Assistive Tech on Google Chrome

    (Madison Przesmicki contribution post)

    Assistive technology can come in a variety of different formats, including physical and digital means. Assistive tech in physical spaces can be as low-tech as pencil grips for comfort grasping writing materials, or using communication boards for those who may have difficulty speaking or communicating. Technology used may be a bit higher tech or more expensive, as well, like the implementation of adaptive furniture, hearing aids, braille readers, and dictation (speech-to-text) software.

    While these are assisitive technologies one may see in a classroom or other physical space, there are also several technologies available to those online! There are also some tools that are already built into many computer interfaces. Chrome, in particular, has a large number of add-ons for visual and auditory assistance! A few examples are as follows. 

BeeLine Reader:

    Beeline Reader is a Chrome extension that recolors text on any given screen to reduce eye strain. It is ortiented to increase focus and increase reading speed, as well, by reducing the 'noise' of one color on a background. Users can pick from a variety of color-schemes, and the idea is that the gradual gradient across text is supposed to help your eyes 'flow' across the words. There is a free edition, as well as a low-cost subscription and a PDF reader. 

Google Docs Dark Mode:

    This is another Google Chrome extension, optimized particularly for the commonly-used writing program Google Docs. This technology has a similar goal to that of BeeLine in reducing eyestrain; you can use this extension to darken the background of your document, instead changing the black-text-on-white-background into white-text-on-black-background. This appearance is typically called 'dark mode,' and can be used to prevent your eyes from working too hard. It is free, and has an option to toggle it on or off for convencience. 

Dyslexia Friendly;

    This Chrome extension changes the display typeface on websites to 'OpenDyslexia,' a typeface specifically oriented to encourage smoother reading for those with dyslexia. Comic Sans is an alternative option. This technology also features a spacer, in which users can change the spacing between individual letters to their liking!

Focus To-Do;

    This Chrome extension primarily functions as a timer and task manager. It can help users break down otherwise overhwhelming or complex tasks into smaller sublists, and allows you to set up re-curring tasks and reminders. it provides statistics to help you visualize your goals! This extension also implements a timer for the 'Pomodoro Effect.' This is a studied practice in which anyone executing a task works for a 25-minute 'high focus' session, and then takes a 5 minute break. They can repeat this process until the task is done. Implementing a 5 minute break at 25 minute intervals has been show to help prevent burnout, increase information retention, and increase focus!