AccessAbility Smyles

Music Festival with a difference

Posted on March 9, 2021 by AccessAbility Smyles

This is happening in May and sounds interesting as their is such a range of instrument makers for disabled people. Here is the link:-

https://makermusicfestival.com/

For more information about reallly creative and inventive stuff

http://www.drakemusic.org

Interface – a different way to make music!

Posted on March 9, 2021March 9, 2021 by AccessAbility Smyles

Went to an interesting accessible workshop this evening where they featured this website to play with

Give the interFACE to your friends and family

By clicking the buttons below you can easily share the InterFACE with your friends and family

https://interface.place/?metronome=false&backingTrack=false&clear=true&transparent=true&synch=true&debug=false&muted=false&duet=false&quantise=true&text=true&spectrogram=false&speak=true&midiChannel=all&fullscreen=true

Episode 56 – Browsealoud & Reachdeck

Posted on March 5, 2021March 6, 2021 by AccessAbility Smyles

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-hdq9a-fcb0cb
Browsealoud is an accessibility toolbar on your website making it more compliant to WCAG standards . Reachdeck analyses your website for WCAG compliance.

Online Conferencing by AccessAbility Solutions

Posted on February 28, 2021March 1, 2021 by AccessAbility Smyles

Putting on a large event online is quite a daunting task. Since Covid-19 I have been doing a lot of them and have picked up some valuable hints and tips on doing them. So much so that I would like to offer it to anyone out there who wants to put on an event. I can do the following for you:-

Setup an Eventbrite meeting with online Zoom plugin
Use of a Zoom Pro account with Otter.AI live transcription
Plan and advise on content and organisation of Breakout Rooms
Run and tech support the event giving peace of mind to you the organiser
Manage any access and running difficulties on the day.
Provide advice on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn posting for your event.

No event too small or too big. I can manage up to 500 attendees with my extended Pro account. I work in a professional and friendly manner. And my rates are reasonable based on an hourly rate. You only pay for the work I do for you.

To find out more and get a quote. Book an appointment with me through :-

Achieve Now

Posted on February 27, 2021 by AccessAbility Smyles

Caroline Bateman has a ton of useful resources that parents, pupils and teacher’s alike can benefit from. Why not take a click across to her Youtube Channel and find out more. Please take a look and subscribe to her channel.

Episode 55 – JAWS

Posted on February 26, 2021 by AccessAbility Smyles

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-qjkmj-fbf345
Screen Reader software from the blind and partially sighted

SEN Magazine

Posted on February 24, 2021 by AccessAbility Smyles

I was asked to contribute to this month’s edition of SEN Magazine. Please go over to https://senmagazine.co.uk/. Here is a direct link to the article. https://senmagazine.co.uk/sen-online/sen111/#p=47. Buy a subscription. It’s worth the money. There is a section on Assistive Technology with articles by Mark McCuster ( Texthelp) , Paul Doyle & Antony Ruck. Great source of information about Assistive Technology.

Episode 54 – Flamingo Chicks

Posted on February 15, 2021 by AccessAbility Smyles

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-5gmms-fac328
Inclusion through innovation and dance

Flamingo chicks

Posted on February 14, 2021 by AccessAbility Smyles

This is a highly innovative and imaginative website. Combining PE with different subjects under the guise of being a flamingo chicks. The graphics are superb and it involves eye-catching movement and interaction. Design for children with disabilities and using motivating themes this is a great workout for lockdown

Have you clicked “Media” on this page?

Posted on January 24, 2021February 14, 2021 by AccessAbility Smyles

Ever since Covid-19 began I have been doing a series of different media types. Go to https://aas123.com/media and check out the following:-

Techsavvy – weekly hints and tips for people who want to understand their technology better every Friday on my facebook page at 11:00am

The AT Show – weekly show on a Monday at around 2:30pm on Assistive Technology and news in this domain

The Smyles Podcast – weekly audio show on Assistive Technology.

All this shows are on my Youtube channel subscribe now at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbrthMa5uD-4UOdU9sFHBBg

Testimonies

“1’d like to give a shout out to Myles Pilling, BA,M.Ed. and encourage anyone who needs training and support around assistive tech to reach out to him directly. was lucky enough to have several hours of training with Myles thanks to my Access to Work grant. Myles’ training though? Well, it was closer to coaching than training. He didn’t assume. He asked me to show him what I did so he could offer refinements and tweaks.

But the most important thing Myles did was question why I was doing what I was doing; what was the benefit, why was it needed, and if it was what was the most effective way of doing it? No more ‘stick a tech plaster on a Luddite broken leg’ – instead Myles helped me work most effectively with my tech, by helping me figure out when and how I needed it. The absolute best bit? Thanks to working with Myles, I never ever need to do filing again.

Seriously. Never.

Myles helped me set up a system that I would likely never have discovered without him, that allows my work to be recorded and autosaved without a single follow up step.” Leah , Consultant , Search for Serenity

“Accessibility Smyles continues to serve up timely information about the latest and best technology for individuals with unique needs. Always pleased to receive these helpful resources with related links. I share them with parents, educators and others who serve the many with reading and learning challenges. (Thank you, Myles!)” – Jean

“I’ve known Myles for many years, he’s my go-to expert for all this Accessibility, so much so that he’s our resident expert at Anderton Tiger Radio. Whenever we feature this topic he’s always there with excellent advice and guidance, in fact you can listen to him again here from our January radio show https://www.buzzsprout.com/695014/2586430-myles-pilling-talks-about-technologies-for-send-that-have-caught-his-eye-at-bett-2020 Highly recommended, Myles is most definitely one of the top 5 experts in his field in the UK” – Russell Prue, Anderson Tiger

“After one of your recent training sessions, I visited your Techsavvy session and discovered the virtual tour guides. A a result my husband and I enjoyed a splendid trip to Edinburgh. A city I have avoided for a number of years due to its challenges for a wheelchair user due to its very steep streets and cobbles. I think the sessions you have posted are really good and I hoped you would be happy if I suggested these to clients, I am assisting in my volunteering journey. I am also liaising with a local charity who are trying to encourage their older members and I think they too could benefit from your regular hints and tips so would like to suggest they pass on the Techsavvy links. You really are an inspiration.” –

Heather Sneddon

South West Scotland Coordinator , AbilityNet