Scratch
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#1 2007-05-19 06:48:20
- JaneBraybrook
- Scratcher
- Registered: 2007-05-19
- Posts: 1
Special Needs Accessibilty
I want to use Scratch with a group of teenage pupils with Special Needs. These include learning and physical disabilities. Are there any Teacher Controls for hiding commands that won't be required in early lessons, or changing the size, colour and contrast of the text?
I've tried it out with my son who has Cerebral Palsy and other Learning Disabilities. He has the basic concept (he's worked with Mindstorms before), but he's really struggling to read and enter text as it's so small, plus white on orange is very low contrast.
What about working with Switch Controls?
If I can adjust these things, I'd like to try Scratch out with my Friday IT group - I'm sure they'd love it.
Jane
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#2 2010-02-27 00:06:50
- billyedward
- Scratcher
- Registered: 2008-01-03
- Posts: 500+
Re: Special Needs Accessibilty
I couldn't agree more.
I have implemented a blind mode in Streak, if that is of interest.
Get it from streak.t35.com, and go to Shift+extras > enter blind mode.
I also know very well the aid required to assist in cerebral palsy victims, so I think that mobility alternatives (such as keyboard shortcuts) are imperative.
Does your son find the windows key board shortcuts to be useful?
I think that especially the tab to switch from one field to another is good... scratch does actually have this in some of the dialogs (such as the share one).
Hope this helps!
"I'd love to change the world, but they haven't released the source code yet."
Check out the latest version of Streak --> http://billy.scienceontheweb.net/Streak
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#3 2010-02-27 01:51:07
Re: Special Needs Accessibilty
billyedward wrote:
I couldn't agree more.
I have implemented a blind mode in Streak, if that is of interest.
Get it from streak.t35.com, and go to Shift+extras > enter blind mode.
I also know very well the aid required to assist in cerebral palsy victims, so I think that mobility alternatives (such as keyboard shortcuts) are imperative.
Does your son find the windows key board shortcuts to be useful?
I think that especially the tab to switch from one field to another is good... scratch does actually have this in some of the dialogs (such as the share one).
Hope this helps!
That was quite a bump. 
I'm taking a break from Scratch until 2.0 comes out. Any messages sent between then and now probably won't be read - sorry.
(Oct. 20, 2011)
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#4 2010-02-27 03:05:21
Re: Special Needs Accessibilty
Nice of you to add to the topic but this was about 3 years old without a reply.
My site Find someone post count. Click posts under username. Find number of pages. Times that by 40 for min and 60 for max and you have a rough estimate of post count.
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#6 2010-02-27 19:03:00
- billyedward
- Scratcher
- Registered: 2008-01-03
- Posts: 500+
Re: Special Needs Accessibilty
I know that it went for a while with no reply... however, it was posted when there were much fewer members on the forums.
Now, though, I think that this topic can get the recognition it deserves.
"I'd love to change the world, but they haven't released the source code yet."
Check out the latest version of Streak --> http://billy.scienceontheweb.net/Streak
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