Digital Empowerment
By Pierce, Kathleen; Boston Globe,Publication Date: November 26, 2010
Article features digital assistive technology products for consumers with visual impairments. Products discussed include (1) the BrailleNote Apex, a wireless device the size of a netbook computer enabling blind users to search the Web and read texts; (2) built in text-to-speech software in smartphones such as the LG series, iPhone, Droid, and Samsung Haven; (3) the smartphone app oMoby, used to take pictures of grocery items and then verbally identifying them, including pricing; (4) the Victor Reader Stream, a digital device the size of a smartphone that uses voice output to read books, text, and MP3 sound files downloaded onto a flash memory card; and (5) the Job Access With Speech (JAWS) screen reader, which converts the content of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter into audible speech. Features such as text-to-speech software built into smartphones result from the passing of the 21st Century Communications and Video accessibility Act, a law designed to allow people with disabilities to have full access to print, television, the Internet, and other electronic communications. The article points out, however, that the market for adaptive technology is still small, as exemplified by larger retailers such as Best Buy not carrying magnifiers from Let’s Go Technology, a manufacturer of low-vision products.
Assistive Products Discussed: JAWS FOR WINDOWS
VICTOR READER STREAM
BRAILLENOTE APEX (MODEL BT 18)
BRAILLENOTE APEX (MODEL BT 32)
BRAILLENOTE APEX (MODEL QT 18)
BRAILLENOTE APEX (MODEL QT 32)
SAMSUNG HAVEN
Published by: New York Times Company (Website:http://www.nytco.com)
Link to text: http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2010/11/26/advances_in_mobile_technology_provide_the_blind_with_new_tools/
