This page contains links to some of our favourite websites. We have categorised these links into funding, software, hardware, advice & support and activities for pupils. If you notice that any of these links are broken please let us know.

Activities for Pupils

  • Askability
    Website for symbol users run by The Children’s Society
  • BBC Online Typing
    Online touch typing instruction.
  • Bomomo
    Online drawing activity, good for developing mouse skills.
  • Brown Bear Typing
    Free online touch typing programme.
  • Busy Things
    Early learning games and activities from the London Grid for Learning. Only available to users of the London Grid for Learning.
  • CBBC
    BBC website for slightly older children, also with some switch accessible games.
  • CBeebies
    BBC website for small children. Some games are switch accessible.
  • Check The Map
    Links to useful sites for people with learning disabilities, including free online and downloadable activities.
  • Choose and Tell
    Website from Inclusive Technology with ideas and activities using their ‘Choose and Tell’ series software.
  • Crickweb
    Interactive online games and resources for primary aged pupils. Nothing to do with Crick Software.
  • Crucial Typing
    Australian site with links to a variety of typing exercises, including those for people with special needs.
  • Doorway Online
    Online learning and typing activities. Includes one handed typing.
  • Draw a stickman
    Exciting adventure where you have to draw to interact with the story. Very good for mouse practice.
  • Help Kidz Learn
    Online resources and games for parents and children from Inclusive Technology. Some activities free but mainly subscription.
  • Ian Bean
    Free switch accessible activities.
  • ICT Games
    Numeracy and Literacy activities mainly for pupils in Key Stage 1.
  • Independent Life Technologies
    Switch operated toys and electrical equipment
  • IWB
    Collection of activities to use with pupils on an interactive whiteboard. Suitable for all ages.
  • j2e
    Multimedia creative writing software that also allows you to create webpages. Free to London Schools through the London Grid for Learning.
  • Mr Thorne does Phonics
    Online videos and activities to support phonic learning. Also available as an app for iPhone and iPad.
  • One Handed Typing
    Downloadable typing programme for those only able to use one hand.
  • Oneswitch.org
    Games and other activities for people with physical or learning disabilities using one switch.
  • Ouch
    BBC magazine for people with disabilities.
  • Papunet
    Online games and early learning activities.
  • Pete’s Stuff
    Free downloadable presentations – Power Point stories with scripts, ideas for sensory equipment etc. Originally designed for secondary aged pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties.
  • Photo Symbols
    Free photos and other resources to use when working with pupils with learning disabilities.
  • Plasma Screen and Whiteboard Room
    Whiteboard and plasma screen resources for staff working with pupils below Level 1 of the National Curriculum. Free downloads.
  • Poisson Rouge
    Simple games for early learners and those with learning difficulties.
  • Primary Resources
    Games, lesson plans etc for primary school teachers.
  • Priory Woods School
    SLD school with lots of free online and downloadable activities on its website.
  • Purple Mash
    Site from 2Simple Software with creative and curriculum based activities. Some are free, some require you to be a subscriber.
  • SEN / ICT
    Website with lists of resources and links to other sites, all to do with children with special needs.
  • SEN Teacher
    Downloadable games and activities for teachers to use with pupils with special needs.
  • Sense Lang Typing
    Online touch typing including an option to have you type headlines from the BBC News.
  • Sensory resources for PMLD pupils
    Richard Hirstwood and Flo Longhorn’s website with advice and support on areas such as using sensory rooms and iPad apps for pupils with PMLD.
  • SENSwitcher
    Free downloadable switch programme for early switch users. Activities from sensory awareness to early scanning. Comes with teacher’s notes and skills checklist.
  • Sesame Street
    Games and activities from the television show.
  • SIT Plus
    Free software allowing users to activate sounds and music via movement, vocalisation or access devices such as the Wii.
  • Something Special
    Something Special, the BBC programme for children using Makaton signing, now has its own area of the CBeebies website with games, songs and other activities.
  • Special Bites
    Free switch accessible software including cause and effect activities. Advice on making your own stuff.
  • Starfall
    American site with early literacy activities.
  • Symbol World
    News, games and other activities for symbol users.
  • Teaching Ideas
    Materials for use in the primary classroom. Includes some SEN materials.
  • Up to Ten
    Early learning games and activities.
  • WeaveSilk
    mouseover activity
  • Welsh Grid for Learning
    A range of activities, some of them switch accessible
  • Widgit materials on the Times Ed website
    Widgit Software now have their own free downloadable activities on the Times Ed website.
  • Z Type
    Typing game for more advanced pupils. Will only run in Opera, Chrome, Safari or Firefox browsers.

