Introduction

Advances in digital imaging technology have had a positive impact upon the range of magnification systems for people with low vision, providing greater portability and vastly improved picture quality. These systems are typically smaller and more portable than the desktop CCTVs you might have seen just a few years ago. Ideal for a student on the move in a busy FE college!

Below, you’ll find evaluations of a selection of digital magnifiers. Plus, our college BRITE Links have provided feedback about their experiences of using this technology with students. A huge range of digital magnifiers is available and new models are appearing all the time. To keep up-to-date with the very latest developments, we recommend attending annual technology exhibitions like Sound Sight in Glasgow, The Scottish Learning Festival (SETT), Sight Village in Birmingham or BETT in London. We will also post the latest news about assistive technology and exhibitions in the BRITE Blog.

Things to think about when evaluating a digital magnifier for use with a student:

Context: Will the student be using it to view documents or objects on his or her desk or to view activity at the front of the class (or both)? For long sessions of reading, for glancing at content or to use when performing practical tasks?

Portability: Does the magnifier need to be moved from room to room frequently? Can the student carry the magnifier or will a member of staff need to be responsible for it?

Other technology required: What accessories are necessary? Will the student need to view the magnified image via a PC or Laptop?

Also be aware that digital magnifiers might not be suitable for everyone with low vision. While some students may be comfortable using a digital magnifier to read, others will find it cumbersome or tiring and will prefer to listen to information and course materials. There are some alternative options suggested in the Other Ideas section towards the end of this article.

For a broader range of examples and case studies, click here to read an article about digital magnifiers on the RNIB website.

SmartView Graduate

The SmartView Graduate by Humanware is for students who need to see things on their desk as well as across the room, and for those who are moving around all day. It consists of a small camera on a lightweight ‘arm’ which can either be pointed at reading materials on a desk, or swivelled to look at thing sin the distance, such as a whiteboard or a demonstration at the front of the class. The camera connects to a laptop or PC, and the image is displayed on the laptop screen or PC monitor.

The SmartView Graduate can take a snapshot of its images and store them on a laptop as a JPEG file. With magnification of up to 50X, zoom controls are available on both the unit itself and via the keyboard. The image can be flipped, frozen and there is a choice of high-contrast colours to read text. The Humanware website contains video tutorials on setting up, customising and using the Graduate.

Context: Useful in seminars, lectures, reading and other close-work.

Portability: Very lightweight at 2.5 pounds (1.1kg), the Graduate splits into three main components that easily fit into a computer bag. An optional travelling case has a secure place for all components. The case can be carried separately or fitted into a backpack. The Graduate gets its power from a laptop using two USB 2.0 cables. So it doesn’t have to be near a wall outlet.

Use it with: A laptop. USB cables provided. Software is supplied on a CD.

Zoom-Ex

While not technically a magnifier, the Zoom-Ex will create a magnified on-screen image from paper-based text. Text-to-speech software is also included, making this a suitable device for blind users as well as those with low vision.

The Zoom-Ex is essentially a portable scanner. Rather than the flatbed scanners most of us are familiar with (and even the most lightweight of these would still be cumbersome to carry around on a daily basis!) the Zoom-ex consists of a 2.5 inch digital camera on a specially designed stand. The stand also serves as a guide for lining up the book or document to be scanned. The design means the camera is always at the correct distance to create a clear image, and a blind user will always know exactly where to place the material to be scanned.

What immediately strikes you is how quickly the Zoom-Ex scans text, even compared to a quality flatbed scanner. In fact, Humanware state that it achieved the fastest OCR (image-to-text) to date. This is because the Zoom-Ex scans instantly by photographing. A motion detector allows scanning 20 pages per minute without pushing a button, virtually hands-free. All a user needs to do is turn pages. Once a flat page, held at 4 corners, is sensed as still, its image is saved. You turn the next page and hold it flat with both hands. And so on. Odd pages can be scanned separately from even ones, even upside down – the software will order the pages properly. A user can also capture both pages at a time.

As a magnifier, it first scans a whole page by photographing it. Then it magnifies the captured text and wraps the lines on-screen for easy reading. Books can be saved as text and/or images on your PC hard drive, a CD, a DVD, or USB flash drive ‘stick’. You can print them, making your own “large print books”.

