Adaptive Technology
Resource Page

There are many forms of gaining information that is on the screen whether it be Braille through hardcopy printout through a Braille printer; electronic Braille display which can be read either in Computer Braille (one to one representation of individual letters spelled out or uncontracted Braille), or Grade 2 Braille which is contracted Braille which will be gibberish on the screen for not only the sighted person but also to a blind person who doesn't have a Braille display to check what is written on the screen; speech output either hardware speech connected to a computer by serial cable or special card inside computer or software speech heard through sound card; optical character recognition which automatically determines whether a page on the scanner is right side up or upside down, large print access either through closed circuit TV with camera and moving tray or large print software that magnifies the screen.

To read about speech systems and screen readers, select this link.

Select this link to read about Braille technology. for those who are totally blind.

To read about optical character recognition select this link.

To read about video magnifiers for people with low vision select this link.

Select this link to read about magnification program for the computer screen for people with low vision.

Additional links on Technology Resources and Articles

To learn about technology resources from National Federation of the Blind select this link.

To access a resource list of speech and Braille technology managed by National Federation of the Blind, select this link.

Choosing a Refreshable Braille Display By Susan Stageberg--Documentation Specialist at Iowa Department for the Blind, Project ASSIST with Windows.

Choosing Your Braille Embosser by Anne Taylor, National Federation of the Blind, The Braille Monitor, October, 2001.

How to Select a Suitable Adaptive Technology Training Program by Robert Leblond, The Braille Monitor, May, 2002.

Laptop Computers and Electronic Notetakers for the Blind: A Comparison by Curtis Chong, The Braille Monitor April, 2003.

Tactile Images and You: A Comparison of Thermal Expansion Machines by Robert S. Jaquiss, The Braille Monitor, May 2003

The SAL (Speech Assisted Learning): A Review, by Robert Jaquiss, The Braille Monitor, July 2003.

A Review of the Tiger Embossers by Robert Jaquiss Braille Monitor February 2004

A Few Notes on Buying a Computer by Curtis Chong

Effective Technology by Jim Halliday Braille Monitor March 2004

An Overview of Accessible Technology: Where Are We Now, and What Does the Future Hold? by Danika Taylor Braille Monitor January, 2005

For the Blind, a Welcoming Web by Sarah Lacey Braille Monitor, January, 2005

Access Technology and Disabilities in the Twenty-First Century by Ray Kurzweil Braille Monitor, June 2004

The First Jernigan Institute Technology Training Conference by Betsy Zaborowski Braille Monitor, June 2004

The Heart of the Technology-Training Conference by Anne Taylor, Braille Monitor, June, 2004

The Topography of Technology, Blindness, and the Luddite by Marc Maurer Braille Monitor, June, 2004

Striving for Excellence: The Role of Technology and More by Joanne Wilson Braille Monitor, June, 2004

Brave New World: Technology for the Blind in the 21st Century by Raymond Kurzweil

Comparing The Open Book and the Kurzweil 1000 by David Andrews Braille Monitor, February, 2001

THE OTHER HALF OF THE EQUATION PC-BASED READING SYSTEMS: A COMPARATIVE REVIEW by David Andrews, Braille Monitor, January, 1995

Shopping for Braille Notetakers? Take Note by Brad Hodges, Braille Monitor, May 2001

Graphical Verification: Another Accessibility Challenge by Curtis Chong, Braille Monitor, November, 2003

Appropriate Use of the Electronic Notetaker in School by Curtis Chong, Braille Monitor, January 2004

Clarification of Tiger Braille Embosser Review, Braille Monitor, April, 2004

Your Panels Leave Me Flat by Terri Uttermohlen and Jim McCarthy, Braille Monitor, October, 2004

Talking Turkey about Household Appliances and Consumer Electronics: Crisis for the Blind at the Big Box Store by Brad Hodges, Braille Monitor, December 2004

Crisis at the Big Box Store, Part 2 by Brad Hodges, Braille Monitor, February, 2005

Consumer Electronics: Crisis at the Big Box Store, Part 3 by Brad Hodges, Braille Monitor, June, 2005

Accessibility to Microsoft Products by Curtis Chong, Braille Monitor, December 2004

Clarification from Curtis Chong's Email Basket by Curtis Chong, Braille Monitor, March, 2005

Why I Bought a PAC Mate by Susan Povinelli, Braille Monitor, March, 2005

BrailleNote or PAC Mate: A Matter of Personal Preference by Danika Rockett, Braille Monitor, July, 2005

Braille Sense: A Comparative Evaluation from Voice of the Nation's Blind, November 2005

Net Surfing for Those Unable to See: Often Web Sites' Designs Hinder Navigation by the Blind by Abigail Tucker, Braille Monitor, June, 2005

Computer Aids for the Blind by Stacey Hirsh, Braille Monitor, January 2003

Accessible Web Applications and the Implications of Technology in the Years Ahead by David Greco, Braille Monitor, October, 2002

GPS Technology for the Blind, A Product Evaluation by the NFB’s Access Technology Staff Braille Monitor, February, 2006

Google Struggles with Accessibility as Services Expand by Christopher Danielsen, Voice of the Nations Blind February 17, 2006

Mozilla Firefox Is Accessible! by Christopher Danielsen, Voice of the Nations Blind February 17, 2006

The Ins and Outs of Audible.com by Christopher Danielsen, Voice of the Nations Blind February 17, 2006

The Kurzweil--National Federation of the Blind Reader The Revolution Is Here! by James Gashel, Braille Monitor, July, 2006
The Milestone 311: The Epitome of Accessibility by Michael D. Barber, Braille Monitor, June, 2006

Accessible Cell Phone Technology by the International Braille and Technology Center Staff, June, 2006

Deaf-Blind Communication Devices by Anne Taylor, Steven Booth, and Michael Tindell Braille monitor, October, 2006

