as learning platforms for students.

Read the full press release from Education Executive Secondary

Read full press release about the Health and Wellbeing Conference 2009.

Assistive technology specialist iansyst www.iansyst.co.uk and www.dyslexic.com announces the winners of the Dyslexia-Friendly Best Practice Awards 2008. The awards have been designed to reward innovative methods of awarenss raising and exemplar dyslexia-friendly practice in schools.

Read full press release about the announcement of Dyslexia-Friendly Best Practice Awards 2008

Read the full press release of merging mainstream mobile and assistive technologies

Audio Notetaker v2 from iansyst Ltd (www.dyslexic.com/audio-notetaker) allows people the ability to explore annotate and utilise digital voice recordings in real-time. This software enables students to add notes and supporting material such as PowerPoint files alongside their recordings.

Read the full press release about Audio Notetaker v2.

Read the full press release on the revised CapturaTalk software

To raise awareness of the condition, dyslexia-specialists iansyst Ltd (www.iansyst.co.uk) in partnership with leading educational technology providers are giving away two top prizes to reward innovative methods of raising awareness of dyslexia.

Read the full press release about celebrating dyslexia best practice in education

Andi Can Talk About:

• Dyslexia in the workplace – in particular matters concerning the law
• Dyslexia screening and assessment
• HE-related matters
• Mental Health issues in the workplace

Skills & Experience:

A Doctor in Disability Access, Andi joined iansyst 10 years ago and brought with her a wealth of dyslexia-related expertise. Dyslexic herself, Andi is determined to make a difference to the lives of people with dyslexia and has been published in academic journals on this matter. 

She has studied for many qualifications including: A BSc in Behavioural Science from the University of Aston, the OCR Diploma in SpLD, an MA in Education Management from the Open University, a PGCE from the University of Birmingham, and a Specific Learning Difficulty Accredited Practising Certificate (APC) from the Professional Association of Teachers of Students with Specific Learning Difficulties (Patoss). She is also an Associate Member of the British Dyslexia  Association (AMBDA). 

Prior to joining iansyst, Andi wrote disability policies at the University of Nottingham, and as a senior lecturer taught on the MA in Dyslexia at De Montfort University, Leicester, also writing a number of these modules.

Christine Docherty is a Locality Worker for North Lanarkshire Council. Officially diagnosed as dyslexic only five years ago whilst studying through the Open University, Christine has coped with the condition, unsupported for many years. Affecting her confidence and self-esteem, Christine's dyslexia historically prevented her from achieving her aspirations and goals. Since being diagnosed in her current role, and with full support from her employer and help from iansyst Ltd (www.iansyst.co.uk), she has been able to realise her potential. iansyst delivers a range of advice, software and computer technologies to enable dyslexic people to achieve their potential.

As Christine's form of dyslexia means she struggles particularly with spelling, she left school at 16 to work as a data processor. She then spent time in various social care roles before joining North Lanarkshire Council in 2006. Christine, comments:

“I became aware I might be dyslexic as long as 15 years ago, but there was very little support available and I was just keen to get on and succeed in my career. I tended to go for jobs that didn't involve a lot of writing as I really didn't have the confidence to tell employers about my difficulties with words.”

When studying for an Introduction to Line Management (I.L.M.) qualification through the Open University, Christine's tutor picked up on the fact she might have a form of dyslexia. He expressed concerns about the quality of her essays, particularly the spelling and grammar and arranged for her to have an initial phone screening with the university. Christine then approached her employer, North Lanarkshire Council for a full diagnostic assessment. The council contacted iansyst and arranged for a specialist consultant to come and see her at work.

As a Locality Worker, Christine's day is predominantly spent supporting people with disabilities and helping them become part of their local community. However, her job also involves taking minutes at meetings, typing reports and taking messages, all of which can often be very challenging for her dyslexia. iansyst's consultant came and spent time with Christine, observing all aspects of her daily job role. They talked about areas of the job she thought she needed more support in and potential solutions. iansyst's consultant made recommendations about suitable readjustments and assistive technologies the council could put in place to help. These technologies included a laptop, digital recorder and text-to-speech and speech-recognition software to enable Christine to process information sent by colleagues and check the accuracy of her own copy. Christine comments:

“Writing to-do lists is the main way I remember everything and previously I scribbled these on bits of paper which were often hard to read and disorganised. I now have my own laptop to make sure all the information I need is to hand and a digital recorder so I can record my to-do lists anytime, anywhere.”

