JISC drew attention to AccessApps, which is the winner of the Scottish Open Source Software (OSS) Awards under the Excellence in Education category. Excerpt:
AccessApps [is] a package of over 50 open source and freeware assistive technologies run from a USB stick.
It has been developed by the JISC Regional Support Centre (RSC) Scotland North & East and made freely available following a successful collaboration between JISC TechDis (the accessibility advisory service) and JISC’s RSC Scotland South & West. JISC’s open source software advisory service OSS Watch is now also getting involved with the project.
Using open source and freeware applications packaged in this way, users can access assistive software in a flexible way without the stigma of using dedicated machines. The suite includes tools to make reading and writing easier and browsing more accessible, anywhere the user happens to be and on any machine.
Recognising that the education sector has been slow to exploit open source software as a valuable resource, RSC e-Learning Advisors Craig Mill and Kenji Lamb devised AccessApps to enable educators and students to experience the benefits that open source software (OSS) has to offer. Their efforts are paying off, for this freely available ‘bundle’ of assistive technologies has already generated considerable international interest. Sarah Price, manager of JISC RSC Scotland North & East, is shown here receiving the Scottish Open Source award from event organiser James Ingham.
