As one with a disability I can tell you first hand how it is to have been labeled in a category. I was told that I would not be able to do this and that. Technology opened up a whole new world for me. Possibilities abounded to me that had not been there before.

A recent conversation comes to mind. I was speaking to a woman about the Non-Profit Foundation that I am a Co-Founder of. Our Foundation brings technology to the visually impaired and the disabled. We spoke about computer use. She told me that she thought that the visually impaired, especially the blind, did not use the computer and thus the internet. I explained to her the adaptive technology that is available for them to use.

This is one example of how there are misconceptions about disabled persons. We will look at some of the adaptive technology and the functions that enhance lives today.

A Braille reader is used as an input device on a personal computer. This is direct touch for embossed point on Braille paper by an isolated thin metal wire which can connect to any other large/small computers.

A (CCTV) or closed-circuit television system uses a stand-mounted or handheld video camera that projects a magnified image onto a video monitor, a television (TV) screen, or a computer monitor.

Braille Displays operate by raising and lowering different combinations of pins electronically to produce in Braille format what appears on a portion of a computer screen. They show up to 80 characters from the screen and are refreshable. The Braille display sits on the user’s desk. The advantage of the Braille display in comparison to synthetic speech is in its direct access to information. They also check format, spacing and spelling.

Electronic Braille notetakers are small, portable devices with Braille keyboards for entering information. They use a speech synthesizer or a Braille display for output. The user then enters the information on the Braille keyboard and has the option of transferring it to a computer with more memory, reviewing it using the built in speech synthesizer or Braille display, or printing it on a Braille or on a printer.

Screen readers that tell the synthesizer what to say. The synthesizers used with computers are text-to-speech systems. Their programming includes all the phonemes and grammatical rules of a language. This allows them to pronounce words correctly.

Screen magnifiers come with many options and can reach high levels of magnification. Today’s full-featured screen magnification programs are compatible with Windows Vista, XP, and NT/2000. For those who need more than magnification, it is possible to use a built-in screen reader with today’s screen magnifiers.

Low Browse:

From Lighthouse International this is an add-on to Mozilla’s Firefox browser. It enables visually impaired person to view web pages as the web author intended them to be viewed. This software also reads the text on those pages that is formatted to the viewers own needs.

WebAnywhere:

WebAnywhere is a screen reader that is web based. The blind can access the web from any computer as long as it has a sound card.

So let us set those misconceptions aside. The proper knowledge and tools can aid those with disabilities to rise.

Author:

Sandi Baker

Co-Founder

Visual Innovations& Solutions

http://visualinnovations.org