AppWriter, an IPad text editor, serving those with reading & writing disabilities.

EdRev (Education Revolution) in April, produced by Parents Education Network, had a new focus: technology.  Among the many products being displayed was AppWriter developed in Denmark. They claim this is the first text editor for the iPad offering users of all ages with reading and writing disabilites the necessary tools for unlocking a world of information. All tools are seamlessly integrated and comprise text-to-speech, context based word suggestions, OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and the special Dyslexic-font.  Below is listed some of the App’s attributes. (Content from their website.)  I thought this product worth mentioning because it combines many different tools.  Sadly, it’s limited to just the IPad.

No Wifi or 3G

There is no need for Wifi or 3G access. Everything is embedded in AppWriter and runs directly on the iPad.

Read Aloud

The App offers high quality synthetic voices to ensure a great user experience. All menus and buttons are read aloud. And, one can choose between different reading strategies:

  • Read from cursor position
  • Read selection of text
  • Words and letters can be spoken      back as you type.

Visual tools highlight the text as it is being read aloud.

Word Prediction

Word prediction enables you to develop your writing skills by providing the tools to construct sentences with ease. Context based word suggestions will allow you to produce high quality work and reduce the time it takes to do so. AppWriter predicts the word you want to use next. This means that you will be less likely to make grammatical or spelling errors. Word prediction is available with the ability to hear each word before selection.

OCR

The powerful Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology in AppWriter means that any paper document or image becomes accessible. Through the integration of Mobile OCRKit, textbooks, photocopies and handouts are easily converted into text documents. The text can be spoken out loud by AppWriter with color highlighting or edited.

Please note that good OCR results require the new iPad.

File Management

How do you manage the created document? It can be emailed, copied to clipboard for use in another app or exported to Dropbox or Google Docs.

Font

The Dyslexie font is another great feature in AppWriter. The specific characteristics of the Dyslexie font make it easier for people with dyslexia to distinguish the individual letters. This reduces the number of reading errors as well as the effort it takes to read the text.

To learn more

Go to:  http://lingapps.com/apps/appwriter.  They are also on Facebook and Twitter.

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