Dyslexia expert iansyst Ltd shares expertise across dyspraxia and dyscalculia with launch of pan-disability website
A leading expert in the field of dyslexia for 26 years, specialist assistive technology company, iansyst Ltd (www.dyslexic.com), is sharing its expertise of other disabilities (such as dyscalculia, dyspraxia, mental health, deaf and hard of hearing, physical and motor skill difficulties and visual impairment) through its new pan-disability website. By working hand-in-hand with teachers, SENCOs and people with disabilities, iansyst has built a wealth of experience in other learning difficulties and is now responding to the needs of its customers to provide products, services and practical guidance across a multitude of disabilities – many of which inter-relate.
In England alone, more than 75,000 young people have one or more learning disability, increasing the need for cross-disability knowledge. iansyst specialists will be on hand at stand F119 at BETT 2010 to offer tailored advice to delegates on the importance of recognising and catering for learners with disabilities and ensuring the use of assistive technology in the classroom is inclusive rather than exclusive.
Disabilities rarely manifest themselves in isolation; a person with dyslexia may often also show signs of dyscalculia, dyspraxia or another learning difficulty. Many assistive technologies can be used across a range of disabilities to help the user in a number of challenging situations in the classroom and at home. Through its vast experience, iansyst has recognised the importance of being able to cross over the threshold and give practical suggestions and advice on a variety of disabilities. Many of the team at iansyst have first-hand experience learning and living with disabilities and are passionate about providing solutions to best suit the needs of the user. New specialists have also been brought on board to support the already 100-strong team to deliver new concepts, products and services of practical help to disabled learners.
As assistive technologies improve and access to these aids is increased, the need for inclusivity in schools is paramount. In order to increase acceptance of assistive technologies in education it is vital that learners with a disability are not singled out as being different and the technology that can support them is regarded as a commonplace tool for learning. Many assistive technologies can be beneficial and increase productivity for all pupils, so it is important for teachers to look at the wider benefits of these aids and consider how an inclusive approach to technology could benefit all learners.
As part of its extension into other services, iansyst has also launched EarlBright Publishing (www.earlbright.com), a new ‘think-tank’ for innovative technologies. Through EarlBright, iansyst is calling specialist technology providers to come forward with concepts for fresh and practical software to help people learn and work more efficiently.
Janine King, Director of Business Innovation at iansyst comments, “Our close working relationship with customers, SENCOs and technology specialists has allowed us to extend our knowledge and expertise to cater for people with disabilities ranging from dyslexia and dyscalculia to visual impairment. Many disabilities cross-over in some respect and many of the solutions available to help can be used for a multitude of difficulties.”
