Training Resources
Resources to improve skills in accessing the web
Contributed by the Disability Access Consultant, State Library of NSW.
Learning to use the Web
Never used a computer, let alone a keyboard or a mouse? Then the following interactive online tutorials could be useful in learning to move around the computer and to obtain information from the Internet.
First steps to using the web - This tutorial discusses the major protocols that make up the Web, the makeup of URLs, browsers and plug-ins, multimedia, Web programming languages and more First steps
Mousercise - The animated mouse takes you through several steps - using the mouse to click on numbers moves you on to new screens; the numbers appear in different parts of the screen, get smaller in size and get jumbled with other numbers. The later screens contain radio and check boxes, drop down menus and end in a short test involving cutting and pasting answers to edit boxes. Mousercise
Computer mouse and keyboard tutorial - This tutorial covers the range of features which are likely to be found on the Internet. It starts with clicking on text and graphical links through to use of radio and check buttons, drop down and scroll bar menus, and cutting and pasting text. Tutorial
Parts of the keyboard - Click on parts of the keyboard for a description of the keys in that area of the keyboard.Keyboard
Learning to type - The KP Typing Tutor requires the library to download and install the program, which is free of charge. This tutorial teaches touch typing of the alphabetic and numeric keys with an onscreen graphical keyboard which highlights the finger and key to type, includes typing tests, drills and games. Learn to type
Listening to the webListening to the web can be an enjoyable experience if you have difficulty in following text on a computer screen for long periods of time. Libraries often have fast Internet connections which can make listening to the web more efficient.
The following are a few Internet sites which enable you to sit back and listen to stories, interviews or other information. Many other sites, such as newspapers, have real audio content as part of their Websites. The term 'real audio' relates to a human voice narration as you may have experienced listening to a talking book on tape. The use of real audio requires the library to load an appropriate audio player that can be downloaded for free.
Listen to recorded interviews from ABC which offer a range of topic areas including health, politics, human interest and gardening.
Assistive Media provides a range of real audio narrations of articles from a range of American publications such as Vanity Fair and The New Yorker.
Wired for books contains a large number of real audio poetry readings, book extracts and interviews with well-known authors.
Readplease 2003 is a freeware program that will need to be downloaded and installed by the library. By a process of cutting and pasting text from your email, the Internet or other sources can be read out loud. The words will be highlighted as spoken. While this is not a real voice it is realistic enough to provide comfortable reading. This is certainly the case if following text on a computer screen may otherwise be difficult. Size of text and color of highlight can be changed to meet individual needs.
Your local public library may also have alternative keyboards, mouses and other options, which may be useful, if you have limited movement in your hands or poor eyesight.
A list of adaptive technology in NSW public libraries can be found at the State Library of NSW Disability Access Service
