We were thrilled to be invited to introduce our Access Navigator app on the Assistive Technology Update podcast, produced by Easterseals Crossroads. Team member Erik Jakobs talked with Josh Anderson – check it out here: ATU754 – Access Navigator with Erik Jakobs.
Many thanks to Easterseals Crossroads for this opportunity! They produce an AT-related podcast every week. See their podcast library for a listing of all of their podcasts to date. You can also get the podcast on the usual podcast services.
What is Access Navigator?
The purpose of Access Navigator is to help AT teams and individuals with physical disabilities identify efficient, accurate, and desired access methods, for devices like laptops, tablets, smartphones, and SGDs (speech-generating devices).
It supports a structured assessment process, including 4 main sections:
- Gather information
- Evaluate abilities
- Test-drive solutions
- Make informed decisions
And it includes all types of access methods, such as typing, speech, eye tracking, head-controlled mice, switches, even no-tech methods.
How can I use it?
Access Navigator is an app that runs in any browser, on any device, such as a laptop or tablet. It’s completely free and available at accessnavigator.org. Access Nav also includes helpful resources, as well as printable forms for the assessment process, to use when you prefer paper-and-pencil during an assessment. View the resources page in the app (https://accessnavigator.org/static/resources) to see a short demo video.
For help with Access Navigator
If you have any questions as you get started with Access Navigator, please contact project lead Heidi Koester at hhk@kpronline.com. We hope you’ll find the app useful in your own work, and worth sharing with colleagues and people with physical disabilities who need alternative access.
About us
KPR developed Access Navigator with colleagues Erik Jakobs, Susan Fager, Jessica Gormley, and Tabatha Sorenson, as a project within the RERC on AAC. The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Augmentative and Alternative Communication is a collaborative center committed to advancing knowledge and producing innovative engineering solutions in AAC. The projects address developmental and acquired disabilities across the life span. The RERC on AAC is supported by a five-year grant from NIDILRR (the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research in the U.S.). Dr. Janice Light from Penn State University is the Principal Investigator. Visit https://rerc-aac.psu.edu for more.
For more background on Access Navigator
Here are a few previous blog posts on the project:
- Access Assistant – a new KPR project funded by NIDILRR
- Designing an app for alternative access assessments
- Request for participants – try our Access Navigator app
- Review article: Supporting effective alternative access for individuals with physical disabilities
- Introducing Access Navigator 1.0 – to support decision-making for alternative access
Thanks for reading! Give Access Navigator a try!