How Assistive Tech Transformed My Education

We were recently joined by Iona Wilkinson in the recent webinar: 'Assistive Technology Lending Libraries: Empowering Vision Impaired Students', where she shared her experiences in education. In the webinar, Iona talked about how the right assistive technology made a difference to her learning.

Iona made a real impression on everyone who attended the webinar, so we invited her to share more about her experiences.

About Me

My name is Iona and I’m 20 years old. As a result of being born 26 weeks early I have vision, mobility and sensory impairments. I also have dyspraxia and I’m autistic, so as you can imagine finding a solution that allowed me to access learning independently with my vision, mobility and processing needs seemed like a challenge!

My Education Experience Before SuperNova

During my time at high school we found SuperNova. Before using the SuperNova Education Kit, I was constantly playing catch-up. I had to work so much harder than my peers just to access the learning, let alone be able to learn and complete classwork.

Some of the more regular and memorable ‘accessibility solutions’ I had before my Supernova Education Kit included a magnifying glass to see worksheets, and black card to use as reading rulers. Though this was intended to make pages less busy, due to my dyspraxia I couldn’t move the card down! 

I often had to go to the front of the classroom to look at the whiteboard, which was not ideal as I'd have to get out if my seat which disrupted my learning and could distract other students. Let's not forget that my worksheets were never enlarged and printed onto yellow paper, so I would spend the first 15 minutes of each lesson at the photocopier just to get my worksheet. By the time I navigated back to the classroom, the teacher had already finished giving the input for the lesson. I was always playing catch up.

It's important to remember I love to be independent, so having to be so reliant on other people and having a teaching assistant sit next to me all the time really made me feel less able than my peers. Which is not the case: I am a very capable person.

Thriving at School with SuperNova

I got my Supernova Education Kit during lockdown, and this is when I was able to thrive independently.

Using the kit throughout lockdown meant I was able to complete tasks independently and could access the materials quickly with SuperNova Magnifier and Speech software.

As soon as I started with SuperNova, my grades went up massively, and teachers even questioned whether the work was truly mine! Most importantly, I had the same access as my peers and it felt amazing. When I returned to the classroom after lockdown, my Supernova Education Kit gave me independence and I could work at my own pace. I could scan worksheets and read them instantly, I could see what was on the whiteboard without asking for help - my teacher installed the Dolphin Whiteboard Assistant so I could connect and read it that way.

The SuperNova Education Kit meant I no longer had to rely on a scribe or reader who couldn’t keep up with my ideas. My writing flow wasn’t interrupted any more, and I could finally get all my thoughts down on paper.

Transitioning from School to College with Assistive Tech

By the time I went to college I only needed support for needs related to my autism and sensory difficulties. The SuperNova Education Kit managed to break down so many of my barriers I no longer needed a teaching assistant to sit next to me in class or any further reasonable adjustments in lessons.

All I needed was the SuperNova Education Kit and I was on a level playing field with my classmates.

I managed to stay within all my coursework deadlines, as the Supernova Education Kit made it so much quicker for me to complete tasks like emails and coursework. I also used Dolphin EasyReader to access the textbooks needed for my GCSEs and for my business course at college. Previously, I’d struggled to access the same learning materials as my peers, but as EasyReader is integrated into my SuperNova setup, I could annotate and highlight text and even use it to study at home.

One of my favourite features of the Supernova Education Kit is the Scan and Read function. I could take a picture of handwritten notes, or a traditional whiteboard, and access it digitally in the SuperNova Doc Reader. This meant I could magnify the text, add additional pages and have the text read aloud to me.

Currently, the SuperNova Doc Reader allows me to read digital documents; it even allowed me to read my exam papers. I’m able to navigate around my computer using SuperNova so well as unlike other assistive technology software, it does not rely heavily on mouse control, which slows me down so much. SuperNova touchscreen and keyboard options matched my mobility needs perfectly.

SuperNova Made Me Exam-Ready

With SuperNova Education Kit I was finally able to properly access an exam! I used the SuperNova Doc Reader to open my exam papers in PDF as interactive documents. This meant I could easily read charts, graphs and text without assistance. I even dropped 25% of my allocated extra time, because I didn’t need it. No scribe could have kept up with my thoughts in the way SuperNova allowed. The result? I achieved triple Distinction, equivalent to three A-levels. Something that would have been impossible without this technology.

My exams were transformed by the SuperNova Education Kit.

It took us a while to get it all sorted with the exam boards, but at college we managed to use SuperNova Education Kit for my exams, as the assistive technology is mine from home. The college purchased another SuperNova Education Kit through my EHCP. This was kept at college for my coursework and exams.

I have now finished in education, but still use SuperNova  daily to send emails and fill in forms. I do volunteering work from home, and I was able to build my own website. I also write my own blog all about theme park accessibility.

Educators Take Note

My message to schools is that I would like you to know that students with complex needs are capable of far more than their grades or reports might suggest - but only if they are given the right tools.

Assistive technology should not be a luxury and it is most definitely not a short cut. It simply creates a more equal playing field with our mainstream peers. SuperNova allows students to fully demonstrate their capabilities, participate equally in class and learn independently.

How SuperNova Education Kit Help Your Students?

Find Out More

Book a call with the Dolphin Team to arrange a demonstration or to discuss how SuperNova makes learning and exams accessible for students with vision impairment and additional needs.