 Overview
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The Sight Village 2009 exhibition was held in central Birmingham
at the New Bingley Hall on Hockley Circus, from 14th - 16th July
Past exhibitions of this annual event took place at nearby
Queen Alexandra College - a national college for people with
visual impairment - but in recent years the popularity of the
exhibition for both visitors and exhibitors meant that the
event had to be relocated to a more spacious and better equipped
venue.
Monty Lilburn from the BRITE Initiative attended this
year's Sight Village, and had
an opportunity
to go to many demonstrations and seminars hosted by manufacturers
and vendors of technology products for the blind and visually
impaired.
Some of
the highlights of Sight Village 2009 are listed below, giving a ke freatures overview of the product/software and manufacturer or supplier contact details.
To learn more about this exhibition, please visit: http://www.qac.ac.uk/sightvillage/index.html
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Cobra Screen Reader / Screen Magnifier with Braille support |
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Version: 9.0 Beta (Release date September 2009)
From: Baum / Audiodata
URL: http://www.baum.de
Purpose: To provide a text to speech, refreshable Braille and magnified text interface for Blind and partially sighted users to access a PC.
- Supports 64-bit MS Windows Operating/Systems
- Works well with MS Office 2007
- Supports a wide range of speech engines including Scansoft Daniel and Eloquence
- Allows users to use other Screen Reader command sets (such as JAWS) if easier
- Supports a wide range of languages such as English, French, Russian, Hebrew and variety of Asian
- Variety of magnification features including ability to convert everything to grey-scale
- Can be further enhanced via scripting using VirtualBasic on the MS Script Engine
- Easy/simple licensing scheme • Low-cost upgrades (no Software Maintenance Agreements)
- No copy protection and an individual licence can be put on multiple computers
- site licences can be negotiated
- Braille displays can be purchased at a discount when purchased with Cobra
- Estimated Cobra Standard costs EU395.00 and Cobra Professional costs EU900.00
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JAWS for Windows Screen Reader with Braille support |
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Version: 10 (11 released in autumn 2009)
From: Freedom Scientific
URL: http://www.freedomscientific.com
Purpose: To provide a text to speech, refreshable Braille interface for Blind and partially sighted users to access a PC.
- Very good demonstration of the "JAWS Tandem" feature which allows remote control access between two distant computers
- Tandem feature can use (or not use) a visible display
- Tandem feature very good if trying to provide technical support for a JAWS user
- Tandem feature may have trouble with certain firewall and port configurations
- JAWS 10 works well with Skype V4.0
- Demonstration and discussion of JAWS 10's new Auto-Forms mode which enhances quick navigation of the web
- JAWS 10 has a SkimReading function that allows a user to get rapid digestion of an article keying on common words
- JAWS V11 works with MS Windows 7
- JAWS V11 will have context sensitive dictionary/definition support
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SuperNova Screen Reader/Screen Magnifier with Braille Support |
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Version: 11.0
From: Dolphin UK
URL: http://www.yourdolphin.co.uk
Purpose: To provide a text to speech, refreshable Braille and magnified text interface for Blind and partially sighted users to access a PC.
- Stripped down this release to simplify user interface and better separation of components
- Supports the upcoming release of MS Windows 7
- Optimised for use if necessary on MS Windows 64-bit editions
- Works with latest release of Skype (V4.0)
- Dolphin now has a global setup for all programmes
- A demo is available from the Dolphin web site and works for 30 days
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Window-Eyes Screen Reader/Screen Magnifier with Braille support |
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Version: 7.1
From: GW-Micro
URL: http://www.gwmicro.com
Purpose: To provide a text to speech, refreshable Braille and magnified text interface for Blind and partially sighted users to access a PC.