An Examination of Four Stand-alone Reading Machines by Steven Booth, Mike Tindell, and Anne Taylor of Braille monitor, December, 2006
 

Accessible Workplaces This is a very important document to read if a business or company decides to hire a blind person on its staff in competitive employment. You will find helpful information there. Buying a Computer. Screen Reader Tips. Tips for Computer Users with Low Vision

AFB Product Evaluations. On this page, several articles that were evaluated were published in a bimonthly magazine called AccessWorld. This is where you will find reviews of braille displays, cellular phones that is accessible, notetakers, PDAs, low vision CCTV's, reading machines between Open Book and Kurzweil, various portable MP3 players accessible to the blind, GPS (global positioning systems), blood pressure monitors for diabetics, screen readers, color identifiers for identifying color of clothing, DAISY players accessible to the blind, accessible voting machines, braille printers, bar code reader, video magnifiers, music production software, a couple of reviews of America Online, etc. The magazine of AccessWorld is free to view online.

Podcasting web sites

Podcasting--Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia explains what podcasting is and the history behind it.

Blind people on the Internet are getting into the action just like a sighted person would. The way we as blind people get into is by creating an audio blog or audio files with our own recording equipment. Some are using their cellular phones to create an audio blog, others are simply creating an audio files in .mp3 format and uploading it to a server with lots of space to store it on, and others are writing their blogs on the web site. Below are some blind people's podcast or blog that we have discovered recently.

Blind Cool Tech hosted by Larry Skutchan who works for American Printing House for the Blind. Larry Skutchan demonstrates all kinds of cool technologies that can be used either in an educational setting at a school for the blind or in a rehabilitation program that teaches blindness skills to blind adults who are learning to deal with blindness.

Marlaina Lieberg is another who started her own audio blog. She also host a number of shows on ACB Radio.org. One show is the Marlaina show hosted on Sunday night at around 6:00 P.M. Pacific Time or 9:00 P.M. Eastern Time. Check out the show on the Mainstream channel.

Jeff Bishop's show called The Desert Skies PodCast is another technology show. He is also another one of the blind DJs on ACB Radio on the Interactive ACB Radio channel.

Jonathan Mosen's Blog, Byron Lee's Journal, and DJC's Thoughts and Podcasts are several podcasts you can check out. Another one that comes to mind is Blind Access Journal by Darrell Shandrow and David Faucheaux's Blind Chance.

Another site that I have found recently that list blindness podcast sites is located at http://www.whitestick.co.uk/podcasts.html. The site is called Blind Podcasters. This site also list other sites that lists other podcasts in a variety of subjects.

Recently I have learned that EASI: Easy Access to Software Information have gotten into the podcast arena called Barrier-free IT--Tips and Tricks Podcast located at their EASI Podcasts Homepage. This is very exciting stuff.

Do you like to chat with people online? We have personally found that very few sites are speech-friendly and easy to navigate.

Audio-tips and Talking Communities are one of our favorite sites. George Buys is the pioneer who is always looking for something new and exciting to try on the Internet. This is a family-oriented site and does not tolerate violence or strong language. I highly recommend many businesses, corporations, school systems, and others take a look at this innovative technology for teleconferencing over the web. This eliminates the need for transportation, pay for room space in a hotel or other establishment, saves money and time in traveling, etc. We believe this is an excellent technology for community colleges throughout the country.

For-the-people is another site we visit every once in a while. Most of the rooms on this site are OK, however, use your judgment in this area.

Both of these sites require free registration in which a member chooses a username and password. Both of these sites offer an opportunity to either purchase a server or rent a room for a reasonable fee.

Another site that we also found is Our Place hosted by ACB Radio. This is another place where you can meet other blind people. This site does not require a password. This is another site that is part of Talking Communities.

Are you a technology trainer? Are you looking for a way to network with other technology trainers around the world who share the same sorts of things that you are experiencing when working with a blind computer user? If so, check out our new Access Technology Institute Trainers Consortium for more information.

Another community of blind people have gathered together to form a chat room for its members. It is located at http://www.blindcooltech.com/chat.htm. At the moment, it doesn't require a password. Just type your name in the username field and press enter on the login button.

Pat Price's Web Conference Rooms is another location where rooms are available to both blind and sighted people to do online meetings at no cost. Check it out for yourself. In addition, this site have three mailing lists you can become part of:

You'll learn about many things there. Don't be afraid to try it. Just do it. You'll be glad you did.

If you want to do voice chat, be sure that your microphone and speakers are working correctly. Don't get discourage if it doesn't work the first time. There are plenty of people who can help you resolve your problems.

Sources of Tutorials/Keyboard Commands for Major Applications

Do you often wonder how does a blind person navigate around using Windows Operating System? Don't fear. Most blind people learn hot keys or shortcuts to get from point a to point b. Below are some sources where tutorials can be purchase and direct links where keyboard commands are given.

Access Technology Institute is one of the best sources of tutorials such as

Many of these courses can either be taken as an online class or CDS can be purchased and used as self-study classes at a very reasonable price. For persons who need to obtain certification as Adaptive Technology Trainer, this is the place to receive certification on the Internet receiving intensive training for 9 months and ongoing training workshops after initial training. I personally found it cheaper to purchase the courses on cds.

In addition, Cathy Anne Murtha has created a page entitled Resources and References which contains such information as Reference Cards for Popular applications, Configuring popular applications to work with screen readers, Helpful Hints, Tips, and Secrets, Articles for Access Technology Trainers, and many more topics.

Braille, Inc. sells a variety of braille, large print, cassette and electronic tutorials, keyboard guides, and other computer-related items.

