Assistive Technology
Assistive technology, such as Glean and digital voice recorders, can significantly support learning and productivity. If you’re applying for the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA), these tools can be discussed during your needs assessment to ensure they meet your requirements. In the workplace, similar tools may be recommended as part of reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010, and support may also be available through the Access to Work scheme. Even if you’re not applying for DSA, assistive technology remains a valuable resource for improving focus, organisation, and accessibility.
Digital Voice Recorders
Digital voice recorders can be a practical tool for capturing lectures, meetings, and ideas, allowing information to be reviewed later. This can support note-taking, memory, and organisation, especially for individuals who find it difficult to listen and write at the same time. In schools, colleges, and universities, they can help with recording lessons or discussions for later study. In the workplace, voice recorders can be part of reasonable adjustments to support information processing, time management, or task planning. They may be recommended through a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) or Access to Work assessment, but they are equally useful as a personal tool for improving focus and productivity.
Glean is a simple yet powerful note-taking tool designed to help students and professionals capture and organise information more effectively. It records lectures, meetings, or presentations, allowing you to listen back and focus on understanding rather than rushing to write everything down.
With its easy-to-use features, you can highlight key points, add notes, and create clear summaries that support learning and recall. Glean also offers offline access and secure cloud syncing, making it practical for study, work, or training environments.
It can be recommended as part of a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) or Access to Work assessment, but it’s equally valuable for anyone looking to improve focus, organisation, and productivity.
Tools such as ClaroRead and Texthelp’s Read&Write are widely used across UK schools, colleges, universities, and workplaces to support reading and writing. They enhance reading comprehension by highlighting text as it is read aloud and include features like screen masking, word prediction, and the study bar to help extract key information during research or revision. Newer tools, such as BeeLine Reader, which uses colour gradients to guide the eyes through text, and emerging AI-powered solutions offering personalised reading and writing support, are also becoming more common. These technologies are valuable for improving focus, comprehension, and productivity.
Mind mapping is a powerful way to visually organize thoughts, making it easier to brainstorm, plan, and study. Tools like MindMeister, XMind, and Inspiration Maps are designed to help you create dynamic, easy-to-read diagrams. These tools support features such as drag-and-drop organisation, collaborative editing, and integration with other productivity apps. Whether you're outlining ideas for a project, studying complex topics, or planning tasks, mind mapping tools help you stay organized and focused.
MyStudyBar is designed to support the complete study cycle from planning and structuring thoughts and ideas to support with reading and writing.
Although MyStudyBar is designed to support learners with literacy-related difficulties such as dyslexia, the toolbar can offer potential benefits to all learners.
MyStudyBar can help learners to:
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organise and plan their thoughts and ideas,
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use colour overlays to aid concentration and overcome visual stress,
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listen to digital content read aloud using text-to-speech,
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improve typing skills.
As MyStudyBar uses portable applications it does not need to be installed.
MyStudyBar can run from a USB pendrive or you can copy the programs to your desktop.
Technical staff in schools, colleges or universities can also run MyStudyBar from the network for everyone to use.
Zotero is a free, open-source reference management tool that simplifies research and citation management. It allows users to collect, organize, and store references from various sources, including books, journal articles, and websites, with just one click. With powerful features like automated citation generation in multiple formats (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) and integration with word processors, Zotero helps streamline the writing process. It’s ideal for students, academics, and professionals managing extensive research projects.
Google Keep is a versatile note-taking and organisation tool that allows users to quickly capture ideas, create to-do lists, and set reminders. It syncs seamlessly across devices, ensuring your notes are always accessible. You can also add images, voice memos, and links to your notes for richer context. Its simple, user-friendly interface makes it ideal for personal or professional use, helping you stay organized and focused on tasks. Google Keep is perfect for capturing thoughts on the go and integrating with other Google Workspace tools.
The Forest app is a unique productivity tool designed to help you stay focused and avoid distractions. When you need to concentrate, you plant a virtual tree in the app. As you stay focused, the tree grows, but if you leave the app to check your phone, the tree dies. This gamified approach encourages deep work and time management by rewarding sustained attention. Forest also allows you to track your focus time and supports charity initiatives by letting you plant real trees. It’s perfect for students and professionals who want to boost their productivity and reduce phone distractions.
Websites & Books
Comprehensive information on Specific Learning Difficulties as well as workplace guidance.
Patoss
https://www.patoss-dyslexia.org/tutor-index-landing
Find further information on specialist tutors.
https://www.sasc.org.uk/find-an-assessor/#
Find my practising certificate details here:
SASC maintains the national register of qualified specialist teacher assessors who hold a current Assessment Practising Certificate (APC). You can search the register by assessor name or APC code. The register also shows the Awarding Body that issued each certificate.
(Palgrave Study Skills). ISBN 978 0230573055. This has a good range of strategies for organisation, time management, note taking, record keeping, writing etc.
by David Grant (2017). David Fulton Publishers.
Mark Williams and Danny Penman. Foreword by Jon Kabat-Zim. 2011. Writers from the University of Oxford. It includes a CD of guided meditations.
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