Students sitting at desk with a laptop

Inclusive and Assistive Technology Tools

Technology resources for accessible classrooms.

Tools to Support All Learners

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn.  Explore these quick and easy school based resources that can facilitate learning in FCPSOn, Strategies for Success and other classrooms for diverse students.

In FCPS, we believe that each student is entitled to an excellent education that meets his or her individual needs. Providing closed captions, whether live or recorded, enables students with hearing loss and other needs to access instructional materials. Whatever your classroom setting, there are multiple captioning tools that you can use to ensure that all your students are able to access learning.

If you are interested in learning about the benefits of captions and an overview of tools available within FCPS, check out this 30 minute open captioned session from the 2021 Special Education Conference - Who Needs Captions Anyway?

Tips for Accurate Captioning

Real-time and automatic captions refer to captions that are created using automated speech recognition (ASR). Current ASR technology is far more accurate than in the past. However, errors will occur, which can impact learning. To the greatest extent possible, videos you share with students should be accurately captioned to ensure access to learning.

In order to produce the most accurate captions for your class lectures or videos, note the following suggestions:

  • Speak at a normal pace - not fast, not slow.
  • Speak clearly - make sure to articulate all the speech sounds so the computer recognizes all of your words.
  • It may improve accuracy to use a headset with a microphone attached instead of the computer microphone.

If you are not sure if your student is ready to access live or recorded captions, VDOE has a Captioning and Transcribing Readiness Checklist to help you decide. The link will auto-download a Word document.

Captioning Tools

Captions for Recorded Media

YouTube - YouTube captions are available on videos where the owner has added them and on some videos where YouTube automatically adds them. Auto-generated captions should be reviewed for accuracy.

Live Captions

Captions in Video Conferencing Platforms

Zoom - Zoom video conferencing allows for auto-generated captions. The meeting host must enable them, then participants can click the "cc" button at the bottom of the screen to activate them. 

For further information or assistance with these tools, please contact: 

  • Kahoot! 
    A game based learning platform to create, play and share learning games with students. Staff should login with their FCPS Google account.
  • Padlet 
    An easy to use online tool to construct boards that can be used to collaborate and communicate with students. This site requires parent permission for anyone under the 13 years of age to use. Students and staff should login with their FCPS Google account.
  • Quizlet 
    Quizlet makes simple learning tools that let you study anything, including flashcards, games and other learning tools. Students and staff should login with their FCPS Google account.
  • Wizer.me 
    Use Wizer.me on any device to create interactive worksheets with choices to embed video, text, and images. There are many options to sort, reflect, comment, discuss, and make choices on the worksheets you create. Choose from the "community" for worksheets on various topics. The site requires parent permission for anyone under 13 years of age to use. Students and staff should login with their FCPS Google account.
  • Pear Deck 
    Pear Deck is a resource for creating interactive presentations with formative assessment elements. Pear Deck is integrated with G Suite. Teachers and students log into Pear Deck with their fcpsschools.net username and password. 
  • Using a Split Screen in Windows 
    If it is necessary to view information in more than one window on a computer screen, using a split screen showing two windows can help. A split screen can help you view two pieces of information at the same time, work in one window while looking at information in another window, watching closed captions in one window and instruction in another, or watching an interpreter/transliterator in one window and instruction in another. Video Tutorial: How to Split Your Windows Computer Screen

Tools to Support Special Education Instruction

These technology tools and resources support students with disabilities who receive category B services within FCPS and access special education instruction in various classroom settings. Special education services for students receiving category B services are designed for students with low incidence disabilities who exhibit moderate to significant delays in the areas of language, communication, cognition, socialization, and adaptive functioning that impact their ability to demonstrate progress in the general curriculum. A continuum of technology tools, from low-tech to high-tech, is used to support the unique needs of our students with disabilities and to provide various accommodations that may be beneficial for use in the classroom and at home.

Visual supports can be used in the educational and home environment to help clarify verbal information, encourage child initiation, support behavior management and maintain and direct attention. Visual supports can be used to help with choice-making, directions, schedules, and behavioral expectations. They can be objects, photographs, pictures, line drawings or other items. 

For additional information on visual supports and strategies, check out these resources: 

  • Number Frames 
    Number frames are grids that can be used with manipulatives to learn math concepts such as counting, addition, or subtraction. Frames help students to see quantities as equal groups and can help students better understand math functions and number relationships.
  • Math Mat
    Math mats are quick reference sheets that display key information such as number lines, shapes, 100’s table, money and math symbols on one sheet. They aid in student independence and can be catered to different grade levels and abilities. 
  • Graph Paper
    Gridded graph paper can help students to line up numbers when completing math problems.