National Braille Press, Inc. sells several computer books relating to Windows 95, 98, XP, Word 8 and 2000, E-books on the Internet, Introduction to the Internet; reference cards for many applications such as Eudora Pro; Internet Explorer and Outlook Express; Office 2000: Word, Excel, Access, and Outlook; Windows 98; Word 8, WordPerfect 9; RealPlayer/Winamp/Media Player; RealPlayer Plus; UNIX; and HTML 4.0. Some books are available in braille, cassette, and electronic formats either as Grade 2 Braille files or ASCII text files. Some of the PortaBooks are being distributed on floppy disks and CD-ROMs. All of the Portabooks are now being delivered via the web by purchasing it with a credit card and downloading it right to your computer. These are braille or text files you can read with your braille display or speech synthesizer on the computer.

Iowa Department for the Blind, Project Assist with Windows sells several tutorials and keyboard guides on audio cassettes and electronic files on disk or CD in ASCII text, Grade 2 Braille, and Microsoft Word formats for many computer applications focusing on keyboard commands for both screen reader specific commands and application commands with the blind user in mind. Some applications include: Windows 95, 98, ME, XP; Internet Explorer; Outlook Express; Word 6, 97 or 8, 2000 and XP; Excel 97, 2000, and XP; Access 97 and 2000; PowerPoint 2000, WordPerfect 7, 8, and 9; Quicken, Outlook 2000, Microsoft Front Page 2000, Eudora Pro, Acrobat Reader 5, Netscape Navigator, Norton Internet Security, and many more to come. These tutorials are very affordable. Tutorials on disks are $25.00 and cassettes are $35.00 each. They also create tutorials to use for braille displays and computer applications as well. Technology trainers can receive training online and they can receive Microsoft Office Specialist certification in Word, Excel, or Access. I found their tutorials are reasonably priced.

Top Dot Enterprises sells a variety of tutorials on audio cassettes as well as a bimonthly magazine called Sound Computing. They provide articles, mini-tutorials on many applications interested to blind readers, and other computer-related items. This is another source that is very affordable.

Crisscross Technologies is another company who sells tutorials in Word, Excel, Access, Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, Eudora, and Windows 98. They also distributes a bimonthly magazine called Listening In on audio cassettes and on audio CDs. This magazine usually gives you a mini-tutorial on various applications with the blind user in mind.

Freedom Scientific and GW Micro sells a variety of tutorials from different sources as well as many computer-related items.

CarrollTech.org is a new online way of taking courses such as Microsoft Excel, Powerpoint, Access, and Duxbury Braille translator. Each course listed on their site is $100.00 with the exception of the Online Public Access Catalog, and Windows for TVIs: Achieving Mouselessness. These two courses are free and is self-paced. One must register at no charge to use the site to gain information about upcoming classes, sign up for their newsletters, and to take the assessment quiz. Check the site out for more information.

Select this link to access FREE GUIDES FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE. This site list various FREE GUIDES, MINI-TUTORIALS AND USER NOTES. these guides and notes are provided free of charge to visually impaired people as an aid and insight to how they can be utilized from a non-visual basis. Check this site since this may change often.

Another company from the UK is called T&T Consultancy Limited. They sell several tutorials on audio cassettes and cd-roms. Some of these tutorials include:

In addition, a variety of other products are being sold by this company. They sell products for visually impaired people as well as people with dyslexia. Check the site out for more information.

WinGuide: Related Resources was put together by Dr. Sarah Morley the creator of a good Windows series of teaching materials with tactile diagrams with combination of tutorial in braille, audio tape, and electronic format either as a braille format for notetakers or as an ASCII text file for new users of Windows in accessible form. Check the site for other resources.

For additional resources check out Adaptive Technology Training, Tutorials and Educational Aids.

Have you always wondered where to find manuals online for access technologies? This is a new section that we are adding to this page so keep coming back for more surprises as we put these links together. These manuals are in multiple formats such as html, ASCII text file, .pdf, Microsoft Word, daisy, or .brf (braille) file. Some are even in audio file such as mp3 as well.

Screen Reading Software Documentation for Version 7.0 of JAWS FOR WINDOWS or Job Access with Speech

JAWS 7.0 Help System (self-extracting file)

JAWS 7.0 Quick Start Guide (text)

ILM Network Authorization Quick Start Guide Basics of Scripting Manual (self-extracting file)

FSDN (Functions Reference Manual)

If you want to view documentation for earlier versions of JAWS, visit the Additional JAWS for Windows Downloads page and download the appropriate JAWS version. Install this program and then look in the Help folder to find the product documentation.

Functions and Scripting Reference Manuals for JAWS 7.0 and PacMate 3.0 functions

PAC Mate Software Documentation for 3.0 BX and QX series, BNS and TNS series,

FSTTY User Guide (HTML),

FSTTY User's Guide (Text)

FSTTY User's Guide (Accessible Self Extracting PDF).

StreetTalk™ Owner's Guide (HTML),

StreetTalk™ Owner's Guide (Self Extracting PDF)

StreetTalk™ Owner's Guide (Text)

PAC Mate™ Braille Display User's Guide (HTML)

PAC Mate™ Braille Display Quick Start Guide (Accessible Self Extracting PDF)

Socket™ 56K Modem Quick Start Guide (Self Extracting Doc)

Socket™ Low Power Ethernet Card User's Guide (Self Extracting Doc)

Socket™ Bar Code Scanner User's Guide (Self Extracting Doc)

Socket™ Blue Tooth Connection Kit User's Guide (Self Extracting Doc)

Screen Magnification Software Documentation for Magic 9.50

Scanning and Reading Software Documentation for Open Book 7.02

SAL Speech Assisted Learning Systems Documentation for versions 1.2 and 1.0

Web Access Software Documentation for Connect Out Loud

Notetaker Documentation for Braille Lite m20 & m40, Type Lite, Braille n' Speak, Type n' Speak, Braille Lite 2000 and 40, and Windisk

Braille Embosser Documentation for Braille Blazer, Blazer Inferno, and VersaPoint Duo

Braille Display Documentation for PacMate Portable Braille display,

Focus series braille displays, and PowerBraille displays.

