Technology

Find out about Access Technology

Summary: Find out more about access technology and how it can provide access to information for people with sight problems.

• Most searched for types of access technology
• Other types of access technology

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Access Technology provides “access to technology'”for someone who is blind or partially sighted. It relates to:

• adaptive hardware or software which can make equipment accessible to someone with a sight problem. For example, this can mean adding speech, magnification or a braille display to a computer.
• specialist equipment that has been designed for use by blind and partially sighted people, such as video magnifiers, braille notetakers and braille embossers.

Most searched for types of access technology

Standalone Reading Machine

A Standalone Reading Machine is one unit that integrates a scanner, Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Software and speech software. The printed document can then be scanned and read by the same machine. This option is most popular with those people who don't have a PC or don't want to use a computer. Some of these machines allow document storage. If you already have a PC with speech output software, then usually a cheaper option for reading documents is to buy a scanner and some mainstream or specialist OCR software. Electronic Reading Aids - further information.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software

This software is used in conjunction with a PC and scanner to copy printed text to the computer and hold it electronically so it can be read by a screen reader or magnified with software. There is mainstream OCR software available that just copies the text. Electronic Reading Aids - further information.

Speech Output software or Screen Reader software

A screen reading program sends screen text displayed on the screen to be spoken by a speech synthesizer. Common features include the ability to speak the full screen, a user defined area of the screen, a line, a word, individual letters or the phonetic equivalent of a letter and punctuation. A screen reader allows menus, dialog boxes, tool tips and system messages to be read back. A screen reader is designed to give a blind person access to the computer. Screen Readers and Speech Output Systems - further information.

Screen magnification software

This software can magnify the text, menus and icons on the computer screen up to 32 times. Because screen magnification software increases the size of the image displayed on the screen, only a portion of the original screen image can be seen at one time. Normally the magnification will automatically follow the area of attention, for example the cursor. Because of the restriction on the amount of viewable area of the screen, a large monitor is usually used in conjunction with screen magnification software to effectively increase the viewable area on the screen. Screen Magnification - further information.

Other types of access technology

Braille embosser or braille printer

Embossers print braille output from a computer by punching dots onto paper. They connect to the computer in the same way as text printers and can also be connected to notetakers and other devices with a serial or parallel port. Used in conjunction with the embosser is braille translation software that translates printed text into braille. How do I produce braille – further information

Notetakers

A portable computer with a braille or QWERTY keyboard that gives speech feedback and allows the user to take notes, make appointments and some are email and internet enabled. They can also have an integrated braille display. Notetakers - further information.

Closed Circuit Televisions (CCTVs) or Video Magnifiers

This is a magnifying aid for people with some useful vision. Printed material and objects can be placed under a camera and the magnified image is displayed on a television screen or computer monitor. They are mostly used for reading, but can also be used for writing and other activities such as sewing. Video Magnifiers and CCTVs - further information.

Braille Display

An electronic braille display is a tactile device that is placed under a conventional computer keyboard, or laptop keyboard and enables the user to read the contents of the computer screen by touch in braille. Each cell has eight pins made of metal or nylon, which are electronically controlled to move up and down, to display a braille version of characters that appear on the computer screen. Braille Displays - further information.

Voice Recognition Software

Voice Recognition Software enables the user to have an alternative to typing text into a computer. This is where the user talks to the computer and should not be confused with a Speech Output System where the computer talks to you. To use a Voice Recognition system you must be prepared to modify the way you talk and it does take some time to develop. This is a possible solution for people who have difficulty with their hands or who have dyslexia and is not usually the recommended option for a person who is blind or partially sighted who can learn to touchtype. This is because the combination of equipment that is required to make voice in and voice out work together is expensive and requires extensive training. A voice in/voice out solution is available from T&T Consultancy. For information about Voice Recognition software, and computing for people with motor and other disabilities, please go to the AbilityNet website.

Content author: technology@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 08/04/2008 18:38