  • Slanted Writing Surface
    Some students may benefit from having slanted surfaces to write on. This can be accomplished using binders with binder clips or slant boards. 
  • Adapted Paper
    Paper adaptations can be helpful for students with writing challenges. These can include different colored or highlighted lines, bigger spaces or raised lines. Video Tutorial on Adapted Paper
  • Pencil Grips
    Pencil grips assist a student in maintaining a proper grip when writing. Grips can also be helpful in reducing fatigue or discomfort when writing. Video Tutorial on Pencil Grips

  • Tar Heel Reader 
    Resource website of free, easy-to-read, accessible books on a wide range of topics. Each book can be speech enabled and accessed by touch, mouse, switch, or eye gaze. To enable speech, choose a book to read, click the gear icon in the top right corner, and then select your speech preference.
  • Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities 
    Resource library with adapted literature for students with disabilities.
  • Social Stories
    Social stories are used to teach students coping strategies and social skills using simple language and visuals. Social stories can be personalized to the student by using photos of themselves or their classroom/home to aid in comprehension. Video Tutorial on How to Create a Social Story
  • Social Stories Library 
    This website provides a variety of social stories, such as school routines, emotions and friendships. These social stories are downloaded to Microsoft Word and can be adapted to meet your child's needs.

  • Accessible YouTube 
    Accessible YouTube allows a user to use switches to navigate videos and playlists. Once someone has typed in a topic of interest to perform the initial YouTube video search, the user can use their switch to play, stop, pause or see similar videos related to the topic of interest. 
  • Tar Heel Gameplay 
    Resource website of free, easy-to-play, accessible games. Each game is speech enabled and may be accessed via touch, mouse, switch, or eye gaze. You can create your own games using videos from YouTube.

Tools and Resources for Computer Access

Alternative computer access includes tools and settings which make it easier for users with a variety of disabilities to access their computers more independently. Alternative access computer methods include touch, switch, mouse, and eye gaze. 

  • Ease of Access
    Ease of Access is a Windows feature that helps make your computer more accessible based on a user's individual needs. 
  • Full Screen Mode 
    Use the F11 key on your computer keyboard to switch to full screen view on your windows computer when using a web browser. Full screen mode may help focus attention and/or prevent mouse misclicks. Full screen mode works in most web browsers. Video Tutorial on How to Use Full Screen Mode
  • Pointer Size
    Changing the mouse pointer size may help with visibility and to focus attention on the screen.
  • Mouse Settings
    You can change how the buttons and pointer on the mouse function to meet a user's individual needs. 
  • On-screen Keyboard
    Windows has a built-in Ease of Access tool called the On-screen Keyboard that can be used instead of a physical keyboard. You don't need a touchscreen to use the On-screen Keyboard. Use the mouse or other input device to select keys. 
  • Filter Keys 
    Filter keys is a setting which tells your computer to ignore brief or repeated key presses. Filter keys allows you to set the time a key is pressed before it repeats.
  • Magnifier Reading 
    Magnifier reading is built into the Windows operating system starting with Windows 10. Students can use the Magnifier reader to listen to selectable text on web pages and web applications such as Google Docs.

  • Select-to-speak 
    You can hear full pages read aloud with Chromebook’s built-in screen reader. You can hear parts of a page, including specific words, read aloud with Select-to-speak.
  • Screen Reader 
    Chromebooks have a built-in screen reader called ChromeVox, which enables people with visual impairments to use the Chrome operating system.
  • Dictation 
    Type text with your voice. You can hear full pages read aloud with Chromebook’s built-in screen reader. You can hear parts of a page, including specific words, read aloud with Select-to-speak.
  • Display
    Enable color filters for protanopia, deuteranopia, or tritanopia, or view the display in grayscale with Color correction, turn on Color inversion mode, turn on the screen magnifier, and change screen resolution or text size.
  • Keyboard
    Turn on sticky keys, on-screen keyboard, keyboard focus highlighting, keyboard repeat rate, or word prediction.
  • Mouse and Touchpad
    Turn on navigation buttons in tablet mode, automatic clicking, tap dragging, cursor highlighting, or change the cursor's size or color.
  • Chrome Live Caption 
    You can use Live Caption to automatically create real-time captions for any audio or video you play on your Chrome browser.

A switch is an assistive technology device that offers an alternate way to interact with a computer, communication device, appliance controller, or switch adapted toys.