DBT for Beginners Tutorial

HumanWare--BrailleNote Family audio tutorials

HumanWare--BrailleNote Family Manuals in alternate formats

Listen to the Window-Eyes 5.5 Tutorial from GW Micro (audio mp3 file)

Read the Window-Eyes 5.5 Manual (HTML) Read the Window-Eyes 5.5 Manual (All sections in one TEXT file, including Appendicies)

Braille Sense Manual (HTML) Braille Sense Manual (PDF)

Braille Sense Manual (DOC) Microsoft Word format

Braille Sense Manual (TXT) ASCII text file

Ocusource Presentation in audio mp3 format

Braille Sense audio Demonstration

Below is a list of manufacturers of screen readers for different operating systems.

Freedom Scientific manufactures Jaws for Windows. JAWS is an acronym for "JOB ACCESS WITH SPEECH". This software provides speech and Braille access to the Windows operating system and a wide range of Windows applications. While it comes with its own speech synthesizer, many other synthesizers are supported. Support for a wide variety of refreshable Braille displays is also provided. The install process talks. Also provided is a powerful scripting tool that can be used to improve access to many applications that initially may not be compatible with JAWS for Windows. JAWS was first developed for the DOS operating system back in the middle 1980's by Ted Henter, the founder and developer of Henter-Joyce, Inc. Sometime in either 1995 or 1996, development in the DOS screen reader was dropped to focus on development for the screen reader under Windows 3.1. Sometime in 1997, Henter-Joyce figured out a way to access the screen under Windows 95. Somewhere in April 2000, Henter-Joyce merged with Blazie Engineering to form Freedom Scientific, however, in June 2000, Arkenstone, Inc. was merged with the two companies already in place.

GW Micro is another manufacturer that produces a second screen reader called Window-Eyes and Window-eyes Pro. This is a screen access program for Windows 98/ME, is designed to provide full access to Windows and related applications. The Pro version supports these two operating systems plus Windows XP and 2000. Both programs come with a software speech synthesizer. A variety of refreshable Braille displays and internal and external speech synthesizers are supported. This is the second most popular screen readers used by blind people.

Dolphin Computer Access LLC markets

Hal (a screen reader), Lunar (a screen magnifier),

Supernova (technology containing speech, magnification, and braille in one package),

LunarPlus (enhanced screen magnifier),

Cicero (text reader from scan to speech),

Cipher (braille translator), and

Dolphin Pin (a USB thumb drive containing software and personal settings for each user).

These products are manufactured in the UK but a dealer is in the U.S. for those prospective customers who are interested in obtaining these products.

There are many braille embossers on the market. They can print from 10 CPS (characters per second) to 800 CPS. Some printers print both sides of a page; others print one side of a page. To print something into Braille, you should have a Braille translation software that would translate from print to Grade 2 Braille. The faster the embosser prints, the more expensive it is. This is one of the expensive hardware needed for Braille production.

Freedom Scientific manufactures such printer as the Braille Blazer which prints on a single side of a paper using 8-1/2 by 11 inch paper. This is one of the smallest and most portable braille printers today. It prints at 15 CPS and weighs 12 pounds.

Enabling Technologies sells a variety of Braille printers to be used for braille production. Some newer models of Braille printers comes with built-in speech synthesizers to be used as speech output to a computer with a screen reader. Some examples of Braille printers are known as Romeo 25, Romeo Pro 50, Juliet Classic, Juliet Pro, ET, Juliet Pro 60, Bookmaker, Thomas, marathon, Braille Express 100, Braille Express 150, Braille Plate, and PED30 plate embossing device. They also manufacture 2 signmakers called Presto Braille and KGS Braille labeler. For production of Braille and Print together, they market a product called Transcend LT. They are also marketing a product called Gemini which prints Braille and print on the same page. A couple of new braille printers are called Romeo Attaché, and Romeo Attaché Pro. In addition, they sell a reading machine called Extreme Reader. Check the site out for more information.

Another company selling Braille printers is called Sighted Electronics. They primarily market the Index line of products. These include the following: Basic-D and Basic-S, Everest, Index 4X4 PRO, and 4 Wave Professional. They are also currently selling Braille displays and note takers as well. In addition, they are marketing a braille translator called WinBraille which comes with the Index line of Braille printers. They also sell a unique optical Braille recognition software that will let you scan single and double-sided Braille paper to input into computer for reproduction of Braille.

American Thermoform Corporation is another company selling braille printers, different sizes of Braille paper, and thermoform machines. They also sell a variety of binding materials to be used for Braille production.

Quantum Technology of Australia have just launched a new site called Mountbatten Brailler It contains lots of information on braille literacy and the use of this technology that have been developed for the past 20 years. It is very important that everyone today who is blind obtain the skills of braille and computer technology since it leads to a better opportunity in education and employment. Check these 2 sites for additional information.

Today there are many devices on the market that allows a blind person to keep track of addresses, phone numbers, schedules, and many other timely information when on the go. Sighted people have been doing this for the last few years. To date, four companies are marketing products for blind and visually impaired consumers.

GW Micro markets a product called Braille Sense with 32 braille cells with braille keyboard manufactured in Korea. It was introduced in the U.S. at the CSUN conference in March 2005.

Optelec have recently come onto the speech and braille product arena. They originally were selling low vision products and have recently expanded in distributing the product called EasyLink that connects to a standard PDA using a wireless braille keyboard with speech output making it very economical for a blind user to have access to the same information that sighted colleagues used on a daily basis on their PDAs. The company also markets Voyager refreshable braille displays, Supernova speech and magnification systems, Hal screen reader, Lunar screen magnifier, Mobile Speak (an accessible Nokia-compatible smart phone with wireless modem via blue tooth, infrared, or USB connections to a PC), and a variety of tactile and educational products as teaching aids when learning braille.