The council has offered continual support to Christine. Working as part of a 30-strong team, Christine is now able to fulfil her job role with confidence. Connie Johnstone, Temporary Locality Manager at North Lanarkshire Council works with Christine and oversees the team. Connie comments:

“Christine is a valued member of the team and simply needs to receive information in an alternative format to enable her to do her job and we fully support that.”

North Lanarkshire Council continuously works to make sure employees with disabilities are properly supported. A disability forum has recently been introduced to enable employees to collaborate and share their experiences. Connie Johnstone, comments:

“As an organisation working to ensure disabled people are properly integrated into the community, it is incredibly important to us that our employees are properly supported.”

The Disability Discrimination Act has been introduced to prevent disabled people being treated less fairly than their able-bodied peers, so it is more important than ever for employers to provide the correct support. Christine is keen to stress that there are lots of other ways that companies can show their support of any disability:

“In other organisations where my condition may not have been recognised or understood, I might have been perceived as slow or incompetent; however, my manager and team understand that in order for me to do my job well, I sometimes need to go about things a little differently, and they are fully supportive of that. They allow me to set my own deadlines and are very accommodating if I need points repeated whilst taking minutes from meetings, all of which enables me to do my job well.”

Christine is very open about her dyslexia and has this advice for employers:

“Experiencing dyslexia can be difficult enough but if it isn't recognised and supported then it can have a huge impact both on the individual and the organisation. Companies should encourage their employees to speak out if they are experiencing dyslexia-related difficulties, as with the right diagnosis and help, they can dramatically improve the quality of their work and ultimately become a greater asset to their company.”

Over the last 13 years, with the support of colleagues, he has established iansyst as the leader in dyslexia awareness and support through technology. Ian’s vision for the future is for iansyst to be a one-stop-shop providing information, services and technologies for a broad range of disabilities.

Dyslexia as a condition and impact of assistive technologies:

With over 25 year’s experience of computers to support disabilities, Ian has developed a deep and thorough understanding of special educational needs and the role technology has in assisting development and bridging the learning divide. 

Current academic dyslexia research:

As a member of the British Dyslexia Association’s New Technologies Committee (BDANTC), Ian provides expert advice on improving awareness of technological solutions for dyslexic difficulties. He also takes an interest in various policy and Government initiatives on areas such as copyright which affect people with dyslexia.

Ian is passionate about the provision of alternative formats to meet the needs of people with reading impairments, including those with Visual Impairments. He created iansyst’s policy, which aims to set down standards for alternative format provision for all suppliers and partners iansyst works with. Ian believes in order to achieve this, the following is required: proper training and standards for authors, better synthetic speech rendering, and improvements in electronic reader technology.

Campaigns such as Right to Read:

Ian represents the British Dyslexia Association’s New Technologies Committee (BDANTC) on the Right to Read Campaign steering committee, which is led by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and promotes the accessibility needs of people with reading impairments. Ian works with the group to campaign for everyone in the UK to have the right to read the same books at the same time and for the same price.

Skills and Experience:

Ian has a degree from Oxford, a Diploma in Social Administration from London School of Economics (LSE) and an MBA from one of the world’s leading and largest graduate business schools: INSEAD in France. He is a member of various campaigning and membership organisations concerned with dyslexia, disabilities, computers and technology.

To be held on Thursday 18th June 2009 at Apple, Stockley Park, Uxbridge.

There will be expert speakers involved in Assistive Technology to present an overview of Read & Write 3 Gold for Mac; the latest Apple developments & Mac OS Accessibility Features as well as a questions and answers session.

Designed for DSA assessors, ICT co-ordinators, teachers and anyone involved in education.

Read all about from this: PDF file

For more information email emma.banks@iansyst.co.uk.

The staff are very helpful and they go out of their way to help me out with all the equipment which you have provided. In addition to that you have a lot of software and hardware stock to help students to work round their disabilities and thank you so much for helping me out.

I have not received as much care and attention about my computer and all I have to say is keep it up."

FS: A De Montfort University student studying Business Information Technology/Business Information Systems

Nessy Fingers

The engaging and entertaining typing tutor came top in the ‘Special Educational Needs Resources and Equipment – using ICT’ Award. This software to support the learning of an important skill provides children with a range of fun activities. It also supports spelling, and the features give good feedback and show where to go next. This enables teachers to personalise and tailor activities to individual needs.

