Assistive Technology

I spent time this week working on my school newsletter on Assistive Technologies. I learned a lot about the various tools and resources available for users and institutions. I think the coolest thing I found was the Awesome Talking Library. (http://www.awesomelibrary.org/Awesome_Talking_Library.html) Although I haven't downloaded and played with the web browser myself I think that this is a great tool for both public and SLMS librarians.
As described on their website the Awesome Talking Library: "Awesome Talkster combines a browser, directory, search engine, and a text-to-voice technology. This allows you to select online text and have it read to you." This resource can help individuals with impaired vision, young children learning to read, or even individuals learning a new language. And best of all - it's FREE to download and only $10 for a CD-ROM. As for prices of other assistive technologies I was shocked at how expensive they could be. It could cost thousands of dollars for one piece of equipment!