The aim of this newsletter is to inform you of developments and changes to our major products eLr (Extra Language Resources) and EIA (Enhancing Internet Access). We welcome the opportunity for feedback and questions, and will be pleased to consider including reader contributions and announcements.
This Newsletter (and previous editions) is available online at http://www.elr.com.au/news and an email version is sent monthly to members of our mailing list (See Subscribing/Unsubscribing).
In this issue -
ELR Software will have a trade stand at the ALIA Public Library Conference in Melbourne, November 12th - 15th. We will be showing our EIA (Enhancing Internet Access) products which improve access to the Internet for clients of the library, particularly those who are not familiar with the Internet, or who may have physical, cognitive or literacy difficulties. The EIA Browser has been designed especially for use with a touchscreen, but its simplified interface may also be used from a conventional monitor, mouse or trackball system. It may be used simply as an Internet browser, or to view specialised materials such as a library catalogue systems.
Recent browser developments include control by Intellikeys and a a supporting mechanism called "WordCue", which provides assistance for people with reduced literacy skills. By clicking on a word, a range of cues are provided to help the person read the word and understand the meaning. A self paced tutorial is also available to guide people in understanding the main concepts which are needed to use the Internet.
Delegates are welcome to come and visit our stand to discuss our products and touchscreen technology.
A welcome highlight of the October ARATA conference was the awarding to ELR Software of Second Prize (Commercial Category) for eLr in the 2001 Better Technology Awards. This was presented by The Institution of Engineers, Australia College of Biomedical Engineering for products designed to be used by people with a disability and incorporating the principles of good design.
We recently received advice from a user that the EIA Browser was failing to allow navigation to some particular web sites - especially some online newspapers. We investigated and discovered that the problem sites use a file type produced by the Netscape enterprise server which the EIA Browser doesn't (currently) recognise and it stops the page download from completing. The problem content is actually not the page, but advertisements that are inserted into the page as it loads. For example, on the Australian newspaper the following (amongst many others) is inserted:
"http://adserver.news.com.au/html.ng/site=theaustralian§ion=homepage&adsize=468x60&pagepos=1"
The EIA Browser provides a mechanism to control browsing of non-standard file types in an effort to prevent the unattended user either accidentally (and confusingly) or intentionally downloading and running programs etc. It also attempts to control the "throwing" of multiple new windows (usually advertisements) by some sites.
The necessary fix to the newspaper problem is to add the extension "ng" to the EIA Browser "inifile" (configuration) file - contact me if you need help with this!. Look for link to the inifile in the EIA Program group (eg Programs-ELR Software-Enhancing Internet Access), and click on it to load the file in Notepad. Change the appropriate lines to look like:
; Add/remove allowed URL file extensions to/from default set
; (use comma separated lists eg cgi,htm,html,txt etc)
AddExtensions=ng
;RemoveExtensions=
We are in the process of reviewing and updating the naming section in Semantics. This section has previously had a developmental focus, while the revised format provides additional material which can be used within a cognitive neuropsychological approach to semantic therapy for acquired language disorders. The subsections of Naming are now consistent with other sections in Semantics, ie they include tasks in the following subsections: Unrelated Common, Unrelated Specific, Related Common and Related Specific.
A total of 80 new tasks (using the models Slide Show and PicCards) labelled "Set 1" to "Set 20", have now been added to the Semantics - Naming - Nouns section in both Unrelated Common and Unrelated Specific subsections.
Each of the Slide Show sets contain 10 items, and the PicCard contain 9 items (due to layout restrictions). For each there is a corresponding set in the other model with similar content and task number. For example tasks 1005-255 and 1006-255 are different models with the same content. This will enable clinicians to provide practice of the same content with variation in the presentation.
The review of Semantics - Naming will be completed within the next month and available in the December eLr updates. The changes will include additional tasks in each of the Related Common and Related Specific subsections. At the moment these sections have a paediatric focus. New tasks using the Slide Show and PicCard models will provide more appropriate material for clients with acquired language disorders.
There have also been slight changes to the content of some of the existing tasks in Semantics - Naming. We have removed some items which were confusing as a naming task, eg "butcher".
ELR Software presented a workshop and had a successful trade stand at the ARATA (http://www.arata.org.au) (Australian Rehabilitative and Assistive Technologies Association) conference in Brisbane earlier this month. Thanks to those who attended the workshop and visited us at the stand. This conference provides a wonderful opportunity for cross fertilisation of ideas, as the attendance includes a range of professionals (clinicians, engineers etc), as well as clients and carers.
We also presented an overview of eLr and had a display stand at TADS (Training and Development Seminar, Education Queensland) in Brisbane. We met several of our Queensland subscribers there (it's always nice to put faces to names), and enjoyed the opportunity to talk to a range of Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists working with schools. Thanks everyone.
While in Queensland, we took the opportunity of including free workshops for those interested in a demonstration of our products. A big thanks to Spectronics (http://www.spectronicsinoz.com) in Brisbane for hosting one of our workshops and providing us with support in the development of an Intellikeys version of the EIA Browser. We are close to releasing a version of the EIA Browser which works with Intellikeys.
Thanks also to the Princess Alexandra Hospital for hosting a second workshop in Brisbane. The focus of this workshop was the use of eLr and the EIA Browser for clients with acquired language disorders.
A Sydney workshop was also held at the Burwood RSL, where we met with an enthusiastic group with a wide range of interest areas - private practice, children with developmental delays, the school aged population, and clients with acquired language disorders.
The current version of eLr-Offline is always available for downloading . Fill in the form, download the installation program to your computer and run it. If you are a registered user who has already installed eLr-Offline, the installer will simply overwrite your older version with the most recent version, and you can continue to use it as normal. If you are not a subscriber, the program will run in "Unregistered Mode" for you to evaluate.
http://www.elr.com.au/offline
Unregistered trial version (fully functional, but time limited)
http://www.elr.com.au/eiad/demo.htm
Demonstration of Browser, Tutorial and AAP
http://www.elr.com.au/eiad/demo.htm
For other supporting materials and documents available for free download, please see http://www.elr.com.au/support.htm.
The ALIA 2001 Conference will be held in the Melbourne Convention Centre on the corner of Flinders and Spencer streets. ALIA is the professional organisation for the Australian library and information services sector and this conference will feature presentations and discussions of new developments in public libraries. ELR Software will have a trade stand showing the EIA Browser with new software enhancements, in particular "WordCue", as well as several, different types of touchscreens suitable for use in libraries and other public locations.
An Australian web content accessibility information seminar to be held at the Rydges Carlton, 701 Swanston St, Melbourne. ELR will have an exhibition stand there (Thursday 5.30pm - 8.30pm only) to show the EIA Browser with new software enhancements, in particular "WordCue".
You are receiving ELR-News because you are an eLr subscriber, or have expressed an interest in either eLr or EIA. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send an e-mail with details to news@elr.com.au
Copyright ©2001 ELR Software Pty Ltd
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