Come Alive Phonics

This pack which comes with the Come Alive Phonics software received the ‘Special Educational Needs Resources and Equipment – non ICT’ Award. This multi-sensory resource for teaching letters and sounds is designed to be used flexibly. The judges applauded the way in which it could allow teachers to use it creatively, in a way that suits their own style in the interests of their pupils.

WriteOnline

Received the ‘Secondary Resources and Equipment – using ICT’ Award. This was judged an extremely valuable resource for a wide age and ability range. It supports core subject needs with valuable online tools. With their clear presentation, these writing tools would encourage and stimulate writing and the generation of ideas.

Small steps equal big change was the message on Stand 89 at this year’s Health and Wellbeing Conference. Leading assistive technology specialist iansyst Ltd, was showcasing its latest technology and software solutions as part of its ‘re-adjust’ initiative to provide expert advice on workplace disability provision and support www.re-adjust.co.uk. At the stand, iansyst’s re-adjust team advised HR Managers and Occupational Health Professionals how small changes can result in increased productivity, reduced stress levels and a happier and healthier working environment for disabled employees.

Recent figures indicate that more than 40 million days per year are lost in the workplace due to ill health and injury. Despite the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) many employers are still unaware of how best to provide reasonable adjustments to support employees with a disability.

re-adjust is iansyst’s workplace division, focusing solely on the provision of workplace disability solutions. re-adjust allows employers to see what reasonable adjustments can be made to enable disabled employees full and fair participation in the workplace. For professionals not attending the show, iansyst’s online one-stop-shop, www.re-adjust.co.uk, provides vital information on conforming to the DDA, up-to-date grant information and consultancy for employers with disabled employees.

Often it is presumed that changes will be costly and difficult to implement however, there are many reasonable adjustments which can be easily achieved including easy access to information, assistive handheld technologies and inclusive HR policies. The DDA was introduced to prevent disabled people being treated less fairly than their able-bodied peers, so it is more important than ever for employers to provide the correct support.

As a result of the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA), younger members of the workforce now enter employment with expectations of the level of support they should receive from their employer. re-adjust provides customers with ideas for best practice and practical training to help HR Managers meet the needs of their disabled employees.

re-adjust was showcasing various assistive technologies on the iansyst stand including Audio Notetaker v2 software, which enables users to annotate, navigate and organise digital recordings and Captura Talk v2 mobile phone software, which converts text to speech from a digital photo taken on the phone. With its full-service approach to technology provision, re-adjust will suggest the necessary software, train the user how to operate it and provide continued support from its team of service experts. re-adjust provides strategy training for HR Managers and Senior Management Teams to help them implement inclusive policies and provides work place assessments to give individual, tailored solutions.

Dr Andi Sanderson, Lead Consultant at iansyst Ltd commented: “It is a fact that a happy workforce is a loyal workforce so by making the necessary changes to help support disabled employees; they will be more productive and more likely to stay with the company longer. Not receiving the necessary software and support is a definite cause of stress for disabled employees in the workplace and limits their potential. iansyst experts are always available to discuss how employers can support disabilities such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and visual impairment and will be at the show to offer guidance and support.”

For more information about iansyst Ltd and its range of software and technology, please contact Janine King, Director of Marketing and Innovation at iansyst, Tel: 01223 420 101; email janine.king@iansyst.co.uk; or visit the iansyst Ltd website: www.iansyst.co.uk / www.re-adjust.co.uk

Disability specialist iansyst Ltd (www.dyslexic.com/home-access) and XMA (www.xma4ha.co.uk) have partnered to provide assistive technologies, training and support to disabled students across Oldham and Suffolk eligible for the Government’s Home Access pilot.

It should be noted that the funding for this pilot scheme has now closed, however when the scheme is rolled out nationally there will be more opportunities for people to apply for the grant.

The funding marked the Government’s dedication to providing disabled young people with equal access to ICT, and forms part of a wider commitment to supply 5 to 18 year-olds from low income families with access to a computer and internet connectivity at home. Disabled students are encouraged to apply for this additional funding through their school or Local Authority.

Some 80% of disabled students eligible for the grant had a difficulty with reading or writing such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, general learning difficulties or a visual impairment. Current research demonstrates that ICT can be effective in helping students with literacy difficulties gain access to the curriculum and avoid falling behind; however, due to a lack of funding to date, technological assistance has largely been confined to the classroom. Through the Home Access pilot, iansyst and XMA were able to supply assistive technologies appropriately tailored to the individual needs of each student and provide the support they required to make good use of them.

