During the summer before ninth grade, I received an AlphaSmart for low vision and dysgraphia, specifically the AlphaSmart Neo digital typewriter as part of a device trial for taking notes and writing with low vision and dysgraphia in the classroom. I had asked to try the device after I had seen another friend use the Dana by AlphaSmart in our shared classes, and it was the first (and only) “specialty” assistive technology device I had ever received from my school district. Digital typewriters are making a comeback as students and writers alike look for writing tools that don’t require internet access or have other distractions built in, so I’ve updated this post based on my original experiences with the AlphaSmart to include more ideas on how to use digital typewriters for students with low vision and dysgraphia.
AlphaSmart digital typewriter overview
AlphaSmart is a brand of portable battery-powered keyboards that act as a digital typewriter that offers several different types of devices, including the Neo, Dana, and many others. Users can author text on the AlphaSmart tool and then connect it via USB to a computer, transferring saved text to a Doc/DocX file format or other text file. While AlphaSmart is no longer manufacturing new devices, they can be found on the secondhand market or through an assistive technology library or assistive technology recycling program.
Related links
- File Formats For Low Vision and Print Disabilities
- ScanMarker Air: OCR Scanner Pen for Low Vision
- Five Things Your IEP Case Manager Won’t Tell You
- How To Embrace Assistive Technology With Limited Funding
Why I wanted to use the AlphaSmart with low vision
As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, one of my friends who had severe dysgraphia (but did not have low vision) used the AlphaSmart Dana keyboard in eighth grade to take notes and type assignments for our shared English and history classes. I didn’t know what the device was called, but I started asking special education staff if I could use the same “keyboard device” that this other student had, because I thought it would be easier than trying to read my handwriting with low vision. My middle school said no, but my high school provided me with a loaned device at no cost to trial during the summer before high school and the first semester of classes.
I share this story because I remember being worried about “standing out” with assistive technology and being hesitant to be seen using specialty devices for low vision, and I’m sure my friend went through the same experience as well. Honestly, if they hadn’t sat across from me in class, I’m not sure I would have noticed the device at all. However, I’m glad I noticed it because it gave me a very early introduction into how assistive technology for dysgraphia can make a huge difference for students with poor handwriting and served as an early catalyst for me wanting to explore assistive technology even more. I didn’t view my friend as “sticking out” for having poor handwriting, I was excited they found a tool that worked so well for them and wanted to try it too!
Related links
Overview of AlphaSmart features for low vision
My school district didn’t provide me with any training on how to use the AlphaSmart Neo as they had assumed I already knew how to use it since my friend had the Dana system— they just handed me the device and told me to have fun with it. Here is an overview of AlphaSmart features for low vision that can help users learn to use the device:
- AlphaSmart devices have a full QWERTY keyboard with a non-backlit screen at the top that displays text. The device measures around 9.5 inches by 12.5 inches.
- Users can write in up to eight different files, which can be opened by selecting the buttons in the top row for File 1, File 2, etc. To open a file, just press the on/off button followed by the button for the desired file, and start writing!
- Each file supports up to 12.5 pages of text, which is about 7500 words. To import a file, connect the AlphaSmart device to a computer via USB and open a word processing applications (Pages, Word, Docs, etc). Open a file on the AlphaSmart and press the Send button to send text to the computer.
- Users should not touch their computer or otherwise interact with the device while text is being synchronized. Once the process is finished, users can delete the text from the AlphaSmart using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+A, Backspace
- To increase the text size of the AlphaSmart display, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Option+F. Displaying two lines of text on the screen at a time is equivalent to around 22 pt font.
- To navigate through a document, use the arrow keys to scroll or move through lines.
To transport the device, I placed it inside of the laptop pocket in my backpack since students were allowed to bring their backpacks to class in high school. Other students I knew had a separate laptop case for their device or would carry it with their binders.
