ATMac

The sub-categories within “Assistive Tech Needs” divide the posts up according to which are relevant to which users. For example, a post about keyboard shortcuts won’t be very useful to somebody who can’t use a keyboard but will be very useful to somebody who can’t use a mouse.

OneThingToday looks like a great task manager to help you focus on what’s important today. Once you’ve used the calendar view to input your tasks, switch to the “Today” view to get a single box (optionally transparent) which floats on top of your workspace, constantly reminding you of what you’re working on.

A PDF to Word converter will only work on text-based PDFs, not image-based ones, but it’s very useful if there is a PDF that you need to convert back to a document format so you can edit it. AnyBizSoft is giving away free licenses via their Facebook page until August 8, 2010.

Amongst updates to the iMac series of computers, Apple yesterday announced an external bluetooth trackpad. This works exactly like the MacBook’s built-in multi-touch trackpad but has a working area of approximately 4.3 by 4.3 inches (11cm by 11cm). A full set of gestures, including the VoiceOver “trackpad as screen” gesture control are available.

Digit-Eyes uses your printer to print barcode labels which you can then associate with text or audio recordings. To read the labels back, you photograph the labels with your iPhone camera and then the iPhone will read the text or replay the audio for you.

Jane Farrall has constructed a great table listing all the important features about all the known assistive/adaptive communication (AAC) applications for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. She’s actively updating the table in response to feedback, this is a great resource for those looking for information about AAC out there.

New tutorials are available for the iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad AAC program Proloquo2Go. These cover an introduction to P2G, customising the appearance and content of Proloquo2Go, and some special topics such as making backups, modifying pronunciation, and customising the voices used.

Switching to the Dvorak keyboard layout doesn’t cost anything and can help you type more easily once you learn to use the layout. Here’s how to go about it using Mac OS X Snow Leopard.

Web designer Jamie Knight explains how he uses his iPhone and MacBook to help manage the difficulties that his autism causes. He talks about communication, organisation, and managing problem areas in his life.

Almost all of the newer Mac models come with the Apple Remote control, and they can be used for a surprising amount of your computing. So what’s available for those of us who have a Mac that didn’t come with a remote, or who need a different remote for accessibility? There’s a huge range that will have an option appropriate for almost any user, no matter your assistive technology needs.

PinPoint 3 is a program which puts a great animated or static graphic around your mouse pointer when you want it, so you can always locate the cursor. Great for people whose eyesight isn’t the best, or who have large or multiple screens.