Capturing information electronically can be the key to helping learners with literacy problems access and interact with the curriculum at home.  It gives students greater independence and alleviates many difficulties with reading, writing, organisation and memory skills.  Most important of all, the student can achieve immediate success which builds confidence. The provision of a computer and the internet at home also enables parents to get more involved in their child’s education and understand how to further support their learning, as well as to interact with web-based services and information in general.

Once identified, learners were assessed by the local authority with help where necessary from iansyst’s team of disability experts, who put together a package, personalised to their individual learning needs. The student was also provided with training and will receive additional ongoing support as required.

Ian Litterick, Executive Chairman at iansyst Ltd, comments: “In order to improve learning and help to bridge the digital divide, it is essential that disabled and dyslexic students have equal access to ICT at home and this is now achievable with personal assistive technology. For this technology to be truly beneficial however, students must be provided with adequate training and ongoing professional support which iansyst is dedicated to providing.”

XMA’s Commercial Director, Ash Merchant, said:  “We are delighted to be involved with the Home Access programme, which is being delivered by Becta.  1.5 million British school children have a special educational need such as Dyslexia and, if this pilot is successful, we are confident that we can improve the prospects of many children across the UK.

“We have over 20 years experience in the education market and we were one of the main suppliers of notebooks into schools under the Computers for Pupils initiative (CfP).  We have already delivered in excess of 40,000 notebooks into authorities such as Liverpool, Manchester, Blackburn with Darwen and Derby City over the last 24 months and we are looking forward to working with Becta again on this pilot programme.”

Stephen Crowne, Chief Executive of Becta said: “Ensuring learners with special educational needs are supported by the Home Access Programme is important, and credit must go to the hard work of our partners in achieving this. As part of Becta’s Next Generation Learning campaign, Home Access will help to ensure every learner has an equal chance to tap into the benefits of the internet and explore the important role that technology can play in our everyday life at home and school.”

The Home Access programme is due to roll-out nationally from late autumn 2009 with the overall vision of ensuring that all children aged 5 to 19 have access to a computer and internet connectivity at home by 2011.

Information regarding the assistive technology solutions available can be found here: Home Access products.

Additional Information:

iansyst Ltd provides advice, consultancy services and a wide range of assistive technology solutions, software and hardware, to help people with dyslexia and other disabilities.

iansyst is a registered supplier under the ‘One Stop Shop’ Service Level Agreement to provide equipment and services under the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA). This scheme is designed to help students in further and higher education.

XMA works closely with initiatives such as Computers for Pupils and the E-learning Foundation and is the contracted supplier for the majority of educational frameworks such as Catalist, CBC, ESPO, YPO, NNA and NPA.  XMA is a Becta Framework Infrastructure Supplier.

Cambridge based assistive technology expert, iansyst Ltd, has joined forces with ergonomic furniture specialists Posturite (UK) Ltd, enhancing its range of disability solutions to include specialist ergonomic furniture. Iansyst’s workplace customers now have a single route to expertise on disabilities ranging from dyslexia, visual impairment and musculoskeletal problems through iansyst’s workplace division ‘re-adjust’ (www.re-adjust.co.uk).

The re-adjust online one-stop-shop provides workplace guidance on providing assistive technologies, conforming to the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), up-to-date grant information and consultancy for employers with disabled employees. The partnership with Posturite will give customers access to an extended range of expertise, an extensive product portfolio ranging from dyslexia assistive software and individual assessments to ergonomic chairs and workstation accessories.

Posturite Ltd specialises in providing ergonomic solutions to the problems associated with work-related upper limb disorder (WRULDs), back pain, disability and musculo-skeletal issues. Its world-class portfolio of products include specialist seating, desks and workstation accessories designed to combat the worst effects of WRULDs and back pain and can prevent them from occurring altogether.

Working in harmony with iansyst’s full service approach to disability provision, Posturite experts will provide individual assessments to determine the most suitable ergonomic solution to fit the users’ needs.

Janine King, Director of Marketing and Innovation at iansyst Ltd said: “This new partnership will allow iansyst to provide a fully inclusive service to our customers. It is vital that the correct provisions are made in the workplace to support disabled employees and through our alliance with Posturite we have expanded our offering and can now ensure that all workplace needs are met.”

Ian Fletcher-Price, CEO of Posturite, commented: “We are delighted that we have been able to formalise a partnership arrangement with iansyst that will bring big benefits to both companies’ clients. Our businesses are complementary in many ways, so it makes perfect sense to develop a joint approach that will give each others’ customers access to additional expertise, services and products.

