The latest technologies for visually impaired people were showcased at an Information and Technology Day run by the Visually Impaired Computer Society (VICS) on Saturday, November 24th at UCC. The products are designed to promote access to mainstream technologies and services.
The event was opened by UCC Disability Support Officer, Mary O’Grady, who talked about the role technology has played in opening up the university sector to the visually impaired and about the expansion of UCC’s facilities in that area.
Brian Hartgen runs T&T Consultancy, a company which adapts the JAWS screen reader technology across a number of applications. He highlighted products such as J-Say, which allows commands and dictation through voice recognition and J-Tunes, which makes iTunes completely accessible to users of the Jaws for Windows screen reader.
Frank Lennon of Ash technologies demonstrated magnifiers designed for low-vision users, such as Andromeda and QuickLook. The magnifiers make text and computer screens easy to see by increasing the font size and providing greater contrast.
VICS Chairman Ciaran Ferry spoke about the TV Access for All Campaign, which strives to make digital television more accessible. The TV Access for All Campaign aims to increase the quota of audio-described screen content and ensure that the digital set-top boxes being manufactured as part of the transition from analogue to digital are completely accessible.
The K-Sonar, demonstrated by Debi Platt of DD Aware, is a device which enhances mobility by using sound waves to detect objects in the user’s environment. Two sensors pick up signals which make distinctive sounds depending on their distance from the object.
The Apple Mac has an integrated screen reader and magnifier. VICS founding member Ronan McGurk gave a comprehensive overview of the benefits and drawbacks of switching to a Mac. The screen reader uses a high-quality synthesiser, but users will need to learn new commands to access the system.
VICS Treasurer Declan Meenagh guided the audience through the wonderful worlds of blogging, podcasting and RSS. Blogs geared towards blind people include blindconfidential and BBC Ouch. Google Reader is a useful way to access these blogs.
Unfortunately, due to the specialised nature of the technology, the price tags of many of the products displayed are high. The K-Sonar comes to £475. For many users, however, the benefits are worth the investment.
“Technologies such as these are enabling the visually impaired to pursue a much wider range of careers than would have traditionally been open to them,” says Ciaran Ferry. “They make every day tasks, such as reading the daily newspaper, possible”.
