In 2009, Amazon announced that they had sold more eBooks than printed books for the first time.  Many of us are now receiving our text(s) in electronic formats.  Sales of newspapers worldwide are steadily decreasing as many of us now receive news updates through phone messages or emails – or directly into our eBook readers.  Some schools no longer provide text books – all information is given to students electronically instead. This change is a wonderful opportunity for people with complex communication needs and with a range of disabilities.  Electronic texts can be made accessible much more easily than traditional paper books.  The DAISY digital format which can be accessed by a wide range of eBook readers include navigational tags which assist many people with disabilities to control and navigate texts. For the first time, many people with disabilities are able to independently access text.  This might be through the text-to-speech engine installed in the Amazon Kindle, or through a more dedicated device like ClassMate Reader.  Or it may be through the eBook Reader in the DynaVox V and Vmax controlled by alternative access, or a 3^rd party eBook Reader controlled through an on-screen keyboard. Bookshare, the online Accessible eBook and Periodical website for reader with print disabilities has just been launched in Australia with the Association for the Blind in WA.  This now offers Australians with disabilities access to a much wider range of accessible eBooks than ever before – providing options for both fiction and non-fiction texts including best sellers and some text books.

This presentation will discuss a range of technologies which can be used to read eBooks and which offer extra accessibility.  These will include Blio Reader for iPhone, textHELP Read and Write Gold, Amazon Kindle, Stanza for iPhone, ClassMate Reader and the eBook reader in the DynaVox V and Vmax. Other technologies may be discussed as more are available all the time in this area. Multiple short case studies will be used to demonstrate how these technologies were used – and to demonstrate potential strengths and weaknesses for different clients.

Jane Farrall has been working in the disability and assistive technology field for 20 years. She has extensive practical experience in both Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and in teaching children and adults with disabilities to acquire literacy. Jane has worked for Yooralla Society of Victoria School and Adult services as both therapist and literacy teacher. She has also worked at the Microcomputer Applications Centre (now called ComTEC) in Victoria, Australia, as an assistive technology professional. She has completed a Masters in Special Education focusing on literacy acquisition in children and adults without speech. Jane is a former Chairperson of AGOSCI and is the founder and organiser of the Big Mouth Camp, a camp for school aged students using speech generating devices and their families.

Sally Hunter is an Occupational Therapist with over 20 years experience in the disability sector in WA. For the past 10 years she has worked at the Independent Living Centre as the manager of the ILC tech service area to support people with disabilities, carers, teachers and therapists with their choice if assistive technology. Recently Sally has moved positions to be Manager of the Assistive Technology Services for the ILC.