[Athen] Learning Ally

[Robert Beach]

Justin,

I'll insert my responses.

<J>

1.       Does your Disability Services office or university actively promote Learning Ally for use by students with alternative format accommodations? Why or why not?
<R>
I tell students about Learning Ally and Bookshare so they will know their options. I explain the difference in the formats they offer.

<J>

2.       Does your Disability Services office or university supply a Learning Ally membership to student with qualifying disabilities?
<R>
We have in the past paid for a student membership for the first year so they can try Learning Ally to see if it works. This is usually due to a financial hardship on the part of the student. If they like it and want to continue the membership, then they have to pay for it. If they do not want to continue the membership, then we provide books through other means.

<J>

3.       Does your Disability Services office or university have an institutional membership through Learning Ally?
<R>
No. I prefer students have their own. This helps them take responsibility for their own account and leaves me out of the loop. It also teaches them independence.

<J>
For some added context... We have about 200 students with alternative format accommodations, of which only around 10-15 have a visual disability. The remaining students have dyslexia, other learning disabilities, ADHD or physical disabilities.

<R>
Bookshare is a good resource for any student with a print related disability. As a student, they can get a free account. I've directed many students to that source and it has worked well for most of them.


Robert Lee Beach
Assistive Technology Specialist
Kansas City Kansas Community College
7250 State Avenue
Kansas City, KS  66112
Phone: 913-288-7671
Email: rbeach at kckcc.edu<mailto:rbeach at kckcc.edu>

From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Justin Romack
Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2017 1:26 PM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Subject: [Athen] Learning Ally

Sorry in advance for the cross posting...

Our Disability Services office is evaluating whether or not we should or need to hold an institutional membership with Learning Ally.

My questions to you are:


1.       Does your Disability Services office or university actively promote Learning Ally for use by students with alternative format accommodations? Why or why not?

2.       Does your Disability Services office or university supply a Learning Ally membership to student with qualifying disabilities?

3.       Does your Disability Services office or university have an institutional membership through Learning Ally?

For some added context... We have about 200 students with alternative format accommodations, of which only around 10-15 have a visual disability. The remaining students have dyslexia, other learning disabilities, ADHD or physical disabilities.

We've traditionally shared Learning Ally with our students, but I've found with better training and support using text-to-speech with quality e-text files - students are gravitating toward TTS options.

Any and all thoughts are welcomed!

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Justin Romack | Assistive Technology Coordinator
Disability Services | Texas A&M University
1224 TAMU | College Station, TX 77843-1224
ph: 979.845.1637 | justinr at disability.tamu.edu<mailto:justinr at disability.tamu.edu> | disability.tamu.edu
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DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS | One Division. One Mission.

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