Freedom Scientific markets several products including Pac Mate with either a braille or QWERTY keyboard with or without a Braille display in either 20 or 40-cells, StreetTalk and Destinator GPS Solution with PacMate, Braille Lite M20, Braille Lite M40, Braille 'n Speak, Type 'n Speak, Type Lite, Braille Lite 2000, and Braille Lite 40.

HumanWare markets the following products:

BrailleNote PK,

BrailleNote mPower BT,

BrailleNote mPower QT,

and VoiceNote mPower.

In addition, HumanWare also carries other products such as:

Maestro (an accessible handheld PDA with speech output,

Trekker (a GPS system with speech output for the blind),

Victor Reader (a line of digital talking book products to read Daisy and mp3 files),

and a few low vision products as well. They also sell braille displays, scanning systems, braille translators, braille printers, and many more. Check the site for more information.

Braille displays are stand-alone devices that are hooked up exclusively to computer. Drivers that are created for either DOS or Windows is what makes the Braille displays function. Many companies markets a variety of other computer products as well.

Freedom Scientific markets the following:

Braille Focus 40 or 80 braille displays,

PAC Mate 20 Portable Braille Display,

PAC Mate 40 Portable Braille Display,

and PowerBraille Braille Displays.

Humanware markets the Brilliant in either 24, 32, 40, 64, or 80 cells.

Sighted Electronics marketing the following braille displays:

The NEW BRAILLEX® EL-80s,

The NEW BRAILLEX® EL-66s,

The NEW BRAILLEX® EL-40s,

The NEW BRAILLEX® EL-40sd,

The BRAILLEX® EL 2D-80,

and The BRAILLEX® EL 2D-66;

GW Micro marketing Braille Sense with 32 cells with braille keyboard.

Baum, a German company sells Braille displays, reading machines, and other products.

Vision Cue markets Braille displays in many models.

These include the following: Alva Satellite Braille Display,

ALVA A4 Braille Display,

and ALVA ABT320 braille display. The U.S. distributor is located in Portland, Oregon.

Braille Translation Programs

There are some Braille translation programs that are widely known throughout the United States and several foreign countries. Duxbury Systems, Inc. markets Duxbury Braille Translator for Windows (DBT Win)). DBT Mac is available for the Macintosh platform as well. MegaDots is a DOS-based program and can run under Windows. Salsa (interactive braille lesson maker for SAL) can be used with most braille translators and editors. TGD-Pro is an advanced braille Tactile graphics software. Check the site for more information. Braille Board is an easy to use braille translator for sign making. Check the site for more information. Quick Tac is a free tactile graphics software. These files can be imported either into DBT Windows 10.5 or Megadots 2.2. Perky Duck is a free program that allows a beginning Braille student to create their Braille lessons to demonstrate to the Braille instructor their understanding of the Braille code. It emulates like a Perkins braillewriter with limited editing capability. It is primarily used in distance education in which files are sent electronically to the instructor for grading.

Technologies for the Visually Impaired, Inc. markets a variety of braille printers, braille displays, talking computer games, braille keyboards, and many more. They also sell low vision products as well.

NFB-TRANS is a DOS-based free Braille translation program developed by National Federation of the Blind. It supports ASCII text files.

Computer Application Specialties Company is now marketing a new Braille translation program called Braille 2000. This is a program that supports a variety of file formats including .brl, .brf, .bfm (braille format files), .txt (ASCII file format, HTML (hypertext markup language file format), XML (extended markup language) file format, rich text file format, etc. It is supported under Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium, Windows 2000, and Windows XP.

Music Braille Translators and Scanning Software

Dancing Dots markets a variety of products to meet the needs of blind musicians which would allow them to create their own music.

GOODFEEL (braille music translator),

CakeTalking for SONAR,

and Sibelius Speaking for Sibelius
are the specialized software needed to produce music independently.

Some of the mainstream products to produce music independently in conjunction with the specialized products above include the CakeWalk SONAR,

Sibelius,

Lime (Music Notation Editor not completely accessible to the blind),

SharpEye 2 (scanning software for music),

and Sound Forge (a professional recording sound editor) are tools for creating, scanning, and translating print music into Braille.

 Also available are teaching materials for learning to read music Braille notation as well as how to transcribe print music into Braille. These include An Introduction to Music for the Blind Student, (A Course in Braille Music Reading Parts I and II) By Richard Taesch; An Introduction to Piano for the Blind Student, (A Course in Braille Music Reading) By Richard Taesch; Who's Afraid of Braille Music By Richard Taesch and William McCann; and TACK-TILES. Theese are the teaching tools useful for blind students and their teachers for learning to read and write Braille music notation.

Opus Technologies markets OpusDots Lite (A braille music transcription program); Toccata (A full-featured braille music translator); Opus Braille Font Pack (Seven true-type, scaleable braille fonts for Windows); Introduction to Braille Music Transcription (An introductory text for braille music transcribers), How to Read Braille Music, Second Edition (The newest revision of a classic braille music tex) on CD-ROM, print, and braille) By Bettye Krolick; Music Braille Code 1997 (The 1997 version of the standardized music braille code Print and braille available); New International Manual of Braille Music Notation (Available in the CD-ROM, print, and braill versions); Primer of Braille Music (The classic primer, written for younger students Print and braille available); They Shall Have Music (One of the earliest braille music teaching texts. Print available) and Popular sheet music in Braille.

Have you always wanted to have a desire to read a book along with everyone else? If so, there are many companies that manufactures scanning systems for the blind and learning disabled.