  • Ianbean 
    Resource website with hundreds of fun, accessible activities. Activities can be accessed via touch, mouse, switch, or eye gaze. This website requires you to register for an account with an email address to access their free resources. FCPS staff and student email addresses should not be used to register for an account.
  • Tar Heel Reader 
    Resource website of free, easy-to-read, accessible books on a wide range of topics. Each book can be speech enabled and accessed by touch, mouse, switch, or eye gaze. To enable speech, choose a book to read, click the gear icon in the top right corner, and then select your speech preference.
  • Tar Heel Gameplay 
    Resource website of free, easy-to-play, accessible games. Each game is speech enabled and may be accessed via touch, mouse, switch, or eye gaze. You can create your own games using videos from YouTube.
  • Papunet 
    Resource website of touch, mouse, switch, and eye gaze accessible activities. 
  • SEN Switcher 
    Resource website of 15 introductory touch, mouse, switch and eye gaze activities that encourage user interaction with the computer. Each activity can be customized to the user's needs. This website requires you to register for an account with an email address to access their free resources. FCPS staff and student email addresses should not be used to register for an account.
  • Chrome Music Lab
    Resource website of touch, mouse, and eye gaze accessible musical experiments. 

Eye Gaze Computer Access

Tobii Eye Tracker 4C 
An eye tracker is a peripheral that allows a computer to be accessed via eye gaze. The Tobii Eye Tracker 4C is a low-cost precise eye tracker that attaches to a computer via a USB cable.

Tobii Gaze Point Eye Control Software
Tobii Gaze Point is a free software that allows the user to control the mouse cursor and to make single mouse clicks using their eyes.

Windows 10 Eye Control - Eye control is a setting on Windows 10 computers (version 1709 or higher) which allows users to control and use their computers with the movement of their eyes. Windows 10 Eye Control is used in conjunction with an eye tracking device. It currently supports several Tobii eye trackers.

Tools to Support Students with Reading Difficulties

In the video below, meet Emmy, a student at Poplar Tree ES, who struggled with dyslexia early in her elementary years. With encouragement from her parents and a team of specialists and teachers, Emmy found an assistive technology tool that worked best for her learning style.

Dyslexia information and online training for families Accessible Educational Materials

There are many simple adjustments that can be made in Microsoft Word and Google Docs that may help with the readability of documents for students with reading difficulties.

The font in which text is presented can make a difference in how well students are able to differentiate among letters. Fonts that have distinct shapes and minimize extra flourishes tend to be easier for students to read, such as sans-serif fonts. Learn how to change the font in Microsoft Word and change the font in Google Docs.

There are also free fonts available that have been designed specifically for increased readability. 

Text-to-speech readers convert text on a computer screen to spoken words to be read aloud to a student. 

  • Text Compactor
    Text Compactor is a free online text summarizer. After typing or pasting text into the provided text box, the user can select the percentage of summarization. Text compactor will provide a summary of the text that could then be read aloud by a separate screen reader, such as Natural Reader.
  • Rewordify 
    Rewordify is an online tool that will simplify text. Words that are simplified are highlighted on the screen. The user can click on the highlighted words to see and hear the original word.  

Tools to Support Executive Functioning Skills

In order to manage tasks and succeed in goal-directed activities, executive function skills are required. Most academic tasks require students to coordinate and integrate many different skills. Weaknesses in executive function skills may have a significant impact on the accuracy and efficiency of students’ performance. Many different technologies can be used to facilitate executive functioning skills. 

Materials management skills include the ability to keep one’s workspace, play areas, and materials orderly. Students must also understand what materials are needed and be able to readily find and utilize what is needed for a task.

Information management skills assess a student’s ability to come up with the steps needed to reach a goal and to decide their order of importance. Students with weak planning and prioritizing skills may not know how to start planning a project, may be easily overwhelmed trying to break tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks, and they may have trouble seeing the main idea.