Context: Useful to students with a lot of text books to read, who need speedy access wherever they are. The speech output would benefit both blind users and users who have low vision and experience fatigue when reading a lot of text. Could also be useful to staff looking for an alternative method to scanning large amounts of text.

Portability: Very lightweight and can be folded up for transportation. Similar to the Graduate in dimensions.

Use it with: A laptop. Software included.

Zoom-Extra

The Zoom-Extra combines the magnification features of the SmartView Graduate, with the portable scanning and screen magnification utility of the Zoom-Ex. All the features listed under Zoom-Extra and Graduate are available in one lightweight package!

Context: Useful for students who: need to view activity at a distance, require desktop magnification for close work, have a lot of reading materials to manage, and who like to use text-to-speech to listen to lengthy amounts of text.

Portability: Combining two small cameras on one arm does not add much to the weight, so is still easy to carry around.

Use it with: A laptop.

Optelec FarView

The FarView is a video magnifier offering close-up and distance viewing capabilities, in an ultra-compact design. The FarView eliminates the need to accurately track the camera across lines of text whilst reading. Point the camera towards any relevant information and capture and store images, which can be enlarged to read with ease.

The cursor controls allow scrolling through lines of text, which are displayed on the built-in 4.3-inch widescreen. Set the FarView to scroll at a comfortable reading speed across a line of text, and to return to the beginning of the line. Alternatively, the FarView can be used as a live video magnifier to read information in real time, like a traditional hand-held magnifier.

The clarity of images displayed on the FarView screen can be adjusted to improve brightness and contrast, and text can be displayed in a range of colours.

Context: Useful for accessing small amounts of text at a distance or close up.

Portability: Very small and light (290g/10.2oz) the rechargeable battery offers 2.5 to 4 hours of continuous use depending on whether live or playback view is being used.

Use it with: Stand-alone, although the FarView can be connected to a VGA monitor to benefit from a larger screen size. Has USB and VGA connections.

MyReader2

MyReader is very different from other magnification systems. Rather than transmitting a magnified image from a camera to a screen, the device captures the text and reformats it into a column of text. This text can be presented in the student's preferred size and colour as you would expect. The text can be set to automatically scroll up the screen at a comfortable speed. This allows the student to focus on reading, rather than manoeuvring an x-y table and trying to find his or her place in the document. It is also particularly beneficial for students who don't like the constant movement back and forth along the lines with conventional CCTVs.

The controls are intuitive, clearly labelled with large print and chunky with good contrast. The screen is 15 inches, although it is optional, if a student prefers, the unit can be attached to another monitor. The monitor can be positioned at a level comfortable for the student. Overall, the design is neat and modern.

The latest update, MyReader2, incorporates additional features which are very useful to students who have a lot of reading to do, including the ability to store pages. If you already have a MyReader, it's just a case of having the software upgraded, so get in touch with your local Humanware rep for information about that.

Context: MyReader's greatest potential is for students who have a lot of reading to get through. It can also be used as a regular CCTV and there is plenty of space under the camera and screen for handwriting and close work.

Portability: MyReader folds down into a more portable unit, complete with integrated carry handle. The folding mechanism requires good dexterity and is quite stiff although may loosen with repeated use. This protects the screen and allows for safe transport. At 22lb/10kg it would be too heavy for many students and it would certainly be not be suitable to be carried with the student all day. Humanware can also supply carry cases, one of which is a protective hard case with wheels.

Use it with: Designed to be used as a stand-alone product. There is a video input cable which means that the system could be used with a distance magnifier. It comes with its own flat screen, however it is possible to purchase the system without a screen and use a standard PC monitor instead. Not only does this reduce the price, but it also means that – as the flat screen monitor is responsible for most of the weight - the unit is much lighter and therefore more portable.

PocketViewer

The PocketViewer is a simple digital magnifier with a compact flat screen. It is easy to use, switch it on then hold it over the text to be read. A small camera at one end transmits the image on to the display screen where it is magnified. Designed to be carried around and useful for reading small amounts of text, it comes with a chargeable battery.