Freedom Scientific manufactures Open Book that reads information on the page as long as the document is typewritten or normal print on black and white paper. It is a Windows-based system designed to read printed documents using a commercial scanner and convert them to synthesized speech. This program does not require screen access software inasmuch as it creates its own speech. It also contains other features such as a dictionary, thesaurus, and editor. Depending on the quality of the scanner, you can read just about anything, however, there will be errors in the document since scanning recognition is still not perfect and requires someone with sight to assist the blind in comparing the electronic copy from the hard copy of the book. When using this method of input for Braille production, accuracy is very important. It must be read thoroughly to be accurate with no errors. At this time it does not read handwriting or documents that is poor in quality in terms of printing.

Kurzweil Educational Systems, Inc. is another company that markets a competitive product called Kurzweil 1000. This is a Windows-based reading system designed to convert printed documents into speech. A screen access program is not required. Additional features include a dictionary, thesaurus, and text editor. A variety of speech synthesis options are available, including a choice of different voices for reading documents and system messages. A commercial scanner must be purchased separately. The features are the same between Open Book and Kurzweil. To make an informative choice of scanning software, the blind user needs to evaluate both of them and communicate with blind users who are using these products.

Galileo is a reading machine manufactured by Robotron, Ltd., of Australia. It contains a giga-byte hard drive and a floppy disk drive that can be used to store documents that have been scanned. It is marketed by Technologies for the Visually Impaired.

Portset Reader is a lightweight (13 pounds) standalong reading machine manufactured in the United Kingdom by Portsert Systems, Ltd. This is distributed by Technologies for the Visually Impaired, Inc.

ScannaR is a standalone, compact flatbed scanner that will scan text and read it aloud. It includes speech and volume controls, storage for 500,000 pages at a time, and direct connection to the BrailleNote. It is marketed by Pulse Data Humanware.

VERA (Very Easy Reading Appliance) is a standalone reading machine, which is said to simplify the task of reading printed information. Like other reading machines, the VERA converts printed material into synthesized speech. The machine is operated using a simple keypad. It is marketed by Freedom Scientific.

For people with learning disabilities, Wynn from Freedom Scientific and Kurzweil 3000 from Kurzweil Educational Systems is appropriate for them.

Typing is an important skill that both blind and sighted people should have. Before the use of computers, blind people had to type on typewriters that were either manual or electric. The problem is having to depend on someone else to proofread our work. If there were errors on any of our papers, we had to retype the whole document again. This technique was time-consuming unless you have developed good typing skills with accuracy and planning ahead of time as to what thoughts should be on paper. Back then, there were no spell checkers, grammar checkers, and the like. Knowing how to format various types of documents was also a challenge. Learning how to type at an early age is important since it helps to build motor skills, eye-hand coordination, listening, and comprehension.

Talking Typer for Windows®, typing tutor program is a self-voicing program eliminating the need for a screen reader. The demo is available for you to try out. If you like the program, purchase can be done either by phone or online. If you downloaded the demo, you can call in your order to receive a key that would change it from a demo to a real program. This typing program provides drills, exercises for building accuracy and speed, dictation, open-ended typing, and many more. Teachers can create their own lessons for the students to work on. Check the site for specifics on operating system, equipment required, and others. There are online instructions telling you how to operate the program. In addition, there are instructions in the manual that gives step-by-step instruction on how to put JAWS or Window-Eyes to sleep when Talking Typer is running. This and many other educational products is available through American Printing House for the Blind or you can call in your order at (800) 223-1839 or (502) 895-2405 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. EST. or send an email to Customer Service Department for further assistance.

Another typing program I came across is called Talking Typing Teacher from MarvelSoft. This program is also self-voicing eliminating the need for a screen reader. This program is human speech making it very easy to understand and fun with lots of sound effects. The sound effects can be turned off if necessary. Teacher can go in and change lessons and check the report on each student taking the typing course. This program also works on spell checking, speed and accuracy, and many more. Both Talking Typer and Talking Typing Teacher have audio demonstration so that you can listen to the speech of both programs. Both programs can run on a network in which 1 copy is on the server and several copies are on the computers so that all the lesson reports is at a central location and the teacher can monitor the student's progress. Call MarvelSoft at 1-800-987-DOTS (1-800-987-1231) to place your order. There are two versions of the program. Check pricing and system requirements on their web site before purchasing the product.

Marvel Math from MarvelSoft, Virtual Pencil Arithmetic and Virtual Pencil Algebra from Henter Math, Math Flash, multi-media math flash card drill and test program and Money Talks, manage your accounts from American Printing House for the Blind are tools to help blind and learning disabled people improve their math skills. All of these programs are self-voicing. Money Talk helps a blind person manages their checking, saving, and credit card accounts and it assist you in categorizing such things as utilities, taxes, dining, groceries, travel, and household expenses. Check the site for more information on system requirements and pricing.

Teacher's Pet. accessible test creation and administration program,
Talking Word Puzzles, accessible word puzzle program,
Learn Keys, keyboard exploration and learning program,
Book Wizard Reader,
DAISY Digital Talking Book reading software,
Studio Recorder, electronic recording software,
Book Port, portable device designed to read electronic books,
Talking Clock, free software announces time with digitized speech,
and many other technology products are available through American Printing House for the Blind.

Talking Toolbox for Windows is perfect for kids, made for adults who've just learned to type, and ideal for elderly folks who haven't been around computers all their lives, Talking Toolbox 2.00 is the latest and greatest talking product offered by MarvelSoft. This 100% self-voicing software program lets you send and receive Email, write letters and read E-books, organize an address book, use a calendar to plan your week, listen to audio CD's ... and even comes with a talking clock and calculator.

What's more, any new blind computer user can now afford to turn their machine into a talking computer--without having to purchase expensive screen-reading software. In the olden days, the only way a blind person could access a computer was to fork out hundreds of dollars for a screen-reading package that used synthetic speech to read everything on the screen.