“Now we’ll be able to offer solutions for disabilities such as visual impairment or dyslexia in the same way that we do for musculoskeletal problems, and vice versa.”

For more information about iansyst Ltd, please contact Janine King at iansyst, Tel: 01223 420 101; email janine.king@iansyst.co.uk; or visit the iansyst Ltd website: www.iansyst.co.uk / www.re-adjust.co.uk.

For more information about Posturite, please telephone 0845 345 0010; email support@posturite.co.uk; or visit the Posturite website at www.posturite.co.uk.

UK students eligible for an ergonomic equipment award as part of their  Disabled Student’s Allowance (DSA) now have access to the latest ergonomic furniture from leading assistive technology experts, iansyst Ltd. Thanks to a newly-forged partnership with ergonomic solutions specialists Posturite (UK) Ltd, DSA students now have a single route to expertise and state-of-the-art technologies for disabilities ranging from dyslexia, visual impairment and musculoskeletal problems by going online at www.dyslexic.com.

The DSA is available for UK students with disabilities including dyslexia who are undertaking full-time courses in Higher Education. iansyst is a recognised supplier of the Quality Assurance Group (QAG) for the DSA and provides a one-stop shop of information, individual assessments and assistive technologies for all disabled students in the UK.

The partnership with Posturite will give students access to an extended range of expertise, an extensive product portfolio ranging from dyslexia-assistive software and individual assessments for ergonomic chairs and workstation accessories.

Posturite specialises in providing ergonomic solutions to the problems associated with work-related upper limb disorders (WRULDs) back pain, and musculoskeletal issues. Its world-class portfolio of products includes specialist seating, desks and workstation accessories designed to combat the worst effects of WRULDs and back pain and can prevent them from happening in the first place. Having the correct supportive furniture can help to increase comfort and productivity for students suffering from these symptoms.

Working in harmony with iansyst’s full-service approach to disability provision, Posturite experts will provide individual assessments to determine the most suitable ergonomic solution to fit the user’s needs.

Janine King, Director of Marketing and Innovation at iansyst Ltd said “This new partnership will allow iansyst to provide a fully inclusive service to DSA-eligible students. It is vital that the correct provisions are made to support disabled students, and through our alliance with Posturite we have expanded our offering to ensure that all needs are met.”

Ian Fletcher-Price, CEO of Posturite, commented: “We are delighted that we have been able to formalise a partnership arrangement with iansyst that will bring big benefits to both companies’ clients. Our businesses are complementary in many ways, so it makes perfect sense to develop a joint approach that will give each others’ customers access to additional expertise, services and products.

“Now we’ll be able to offer solutions for disabilities such as visual impairment or dyslexia in the same way that we do for musculoskeletal problems, and vice versa.”

For more information about iansyst Ltd, please contact Janine King at iansyst, Tel: 01223 420 101; email janine.king@iansyst.co.uk; or visit the iansyst Ltd website: www.iansyst.co.uk / www.dyslexic.com.

For more information about Posturite, please telephone 0845 345 0010; email support@posturite.co.uk; or visit the Posturite website at www.posturite.co.uk.

My experience so far with computers has been dismal. Previously, I have used an independent computer shop and also a major PC store, both with tragic results. I have found when problems have occurred, I have been let down badly and much time is wasted in trying to achieve a successful outcome, even when you are paying for so called business support.

iansyst have really delivered the goods in both people and equipment. Your ongoing support is truly the best I have ever experienced and I only want to deal with you in the future.

I really am so happy with iansyst and have great peace of mind knowing iansyst is there to support me; which is worth its weight in gold.”

Kind Regards

Alec

The programme content has been developed by disability specialists and will provide delegates with:

• Up to date information on disability legislation
• A greater understanding of disabilities within the workplace environment
• Ideas for corporate policy enhancements and types of effective reasonable adjustment
• A disabled employees case study
• Up to date knowledge on the positive impact new technologies can have to help disabled staff in the workplace

Key Speakers include:

Dr Andi Sanderson, a disability specialist has many years’ academic and practical experience. She can provide a thorough understanding of the disability legislation and the impact this has on the workplace.

Sharon Goldie, a disability specialist often undertakes workplace assessments to ensure disabled employees are better equipped to meet the demands of the workplace, so can advise you on these issues.