Text or objects seen through the Pocket Viewer appear 7 times bigger. The level of magnification is not adjustable; to see more, smaller text on the screen, lift the PocketViewer away from the text. There are 3 different viewing options: full colour, black text on a white background, or white text on a black background. Control buttons are clear and chunky. A similar product you may also wish to investigate is the QuickLook Pocket Magnifier.

Context: The PocketViewer is useful for reading small amounts of text spontaneously. The viewing screen is 4" x 3". It can also be used when writing by hand. There is a folding stand to prop the magnifier up while the student writes with a pen.

Portability: The PocketViewer is primarily intended to be carried around. At 0.7lbs/300 grams it is small and lightweight and comes with a case to protect it. When fully charged the battery gives 2 hours of continuous operating time. A full recharge takes 3 hours.

Use it with: This is an entirely ‘stand alone' product.

Sentry

Tieman's Sentry is a desktop colour magnification system (CCTV) that can be used either for performing tasks carried out by hand or to view activities at a distance using a tilt and swivel camera head (the arm to which the camera is attached is not opposable).

The Sentry can achieve up to x 30 magnification and the image is very clear and sharp. There is an additional focus button to sharpen the image further (particularly if the level of magnification has just been changed adjusted).

The magnified image can be viewed in a variety of text/background colour combinations. There is no split-screen facility in this model to allow the student to view the magnified image and computer desktop simultaneously, e.g. to take notes from a text or presentation. However a split screen model is now available.

Context: Can be used to view tasks at the student's desk or pointed towards an area of the classroom to be looked at.

Portability: While the Sentry is mobile in a sense it isn't particularly portable, in the sense that it could be carried around by a student and easily transferred from home to college. It is rather large and requires a bit of setting up. It would be most suitable when in a classroom that the student used day-to-day or in a lecture theatre. There is a lamp attached to the camera stand. This gets quite hot so if moving the Sentry shortly after use, take care not to pick it up by the stand – easily done as it seems like the most obvious place to grasp it.

Use it with: A PC or laptop monitor. An X-Y table is supplied separately at additional cost

Tieman Traveller electronic portable magnifier

The Traveller is specifically designed for portability. It can be battery powered for up to two hours of continuous use or powered by a cable and has its own adjustable screen. It is very compact and lightweight and comes with a neat carrying case.

The screen features a full colour photo mode and two high contrast text modes, giving a range of viewing options for looking at photographs, print or handwriting. The buttons to adjust the magnification level and viewing mode are very simple to use. The magnification range is from 4.5 to 16 times. The design is very sleek and the quality of the integrated LCD screen is very good.

Context: Ideal for students on the move. Suitable for accessing documents and performing writing tasks on the student's desk. Cannot be used to view at a distance.

Portability: Very lightweight and portable (800 grams). It comes with a discrete carry case.

Use it with: Mostly, this unit will just be used on its own, but for more magnification the Traveller has a socket for connection to an NTSC television, or the option for an NTSC-PAL converter.

Acrobat

The Acrobat by Enhanced Vision takes the flexibility of the Sentry magnifier’s distance and close-up functions a step further! The Acrobat can be supplied with its own screen on which to view the magnified image. Alternatively, the camera can be supplied alone, ready to be connected to a laptop or other screen.

The Acrobat will be particularly useful to students who need to view both at a distance, e.g. looking at a whiteboard, and for close work like reading, writing or practical tasks.

The Acrobat’s rotating camera is positioned on a flexible arm. Features include auto focus and up to 72x magnification. The full colour image quality is very clear even when the camera is viewing objects at a distance. A handy feature is the freeze frame, which allows the student to freeze the magnified image to view it for longer. Settings can be adjusted using a small remote control. A memory feature retains the last used settings.

Context: Useful for students who need to see what is happening across the room, e.g. on a whiteboard and who also need close work magnified. Good for practical tasks, including writing.

Portability: When supplied with the monitor, the Acrobat is similar in size and weight to the MyReader (although note that the functionality is different - MyReader is primarily a reading device, whereas the Acrobat is a magnifier that can be used for different tasks). It is too heavy for a student to easily transport around on a daily basis, however it does come with a sturdy, purpose-designed trolley for safe transportation (the trolley is included in the price). The battery pack will last for around 5 hours.