  • G Suite for Education 
    G Suite for Education is an integrated communication and collaboration solution, hosted by Google and managed by FCPS. G Suite for Education was formerly known as Google Apps for Education. G Suite for Education includes the following apps for students: Calendar, Classroom, Contacts, Draw, Drive, Docs, Keep, Forms, Mail, Sheets, Slides, Sites, and Tasks.  To access FCPS G Suite for Education, students and staff must login with their fcpsschools.net username and password. 
  • Google Docs Tables-to-Text Graphic Organizer 
    Use a table as a graphic organizer for students to easily organize brainstormed ideas. A simple copy and paste strategy will then allow paragraph and sentence construction. Video Tutorial on Google Docs Tables-to-Text Graphic Organizer
  • Google Draw Graphic Organizer 
    Google Draw is an online tool within FCPS G Suite for Education. Use Google Draw to create a graphic organizer as a pre-writing strategy to help organize thoughts and ideas. Once you have created a Google Drawing as a graphic organizer, it will insert into a Google Doc and can be edited as needed. Students can then create a written draft from their ideas in the graphic organizer. Video Tutorial on How to Create a Graphic Organizer in Google Draw
  • Immersive Reader 
    Immersive reader is a free tool from Microsoft that uses proven techniques to help improve reading.  The program reads text aloud, spaces words, breaks down syllables and parts of speech.  It also translates, provides, definitions and pictures and visually simplifies the page.  It can be used in many programs such as Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Word, One Note and Excel.
  • Mozilla Firefox Reader View 
    Mozilla Firefox Reader View is a Mozilla Firefox web browser feature that removes distractions, ads, and background images for better readability of web page content. Mozilla Firefox Reader View allows user to customize settings to fit their reading preferences.
  • Flipgrid 
    Provides an online platform where students can collaborate and build projects with online video. The site requires parent permission for anyone under 13 years of age to use. Students and staff should login with their FCPS Google account. 
  • Kahoot! 
    A game based learning platform to create, play and share learning games with students. Staff should login with their FCPS Google account.
  • Padlet 
    An easy to use online tool to construct boards that can be used to collaborate and communicate with students. This site requires parent permission for anyone under the 13 years of age to use. Students and staff should login with their FCPS Google account.
  • Quizlet 
    Quizlet makes simple learning tools that let you study anything, including flashcards, games and other learning tools. Students and staff should login with their FCPS Google account.
  • Wizer.me 
    Use Wizer.me on any device to create interactive worksheets with choices to embed video, text, and images. There are many options to sort, reflect, comment, discuss, and make choices on the worksheets you create. Choose from the "community" for worksheets on various topics. The site requires parent permission for anyone under 13 years of age to use. Students and staff should login with their FCPS Google account.
  • Pear Deck 
    Pear Deck is a resource for creating interactive presentations with formative assessment elements. Pear Deck is integrated with G Suite. Teachers and students log into Pear Deck with their fcpsschools.net username and password.
  • ReWordify 
    ReWordify is an online tool that simplifies difficult text.
  • Text Compactor
     Text Compactor is a free online text summarizer.  After pasting text into the provided box, the user can select the percentage of summarization.  The program will then provide a summary of the text which includes the chosen percentage of the original text.  The summarized text could then be read aloud by a separate screen reader. 

Self-management skills are the mental processes that enable us to plan, set priorities and resist impulsive actions or responses. A student needs to sort through a constant stream of sensory information and needs to employ self-regulation strategies to monitor and regulate one’s thinking, attention, behavior, emotions, and social interactions.

  • Self-Check Behavior Checklist 
    Self-Check Behavior Checklist Maker is a free application that allows teachers to quickly create checklists that students can use to monitor their behavior in the classroom.
  • Low-Tech Strategy Cards 
    Create cards that illustrate strategies that can be used when a student feels that they are losing control. These cards can be used as a visual reminder to help students make better self-management decisions. Printable Picture Cards
  • Social Stories 
    Social stories are used to teach students coping strategies and social skills using simple language and visuals. Social stories can be personalized to the student by using photos of themselves or their classroom/home to aid in comprehension. Video Tutorial on How to Create a Social Story
  • Social Stories Library
    This website provides a variety of social stories, such as school routines, emotions and friendships. These social stories are downloaded to Microsoft Word and can be adapted to meet your child's needs.
  • Book Creator 
    This app can be used to create books with pictures, sound, text, and video. This app can be used to create social stories to support students who struggle with responding appropriately to social situations. Available for iOS, Android, and Windows. 
  • Video Modeling 
    Video modeling is a teaching strategy where a student watches a video of someone doing an appropriate behavior/skill and then imitates the behavior/skilled that they watched. Video modeling encourages independence and consistency in teaching an appropriate behavior or skill. Video Tutorial on Visual Supports at Home: Video Modeling
  • IRIS Center 
    A national center dedicated to improving education outcomes for all children, especially those with disabilities birth through age twenty-one, through the use of effective evidence-based practices and interventions. Helping Students Become Independent Learners
  • GoNoodle 
    This is a website that helps teachers and parents get kids moving with short interactive activities. Desk-side movement helps kids achieve more by keeping them engaged and motivated throughout the day. There is a range of activities to help calm behaviors, relieve anxiety, release excess energy, etc. 
  • Breathe, Think, Do 
    This is a resource app for you to share with your child to help teach skills such as problem solving, self-control, planning, and task persistence. Models deep breathing and calming activities using a friendly monster. 

Time management skills are essential for a child’s success at school. It allows a child to complete tasks in a timely manner. To have strong time management skills, a student should estimate the time necessary to finish tasks and make and follow a schedule. Time management involves a child monitoring their own effort and actions, having an appropriate sense of urgency to complete assignments, and having the ability to follow step-by-step procedures.

For additional information on executive function and to experience what it may be like for your child with attention and learning difficulties, please visit Through Your Child's Eyes.

A laptop with a mouse and headphones

Learning Tools for Deaf and Sight Impaired

Technology support videos available in American Sign Language (ASL), Cued Speech, and Spanish from FCPS Hearing and Vision Services. These resources support students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing or Blind/Visually Impaired.