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Hello Tim Our computing services here are fairly unhelpful with anything related to assistive software and flatly refuse to support networked software. (I'm trying not to rant here!) We have two dedicated rooms for visually impaired and blind students which have stand-alone PCs with various pieces of software installed, as well as CCTV and a Braille embosser. None of our screen reading software users use USB drives and typically have their own laptops with the appropriate software on. Hope this is useful... Simon Tim Cunningham wrote: > Hi all > Sorry for cross posting! > > I am curious about what provision other FE/HE Institutions provide for > visually impaired students. > > I am seeing an increasing number of VI students allocated funding > through DSA for these portable USB drives from Zoom Text and Supernova. > I have never used one but from what I gather, they include all the > necessary software and allows the student to just plug the pen drive in > to a PC and have access to their magnification/reading software - is > that correct? > > These seem a great idea but one of the problems we have (and I am > assuming other Universities have similar issues) is that the PCs in the > University labs are so locked down they do not work. Students are > unable to install software on lab PCs and I gather these pen drives do > require access to certain parts of the PC to work? > > How do other organisations support VI students? Do you have > magnification and/or screen reading software installed on ALL PCs around > campus? Do you have specialist areas rooms with PCs for VI students to > use? Does anyone have students who are able to use the portable pen > drives on lab PCs? > > Look forward to hearing your responses. > > Thanks > Tim > > > -- > Tim Cunningham > Disabilities Adviser > Northumbria University > Tel: 0191 227 3849 > Web: http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/disabilities > Email: [log in to unmask] > -- Simon Jarvis Head of Disability & Dyslexia Service Queen Mary University of London Student and Campus Services Room FB 2.30, Francis Bancroft Mile End Road, London E1 4NS Tel: 020 7882 2765 Fax: 020 7882 5223 www.scs.qmul.ac.uk