Related links
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Keyboards
- Choosing A Backpack With Low Vision
- A to Z of Assistive Technology For Low Vision
Adapting AlphaSmart devices for low vision learners
Years after I received the AlphaSmart as a student, I was working with the device again as I was conducting an assistive technology assessment on another student with low vision. One of my friends was also considering the device for a student with low vision that they were working with, but realized they would need to adapt the device to fit the student’s needs. Examples of strategies for adapting AlphaSmart devices for low vision learners include:
- Adding large print keyboard stickers to the keyboard.
- Painting the case or using a cover to make the device higher contrast/easier to see in a backpack or on a desk. My friend was inspired by AlphaSmart custom paint jobs and received a painted device from their school district.
- Placing the AlphaSmart on a slanted surface for a student who preferred to type at an angle.
- Using a high-contrast USB cable or wrapping tape around the cable to make it easier to locate.
While some AlphaSmart devices support applets like a four-function calculator and extra spell check features, I don’t have experience with using these features since my device didn’t seem to support them.
Related links
- High Contrast and Low Vision
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Covers and Cases
- How To Organize and Identify Cords For Low Vision
Learning to use the AlphaSmart with low vision
When I first received the AlphaSmart, my goal was to use it as a portable word processor tool in the classroom since I hadn’t been approved to use a laptop or any internet connected devices in the classroom. Examples of tasks that I would use my AlphaSmart for would include:
- Taking notes in class, which I would import into Word or OneNote on my laptop at home
- Writing to-do lists or questions that I would want to ask later
- Writing essays or typing class assignments
- Typing homework problems or working on homework assignments— I was expected to turn in a printed copy and was not allowed to use the device for quizzes or exams.
To practice with using the AlphaSmart, I used the device in the following contexts during the summer:
- Writing short stories, poems, or other creative writing exercises so that I could get used to the keyboard
- Keeping a list of questions that I would want to ask my friends about or that I would want to ask my teachers, case manager, or other members of my support team.
- Writing a short journal
- Working on assignments for my summer class that involved writing
I didn’t use the AlphaSmart for taking notes in math class very often because I found it challenging to write math notation on the device. Now that I am more familiar with how to write math equations, I probably would not run into the same problem, but I didn’t use it as often for taking notes in math compared to other subjects.
Related links
- How I Use Technology To Improve Handwriting
- How I Take Notes During Video Lectures With Low Vision
- How I Write Research Papers On Accessibility Topics
- Learning to Self-Advocate
- My Experience With Virtual Classes in High School
Why I stopped using the AlphaSmart digital typewriter
The reason I started using the AlphaSmart Neo was because my school district didn’t allow me to use a laptop in the classroom. A lot of my teachers were skeptical about the device at first because they were worried I could use it to cheat or store information that I would share with others, but this improved as the semester went on— mostly because I didn’t get perfect scores on most of my assignments!
Once I received approval from my school district to use a laptop in the classroom, I stopped using the AlphaSmart Neo because I preferred the larger screen of the laptop and the option to read textbooks or use large print calculators, which I couldn’t do on the Neo device. I could also take tests and quizzes on my laptop, and had more freedom with the file formats I could access.
Related links
- High School Laptops and Low Vision
- How I Receive Accessible Quizzes and Tests in the Classroom
- Implementing Shared Folders For Accessible Materials
- What’s In My Backpack: High School Student With Low Vision
Alternatives to AlphaSmart for low vision and dysgraphia
- Looking for more options for writing and typing with low vision and dysgraphia? Read Learning To Type With Low Vision and Assistive Technology For Dysgraphia
- Another option for taking notes in class that I use frequently in college is the Magic Keyboard for my iPad— learn more in Choosing An iPad Keyboard For Low Vision and Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Keyboards
- While devices like the AlphaSmart solve the “problem” of messy handwriting, dysgraphia doesn’t go away completely when typing. I share more in How I Manage Dysgraphia In Online Classes
- Want more posts on reading and writing with low vision and dysgraphia? Browse Reading And Writing Archives | Veronica With Four Eyes (veroniiiica.com)
Published May 21, 2019. Updated December 2024