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There is an ever-growing number and variety of art-related
software available for users of all ages and abilities. For successful
usage and integration, software should be chosen carefully.
Considerations
When selecting art software for students with physical
disabilities, look carefully at the following:
- Interface - menus or icons are in consistent
locations, readable, understandable? Customizable?
- Content - encourages creativity, user-friendly,
age appropriate?
Choosing Appropriate Software
Features
What features will the child need?
Some examples:
- Minimal interface
- Verbal feedback
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Clear, visual icons
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Customizability
Can the program be customized to meet the child’s
needs?
- Easy, moderate, difficult levels
- Change the number or size of color swatches
- Built-in switch access
- Change number of menu items
- Ability to “lock” tools in place
Access
Issues
How will the child access the program?
- Built-in switch access?
- Alternate keyboard?
- Combination mouse and keyboard?
- Mouse or mouse alternative?
Goals
What do I want the computer experiences to do for
the child and what do I hope to accomplish?
- Preview the software to see if it matches goals and objectives
- Software should allow for the greatest independence of navigation
Maturity
Match
Is the software age-appropriate?
What is the user length of the software?
- Will it maintain user interest?
- Will the software grow with the user and meet the user’s increased
demands?
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Age-Appropriate Considerations
When choosing art software for students with disabilities, it is
important that the user’s chronological and cognitive ages are considered.
If possible, try to choose software used by the student’s peers.
Incorrect matches between user and software often lead to frustration,
incorrect use, and perhaps software abandonment.
If possible, have the student (and his/her peers) try out the software.
Observe how long they attend to the program, as well as the ease
of the software navigation and use. Look at the sophistication of
the program, including the youthfulness of the images and icons.
Ask the students for their opinions and input.
Creative
Art Software
Graphics Programs For the Classroom
Kid
Pix Studio Deluxe
 Broderbund
$29 Hybrid CD
- Interactive, exploratory
- System 8.0 + compatible
- Refined digital image handling
- Consistent interface - easier to program/use
Recommended Ages: 3-12
Potential Strengths
- Text-to-speech function
- Import and export graphics
- Ability to edit or create own stamp clip art
- Simple slide show
- Fully editable text
- Sound, special effects
- Spanish and English options
- Improved selection tools (lasso)
Potential Weaknesses
- Color swatches are very small - may be difficult to accurately
select
- Only one level of undo
- Students may overuse stamps, thereby reducing student-generated
creativity
- No zoom function
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Make
a Masterpiece
- Realistic and wacky art tools
- Can import and enhance graphics (filters)
- Fun sound effects
Recommended ages: 5-12
IBM
and Crayola, $20 Hybrid
- Includes information on famous artists, art styles, techniques
- Over 200 idea starters
- Can animate, add sound for creations
Potential Weaknesses
- Tools move around and may block painting area
- Difficult to program and adapt for individuals unable to use
a mouse or related device
- Inconsistent interface
- No keyboard shortcuts
- “Fun” look may prevent users from engaging in more serious or
formal art creation
Disney’s
Magic Artist
 Includes
animated traditional art tools and wacky tools - Natural media simulation
- Fun sound effects
- Fairly consistent interface
- Larger color squares than KidPix
- Colorful backgrounds and Disney stamps
Recommended ages: 5-12
Disney Interactive
Mac and Windows $30
Potential Weaknesses
- Requires CD to be in the drive to run
- Higher computer requirements, including 70 MB of free disk space,
a Power PC(Mac) and 16MB RAM
- Unable to import graphics
- Large colorful Disney clip art figures may preoccupy students
and limit creativity
- Can be a little difficult to navigate - may frustrate impatient
users
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Art
Dabbler
Natural Media
 Next
step up from Kid Pix
- More technical capability
- More sophisticated tools
- Still retains sound effects
- Auto-Save
- Zoom feature
- Growth Factor
- Capabilities realized through experience
- Some filters available to quickly change image
Potential Weaknesses:
- The tiny “handlebar” to open the tools and materials drawers
may make access and change difficult
- Text is difficult to edit
- Only one level of undo
- No features to flip, resize or rotate items
Recommended ages: 8-15
Corel $49 Hybrid
Painter/Painter
Classic
- Premier natural media painting program
- 32 levels of undo
- “Artist-friendly” and rather intuitive
- Classic version bundled with Wacom tablets
Potential Weaknesses:
- Tool palettes cannot be secured and few keyboard shortcuts exist
- Student may be presented with too many choices
- High learning curve to master
- High RAM requirements (20 MB preferred)
Recommended ages: 12-adult
Corel, $99 sold separately
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AppleWorks
(ClarisWorks)
- Integrated program
- Simple image manipulation (flip, rotate)
- Can lock/group objects
- Widely available in schools
“…just the right features for those who don’t need the bells
and whistles that come with most high-powered office apps…”
Win100 Awards
“Easy to use; minimal system requirements; economical; feature-rich…”
Windows Magazine
Potential Weaknesses
- No multiple undo function
- No-frills application- may not be as appealing to students
- Can only import PICT graphic format (Mac)
- Color palette is not automatically present; color swatches
are small
Recommended ages: 7-adult
AppleWorks,
$79
Apple Computer, Inc.
