Visual+Impairments


 * AT for Visual Impairments**

Multiple forms of assistive technologies and devices are available for persons with visual impairments. Adaptive technologies range from hand held magnifiers and closed-circuit TV systems to computer software that produces auditory and tactile outputs for the text displayed on a computer monitor. These technologies are very specialized and must be precisely matched with the individual's level of vision and their environmental requirements.

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 * What is a visual impairment?**

There are various definitions which describe this disability, but in simple terms it could be:
> who is unable to read a newspaper at a normal viewing distance, even with the aid of eyeglasses or contact lenses;
 * **Partially sighted** //**-**// a person can see but with some difficulty;
 * **Light sensitivity**. Some people are affected by the light emitted by the computer monitor. Sometimes this can be resolved by either increasing or decreasing the monitor refresh rate. CRT are generally worse than LCD (flat screen). Other ways of reducing these affects include using Coloured screen overlays or Anti-glare filters. There are varying degrees of filtering available. The filters reduce the strain on the eyes by blocking 99% of ultraviolet rays radiated from LCD screens. In addition, the filters allow 90% of light transmission while protecting the LCD screen from degradation as a result of strong sunlight and other natural lights.
 * **Low vision** //**-**// a more severe impairment of vision, but not necessarily limited to distance vision. This would be someone with sight
 * **Blind** - a person having no useful sight.

**Low tech options for VI**

**Mid tech options for VI**

**High tech options for VI**


 * Scan/Read Systems:** Scan/read systems combine software and a flatbed scanner to read aloud any printed text. Textbook pages, class handouts, and tests can be scanned in and then read aloud by a computer.
 * **Product** ||  **Vendor**  ||  **Website**  ||
 * **Kurzweil 1000** || Kurzweil Educational Systems || __[|www.kurzweiledu.com]__ ||
 * **OpenBook** || Freedom Scientific, Inc., Blind/Low Vision Group || __[|www.freedomscientific.com]__ ||


 * Digital Book Readers** **:** Software playback systems are full-featured software packages designed to play RFB&D's AudioPlus CD books on a desktop or laptop computer. They are specially designed with the blind and visually impaired community in mind.
 * **Product** ||  **Vendor**  ||  **Website**  ||
 * **eClipseReader** || Innovative Rehabilitation Technology, Inc. || __[|www.eclipsereader.com]__ ||
 * **Victor Reader Soft** || VisuAide || __[|www.visuaide.com]__ ||
 * **PlexTalk** || Plextor || __[|www.plextalk.com]__ ||


 * Video Magnifiers:** Video magnifiers utilize closed circuit television technology to enlarge written materials and small objects for people with low vision. All printed material from textbook pages to mail can be magnified onto the CCTV for easier viewing.
 * **Product** ||  **Vendor**  ||  **Website**  ||
 * **Prisma** || Freedom Vision || __[|www.freedomvision.net]__ ||
 * **Aladdin** || Telesensory || __[|www.telesensory.com]__ ||
 * **Clarity** || Clarity Solutions || __[|www.clarityaf.com]__ ||
 * **SmartView** || Pulse Data || __[|www.pulsedata.co.nz]__ ||
 * **Flipper** || Enhanced Vision || __[|www.enhancedvision.com]__ ||


 * Portable Notetakers:** Lightweight, portable notetakers provide speech output without a visual display and can be connected to printers and computers for printing and uploading text. Braille keyboards and refreshable Braille displays are available for Braille users. A QWERTY keyboard version is available for people who prefer touch-typing.
 * **Product** ||  **Vendor**  ||  **Website**  ||
 * **Braille Lite Series** || Freedom Scientific, Inc. Blind/Low Vision Group || __[|www.freedomscientific.com]__ ||
 * **Braille 'n Speak** || Freedom Scientific, Inc. Blind/Low Vision Group || __[|www.freedomscientific.com]__ ||
 * **Type 'n Speak** || Freedom Scientific, Inc. Blind/Low Vision Group || __[|www.freedomscientific.com]__ ||
 * **PacMATE Series** || Freedom Scientific, Inc. Blind/Low Vision Group || __[|www.freedomscientific.com]__ ||
 * **Type Lite** || Freedom Scientific, Inc. Blind/Low Vision Group || __[|www.freedomscientific.com]__ ||
 * **VoiceNote** || Pulse Data || __[|www.pulsedata.co.nz]__ ||
 * **BrailleNote** || Pulse Data || __[|www.pulsedata.co.nz]__ ||


 * Computer Access methods for VI**


 * **Screen magnifiers** work like a magnifying glass. They enlarge a portion of the screen as the user moves the focus—increasing legibility for some users. Some screen enlargers allow a user to zoom in and out on a particular area of the screen.
 * **MAGic** || Freedom Scientific, Inc. Blind/Low Vision Group |||| __[|www.freedomscientific.com]__ ||
 * **ZoomText** || Ai Squared |||| __[|www.aisquared.com]__ ||
 * **BigShot** || Ai Squared |||| __[|www.aisquared.com]__ ||

[|JAWS] (* demonstrated in this episode) [|Window-Eyes] [|Hal] [| VoiceOver] (* built-in screen reader for Mac) [|SATOGO] (* free screen reader) [|Thunder] (* free screen reader) [|NVDA] (* free screen reader)
 * **Screen readers** are software programs that present graphics and text as speech. A screen reader is used to verbalize, or "speak," everything on the screen including names and descriptions of control buttons, menus, text, and punctuation.


 * **Speech recognition**, (also called voice recognition), allows data entry by voice commands rather than a mouse or keyboard


 * **Speech synthesizers** (often referred to as text-to-speech (TTS) systems) receive information going to the screen in the form of letters, numbers, and punctuation marks, and then "speak" it out loud. Using speech synthesizers allows blind users to review their input as they type.


 * **Refreshable Braille displays** provide tactile output of information represented on the computer screen. The user reads the Braille letters with his or her fingers, and then, after a line is read, refreshes the display to read the next line.

>
 * **Braille embossers** transfer computer generated text into embossed Braille output. Braille translation programs convert text scanned in or generated via standard word processing programs into Braille, which can be printed on the embosser. To view a short video about braille transcribing software and braille embossers choose one of the following links.
 * [|Video on braille transcribing software and braille embossers in Windows Media format]
 * [|Video on braille transcribing software and braille embossers in Real Player format]


 * **Talking word processors** are software programs that use speech synthesizers to provide auditory feedback of what is typed.


 * **Large-print word processors** allow the user to view everything in large text without added screen enlargement.

__ Other websites of interest __ [|Blind Cool Tech podcast] [|Braille Institute] [|American Foundation of the Blind] [|National Federation for the Blind]

JAWS Screen Reading Trial Software – Includes Free FSReader Software

 * ======[|JAWS 32-bit English demo (101 MB)]======
 * ======[|JAWS 64-bit English demo (105 MB)]======

MAGic Screen Magnification Trial Software

 * ======[|MAGic 32-bit English demo (116 MB)]======
 * ======[|MAGic 64-bit English demo (122 MB)]======
 * ======Choose this link for the [|MAGic Large Print Keyboard driver].======

OpenBook Scanning and Reading Trial Software

 * ======[|OpenBook 32- and 64-bit - English demo (263 MB)]======

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JAWS, MAGic, and OpenBook support and include at no additional cost the RealSpeak Solo Direct synthesizer from Nuance® Communications. It consists of over 40 voices in more than 20 languages and is available for all licensed and demo versions. Select [|RealSpeak Solo Direct Voices] to listen to samples or download any of these voices.======