Use it with: When used with its own monitor, it is a standalone device. If required, it can be connected to a laptop or other monitor. The Acrobat can also be supplied just as the arm with camera, ready to be connected to a monitor of the student’s choice (useful if the student requires a larger monitor or is moving around the college a lot). An X-Y table is available for the Acrobat at an additional cost.

Amigo

The Amigo by Enhanced Vision is very compact and lightweight at less than 2 inches thick and weighing around 1.3 lbs. Operating the Amigo is straightforward, the student places the device on the material to be magnified and adjusts the magnification using a dial. Note though that the controls are relatively small therefore the student needs good dexterity to control these.

At 6.5 inches, the screen of the Amigo is similar in size to that of the Tieman Traveller. However the casing is significantly smaller. This makes the design much more discrete and even easier to carry around. The rechargeable battery is removable and a spare is included.

The crisp image provides magnification from 3.5x to 14x in a range of colour combinations. Like the Acrobat, the Amigo also has a useful freeze frame feature. A writing stand means that the student doesn’t need to awkwardly hold the magnifier when using it to write.

Context: Useful for small amounts of reading and for writing.

Portability: Extremely lightweight and portable. A carrying case is included in the price.

Use it with: Standalone, but can connect to a TV for increased magnification.

Feedback from BRITE Links

Experiences with MyReader

“Having borrowed a MyReader from the BRITE Equipment Loan Bank, we purchased one last June 07. Lucy Naismith from Humanware was extremely helpful.

It is a fantastic piece of technology. It is used primarily with a student who has a condition known as Laurence -Moon-Bardet- Biedl syndrome. She uses the machine for enlarging text to the required size and she prefers black on white.

The student has found it quite easy to use. She finds that a block of text is more difficult to view and we have found that it is very important to space the text appropriately. Single lines of text are easier and if given the appropriate spacing, she can write answers again using the magnifier.

The student uses the machine in a classroom situation - it does not take up a lot of space and looks like a computer monitor. The machine is fairly portable but needs to be placed on a sturdy trolley. Due to the costs involved we have found it more satisfactory if a member of staff is involved in the transportation from room to room. Obviously due to its size the machine can't be taken home. It is important that the machine is folded away before being moved.  The rubber hinge in the machine between the monitor and body has actually broken and is in the process of being repaired. Having contacted Humanware about this fault, they couldn't have been more helpful and the MyReader is now being repaired under warranty.

In conclusion the MyReader has been an invaluable piece of assistive technology and gives the student complete independence.”

Trying the Prisma Video Magnifier

Note that the Prisma video magnifier discussed here is not currently featured in this evaluation, but it is available to members of the BRITE Equipment Loan Bank. Click here to find out more about the Prisma.

“The first student (aged 17) to try the Prisma still had quite functional vision and used an ordinary computer, just enlarging the font.  He was in a bit of denial I'm afraid, not really willing to try anything different we offered to help him, unfortunately.

The next student to try the Prisma had some patchy vision and was having to move around on a page all the time. She'd tried everything over her couple of years at college. Although she used Zoomtext for her college work, she still liked sitting holding a book if she could. She was a mature student and the visual difficulties didn't start until she was in her forties. As she said - she'd always learned from books, not computers, and she still enjoyed reading for pleasure. However, she used the Prisma a lot and thought it was very portable and probably one of the best magnifiers around.”

Evaluation Summary

An at-a-glance guide to the particular strengths of the digital magnifiers featured here:

Other Ideas for Students with Low Vision

Make handouts and slides available electronically and in advance of the class, so that students using assistive technology can access the information at the same time as other students.

Remember that content displayed on interactive whiteboards can be viewed simultaneously on a laptop. This may be useful for students who cannot see the whiteboard clearly. Content can also be saved digitally which relieves some of the pressure of note taking from the student.

Students may wish to record lectures, if they find efficient note-taking difficult. If this is the case, click here to have a look at our digital recording resource.

