Case Study
Accessibyte Provides Peace of Mind for Parents, Motivates Kids
When education was forced to go virtual, a family’s local public school introduced them to adaptive software that has changed their lives. Courtney and her daughter live with their family in North Carolina. Courtney’s daughter, who is blind, is in third grade.
How to Learn Typing With Teachers at a Distance
With the rise of distance education, Courtney needed a remote solution to teach her daughter keyboarding skills. The typing program she had been using was only accessible through a school computer and couldn’t be used at home.
“She hated the other typing program she’d been using,” said Courtney. “Her teacher expected her to get a score of 95 percent or higher five times in a row before moving on to the next lesson. She told me it was boring to repeat the same thing over and over. The program itself wasn’t very fun, either.”
The school recommend Typio as an accessible distance learning option. It turned out to be the missing piece they needed to make learning fun.
Typio: Remote, Fun, Motivational
Typio, one of the apps on the cloud-based Accessibyte platform, is compatible with multiple devices and offers fully-guided keyboard instruction. All of the Accessibyte apps are self-voicing, highly visual and easy to use, so no other technology is required for blind or visually impaired users to gain access.
Teachers sent Courtney the login information for Typio, and her daughter wanted to try it right away. When she realized that she could navigate the entire program on her own, Courtney’s daughter was hooked.
“I wasn’t involved at all,” said Courtney. “She loved Typio so much that we had to use it as a reward so that she would get her other schoolwork done.”
As she progressed through Typio’s lessons, Courtney’s daughter earned coins to buy virtual items for her Typing Pet. The further that she progressed the more coins she earned. Each time that she got something new for her Typing Pet the program would audibly describe the changes taking place.
“Using Typio, my daughter got really fast at typing,” said Courtney. “I thought she was just playing the built-in games, but she actually decided to work through the typing lessons on her own initiative.”
From Knowing Home Row to Sending Emails—in Three Weeks!
Courtney noticed that her daughter learned the layout of the entire keyboard within three weeks of using Typio. Courtney asked her daughter if she would like to send an email to her teacher and text her grandmothers. She excitedly agreed and has been corresponding with all three of them since. Courtney’s daughter has also expressed the desire to type school assignments on the computer in addition to writing them in braille. Courtney attributes these changes to Typio being so fun and easy to use.
“Because Typio was fun, she was motivated to learn how to type,” said Courtney. “She wanted to use Typio on her own, so we taught her how to navigate the computer so she could log in by herself.”
“A lot of times people have to show her things or describe them to her,” said Courtney. “With Typio, she knows things that we don’t know and has to tell us. It has been so confidence boosting.”
Courtney recommends Typio to other parents and teachers, even those with fully sighted children. She plans on having her daughter continue to use Accessibyte products in the future. She’s eager for her daughter to try the other apps, such as ProPack and Quick Cards.
“The Typing Pet is my favorite thing about Typio!” said Courtney’s daughter. “You get to train your pet. It makes the whole thing fun!”
A Fun and Empowering Way to Learn
Courtney’s daughter also plays games with Accessibyte Arcade, another app on the Accessibyte platform. It was the first time she had been able to play video games adapted for her needs. Some of the games built upon her typing skills, while others taught her how to navigate computer menus.
“Her brother plays video games, and now she has an electronic game of her own,” said Courtney. “Her brother is jealous of her because Typio is so fun. Personally I think Typio is a way better tool than the one my son is using.”
Courtney’s daughter swapped audio game recommendations with other students in her area who are blind or visually impaired.
Parent
Courtney
Relied on Typio and Accessibyte Arcade at home to teach her daughter, who is in third grade
Results
- Courtney’s 8 year old daughter learned to type in 3 weeks and now sends emails to family.
- Typio’s Typing Pet feature was a fun motivator for her daughter.
- Accessibyte Arcade provided empowering, accessible fun
“A lot of times people have to show my daughter things or describe them to her,” said Courtney. “With Typio, she knows things that we don’t know and has to tell us. It has been so confidence boosting.”
Parent
Courtney
Relied on Typio and Accessibyte Arcade at home to teach her daughter, who is in third grade
Solution
- Courtney’s 8 year old daughter learned to type in 3 weeks and now sends emails to family
- Typio’s Typing Pet feature was a fun motivator for her daughter
- Accessibyte Arcade provided empowering, accessible fun
“A lot of times people have to show my daughter things or describe them to her,” said Courtney. “With Typio, she knows things that we don’t know and has to tell us. It has been so confidence boosting.”