Advice & Support

  • 1Voice
    Organisation supporting families of children who use AAC. See also their videos on YouTube by clicking here.
  • AAC Commissioning – England
    Updates from Communication Matters on the commissioning of AAC devices in England.
  • AAC Intervention
    American site offering ideas and materials for people using AAC.
  • aaps for aac
    Information on everything to do with AAC apps for the iPad and iPod Touch.
  • AbilityNet
    Charity offering help with computer access for disabled people.
  • AbilityNet on YouTube
    Videos on various aspects of ICT and disability.
  • About One Handed Typing
    Advice and resources. American site so some of the equipment recommended is not available in the UK.
  • ACE Centre
    Specialist centre dealing with access to communication covering the southern half of Engand and Wales.
  • All The Daze
    American books and online materials for teachers
  • Apple Accessibility
    Ideas and resources for adapted access to Apple Mac computers.
  • Assist It
    Website with resources and information on assistive technology.
  • BBC My Web My Way
    Ideas and help sheets for adapting your computer and accessing the web.
  • BBC Schools
    A range of useful resources including video and pictures for pupils of all ages.
  • Better Living Through Technology
    Website with lots of resources for alternative access to the computer for people with disabilities.
  • CALL Centre
    Scotland’s centre for people with communication disorders.
  • Call Centre Resources
    Links to useful resources when working with pupils.
  • Click Special NZ
    Resources and information for special needs from New Zealand.
  • Cogain
    Advice, information and downloads for use with the MyTobii eye gaze system.
  • Communication 4 All
    Resources to support inclusion.
  • Communication Matters
    Organisation for people who use a communication aid and those who work with them.
  • Disabled Living Foundation
    Advice and support for disabled people in all areas of daily living.
  • FAST UK
    The Foundation for Assistive Technology. Deal with all aspects of the development of new technology to help disabled people.
  • Game Accessibility
    Forum for research into making computer games accessible for those with disabilities.
  • Game Base
    Advice on adapted access to games
  • Hemihelp
    Website with information for people with only one functioning hand.
  • Indispensible Tools
    List of educational software sites recommended by teachers.
  • Institute of Computer Science: Accessible Games
    Research into making computer games accessible for disabled people with online examples.
  • iPads for Education
    Australian site evaluating all aspects of using iPads in schools.
  • iPads in Education
    British site with ideas, resources etc for using iPads in educational settings.
  • Just Different
    Organisation run by disabled people, including AAC users, who run workshops on disability awareness in schools for both pupils and staff.
  • Keytools Ergonomics
    Manufacturer’s website with advice on RSI, one-handed typing and computer access.
  • Learning in Hand
    Advice on using Ipads, Ipods etc from an American teacher.
  • Mayer-Johnson
    Manufacturers of Boardmaker symbol software amongst others. Also includes advice on the use of their software in various situations with various groups of pupils.
  • Microsoft Accessibility
    Ideas and help on adapted access to Windows computers.
  • Northern Ireland Curriculum
    Ideas and materials for teaching pupils with all types of SEN, including SLD and PMLD.
  • OATS Project
    Open source assistive technology resource.
  • Oneswitch.org
    Games, advice, ideas and shop for people with physical or learning disabilities accessing a computer with one switch.
  • PrAACtical AAC
    US site run by two speech-language pathologists offering ideas and resources related to the use of AAC.
  • Project Salute
    Information on communication through touch for those with complex needs and multisensory impairment.
  • Proloquo2Go
    Manual and help videos for this iPad / iPod Touch communication software
  • RNIB Education
    Advice and resources for staff and families of children with visual impairment. Includes links to resources for those with complex needs.
  • RNIB Keyboard Skills
    Advice on touch typing for people with a visual impairment
  • SEN / ICT
    Website with lists of resources and links to other sites, all to do with children with special needs.
  • SENDirect
    SENDirect is a project developed by the SEND Consortium. It hosts a website aimed at providing information for families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
  • SENIT Forum
    Online forum linking all those working in ICT with pupils with special needs.
  • Sensory resources for PMLD pupils
    Richard Hirstwood and Flo Longhorn’s website with advice and support on areas such as using sensory rooms and iPad apps for pupils with PMLD.
  • Speach Teach
    Advice and support for parents and professionals working with children with communication difficulties.
  • Special Bites
    Free switch accessible software including cause and effect activities. Advice on making your own stuff.
  • Spectronics
    Australian site evaluating all aspects of using iPads in schools.
  • Speech Bubble
    Comparisons of all AAC devices available in the UK.
  • Speirs Blog
    Blog by teacher using iPads across the school, containing evaluations and useful advice.
  • Talk Sense
    Advice and support for the use of AAC and assistive technology.
  • Talking Point
    Advice and support for parents of children with communication disorders.
  • TES Resources
    Resources for teachers working with pupils with Special Needs.
  • Training for teachers working with pupils with SEN
    Online modular training for teachers working with a variety of pupils with SEN
  • Training for teaching pupils with complex needs
    Online modular training for working with pupils with SLD, PMLD or other complex needs
  • Typing Tutors
    Freeware and shareware with links.
  • Under Ten Minutes
    Short videos showing teachers how to use free software.
  • Yaack
    American site offering advice and support for those working with children using AAC.

