Adaptive Technologies
What will they think of next!
The phone has become the heart of today’s fast paced society and is now much more than a simple verbal communication device.
Common features on today’s wireless P.C.S. (Personal Communication Services) phones include memo storage, Internet and email access, audio/video, and text messaging. If you are blind or vision impaired, the software applications described here can help you make the most of this new technology.
Talks
A software application allowing complete accessibility to certain mobile P.C.S. phones
Mobile Speak
Screen reader software with speech recognition or screen magnification designed for cell phones and Personal Digital Assistants (P.D.A.s)
DAISY
DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) is the next generation in audio formatting. DAISY formatted audio books can be read with a stand-alone DAISY player or with DAISY computer software.
DAISY books are digital and recorded on C.D.. The sound quality is superior to cassette tape and a single disk will often contain an entire book. DAISY formatted text and audio files make reading and downloading literature from the Internet easy.
The C.N.I.B. library is in the process of converting all of its material to DAISY format. It no longer produces books on cassette tape. You can download a free software DAISY player from the DAISY website.
The Trekker
The Trekker is a personal G.P.S. (Global Positioning Satellite) system similar to those found in many new cars. It is equipped with speech output and a very user-friendly tactile keyboard.
The Trekker has three travel modes:
- Pedestrian—for street grids
- Motorized—for vehicles
- Free Mode—for parks, parking lots, etc.
Using a Trekker, you can plan routes and receive notification if you're going off course. You can also “stick pins” in the map so the device will speak a customized message the next time you visit the same location.
This list is a sampling of the adaptive technologies available to persons who are blind or vision impaired. Watch the BALANCE website and newsletter for more news and updates.
BALANCE for Blind Adults provides these resources for your information and convenience. We do not endorse any products, services or applications offered by these resources and are not responsible for their website content. Please contact the listed websites directly for product information or technical support.