Small equipment loan

Digital voice recorder

The digital voice recorder creates audio files of recorded sounds and speech. It has the following main functions.

• Up to three recording modes for storage of data
• Standard playback mode (approximately 10 hours)
• Long playback mode (approximately 22 hours)
• Up to five folders which can hold 199 audio files each
• Built-in variable control voice actuator (VCVA) function
• Facility to insert or delete index marks
• Allows transfer of files to PC.

This recorder is mainly useful for students who find it difficult to make written notes in teaching situations, such as tutorials or lectures at residential schools, due to impaired manual dexterity, difficulty with hearing, a visual impairment or dyslexia.

DAISY Digital Talking Book player

This is specifically designed to play the DAISY Digital Talking Books.

Note that DAISY books on CD can also be played on a PC, Mac, PDA, MP3 player or mobile phone.

Cassette recorder with tactile buttons (APH Handi cassette)

This cassette recorder has an AC adapter and a rechargeable battery pack and the following functions.

• Tone indexing/cue and review function to allow rapid audible scanning while fast forwarding or rewinding an indexed tape
• Variable playback speed and pitch control
• Pause facility
• Eight-track recording
• Large, tactile buttons
• External microphone and headphone sockets.

This recorder is useful for students who wish to use audio cassettes for note taking or to facilitate their own study, especially those with little or no sight. Priority for loan of this equipment is given to visually impaired students.

Portable closed-circuit television (CCTV - Tieman Traveller)

This portable magnifier is used for reading text on a flat surface such as a table. It comes with an AC adapter and a rechargeable battery pack and has the following basic functions.

• 4.5 to 16 times magnification
• Full colour and high contrast positive and negative modes (i.e. black on white or white on black)
• Integral writing mode that allows the unit to be opened up for use as a magnifier while handwriting (as shown in the image).

This magnifier is useful for students who need text to be enlarged or to have a different contrast to read it. It would be useful in situations where materials such as handouts may be created and distributed without a chance for large-print versions to be made in advance, for example at tutorials and residential schools.

Graphic calculator with projection panel and OHP facility

Students studying MU120 Open Mathematics are required to use a TI-83 calculator, which has a screen able to display graphs. The loan package from the Disability Resources Team consists of the tutor version of the TI-83 calculator ( the TI-83/VSC) which connects to a projection panel. A magnified image of the calculator screen is displayed onto the projection panel. The calculator can also be used in conjunction with an overhead projector (OHP), but these are not available on loan.

The larger image is of benefit to students with a visual impairment who find it difficult to see the small display on the TI-83 calculator screen. Students with a visual impairment and studying MU120 are given priority for the loan of this piece of equipment.

Graphic calculator with TI presenter

Students studying MU120, Open Mathematics are required to use a TI-83 calculator which has a screen able to display graphs. The loan package from the Disability Resources Team consists of the tutor version of the TI-83 calculator (i.e. the TI-83/VSC) and the TI presenter.

The TI presenter is a device that reproduces a magnified image of the calculator screen onto a television screen or PC monitor via a small black box connected to the calculator. A drawback is that the pixels on the calculator screen are greatly magnified so that the text has a very block-like effect.

This equipment is useful for students with a visual impairment who find it difficult to see the small display on the TI-83 calculator screen. Students with a visual impairment and studying MU120 are given priority for the loan of this calculator.

Scientific calculator with speech output

Talking scientific calculators are also available with a large screen display for students with some vision, or where a tutor or assistant needs to see the calculations and answers.

Talking scientific calculators are designed for visually impaired people who have difficulty using a conventional calculator.

Radio aid

A radio aid is a personalised induction loop system that works in conjunction with a hearing aid to amplify sound for the user. The loop system has three main components: a small microphone and transmitter, a receiver, and an inductive neck loop. The microphone and transmitter pick up sound from a particular source (e.g. a lecturer, or groups of people within a room) and transmit it as radio signals to the receiver, which converts it back to amplified sound via the neck loop. Both receiver and neck loop are worn by the user and the user's hearing aid must be switched to the ‘T’ setting.

Two types of induction loop are available from the Disability Resources Team: the CRM200 or the CRM220.

Single or multi-directional microphones are available. Multi-directional microphones pick up sounds from all directions in the room and so are better for listening to groups of people, for example in a meeting.

These radio aids are useful for students who have a hearing aid and who need to communicate with their tutor or fellow students face to face, such as at tutorials or residential schools.

Text telephone

A text telephone is used for sending and receiving messages that are typed and transmitted as text. It consists of a keyboard and display which are connected to the telephone network.

The student’s tutor (if they have one) is also sent a textphone so that text communication can take place directly without having to go via Typetalk (a communication relay service provided by British Telecom).

Text phones are used by students who have difficulty using a standard telephone but require regular communication with their tutor — for example students who are deaf or hard of hearing, or have severely impaired speech.