Other Blind Tools

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12 Jan

Posted at 17:32h in Other Blind Tools, Word

Combined with Calibre bookmanagement which allows you to manage all those kindle books in an accessible format but you do not need both this and codex

combined with shortcuts for all this allows quick access for braille or text reading

Find thousands of books: http://drmfree.calibre-ebook.com/by/genre

Now if you just want to have kindle accessible on your PC–download the simple plugin that allows kindle books to talk with ease on your computer

Kindle for PC [Download]

Kindle Plugin-

  • Start reading (from the top of the page) – CTRL, R
  • Pause/Restart reading (from current position) – Space bar or F6
  • Read current sentence from beginning – CTRL, (comma)
  • Read previous sentence – CTRL, Shift, Up Arrow
  • Skip forward one sentence – CTRL, Shift, Down Arrow
  • Toggle voice (male/female) – CTRL, Shift, V
  • Increase speech rate – Shift, +
  • Decrease speech rate – Shift, –
  • Announce current location within a book – CTRL, P
  • Toggle continuous reading – CTRL, Shift, C
  • Read instructions – CTRL, I

 

 

07 Sep

Posted at 14:16h in Low Vision, Other Blind Tools, Screen Readers, Word

There are many ways to adapt work, but how about so called inaccessible work–all that is possible. Here are a few ways to do just that.

Adapting work using Jaws OCR-how to tell if work is image or text in PDF

The fastest way to adapt inaccessible PDF with graphics when you run out of time

How to adapt work for low vision–continue on with skills

Adapt work for Low Vision using shapes for Math or Chemistry

How to adapt work for blind/low vision students

Access Technology for Low Vision-See your computer screen better

Tricks for students to adapt last minute work fast –right in class

10 Aug

Posted at 16:52h in Other Blind Tools

ORION TI-84+ Talking Graphing Calculator
Available from APH with federal quota money  www.aph.org/
Even though it does not have a large keypad or large screen, this
calculator is accessible to a low vision student through speech and
sonification of graphs. The student could also use a magnification tool if
needed. Finally, the math teacher can assist with its use. Combine with a graphing cable and graphing can be outputted onto a computer for student to send to the teacher or move into a Word document to complete math problems, in addition to embossing the graph to feel.

SciPlus-2500 Talking Graphing Scientific Calculator
http://sightenhancement.com/
This calculator does have a large keypad and large screen, but teachers
have reported that they would not recommend this calculator. TVIs could
not get it to work, nor could the math teachers who had a blind student in
their math class.

TI-Smart View 2.0
The Emulator Software Package for the TI-84+
http://education.ti.com/educationportal/

Scientific Notebook
www.mackichan.com
This software program is a word/math processor along with being a
scientific graphing calculator. It also contains a math tutorial. However,
it does contain a CAS (Computer Algebra System) and is not allowed in some
teaching situations.

Desmos Graphing Calculator (available for iPad and Android)
They are trying to make this calculator more accessible – better for low
vision user than a totally blind one at this point in time.

Free Graphing Calculator by William Jockusch (available for iPad and
Android)
The author has made improvements for low vision users. He is open to more
suggestions.

 

Suggestions by:

Susan A Osterhaus
Statewide Mathematics Consultant
Outreach Programs
Texas School for the Blind

20 May

Posted at 20:10h in Other Blind Tools

As an interim measure in advance of issuing tactile-enhanced Federal Reserve notes, the BEP is providing currency readers, free of charge, to eligible blind and visually impaired individuals.

Download the application to order a currency reader here.

The BEP announced its distribution plans for the U.S. Currency Reader Program in a press release issued on Thursday, July 3, 2014.

The U.S. Currency Reader Program launched in two phases:

Pilot:  From September 2 to December 31, 2014, in partnership with the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress (NLS), the BEP conducted a four-month pilot where NLS patrons could pre-order a currency reader.  The pilot program allowed the government to test its ordering and distribution processes and gauge demand for currency readers. Approximately 12,000 NLS patrons pre-ordered a currency reader during the pilot phase.