As noted in the Introduction, magnification isn't for everyone and some students may prefer to listen to information. Here are some ways students can access information as audio:

• DAISY talking books - available from the RNIB, or create your own using software like Dolphin EasyProducer or EasyConverter.
• Text-to-Speech audio files – where a text document is “read” by a synthetic voice and the resulting audio is saved as an audio file such as MP3, WMA (Windows Media Audio) or WAV. Staff can create these files quickly and easily using software like Dolphin EasyConverter or Texthelp Read and Write Gold (NB Texthelp R&WG is NOT appropriate for students with low vision or who are blind, but staff can use it to create audio files for all students). Text-to-Speech audio files can be made available on the college intranet, emailed to students, downloaded to MP3 players, or burned to CD.
• Via a computer - using software for users with low vision, such as ZoomText, SuperNova or Lunar, which will enhance the appearance of information on the computer screen and convert on-screen text into audio output.
  

BRITE Equipment Loan Bank

The following items can be accessed via the BRITE Equipment Loan Bank (EqLB). Please contact us for information on how to access this service.

ColourCombi Double Camera

Mimio portable whiteboard capture device

MyReader2 and Carry Case

Olympus DS-40 Digital Voice Recorders

Optelec Compact+ Pocket Magnifier

Prisma Portable Video Magnifier

QuickLook Pocket Magnifier

Sentry Magnifier

Traveller

Product photographs reproduced with permission from Concept Northern, Optelec and Humanware. All other images: BRITE. Thanks to Sandra Gemmell, Karen Mitchell and George Sinclair for their product reviews.

Note that these are findings based on usage in the BRITE Centre and selected colleges and not the result of a formal controlled study. Also note that there may be other products and suppliers you might like to try.

Supplier Details

MyReader2

Indicative price: £2995 (excl. VAT)

Humanware www.humanware.com

Email: Lucy Naismith lucy.naismith@humanware.com
Mobile : 07985 749 438
Tel:  01933 415 800
Fax: 01933 411 209

PocketViewer

Indicative price: £400 (excl. VAT)

Humanware www.humanware.com

Email: Lucy Naismith lucy.naismith@humanware.com
Mobile : 07985 749 438
Tel:  01933 415 800
Fax: 01933 411 209

Sentry Magnifier

Indicative price: £1895 (excl. VAT) from

Concept Northern www.assistiveit.co.uk

Email: info@conceptnorthern.co.uk
Phone: (01355) 573173
Fax: (01355) 573073

Or

Optelec www.optelec.co.uk
Email: Mark Hill markh@optelec.co.uk
Phone: 01923 231313
Mobile: 07834 463270

Traveller

Indicative price: £795 (excl. VAT)

Concept Northern www.assistiveit.co.uk
Email: info@conceptnorthern.co.uk
Phone: (01355) 573173
Fax: (01355) 573073

Or

Optelec www.optelec.co.uk
Email: Mark Hill markh@optelec.co.uk
Phone: 01923 231313
Mobile: 07834 463270

Acrobat

Indicative prices (excl. VAT)

Acrobat (without screen) £1695
Acrobat (with screen) £1995

Concept Northern www.assistiveit.co.uk
Email: info@conceptnorthern.co.uk
Phone: (01355) 573173
Fax: (01355) 573073

Amigo

Indicative price £1295 (excl. VAT)

Concept Northern www.assistiveit.co.uk
Email: info@conceptnorthern.co.uk
Phone: (01355) 573173
Fax: (01355) 573073

SmartView Graduate

Indicative price: £1600 (excl. VAT)

Humanware www.humanware.com

Email: Lucy Naismith lucy.naismith@humanware.com
Mobile : 07985 749 438
Tel:  01933 415 800
Fax: 01933 411 209

Zoom-Ex

Indicative price: £1700 (excl.VAT)

Humanware www.humanware.com

Email: Lucy Naismith lucy.naismith@humanware.com
Mobile : 07985 749 438
Tel:  01933 415 800
Fax: 01933 411 209

Zoom-Extra

Indicative price: £2250 (excl.VAT)

Humanware www.humanware.com

Email: Lucy Naismith lucy.naismith@humanware.com
Mobile : 07985 749 438
Tel:  01933 415 800
Fax: 01933 411 209

FarView

Indicative price: £1195 (excl. VAT)

Concept Northern www.assistiveit.co.uk
Email: info@conceptnorthern.co.uk
Phone: (01355) 573173
Fax: (01355) 573073

Or

Optelec www.optelec.co.uk
Email: Mark Hill markh@optelec.co.uk
Phone: 01923 231313
Mobile: 07834 463270

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