Funding

Hardware

  • AAC Commissioning – England
    Updates from Communication Matters on the commissioning of AAC devices in England.
  • AlphaSmart (UK Site)
    Small word processors to be used on a desk or table.
  • Frogpad
    One handed keyboard. Available for desktops, laptops and PDAs.
  • Hope Education
    Educational catalogue selling SEN resources, special needs toys and sensory equipment.
  • Iansyst / Dyslexic.com
    Specialists in assistive technology, training & information for people with dyslexia and other disabilities.
  • Inclusive Technology
    Make and sell hardware and software for disabled people, mainly pupils in school.
  • Independent Life Technologies
    Switch operated toys and electrical equipment
  • iPod
    Device to make your iPod switch accessible. (Australian)
  • Keytools
    Adapted keyboards, mice, trackerballs etc.
  • Liberator
    Specialists in communication aids and sensory hardware.
  • Logan Technologies
    Distributors of the Proxtalker communication aid and the Megabee eye pointing system amongst others. Includes downloadable Proxtalker resources for use with pupils.
  • Maltron
    Ergonomic, one handed and other alternative keyboards.
  • MERU
    MERU make one off adapted equipment for disabled people. Some of their equipment is mass produced and available from here.
  • MERU on ebay
    Buy accessibility equipment from Meru via ebay.
  • Speirs Blog
    Blog by teacher using iPads across the school, containing evaluations and useful advice.

Software

  • Boardmakershare
    Free downloadable grids and activities to add to the programme ‘Boardmaker’. The site is American but resources can be localised.
  • Camera Mouse
    Free software allowing you to activate the cursor on a computer using head movements and a webcam.
  • Cooliris
    Changes your browser to exclude all text links, just leaving the pictures.
  • Crick Software
    Publishers of the ‘Clicker6’ and ‘WriteOnline’ programs and the ‘Clicker Apps’ suite for iPads.
  • Dasher
    Free downloadable writing software for those who cannot use a keyboard. Also has an eye track function.
  • FAST UK
    The Foundation for Assistive Technology. Deal with all aspects of the development of new technology to help disabled people.
  • Findsounds.com
    Sound effects search engine.
  • Hope Education
    Educational catalogue selling SEN resources, special needs toys and sensory equipment.
  • Iansyst / Dyslexic.com
    Specialists in assistive technology, training & information for people with dyslexia and other disabilities.
  • Inclusive Technology
    Make and sell hardware and software for disabled people, mainly pupils in school.
  • iPad / iPhone apps for AAC
    A list of the currently available AAC apps
  • Learning Grids
    Download grids for ‘Clicker’ and other resources for Crick Software programs for free.
  • Maths Base
    Small steps programme to help pupils develop numeracy skills.
  • Mayer-Johnson
    Manufacturers of Boardmaker symbol software amongst others. Also includes advice on the use of their software in various situations with various groups of pupils.
  • Our Story
    Free app for iPads from the Open University that allows children to make up their own stories.
  • Page Set Central
    Additional games and other pages for use with Tobii software
  • Penfriend
    Word prediction software.
  • Primary Games
    Maths games with free trial versions on the website.
  • Proloquo2Go
    Manual and help videos for this iPad / iPod Touch communication software
  • R E M
    Educational software retailers
  • Read On Web
    Allows you to strip out all distracting advertisements, pictures etc from web pages, just leaving the text.
  • Scientific Word
    Software for advanced maths and science students that allows them to write calculations on a computer easily.
  • Sense Typing
    Online touch typing that allows you to paste in your own text to practice.
  • Sensory Guru
    You Tube channel for company creating eye gaze content for learners with complex needs.
  • Sensory Software International
    Access to communication and the curriculum for people with physical disabilities.
  • Shiny Learning
    UK distributor for LaraMera switch accessible software.
  • Straight Street
    Free symbols
  • Topologika
    Educational software
  • Widgit Software
    Makers of ‘Communicate: In Print’ and other software. Both free resources to download and some you have to pay for.