Rocket Reader: A simplified PDA-based portable reading system for enabling access to audio books and electronic documents for individuals with intellectual disabilities

Significant barriers existing today for individuals with intellectual disabilities preventing independent access to written information. The plethora of materials available electronically, including books, biographies, classic literature, and leisure titles, grows daily with the popularity of audio books as well as talking book services for individuals with visual disabilities. Regrettably, tools that exist to access these materials are not accessible to most individuals with intellectual disabilities. There is a great need for innovative solutions to rectify this disparity and make available the educational and recreational benefits offered by electronic books and materials to individuals with intellectual disabilities. Phase I provided substantive empirical support for the contention that the Rocket Reader system can be used by individuals with intellectual disabilities to access electronic books significantly more independently as compared to two leading electronic book programs. Phase II will build on these results to develop a palmtop computer based application that will enable individuals with intellectual disabilities to access electronic documents of their own choosing. The Rocket Reader system enables individuals with intellectual disabilities to access and utilize electronic materials in a variety of formats, including audio books, text documents, and documents created in XML format proposed by the National File Format initiative.