Sept 10, 2001 -PUSLINCH, ON-Digital Frog International (DFI) is proud to announce the release of its first fully accessible virtual adventure, The Digital Field Trip to The Rainforest AT. With help from the Adaptive Technology Resource Centre at the University of Toronto (ATRC), DFI has adapted its original award-winning Rainforest CD-ROM to create one of the most advanced and accessible educational programs available.
"Our goal in designing The Digital Field Trip to The Rainforest AT was to offer a multimedia program that can be experienced by everyone, including those with disabilities," says Jeff Warner, Rainforest AT Project Manager. "As a result, we believe we have created the most media-rich and accessible program available today."
Whether operating in standard or accessible mode, students can experience the sights and sounds of the rainforest in Belize, Central America, without leaving the classroom. Hundreds of photos, videos and engaging activities teach about the rainforest's mechanisms, plant and animal diversity, and the importance of this vital ecosystem.
"Even with modern technologies, very few educational computer programs are completely accessible to students with disabilities. It's difficult to find high quality, engaging learning materials that do not require outside assistance for the students," says Jim Allan, Texas School for the Blind. "I've reviewed many multimedia titles and they just don't compare to The Digital Field Trip to The Rainforest AT. DFI is head and shoulders above the competition."
A single keystroke changes the program from standard to AT mode, enabling blind and physically challenged students to access the program. Full text-to-speech, audio instructions and photo descriptions guide blind students through the rainforest. Captioned video ensures that the deaf do not miss any information. Full keyboard access opens up the program to the blind and the physically challenged.
"DFI is leading the way with their use of adaptive technology and truly opening new horizons for those with disabilities," says Wendy Porch, ATRC. "That's why The Digital Field Trip to The Rainforest AT won the International Coalition of Access Engineers and Specialists' Award for Innovative Access before it was even released."
The Digital Field Trip to the Rainforest AT accommodates different learning styles and speeds, multiple intelligences, learning disabilities, as well as visual and motor skill problems. No special equipment is required-everything is included on the CD.
Digital Frog International is an innovative, enthusiastic software company, dedicated to creating high-quality educational, multimedia CD-ROMs with the focus on natural sciences, biology and ecology. The Digital Frog, The Digital Field Trips to The Wetlands, The Rainforest and The Desert have all won multiple awards-. Corporate headquarters is a converted barn surrounded by frogs, dogs and bogs in rural Ontario, Canada. DFI resides on the Web at
http://www.digitalfrog.com.
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