But Talking Toolbox has changed all that. For just $75, you can get your hands on this entire suite of programs, which gives you access to the world of technology. If you're still new to computers, you'll find the learning curve for this suite of programs to be far quicker than you imagined. We've taken great care in designing a straightforward interface for the toolbox, to be sure it'll work and act just like you'd expect. But don't be fooled for an instant: the program is still loaded with all kinds of powerful features for you to take advantage of as you gain experience. And because Talking Toolbox employs digitized human speech wherever possible (seamlessly switching to synthetic speech only when necessary), blind people new to computers will find it much easier to understand what the program is saying. Perhaps best of all, Talking Toolbox knows what to read and just when to read it--without your having to memorize a dozen confusing hotkey combinations.

Already have a screen reader? Think you're too advanced for this program? Think again--you'll surely find that Talking Toolbox makes it much easier (and way more fun) to do many everyday computing tasks. Imagine ... Writing a letter or Email message, and having every key you press instantly spoken with human speech. Pulling up a spell-checker that automatically announces the misspelled word and a suggested replacement, where the problem line can be reviewed with the tap of a button. Writing down appointments in a calendar or contacts in an address book that's so easy to use, you'll actually do it. Playing a CD, using a calculator, and setting a timer--all without listening to one word of synthesized speech. You get the idea.

Inside your virtual toolbox, you'll find:
 

Naturally, each and every one of these tools is entirely self-voicing, narrated with MarvelSoft's state-of-the-art blend of pre-recorded human speech and text-to-speech technology. Whenever you're typing or cursoring over text letter-by-letter, navigating menus, changing options, or visiting the Help Desk, the friendly human voice of Eager Eddie guides you every step of the way. And when you're reading back what you've written, you'll enjoy listening to the voices of Mike or Mary, who offer high-quality speech synthesis.

In a nutshell, Talking Toolbox turns your computer into the most robust toolbox you could ever imagine. It's truly a package you must have if you're a fan of getting work done in half the time. Check the web site for system requirements.

Speaking Spelling, Quality Quiz, and Talking Teacher Suite are all excellent tools from MarvelSoft.

For more educational products in reference to braille and other supplies needed for educational purposes, check out Braille Books Dot Com--The Braille Superstore.

RWF Talking Software offers some exciting talking software that is educational and fun.
These include Talking Dictionary,
Talking Event Scheduler,
Talking Maze Game,
and Talking Calculator are very afordable. Try the demos listed on their site.

Premier Assistive Technology markets a variety of products for blind and learning disabled population. Their mission is to enrich and improve the lives of millions of people worldwide by making information truly accessible through the use of affordable technology. This company began in 1998 developing a suite of products that address "reading, writing and information transfer" needs for individuals with visual, cognitive and mobility challenges. Applications for learning disabilities, general literacy and English as a Second Language can also be well-served using existing and emerging assistive technologies.

Their suite of products continues to grow and now includes the following 18 products and technologies:
Scan & Read Pro©,
Text-to-Audio©, Talking Word Processor©,
Text Cloner Pro©,
Talking Calculator©,
Scan and View©,
Complete Reading System©,
Universal Reader©,
Universal Reader Plus©,
OFF Limits© The Talking Web Browser,
PDF Magic Pro©,
The Ultimate Talking Dictionary©,
Predictor Pro©,
Word Prediction Technology,
The Talking Checkbook©,
E-Library©,
E-Text Reader©, and Premier CD/DVD Creator©.
In addition the company carries PDF Magic and so much more. Check the site out for yourself for more information. They are now beginning to have online videos of their products available 24/7 or can be obtained on CD-ROM.

Have you always wanted to attend the largest technology conference held in the U.S. each year in March? CSUN (California State University at Northridge) is an international conference which brings together about 4,000 participants. It covers all facets of manufacturers, resellers of assistive technology, professionals in the rehabilitation, special education, and other related fields for all types of disabilities. Below are places to listen to and read about assistive technology in more details.

CSUN 2005 Audio Blog--ACB Radio--Connecting the Blind Community. Please take the opportunity to listen to various interviews and workshops in relation to blindness products that were released at the conference.

See Papers and Recordings From CSUN EASI Track March 17, 2005. This day long portion of the conference was sponsored by EASI (Easy Access to Software and Information) headed up by Norman Coombs and Dick Banks. They have a lot of information on their web site in reference to assistive technology for all disabilities including archives of several online conferences for many educational professionals in the field.

Talking Communities and Ocusource joined together and produced a virtual tour of the exhibit hall at 2005 CSUN in March 2005. Check these sites to learn how you can join the community to conduct a virtual conference online without leaving your home or office.

Do you know someone who have trouble learning how to use a computer? Do you wish you can talk to it instead of typing on the keyboard or using a mouse? Now it is possible to talk to a computer using a new product called FreedomBox. This equipment is used by people with physical disabilities, blindness disabilities, senior citizens, and anyone who have to travel in using computers in libraries, schools, friend's house, internet cafe, and many more situations. When using input devices such as this, it is best to use it in a quiet place if possible. The FreedomBox comes in five forms:

With FreedomBox, you can read e-mails, surf the web using its own browser it supplies that will get to the meat of the web page without hearing all the navigational links, shopping, listening to radio stations all over the web, read newspapers, magazines, and many more. Check this site out for more information. Listen to some interviews and demonstrations to understand how it works. I am really excited about this technology. There is very little training involved in learning this product since it is menu-driven and you have the choice of speaking the option, typing the number into the computer, or doing both if desired. 

Information on Web Accessibility and accessing accessible PDF Documents

Below are links to various points that will provide important information on designing web pages for persons with disabilities. Many web sites contain images which is a problem for blind people especially when they are not labeled with alt-tag anchors. To get an understanding of how a screen reader such as Jaws for Windows reads your web pages, try out the demo of the program located at http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_downloads/jaws.asp. If you want to try Window-eyes, go to http://www.gwmicro.com/demo/. These demo programs run for 30 minutes for Window-eyes and 40 minutes for JAWS for Windows. Contact these manufacturers if you prefer to obtain a demo CD especially if you have a dialup modem. For cable or DSL connection, it may take at least 15 minutes to download. 

