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The use of
Braille, assistive technology (such
as computers with synthetic speech), scanners, or large-print displays
provide
alternatives to print reading and writing. The following resources are
designed
to help transition into or improve the use of these adaptive
technologies.
General
Resources
The American
Printing House for the Blind
APH provides
a number of excellent computer and
computer-related resources including:
Custom Production Services
Because of
changes in the way textbooks are
selected and used in general education, the American Printing House for
the
Blind is revamping its procedure for recording and distributing texts
for
classroom use. It is creating new systems to provide accessible
textbooks in an
expanded variety of media. In addition to traditional Textbooks, titles
will be
produced in Braille, hardcopy, eElectronic files for mbossing, and
downloadable
files from the APH web site.
Accessible
Media Producers' Database
This database
includes the names, locations, and
qualifications of producers of accessible materials for visually
impaired and
blind individuals.
Fred's Head
Database
The Fred's
Head Database is a source of tips and
techniques for and by blind or visually impaired individuals related to
adaptive technology.
Louis
Database of Accessible Materials
APH currently
houses a database called the Louis
Database of Accessible Materials for People who are blind or Visually
Impaired.
Louis contains information about more than 152,000 titles of accessible
materials, including Braille, large print, sound recordings, and
computer files
from over 200 agencies throughout the United States. You can
access Louis either through the Internet or
call, fax, or e-mail the information to be searched.
Tips for
Using Braille Files from the APH File
Repository
Don't know
how to use WinZip or other programs
which enable you to download books contained in zip files? This link
provides a
detailed and understandable guide.
American
Foundation for the Blind
This Web site
provides some especially good
information for getting into, or refining, your use of all types of
adaptive
technology.
Careers and
Technology Information Bank
A variety of
information on technology can be
found in this web site section, which features descriptions of adaptive
equipment, offers tips on using technology effectively, and gives
technology
specialists advice on making web sites and computer applications
accessible to
people who are visually impaired.
Career Connect
A variety of
information on technology can be
found in this web site section, which features descriptions of adaptive
equipment
and listings of where to find products. Sections include: Screen
Magnification,
Braille Technology, Synthetic Speech Systems, Optical Character
Recognition,
Video Magnifiers, and Sources of Assistive Technology Products.
The American
Council of the Blind
Web site
provides a number of links to computer
and adaptive technology resources. Among the most useful links
are
COMPUTER
PRODUCTS AND PUBLICATIONS FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED
COMPUTER
PUBLICATIONS FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED
COMPUTER
TRAINING FACILITIES/LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Software
Demo Internet Sites
This page provides descriptions of adaptive
software and links
permitting you to sample them.
Link: Tips on How to Use and Buy CCTV's
http://www.tsbvi.edu/technology/cctv-tips.htm
A CCTV, a closed circuit television system, permits a low vision user
to greatly enlarge print, manipulate its size and background, and do a
number of other things to make the print easier to read. This page is a
copy of a paper presented at the AFB/AER Technology Odyssey in August
2001 by Brian M. Smith dealing with issues related to the most
efficient use of CCTVs.
BITS Resources
The Blind Information Technology Specialists, an
affiliate of the
American Council of the Blind, provides this extensive list of links
leading to high-quality sites on all aspects of adaptive technology.
While there is some overlap with the ACB site listed above, a
significant portion of this information is not duplicated.
Adaptive Technology Venders
While we can not endorse any particular vender,
some of the leading
companies in the field of adaptive technology include:
Duxbury
Systems
Duxbury Systems provides high-quality software for
braille. The Duxbury
Braille Translator (DBT) and MegaDots are used by virtually all of the
world's leading braille publishers. No one supports more languages than
Duxbury Systems -- DBT supports grade 1 and grade 2 translations in
English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Arabic, Malaysian,
Swedish, and other languages. Its software can produce contracted and
uncontracted braille, mathematics, and technical braille.
Enabling
Technologies
Enabling Technologies designs, manufactures, and
supports some of the
most popular braille Embossers, a device for quickly printing large
quantities of high-quality braille.
Freedom
Scientific - Low Vision, Blindness and Learning Disability Adaptive and
Assistive Software and Hardware Technology
Freedom Scientific is perhaps the largest and
best
known company producing adaptive technology for the visually impaired.
Its products include: screen reading software for the blind,
magnification software for those with low-vision, and other products
for accessible scanning and reading, as well as braille displays,
notetakers, and an accessible PDA.
GW Micro
GW Micro features a wide range of adaptive
products, which include
screen reading software, braille notetakers. an accessible laptop, and
a CCTV for enlarging print for those with low vision.
HumanWare
HumanWare produces BrailleNote, the world's
smallest PDA for the blind;
pocketViewer, a portable magnifier; and Victor Reader Stream, and
digital talking book players.
Saratech
The majority of Saratech’s business is with
conventional corporations,
however, it has developed a device for accessing any computer with
speech. You can test the beta version at
Satogo
While the quality of the speech leaves a good deal
to be desired, it is
a unique technology with significant promise.
AI
Square
AI Square makes Zoom Text, one of the leading
screen enlargement
programs for using computers.
