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One for the techies here. Cloud Computing represents one of the most significant shifts in information technology many of us are likely to see in our lifetimes. Reaching the point where computing functions as a utility has great potential, promising innovations we cannot yet imagine. And yet, as seems inevitable in technological development, these benefits carry with them potential threats.

Top Threats to Cloud Computing is designed to provide the context to assist organizations in making educated risk management decisions regarding their cloud adoption strategies.

Image ‘cloud passing by’ by dsevilla from Flickr, used under Creative Commons

Our colleagues at the Regional Support Centre, Eastern have developed an open source tool called Maxos.

Maxos is combination of Xerte and Moodle which can be run from a USB drive. Xerte is an open source tool for creating accessible and inclusive learning objects and Moodle is an open source virtual learning environment (VLE). Becuase Maxos runs from a USB drive it allows learners to access learning content where and when they choose to do so.

The designers of Xerte at the University of Nottingham have worked very closely with JISC TechDis to ensure that the objects include a full range of accessibility features, allowing font sizes, colours and contrast to be adjustable by the user as well as providing audio support for those with impaired vision.

To find out more and download your free copy of Maxos select this link

Readability is a simple tool from the arc90 design group which can be added in to the bookmarks on your web browser. Once that’s done it makes reading on the web by removing the clutter from web pages leaving the simple unadorned text. Advertisers and others are sure not to like it, but where the pure message is important then this just might be the tool for the job.

Although YouTube has a world-wide appeal it has traditionally been unsuitable for people with cognitive difficulties and developmental delays. This is because the navigation buttons on the YouTube video window e.g., play, stop, slide bar, are difficult to access for people who use a switch system to access a computer.

However, Chris Heilmann a Yahoo web developer, has designed a new interface ‘Easy YouTube’ which provides an accessible way to search, load and play YouTube videos for a range of users, including those who use a swtich access system.

The Easy YouTube interface features large buttons, which are appropriate labelled, e.g., play, stop, forward etc, as well as an easy search and ‘load video’ facility. Easy YouTube is also accessible to screen readers for example JAWS, which will read aloud the labels on the navigation buttons.

To try out Easy YouTube select this link

If you’d like to catch up with some of the latest assistive technologies and how they can benefit learners with additional support needs then visit the latest section of the inclusion and access blog which focuses on technology.

Find out how portable magnifiers can magnify information from a distance to a whiteboard or data projector. Learn how recent technologies can support dyslexic learners to read information more clearly. Explore how blind computer users can access information using a screen reader and Braille display. Find out what a DAISY player is and why creating well-structured Word documents is an important feature to ensure accessible e-learning. From talking books, Braille readers to the accessible features in Word you’ll find something of interest.

To visit the Access and Inclusion blog select this link

A new resource by NASA allows blind and low vision users to access mathematical information such as equations, algebra, diagrams, and graphs. MathTrax provides textual illustrations allowing screen reading software such as JAWS to interpret and read a range of mathematical data.

Select this link to visit the MathTrax website