Now that we have something to work with in the way of access technology in particular with speech output through a sound card, let's explore some sites that have information on web accessibility and accessing accessible PDF documents.

Should you need to contact various organizations of the blind, companies that are complying with accessibility, companies that are providing accessible software with screen readers that have been tested by manufacturers and users of their respective products, Select external Resources or other valuable resources pertaining to United States Resources, U.S. Disability Legislation, and U.S. Advocacy Groups. Please use these resources to the fullest when serving people with disabilities.

To learn what blind users have tried in working with specific applications with JAWS, consult JFWLite Home Page to get helpful hints, training and tutorials for JFW users, and a list of programs that works with JAWS. Check this site often since new products are being tested with JAWS as more and more blind people get into programming or writing scripts to make some of these applications accessible.

A Guide to Disability Rights Laws contains valuable information for everyone in case a discrimination occurs. These legislations are very important when companies hires 15 or more people in a business environment or if your company receives federal and state funds from grants. It is also important for students with disabilities advocate for themselves as well. How can I tell if my Web pages are accessible? This is a very common frequently asked question that many people ask a person with a disability. Check out these recommendations and utilize these resources for guidance.

Read the following articles on web accessibility. Making Your Web Site Accessible to the Blind by Curtis Chong, President of National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science. Creating Accessible Computer Applications. The Challenges of Web Accessibility. Improving Your Web Site's Accessibility. The Visually Impaired Web User's Technology. Improving Your Web Site Site-Wide Problems and Solutions. Accessible Forms. Tips & Tricks. Usability Testing. Resources How to Make Your Blog Accessible. Tips for making your site accessible. Test Your Site. How does a screen reader work? Making Web Sites Accessible! PDF and Public Documents: A White Paper. Competitive Bidding for Printing Government Documents. Assistive Technology Act. Memo Regarding Remedies Available Under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Using Accessible PDF Documents with Adobe Reader 7.0: A Guide for People with Disabilities (HTML format). Please take the time to read this document to learn about reading PDF documents with a screen reader or large print program. Select this link to download the PDF version listed above (PDF: 3.8M).

To learn about Creating Accessible PDF Documents with Adobe Acrobat 7.0 (PDF: 10.3M). If you are the individual who will be creating PDF documents for the general public, this is the most important information you'll need to learn how to tag documents correctly. Careful planning is made in structuring the document before creating the file.

For any additional documents or programs from Adobe, Select Accessibility from Adobe. A word of caution! Be sure to download the full version of Acrobat Reader that contains accessibility built into the product. The basic version of Acrobat Reader does not have accessibility features at all. The basic is not accessible to people with disabilities.

Select this link to go to Online conversion tools for Adobe PDF documents If a document is on your hard drive, CD-ROM, or internal server, it can be submitted as a MIME attachment to an e-mail message. This will allow you to send a PDF document to either a PDF to txt server and emailed back to you as text format or PDF to HTML server in which the file will be sent to you by email in HTML. In addition, there is an online form where you can fill out the form if the document is stored on a server available to the general public.

For plain text, mail the attached PDF to pdf2txt@adobe.com. For HTML, mail the attached PDF to pdf2html@adobe.com.

To convert an Adobe® Portable Document Format (PDF) file to HTML or text, simply type a URL for an Adobe PDF document into this electronic form and select "Convert". The Adobe PDF document will be converted and returned to you in your browser application. Depending on the complexity of the document and the number of requests being made on the server at the time, the conversion process may take a while. Select this link to access the online form.

Should you need to access Frequently Ask Questions regarding PDF document, select this link. Please take time to read this important document since it will help you deal with many problems such as security issues, text and graphics mixed together, and proper structured markup tags. If you have an acrobat reader PDF document and it is password protected, go to Advanced PDF to HTML Conversion Form. Be sure to contact the original author of the document to find out the password if any, used to retrieve the document. Enter the URL for the file and password to access it.

In the past, I used to send PDF documents to pdf2txt@sun.trace.wisc.edu or pdf2html@sun.trace.wisc.edu, according to whether a reply is desired in text or HTML format. In some cases, you may get a message from the server by email telling you that the file is too large. It is my understanding that Trace and Adobe are working on new PDF translation services for the future. It will be awhile however before they are available. In the meantime, Trace will not be hosting the older Adobe translator that we were before.

Adobe now has several options to convert Adobe PDF documents to text or HTML format.

For more information on Adobe's conversion services, go to their web page at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/access_onlinetools.html.

Blind or visually impaired users of Open Book or Kurzweil 1000 should consult their documentation for instructions on accessing PDF document. In my experience in converting PDF documents to accessible format, I use all the methods provided to me because not one method is more perfect than the other depending on how the documentt is marked up for reading in order.

Another program that I have discovered for converting PDF to txt is called PDF to txt by Jamal Mazrui. This program is version 2.0 copyright 2005. PDF to TXT (also written PDF2TXT) is a free program for converting files in Portable Document Format (.pdf extension) to plain text (.txt extension). The program lets you convert multiple files in a single, batch operation, either from a GUI dialog or a console-mode command line. The resulting text files can be read in almost any editing or viewing program. PDF2TXT, itself, also includes a plain text view for reading PDF files. The program works on any 32-bit version of Windows (Windows 95 and above with Internet Explorer 4.0 and above).

This Windows program is the successor to my first version of PDF2TXT, developed several years ago as a DOS-based, command-line only utility.

Adobe Reader 7.0—English for Windows, 19.8MB.

Watch the Recording of The Oct. 20 Free Web Conference on Accessible PDF