Disco
by Gerry Kennedy
 | Cause-and-Effect Software for Older Students For PC Compatible computers running MS Windows 95/98 |  |
Disco is a music and graphic-based cause-and-effect program. It caters to older switch users as well as to adolescents and to adults. It is intended to motivate users to use and practise with their switch or preferred input device (e.g. Touch Window, mouse, keyboard or IntelliKeys etc.). The images, animations and scenes have been specifically designed and created to appeal to older students. The high quality music adds to the amusement and enjoyment of interacting with this interesting and age appropriate software.
Disco will run on Windows 95 or 98. It is easy to install and run. There are eighteen files with associated scenes and music files that are installed onto your hard drive. It takes up less than 20MB space with the main program, support files and a help file.
The eighteen (18) pictures on this disk include: guitarist, dog, boy fishing, party, traffic lights, thunderstorm, kiss, mixer, computer, hockey player, TV, coffee maker, drummer, parrot, taxi, The Phantom, hamburger, sewing machine. You can select or deselect any picture or have them all available. This means that you can customise the list and only display the pictures that a user desires or wishes to use. Pictures can be turned off that have been used repeatedly or are no longer required. Users can determine the ones that they enjoy or wish to see in a session.
The program starts with a short animation. A stage appears, with maroon curtains opening to reveal a Michael Jackson type figure. He dances, then removes his hat which falls to the floor. It morphs into a trumpet. The title of the software, Disco, rolls from the trumpet opening. Music plays in the background. It is simple yet very effective.
The screen then changes to that of a pictorial menu with 18 pictures displayed in a 6 × 3 matrix. There are three menus displayed at the top of the screen. You can choose the File menu and Print option to print any one of the pictures in portrait or landscape, black and white or colour. This is a great feature as teachers, adult trainers, therapists and parents can provide a hard copy for the student to be used for choice making, or for inclusion in a communication book or display.
The program can be run in different ways. You can set Disco up to react only when the mouse is used. The second mode is where the frame is moved automatically (you press the Enter key to choose the picture as a red frame scans across the pictures). The third mode is where the frame is moved manually with the Space Bar and Enter Key (with Space Bar moving the frame). The Enter key is Switch 1 and the Space Bar is Switch 2. A scan delay can be set from 1-5 seconds for switch users. A visible mouse pointer can be displayed onscreen as well. This is useful for users who need to see that the program is operating and that they need to press their device.
Users can elect to see the picture and associated animation after one press of their device. The second option is to first see the picture, then switch or press to see the animation. The last option is where multiple presses of their switch or device (e.g. IntelliKeys, Touch Window or mouse) reveal ‘layers’ of a scene. After anything from 4-9 presses (depending upon the complexity of the scene) will cause the scene to animate. The music and sound effect files have been well chosen and they are very age appropriate. The graphics and animations are clearly drawn and have been cleverly designed to appeal to an older audience of students and adult users.
Sound can be turned on or off. There is also a clever setting that caters to users who are vision impaired. The menu matrix can be changed to ‘larger menu pictures’. In the scanning mode, the pictures move down with the frame advancing either automatically or manually. The background colour for the picture menu can be altered as well, with a choice of 16 coloured backgrounds (with excellent colour contrast). Overall, this is a comprehensive package with some very useful features!
Disco caters to an often-neglected group of users who have traditionally missed out on interesting and motivating cause-and-effect software. This package from Sweden has many features that make it very simple to use, but has enough content to warrant it being used in a number of schools and centres, or in the home.