The seminars will be held:

• Thursday 30 April 2009 at The Grange Hotel, York
• Wednesday 20 May 2009 at Alexandra House, Swindon
• Thursday 11 June 2009 at The George Hotel, Edinburgh

For further information on seminar fees and how to book please email emma.banks@iansyst.co.uk.

The new-look website still contains a wealth of information regarding dyslexia best practice, but we have extended our advice to cover other disabilities such as visual impairment and dyspraxia.

Not only have we given the website a face-lift, we have added an extended range of products to our online shopping cart, making it even easier for you to make your reasonable adjustments.

The re-adjust team will be working hard to continually update the website, making sure that we offer the most up-to-date information on disability legislation and the latest technology and software to support employees in the work place.

The event will be held at the Nottingham Belfry Hotel. Please do come and visit us on our stand.

For more information on the event and venue, please go to the organisers’ website.

We are sponsoring and exhibiting at this event which takes place on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th May. Sharon Goldie, Educational Consultant at iansyst, will be running 2 workshops over the 2 days.

The event will be held at the Latimer Conference Centre, Latimer Place in Chesham, Buckinghamshire.

Please do come and visit our stand.

For more information on the event and venue please go to the organisers’ website

This is the UK’s leading event for HR and occupational health professionals, rehabilitation and therapy specialists, disability employment advisors, ergonomists and other professionals responsible for the environment, health and wellbeing of people at work.

The event takes place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham. We will be on Stand 89, so please do come and see us.

For more information on the event and venue, please visit the organisers’ website:

“Good to know what dyslexia really is and how it affects my day to day life, in fact it has been doing that for as long as I can remember.

It was difficult I found to get an assessment, correction, it was difficult to convince my employers to pay for an assessment, if I had been unemployed then I found accessing the support much easier, and if I had not been successful in getting to university I would suspect still running in circles. University were fab and not only completed the assessment but also made sure I have all the fabulous equipment to make things much more manageable. Dragon is fabulous highly recommend it, and I am having training as to how to use it properly. Computers are a foreign language to me, however persistence pays off and I am now on line and finding my way around.

If you think you may have dyslexia, get support, don’t be scared, we are definitely not stupid, the wiring in our brains is just that wee bit different. I am going to complete my degree and who knows what next.”

We wish you well LM.

Alistair L, part-time student, Perth College UHI

Read the full press release here.

iansyst have been sufficiently impressed by WordSmart to get involved with Learnsmart Software Limited in the development of the software, drawing on their expertise as SEN assistive technology consultants to review the product and advise on modifications.

Read the full press release here.

Read the full press release here.

iansyst Ltd has launched a new website www.capturatalk.com to provide all the latest information on CapturaTalk, a revolutionary new windows mobile phone solution for people with reading difficulties. Read the press release here.

iansyst’s educational consultant Sharon Goldie is offering dyslexia guidance to teachers during Northern Ireland’s National Dyslexia Week and Right to Read Week. Read the full press release here.

Jean Hutchins is one of the most passionate believers of assistive technology to help children with dyslexia learn to read and write. Understanding the enormous potential of computers in the classroom and the home, Jean helped form the BDA Computer Committee in 1985 (British Dyslexia Association).

iansyst were proud to nominate Jean for her amazing achievements as a long term volunteer in helping people with dyslexia and were delighted when she received the Access-IT Use Awards for ‘an individual… that through their efforts, commitment and advocacy have advanced the availability of assistive technology to people with disabilities.’ We admire her commitment and have greatly valued her (often critical!) opinions over many years working on similiar objectives.

View the press pack here.

On the 25th October iansyst Ltd will be hosting a ‘Buddy Day’ in Edinburgh for new Assessors. To learn more about this set of free workshops read the press release.

At a ceremony in London on 18^th July, Jean received a plaque as finalist in the Access-IT Use Awards for “an individual . . . that through their efforts, commitment and advocacy have advanced the availability of assistive technology to people with disabilities.” iansyst is proud to have nominated Jean for this award. We hugely admire her commitment and have greatly valued her (often critical!) opinions over many years working on similiar objectives.

Jean Hutchins’ award citation for promoting assistive technology for dyslexia:

Jean Hutchins (72) became a founder of the British Dyslexia Association (B.D.A.) Computer Committee (now known as B.D.A. New Technologies Committee) in 1985. A teacher with immense experience and understanding of the condition, she is a true pioneer in the field of assistive technology. Jean recognised early on the enormous potential of computer software to help children with dyslexia to learn to read and write, and that computers had high educational value in the home as well as in the classroom. In 1986 Jean took over as chair of the BDA Computer Committee, a position which she held for nine years.

