Jo-Anne works as the head merchandiser at a pharmacy in Invermere, and she helps out on the till when needed. In May, she had an illness which affected her hearing, something she is still recovering from.

“Because of the nerve damage, [problems with] balance, and hearing loss of my right ear, it has made my job difficult,” she shares.

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We’ve tested a variety of Math apps in the past and generally these apps focus on one or two functions or features. Today we are going to look at a collection of math learning apps that cover a wide variety of math topics. And while the mobile versions are available for iOS only, the web version of each app can easily be opened or installed on any operating system.

The Math Learning Center by Bridges in Mathematics offers a suite of completely free math apps and activities for students from pre-K to grade 5. The best way to access this collection is by going to www.mathlearningcenter.org/apps. From there, you can navigate the various apps and activities that are available.

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We’ve discussed a few different text-to-speech apps in the past, and while there are plenty of great choices for iOS users (Voice Dream Reader is a perfect example) many of those apps, including the one we just named, are not available for Android. So, in an attempt to identify some suitable text-to-speech alternatives for Android, we are going to look at an app that IS available for Android users.

Speech Central AI Voice Reader is a text-to-speech app that offers users a full app experience for free, with the caveat that the free version of the app limits your daily usage. And unlike many other apps that offer their pro versions on a subscription basis, Speech Central Pro is available for a more reasonable one-time purchase fee of $12.99 CDN.

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Gregory works full-time as a truck driver.

“I had almost no hearing in one ear, and limited hearing in my other, which made it difficult for my work, as well as safety,” he shares. “I need to hear my dispatch throughout the day, and what each mill I go into tells me where to go, and what is going on.”

His hearing aid practitioner referred him to WorkBC Assistive Technology Services for funding for the hearing aids he needed for work.

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Leanne works as a manager at a bookstore in the BC Interior. Her job involves taking care of the organization and upkeep of the store, customer service and sales, as well as stocking books.

“I have chronic pain, especially back pain, which makes it difficult for me to be on my feet for long periods, perform repetitive tasks, and bend and lift,” she shares.

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Linda develops and teaches a variety of personal development workshops for a retreat on the Gulf Islands.

“[I have a] hearing impairment, making it stressful and potentially reducing my effectiveness,” she shares. “My work includes working with intense emotions, and when people are emotional it is even more challenging to hear clearly what they are saying, and vital that I understand what they are saying.”

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Neil Squire has created a new funding opportunity for persons with disabilities in the Fredericton area.

The Neil Squire AT Fund was created to help support youth from grades one through twelve in acquiring new or refurbished assistive technology. Students from all types of school environments are encouraged to apply. This includes public, private, and home schools.

This fund will support households with a $75,000 or less annual household income and will be limited to a maximum of $1,000 in funding for each household.

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Tania-Lynn has been taking courses to upgrade her skills and achieve her career goals, while also working in retail. However, she was having difficulties hearing during her studies and while working.

The WorkBC Centre she was working with referred her to WorkBC Assistive Technology Services for help.

“The Assistive Technology Services Program was instrumental in helping me acquire the necessary hearing aids. Without the program, I would still be without hearing aids,” she shares. “These aids have also greatly assisted me in my courses, as being able to hear better has improved my overall learning experience.”

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School is starting once again, and on today’s episode we’re going to explore some brand-new apps, strategies, and technologies that we think would be especially useful to students in particular.

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The 2024-2025 school year is upon us, and we have plenty of new, accessible apps to review. If you have any suggestions or ideas about apps or products that you’d like us to cover, please send us an email at ta-atsupport@neilsquire.ca. We’ll even create one-pagers to explain specific app tools or functions by request. To see an example of some previous one-pagers that we’ve created, click here.

Today we are going to look at a mind mapping app. This relatively new tool is designed to help you visualize and organize your ideas in a digital space. And while the concept of mind mapping isn’t new in itself, the digitization of this concept is fairly new, and it has some great benefits for persons with disabilities.

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