National Rollout: Currency readers became widely available to all U.S. citizens, or persons legally residing in the U.S. who are blind or visually impaired, on January 2, 2015.  Individuals interested in receiving a currency reader through the U.S. Currency Reader Program must submit an application, signed by a competent authority who can certify eligibility. Applications, available in English and in Spanish, can be downloaded here.

Additional information about the U.S. Currency Reader Program and about the currency reader device can be found in the links below.  The BEP encourages organizations that support the blind and visually impaired community to distribute these materials, incorporate the information provided into individualized communications, or link to this website.
Find out more here at  U.S. Currency Reader Program

 

18 Jan

Posted at 20:19h in Other Blind Tools

Reading a computer screen in Braille is a cumbersome process today. The visually impaired people who rely on the system of raised dots only have access to one line at a time. Beyond that, current systems don’t translate charts or graphs. A team of researchers from Michigan Engineering and the School of Music, Theater and Dance are working on a solution. Their technology, which has been described as a leader in the field, relies on pneumatic use of liquid or air to shrink the mechanism and expand it so it can display more at once. Their goal is for it to display the equivalent of a page of Kindle text at once. Go to: http://www.engin.umich.edu/college/about/news/stories/2015/december/refreshable-braille-device

Contact: Angela Fichera

Marketing Communications Specialist

Mechanical Engineering

(734) 647-8087

2236 GG Brown

15 Jan

Posted at 20:22h in Other Blind Tools, Screen Readers

Updated! The Unofficial Guide to Changing Braille Displays and other Adaptive Technology into UEB

Introduction:

As the time has come to begin transitioning to Unified English Braille (UEB) in the US, I thought it would be a good idea to briefly discuss how to change various adaptive technologies to UEB from US English braille. Many pieces of assistive technology already support the UEB code, it s simply a matter of enabling them. Below is a list of the more common devices and how to make these changes. note that stand alone braille displays such as the Focus, Smart Beetle, Brailliant BI, etc, do not have specific settings for UEB, as these devices only receive input/output from the device they are connected to. Also note that these instructions apply to the latest version of the hardware/software listed, your results may vary on older models or versions of software. It is also assumed you know how to navigate and select various options for the hardware/software listed. A comprehensive guide to each device is beyond the scope of an article. Please consult user documentation for further support as needed.

Go to Braille Display to UEB

06 Nov

Posted at 14:51h in Other Blind Tools, Uncategorized

The stats are in and once again PC leads the way on the must need technology, following right behind with iOS on a mobile device. Though Jaws still leads the way in screen reader access, other talking software is on the rise since these are free and people do like free.

Depending on your job will depend on what type of power you need in a screen reader device: For my students, they need a minimum of 2, some instances 3. It is being prepared for anything that comes one’s way is the key. Combine that with an iOS device and our students have the power they need to do anything.

Find out all the results from this survey at: Screen Reader User Survey #6 Results

Operating System
Response # of Respondents % of Respondents
Windows 2140 85.3%
Apple 171 6.8%
iOS 134 5.3%
Android 33 1.3%
Linux 26 1.0%
Nokia 4 .2%

 

Which of the following desktop/laptop screen readers do you commonly use?
Screen Reader # of Respondents % of Respondents
JAWS 1098 43.7%
NVDA 1040 41.4%
VoiceOver 778 30.9%
Window-Eyes-no longer used 745 29.6%
ZoomText 691 27.5%
System Access or System Access To Go 173 6.9%
ChromeVox 71 2.8%
Other 163 6.5%

 

Which of the following is your primary mobile platform?
Mobile Platform # of Respondents % of Respondents
Apple iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch 1443 69.6%
Android 430 20.8%
Nokia 79 3.8%
Other 120 5.8%

 

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