Jean has played a major role in the organisation of five national conferences on computers and dyslexia. She has also been responsible for organising and promoting B.D.A. stands at major educational exhibitions, including BETT, The Education Show and the London Special Educational Needs Exhibition. She has regularly participated in numerous educational training events delivering lectures and workshops.

Her experience is well established: as joint editor of the B.D.A. booklet series ‘Using Computers with Dyslexics’, published between 1990 – 98, she authored or co-authored almost half the titles which contained a wealth of invaluable, up-to-date information about software and strategies for using it effectively. At that time alternative sources of this information were rare and difficult to locate.
In recent years Jean has continued to contribute to the work of B.D.A.N.T.C. by managing the B.D.A. e-mall forums which enable members, local dyslexia associations and other educational organisations to share best practice and advice. She also keeps a ‘watching brief’ on other SEN forums, providing valuable responses to queries on dyslexia and sources of new information.
Jean has recently come out of retirement to:

• Rejoin B.D.A.N.T.C.;
• Organise B.D.A.’s presence at BETT and The Education Show;
• Support the B.D.A. through her expertise and historical knowledge of the subject;
• Help devise best practice policy and procedures to enable the BDA’s publications to be made accessible to people with a reading impairment;
• Continue running the B.D.A.Forum and B.D.A.Press, a dyslexia news service email list, as well as contributing regularly to a number of other email lists.

The difference Jean has made to the lives of dyslexic people:

Under her nine-year leadership of the B.D.A. Computer Committee, the committee established itself as a major national influence in education, and was regularly consulted by Becta (formerly the National Council for Educational Technology) and other national educational organisations.

The B.D.A. booklet series ‘Using Computers with Dyslexics’, for which Jean authored or co-authored almost half the titles in the series, sold over 2,000 copies annually on a non-profit basis.

Jean wrote and maintained computer information sheets, which became B.D.A. web pages, and which are now reviewed and revised by N.T.C. members. She edited the content of B.D.A. web from 1997 to 2002, making it suitable for those who read by listening, as well as for viewers.

Her enormous fund of knowledge about different types of software and ways of using it for the benefit of dyslexic children at school and in the home has enabled Jean to answer questions from teachers and parents, and to regularly advise developers of educational software on product improvement and enhancements. For instance in the early days when Texthelp Read and Write was establishing itself as the classic Assistive Technology tool for dyslexic people, she would go over every screen and function on new versions with a fine toothcomb, pointing out each inconsistency and each potential problem for a dyslexic user.

Her work with the B.D.A. is helping the organisation develop a policy enabling their publications to be accessible to people with a reading impairment. This could become a benchmark model for other organisations. She has worked closely on this policy development with William Ford, Chairman of the Birmingham Adult Dyslexia Group. William is a valued contributor to B.D.A. work as his limited literacy and reading ability means he is able to provide essential and constructive feedback from a very practical perspective. Jean is incredibly passionate about ensuring easy access for people with reading impairments and is tireless in continuing her work to improve this for William and others with dyslexia.
In conclusion, the work of Jean Hutchins has made one of the most important contributions in the field of I.C.T. and dyslexia in the U.K., and worthy of national recognition. She has brought a very practical and positive message to many thousands of teachers and parents and in so doing has made – and continues to make – a real difference to the lives of countless children.

Read the full press release.

At BETT in January 2008, iansyst will be revealing updates to their innovative products Audio Notetaker and CapturaTalk.

Read the full press release.

Read the press release here.

For more information on the event and venue, go to the organiser’s website.

For more information on the event and venue, go to the organiser’s website.

• File manager, enabling you to locate and manage your Audio Notetaker files and recordings. Keywords search tool takes you to the point you want within your Audio Notetaker files.
• Integrated spell checker.
• Easy-to-use facility to save a selection as a separate audio file.

To find out more about Audio Notetaker visit www.dyslexic.com/audio-notetaker. Exisiting customers can upgrade to latest version here.

When we hear so much about poor after service in the computer world your service is the tops. Thank you all from a very grateful OAP who is not very computer literate (but she is getting there) …”

Marjorie W

John Galloway, ICT/SEN Advisor

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1. UK dyslexia/special needs organisations;
2. Overseas/international dyslexia organisations;
3. General dyslexia resources;
4. Education resources for dyslexia;
5. Personal dyslexia websites;
6. Speech recognition and dictation;
7. Audio and electronic books;
8. Other products;
9. Dyslexia services.

