Introduction to the Macintosh for Low Vision and Blind Computer Users
By Kearney, Greg; Dialogue: A World of Ideas for Visually Impaired People of All Ages, Vol. XLVI, No. 6, pp. 18-21Publication Date: November-December 2007
Article describes built-in features of the Apple Macintosh computer which render it accessible and usable for blind and visually impaired users. Macintosh computers with Mac OS 10.4 include the VoiceOver screen reader and screen enlargement program, which is part of the operating system and is therefore updated with it. With VoiceOver, most of the programs included on the Macintosh are accessible, including Mail, Safari Web browser, iTunes, the system tool Finder, and the word processor TextEdit, which can read and create Microsoft Word files. The Macintosh also includes the Zoom screen enlarger enabling screen magnification from 1X to 20X. The article points out that there is a growing collection of third-party software for blind Macintosh users, one of which mentioned is a free open-source Braille translation program named Louis. A resource list with additional information on VoiceOver, including the web site for a user’s group, is appended.
Assistive Products Discussed: MAC OS X VERSION 10.2 JAGUAR
Published by: Blindskills, Inc. (Website:http://www.blindskills.com)