Alva Access
Group
ALVA Access Group offers a select assortment of
braille and speech
products including: optical character recognition (OCR) packages;
screen readers; enlargement software; a portable magnifier for laptops;
hand-held organizers and many other products from a variety of key
manufacturers.
Instruction and Information
Top Dot
Enterprises
Top Dot Enterprises offers individual and
small-group adaptive technology training to blind users in person,
online or by phone. It also sells audio training courses which have
helped many people gain confidence in using adaptive technology. You
can also sign-up to receive a concise weekly e-mail newsletter
containing the week's news in adaptive technology, technology in
general as it relates to the blind, and Internet audio.
The
Chicago Lighthouse
The Chicago Lighthouse has established a telephone
assistive technology
support line. The toll-free number is 888-825-0080. Any person who is
blind or visually impaired, their teachers, or others may call the
support line regardless of what product they’re using. The service is
available to anyone in the United States or Canada.
Carroll Tech
Carroll Tech, a division of The Carroll Center for
the Blind, offers
high-quality online courses in adaptive technology. Such classes are
designed for you if you: need training in Microsoft Excel, Outlook,
PowerPoint or any of a number of braille, speech or large print
devices; are a first-time user or need to upgrade your knowledge; or
use the screen readers JAWS For Windows or Window-Eyes or the screen
magnifiers ZoomText or MAGic
Access
Technology Institute
This site, hosted by Cathy Anne Murtha,
specializes in high-quality,
readily available, on-line training for blind and visually impaired
computer users. Independent study, online classes, or personalized
instruction are all available at reasonable prices.
Blind
Geek Zone
This site, hosted by Ric Harmon, provides links to
excellent audio
tutorials, programs, web sites of interest to visually impaired
computer users, mailing lists, and upcoming events of interest to blind
geeks as well as would-be geeks.
Free
Guides for Visually Impaired People
While this site is not likely to be up-dated and,
therefore, will
become increasingly out of date, its comprehensive tutorials,
mini-guides, user notes, and list of companies supplying adaptive
equipment is still valuable. Of special interest are links to
information on accessible household appliances.
Visually Impaired and
Blind User Group
VIBUG is the Visually Impaired and Blind User
Group, serving blind and
visually impaired computer users in Massachusetts. The site, which is
uncluttered and extremely easy to navigate, includes audio files of
demonstrations as well as classes held at VIBUG meetings and additional
resources for blind computer users,
Blind
Programming Site--Resource for Blind Programmers
Trying to keep up with sighted colleagues, to say
nothing of your
students, on the computer? Perhaps you're trying to learn a particular
language or simply stuck on an unusually difficult question. If so,
visit this web site, a place where Blind and Visually-impaired
programmers (novice or expert) can exchange resources, ideas,
knowledge, and experience in any programming-related field.
Software
Free
Software for Blind People
All of the software programs on this site are
available for download
for free for you to use. They help you to read web pages, listen to
radio and audio on the web, and much more. It is recommended that you
download the single WebbIE Installer: this will give you the latest
versions of all of the featured programs.
Speech
Synthesis
Examples
of Speech Synthesis Trying to decide what speech synthesizer to buy for
your adaptive
technology? This site will permit you to compare a plethora of choices,
including a number of non-English products.
Blind + Linux =
BLINUX
Linux is an increasingly popular alternative to
more established
operating systems like Windows. The purpose of the BLINUX project is to
improve usability of the LINUX operating system for the user who is
blind. The site provides some background information as well as a
discussion list.
Product Reviews and Resources
The Screen
Magnifier's Home Page
This site gives the latest news, product reviews,
free downloads, and
an archive of past articles on screen magnification products for people
with low vision.
Blind
Computing Home Page
This site is designed for the blind computer user.
Here you can find
information on computers, peripherals, hardware and software, audio,
file utilities, E-Mail lists, websites, and web services for the blind
and visually impaired, information on scanners, magnification
equipment, system utilities, and much more. This is an excellent site
that is well-organized and appears to be updated frequently.
Workplace
RERC - Assistive Technology Resources
This site, hosted by the Rehabilitation
Engineering Research Center on
Workplace Accommodations of Georgia Tech., features an Internet
database of assistive technology products, including those that may be
used as workplace accommodations. The site includes reference guides
that describe resources for various types of assistive technology,
including: computer workstations; mouse alternatives; voice input
systems; computer magnification; accessible calculators; and reading
systems.
Abledata:
ABLEDATA provides objective information about
assistive technology
products and rehabilitation equipment available from domestic and
international sources. Although ABLEDATA does not sell any products, it
can help you locate the companies that do. The site includes an
excellent search feature.
Blindness Related
Resources
The author of this site says, “This is not, nor is
[it] intended to be,
an encyclopedic index of blindness-related resources on the 'net . . .
It is merely a collection of links that I have either come to rely upon
personally or which I have stumbled across in the course of my own
personal web crawling. They are offered here merely as jumping-off
points for the exploration of blindness-related resources, for
following any one of the links listed on this page will open a
Pandora's box of information.” The disclaimer is accurate because,
while not exhaustive, the site is an excellent source of links to a
variety of sources.
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