- Very little has changed since the 2008 release of V7.0
- Supports MS Windows 64-bit versions including MS Windows 7
- Improved Braille Support which now offers 3 modes with varying verbosity
- Continues to offer very good scripting support
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Zoomtext Screen Magnifier with limited speech support |
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Version: 9.1
From AI-Squared
URL: http://www.aisquared.com
Purpose: To digitally magnify screen content for Partially sighted people
- Uses very good smooth scrolling with the patented X-Font to offer clear magnification
- Application Reader: magnifies unformatted screen information
- Doc Reader: magnifies and reformats text within defined margins
- SpeakIt tool reads highlighted text
- Focus enhancement puts a red box around highlighted text and directs the user to Attention Dialogue boxes
- Portable USB version available which automatically installs on a new PC when stick is plugged in. Admin rights are needed
- Zoomtext keyboard available
- Keyboard has yellow keys with large black lettering
- Extra keys along the top edge control various aspects of the Zoomtext Screen Magnifier
- ZoomExpress is a stripped down version of Zoomtext and is targeted at "over 40 eyes"
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Magic Screen Magnifier with Onyx Digital Magnifier |
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From: Freedom Scientific
URL: http://www.freedomscientific.com
Purpose: To digitally magnify objects and images for Partially sighted people via a digital camera and Screen Magnifier software.
- Can be used to magnify close or at a distance objects
- The camera apparatus (Onyx) comes in 3 flavours: Flex arm, swing arm pc and stand alone
- Software components consist of Magic (the Screen Magnifier) and IMerge (the camera interface)
- Onyx can be controlled by normal keyboard or remote control
- Pc editions allow image captures • FocusLock function allows a user to isolate an image
- Screen Marker feature provides guiding lines to easily follow text
- Masking feature blacks out distractions • can quickly toggle between past captured images
- Magic Screen Magnifier can magnify up to 36X and can work in conjunction with the JAWS Screen Reader
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The Dolphin Guide |
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Version: 5.01
From: Dolphin UK
URL: http://www.yourdolphin.co.uk
Purpose: To provide a simplified accessible environment for blind users of MS Windows
- offers a simplified menu driven speaking user interface where users can access a variety of applications
- Extremely easy and intuitive to use
- Good choice for newly blind or learner-level computer users
- Includes Scansoft Daniel - a clear British male voice
- Some applications include: Email, calendar, world-wide-web, internet radio, podcasts. MP3 player, CD player, DVD player and optical character Recognition scanner
- Price: £395.00
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Disabled Photography Society |
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URL: http://www.disabledphotographers.co.uk
- 20% of the membership is partially sighted or blind
- Standard cameras are used
- To assist partially sighted members, a laptop screen can be linked to the camera for enlarged viewing. View finders can also be helpful
- Some totally blind members have won awards
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Plextalk Pocket |
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From: PlexTalk
URL: http://www.plextalk.com
Purpose: A portable device that plays and records digital Talking Books and other formats such as DAISY/MP3 audio and electronic text.
- Next firmware release is estimated to be ready for August 2009 and contains multi-language support
- Supports many digital and audio formats including: Wav, MP3 and MS Word but not the Audible Book format
- Compatible with the RNIB's library service • Unit can record and has a built-in microphone
- Battery operated
- Uses a standard SD memory card for storage
- RNIB sells the PlexTalk Pocket for 290.00 • RNIB sells the desktop version (PlexTalk Table) for £380.00
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Quantum Technology PIAF Machine and tactile graphics |
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From: Quantum Technology
URL: http://www.quantumtechnology.com
Purpose: To create tactile graphics for a blind or partially sighted diagram user
- PIAF: Pictures in a Flash
- PIAF machine uses heat to react with special paper that contains black carbon-based ink
- Carbon-based ink can be found in: charcoal, lazar printers, some inkjet printers, photocopiers and certain pens
- If using a printer/copier, make sure the device doesn't heat up or it will react with the special paper and use the manual feed
- recommended contrast separation is 2.5mm
- A reader may take up to 15 minutes to interpret a raised diagram
- Useful to have an accompanying legend
- A well worded textual description is often better than a raised diagram
- AutoCAD and Corel Draw work well when designing
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Window-Eyes Screen Reader/Screen Magnifier with Braille support |
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From: Freedom Scientific
URL: http://www.freedomscientific.com
Purpose: To provide orientation to someone who is blind via satellite navigation.
- StreetTalk software runs on Freedom Scientifics' PacMate Omni personal data assistant
- Powered by the popular Sendero GPS engine
- Easy and intuitive interface • Can purchase with or without Bluetooth GPS receiver
- UK Postcode searching is not yet available but is planned for the future
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