Distance Learning

Because so many individuals find it difficult if not impossible to attend face-to-face instruction in the use of access technology either at our campus in Newton Massachusetts or during regular business hours, the Carroll Center offers instruction on line over our distance learning web site www.carrolltech.org. These courses include instruction in the use of screen readers, screen magnification programs, scanners, Braille translators and many of the applications that are part of the Microsoft Office suite.

Through readings, videos, exercises and quizzes, clients are instructed in the best way to write documents in Word, create spreadsheets in Excel, conduct business through email with Outlook and outline presentations with PowerPoint. Other courses instruct clients how to translate print into Braille with the Duxbury Braille Translator or to create talking graphics using the TGD Pro program or even to interact with a Windows-based computer without the mouse.

Courses can be started at any time with access to the course content for twelve weeks from the date of registration. Most courses take about 30 hours to complete with a few courses taking less than six hours.

Introductory Courses

Through www.carrolltech.org, the Carroll Center offers introductory courses in the use of the screen readers JAWS For Windows and Window-Eyes as well as the screen magnification programs ZoomText and MAGic. A family member, teacher of the visually impaired or rehabilitation teacher at the clients computer will need to assist the beginner computer user with accessing these courses at the beginning. After completing the first few lessons, however, the client can complete the course on their own and then be prepared to take other more advanced www.carrolltech.org courses.

The client will learn to start their computer, navigate the “desktop”, work with email, write and edit simple documents and start browsing the world wide web. Each course is designed to work with a particular screen reader or screen magnification program.

Microsoft Office Application Courses

Through www.carrolltech.org, the Carroll Center offers instruction in the use of Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint for those who use either the screen reader JAWS For Windows or Window-Eyes or the screen magnification programs ZoomText or MAGic.

Courses progress from Introductory to Intermediate and finally, Advanced. All courses are broken into a series of lessons and each lesson includes text to be read, videos to be watched, exercises to be completed and quizzes to be taken. Each course should take between 30 and 35 hours to complete and those who complete a course may request a certificate of completion.

Professional Development Courses

While teachers of the visually impaired, rehabilitation teachers and others who work with those who are blind or visually impaired may take advantage of any course offered on www.carrolltech.org, several courses have been developed specifically for them. These courses include instruction in the use of the Duxbury Braille Translator, the Talking Graphic Developer, the Accessible Graphing Calculator and a course in using a Windows computer without the mouse.

All those who complete a course may request a certificate of completion indicating the number of hours the course required that the client may submit to the proper authority as part of their continuing education requirements.