What is thought to be one of the biggest online training portals created to date, for learning about assistive technology, featuring e-learning and live online tutoring, has been launched by the charity AbilityNet.

The AT training portal (http://www.abilitynettraining.org ) is based on the open source learning platform Moodle (http://moodle.org ).
Courses available include...

• a general introduction to assistive technology;
  
• courses on healthy computing;
  
• how technology can help people with dyslexia;
  
• access to mobile phones;
  
• training on specific technologies such as the Jaws and Thunder screen readers.

• One year's access to all courses currently costs £100 per user, and
• Single courses can be purchased for £25; online payments are possible using PayPal.
• One or two courses, such as one on making your computer talk in Windows, are free to access.

Since the service went live at the beginning of June, just over 100 users had signed up "from all sorts of backgrounds."

Future developments may include courses in languages other than English, particularly if partners came forward to assist with translation.