UK dyslexia/special needs organisations:

The British Dyslexia Association: The BDA also run a very useful help line on 0118 966 8271 (UK) and is a good organisation for people to belong to if they are interested in dyslexia (especially if they are dyslexic). They publish a large number of handy leaflets. Some of these are on their website.

Dyslexia Scotland: has a particularly good database of advisors, researchers and institutions to do with dyslexia in Scotland.

Dyslexia Action who train a lot of teachers and provide assessment and tutorial help for dyslexic people, particularly children.

Dyslexia Research Trust in Oxford.

World of Dyslexia provides a range of information and resources to all of the various interest groups in the field of dyslexia. Includes information for parents and students, advice for dyslexic adults, teachers and classroom assistants and much more.

Overseas/international dyslexia organisations:

International Dyslexia Association - the approximate equivalent of the BDA in the USA.

World Dyslexia Network Foundation (WDNF) has information and checklists for dyslexia and is aimed at people using languages other than English or using English as a second language.

Dyslexia, The Gift Information and resources for Dyslexia is provided by the Davis Dyslexia Association.

LD Pride Online is another site focusing on the positive aspects of Learning Difficulties (which, in the USA, often encompasses dyslexia).

Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic provides books on cassette.

General dyslexia resources:

Abilitynet is a good source of information on disability and technology and offers downloads of numerous factsheets and skillsheets, as well as advice on customising your computer.

A Framework for Understanding Dyslexia can be found on the Department for Education and Skills website. It is aimed particularly at teachers at post-16 level. Resources include approaches and practical programmes as well as theoretical information. A hard copy is also available.

DyslexiaA2Z is a resource which is particularly good on some of the less “educational” approaches to dyslexia: vision, hearing, the brain, assessment and dietary supplements.

Dyslexics.org.uk has good information for parents on how to support their dyslexic children’s education, particularly for home educators.

Check the map Find all your learning disability services.

Dyslexic.com is our own site for general information on dyslexia, including SpLD resources and updates on the Right to Read Campaign.

Education resources for dyslexia:

The Technology for Disabilities Information Service builds on the work of the DIS in HE project. It is specifically aimed at HE, but is becoming an increasingly useful resource for people teaching or supporting students with disabilities.

BECTA and the National Grid for Learning conference area.

Healthcare professionals with dyslexia – also for healthcare students with dyslexia.

Dyslexiahelp aims to help teach dyslexic students, with useful tips and teaching ideas, free teaching materials and some useful links for teachers.

EmpTech is a comprehensive database of technology for disabilities, particularly aimed at users in education and the workplace.

Links for EFL Students and Teachers – although designed for learners of English, the resources on reading, writing and grammar are often relevant to dyslexic students. One day, time permitting, we may do our own version specifically for dyslexia.

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development have published an interesting analysis of the process of learning to read.

Speech recognition and dictation:

There is a useful and active speech recognition forum at SpeechComputing.com. There no longer seem to be any general, active speech recognition mailing lists, however, even from SpeechComputing.

Audio and electronic books:

The Listening Books is a subsidised service costing £70 per year (in 2006) for people who are diagnosed dyslexic (or blind or other people who need it) to have recorded tapes of books etc, including free postage. Calibre is another UK service.

Audible is a digital service where you download sound files (in several formats including MP3) to play on digital audio devices, including Palm, and Windows CE.

There are also: Audiobooksforfree (non-copyright works) and Bartleby (mostly out-of-copyright classics).

Project Gutenberg has a large collection of out of copyright electronic texts (etexts) in various formats. These are mostly older works whose copyright has expired.

Similarly the University of Virginia’s E-Book Library has 2,100 publicly-available e-books (April 2002) for Palm and MS Reader, including classic British and American fiction, major authors, children’s literature, the Bible, Shakespeare, American history, African-American documents, and much more. Plus 10,000 publicly accessible web e-texts.

Other Products:

Texthelp Systems, publishers of Read and Write and other software for people with dyslexia and other disabilities, for whom we are distributors.

Inspiration the publishers of Inspiration have examples, extra ideas for teachers and a newsletter.

Dyslexia services:

The Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre provides services for the dyslexic community including various types of assessments, eg for the Disabled Students’ Allowance, and tuition. The Centre also trains specialist teachers; runs shorts courses for teachers, parents and children; and conducts an annual conference.

Article last updated: 25/11/2009.