 ClarisWorks
for Kids
- Built-in templates
- Compatibility with AppleWorks
- Easy to use clip art library
Potential Weaknesses:
- Simplicity and templates sometimes limits users (vs. AppleWorks
art tools), especially those who want to do more sophisticated
things
- Noisy, potentially distracting sound effects (default setting);
sometimes mispronounces words
- The ease of adding clip art can overtake the creative process
Recommended ages: 5-11
ClarisWorks for Kids $53
Apple Computer, Inc.
Fun with Architecture
 Select
from a wide variety of architectural elements (doors, roofs,
etc.) and building materials, such as marble, brick & wood
- Quickly enhance image with scenery
- The second half of the program teaches the shapes, elements
and language of architecture
- Easy-to-read graphic icons to customize architectural forms
Interface is very consistent
- Can save the creations in a digital scrapbook
Potential Weaknesses:
- Requires extensive mouse/mouse alternative movements
- Time-consuming for the switch user
- Limited ability to add user-made items
Voyager
$24.95 hybrid
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Art
Appreciation Software
Enables students to learn more about art in an engaging manner
Wilton
Art Series
  Interactive
art appreciation series- Informative and entertaining
- Visual interface
- Fairly consistent setup
Available:
- Color
- Elements of Art
- Artists At Work
- Art Adventure
Wilton, $69 Hybrid
With Open Eyes and The Louvre for Kids
 Voyager
Company: division of LearnTech - Explore works of art through different formats:
- Scale/size
- of artwork
- Timeline
 Geographic
Location - Close-up views
- Puzzles and Games
- Scrapbook
- Slideshow
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With
Open Eyes
 Best-selling
interactive art program - Wonderfully creative way for children to explore the Chicago
Art Institute
- No reading required
- Features over 200 works of art including painting, sculpture,
pottery and jewelry
- Consistent interface (icons are always in the same place)
Mac
and PC CD-ROM $39
The
Louvre For Kids
 Features
over 150 treasures that span 8000 years - Same format and features as “With Open Eyes”
- Audio clips, sound effects
- Easy navigation, useful “help” feature
- Excellent choice for switch or alternate keyboard users
- Large icon buttons Especially for ages
5-10
Mac
and PC CD-ROM $30
ArtSpace
 Interactive
adventure to an art museum - Built-in switch access
- Simulated drawing experience of 113 artworks
- Adult and child art gallery
- Close-up views, music
Recommended Ages: 4-10
Macomb Projects, $50
Macintosh CD (Discontinued, but available)
- Design considers the needs of younger children, including
those with physical disabilities
- Minimal, simple interface - focuses the user on the present
activity
- Preferences menu allows customization of individual needs
including method of access, sound, prompt time, and level
of navigation flexibility
- Artworks re”created” with minimal effort, from 2-4 clicks
- Reinforcing child docent - provides prompts, explanations
and motivating remarks
- Child art works are of varying developmental levels
Possible Weaknesses:
- Prompts could be more explanatory at times
- When in scan mode, it is difficult at times to tell which
item is highlighted - may cause inaccurate user selection
- Even in zoom mode, artwork is still rather small
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ArtRageous!
- Engaging art appreciation software that enlightens users about
art principles in six fully interactive virtual worlds.
- Includes comprehensive art history resource and a database
containing thousands of art facts, theories and trends.
 Learning
is simultaneously mixed with playing and experimentation - Motivating, challenging games
- Visual and auditory instructions
- Several methods to navigate to the feature-rich components
of the program
- Host guide provides witty remarks and motivating statements
Potential Weaknesses :
- Text is small and hard to read at times
- Navigational arrows in the plaza are small and may be difficult
to locate or access
- Busy looking plaza - may overwhelm and overstimulate some
users, making navigation difficult
- No help available in games - may frustrate some users
- No preferences to turn music off or provide overall accommodations
for users of varying levels or abilities
- Rather sophisticated language and vocabulary Recommended
ages: 13 and up Softkey
International, Inc.
(discontinued, but available $29.95)
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