Accessible Computer Networks

Whether you are managing a network in education, employment or the community, accessibility is an issue. And your network could be a hindrance or a valuable tool for equality provision. This is especially the case when people are using more than one workstation or the workstations in your computer suite are visited by a succession of users. Consequently, providing an accessibility tool, such as Texthelp Read & Write, across a network will support a large number of people; giving them access to reading, proof reading and writing support wherever they are working.

So, let’s explore some of the applications, tools and features that need to be considered when developing a dyslexia-friendly network.

Licensing issues

Each manufacturer provides different licensing terms and it is important to understand them before installing and using the software. But in general there are three common approaches to network licensing.

• Per workstation licensing a licence is required for every workstation that will access the software. An example of this is Inspiration. As the total number of workstation licences you hold increases, so the unit cost falls.
• Concurrent network licensing install the software on as many workstations as needed but the licence limits how many copies can be opened and used at any one time. Some packages come with built-in management tools for controlling how many computers are accessing the software at any one time. While others offer concurrent licensing if your system has the tools to control how many licences are being used at any one time. Clicker and Wordbar can be run as concurrent licences across a network on one site, as can Wordshark and Numbershark.
• Site licences if you have a large number of workstations on your network then the best value option is often a site licence. Site licences usually allow the software to be installed on any computer within the designated site. As the number of computers varies greatly between different organisations, some manufacturers base the price on the type of school, e.g.Read & Write or by the number of potential users. If your institution is geographically spread with multiple sites, make sure you clarify just what is covered by a site licence. Our customer services team will be able to advise you.

Additional features available with network licences

Many programs provide additional features when run over a network. Read & Write’s Teacher’s Toolkit allows you to configure the program for individuals or groups of users. It also monitors how often it is used and keeps useful logs of spelling corrections made. Most typing tutors provide teachers tools in their network versions for tracking users progress.

Terminal Servers and Thin Clients Environments

Many large organisations are now using remote, server-based solutions such as Citrix to deliver software applications. Although these can reduce licence and support costs, not all assistive technology can run in such an environment. Have a look at our Thin Clients article for more details.

Abi James

January 2005. Updated June 2006