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Audio for Accessibility




Overview

Held annually in Birmingham , Sight Village is an opportunity for vendors of Assistive Technology from all over the world to show their products to thousands of interested visitors. Typically BRITE sends a representative to this "must attend" event and you will find technology updates from time to time in the BRITE blog. What follows is just a small sample of the wide range of technology for learners who are blind or who have low vision. Sight Village is usually held in mid-July.

For details of the next exhibition, click on the following link: www.qac.ac.uk/sightvillage/index.html




Portable Computing

Maestro
The Maestro is a standard PDA fitted with a soft membrane to allow blind users to use Keysoft applications with Pocket PC software. (Users of the BrailleNote will be familiar with Keysoft software as this is the core of the BrailleNote's operating system) The Maestro's soft membrane can be described as a panel with approximately 25 small buttons which fits over the PDA's screen. Characters are entered in a similar way to writing on a mobile phone and navigation is done via tabbing and arrows. The Maestro uses the familiar software synthesizer "Eloquence" which is used by popular screen readers such as Jaws and Window-Eyes. The device includes applications such as: a media player, an E-mail client, a calendar and a note taker. It is able to connect to a PC via wireless technologies such as Bluetooth and WIFI.

Though the Maestro may not be suitable for taking extensive notes, it is a very portable device that could be used in situations where portability is a factor.

More information can be found by visiting the Humanware web site: www.humanware.com

Small Talk UPC
The Small Talk Ultra Personal Computer (UPC) is a very small fully functional computer with similar dimensions to that of a PDA. This machine is based on the Microsoft Windows Vista platform and is able to run Assistive Technology software such as Screen Readers, Screen Magnifiers, and alternate input devices. It's touch screen and thumb keyboard are not terribly useful to blind users but the Small Talk does allow standard peripherals such as full-sized monitors and keyboards to be used.

This feature packed device is extremely useful for students who need light-weight portability in a device that offers full functionality.

For more information, please visit: www.gwmicro.com





Screen Readers and Screen Magnifiers

The latest version of Recent versions of JAWS mainly improve upon existing functionality and expand support for a wide range of popular third-party applications (including Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Office 2007). IN addition expanded JAWS training materials (in DAISY format), improved refreshible Braille support, and enhanced web navigation are just some of the recent gains found in the world's most popular screen reader.

Magic V10.0 is Freedom Scientifics' premier Screen Magnification product. Like it's rival ZoomText (from AI-Squared) and Supernova (from Dolphin UK), it makes use of a speech/magnification combo to assist partially sighted users with accessing a PC . recent versions include a training tutorial in DAISY format, improved speech engine and functionality, and greater support for popular third-party applications.

For more information on Freedom Scientific products, please visit: www.freedomscientific.com

Dolphin UK produce Supernova. Supernova is a emalamation of Dolphin's HAL (screen reader) and Looner (screen magnifier). Recent releases contain several improvements and new features which improve the user's experience. Like other screen reader products from other suppliers, a portable version of Supernova is available on a USB stick. In addition, Dolphin UK offers Pocket HAL. a screen reader that enables access to portable device assistants running Pocket Microsoft Windows. This technology continues to improve and looks very promising!

Dolphin UK has a range of DAISY software products. The EaseReader is a inexpensive software application that allows someone to read and listen to a book produced in the popular DAISY format. EasePublisher is an advanced software application that allows authoring and creation of digital talking books in the DAISY format.

More information on Dolphin UK products can be found by visiting: www.yourdolphin.com



Refreshable Braille Displays

A refreshable Braille display is a single line of dynamic Braille characters that represent a portion of a computer's screen. Many companies produce and sell these displays which usually possess a high price tag due to the nature of the complex technology involved.

The Brailliant refreshable Braille displays come in a number of sizes: 24-cell, 40-cell and 80-cell. They are portable displays with a variety of connectivity options including USB, who Serial and Bluetooth. These well-built and compact devices would be suitable for Braille reading students who need to use multiple computer work stations in different locations.

For more information please visit: www.humanware.co.uk

The Braille Seika is a budget 40 cell Braille display costing just 1200GBP available in the UK from the RNIB. My initial impression of the display is that it is a bit bulky and perhaps isn't quite as ergonomic as other displays I've come across. Having said that it costs roughly one-third that of other 40-cell refreshable Braille displays. and is very usable.

For more information, please visit: www.rnib.org.uk



Tactile Graphics with Audio Feedback

Viewplus Technologies have developed an editor which allows someone to add textual information/descriptions to computer graphic files saved in the SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format.

Once the SVG file has been saved, a user can send it to a Viewplus embosser which will quickly create a tactile version of the SVG image.

The tactile copy is then placed on a touch-tablet, and a blind user can explore the raised tactile graphical image whilst receiving audio-feedback of what is being touched.

This technology could make a difference for a student involved in geography, cartography, mathematics, physics or a college interested in making their campus map accessible.

More information on this and other Viewplus Technologies products can be found by visiting: www.viewplustech.com



Digital Magnifiers

Visualeyes UK offers a number of digital magnifiers ranging from portable to compact to desk-top. Many take advantage of large-screen flat panel displays and have many innovative features.

For more information, please visit: www.visualeyesuk.com

Sight Village is an excellent opportunity to learn about existing products and see what is soon to be available from the Assistive Technology industry.



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