High-Tech Living Aids for the Blind
Technology Enhances Comfort, Connectivity for Blind People On the Go
Mar 26, 2009
Since 1990, the Americans With Disabilities Act has made municipal buildings, pubic transportation, media, and many travel destinations accessible to some degree.
Digital technology and the Internet continue to close the accommodation gap with new products and services that enable blind and visually impaired people to live, travel, and communicate with equal freedom.
Websites can help people find pedestrian-friendly places to live and send text messages (which new cell phones can convert to speech) to alert them on days when they should pack an umbrella. Speech synthesis and simplified navigation are making devices such as cell phones, PDAs, and MP3 players more accessible to those with low vision.
High-Tech Daily Living Aids for the Blind
Finding a Walkable Place to Live
WalkScore.com is a website that measures the walkability of any address on a scale of 0-100 using an algorithm that awards points based on closeness to such things as grocery stores, pharmacies, schools, hospitals, movie theaters, and parks. A score of 90 or above is a walker’s paradise, while fewer than 24 points indicates a “car-dependent” address. The Walkscore algorithm omits many factors, including public transportation, street and community design, crime, topography, and weather.
Step-Hear Orientation System
The STEP-HEAR system is a radio-based orientation and mobility device with a transmitter that emits a continuous signal that can be heard on a receiver within a certain range. A pre-recorded voice message can be activated with the press of a button to provide specific information on a given location. The system also integrates with GPS systems used on some bus lines, signaling the approach of a specific bus. The system is designed with universal recognition and can be used virtually anywhere in the world.
Do I Need My Umbrella Today?
Umbrella Today communicates the answer to the daily question, “Do I need my umbrella?” via the web, email, and talking cell phone text message. Users can enter their zip code on the site for the daily answer or sign up to receive a text (or email) message sent on days when the answer is “Yes.”
Four Accessible Cell Phone Options for the Blind or Visually Impaired
- The Jitterbug is a MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) phone that features a large display with clearly marked buttons and even simulates a landline with a dial tone. One model has a standard keypad.
- The Verizon Wireless LG VX5300 and LG VX8300 offer Voice Command and Text to Speech features that make them more accessible to blind customers.
- The Vodafone Speaking Phone (developed in collaboration with the Italian Association for the Blind) reads and describes its menu icons, reads text messages, and enables users to write and send their own messages.
- Among the most accessible all-in-one devices (phone, music player, digital camera, web browser, PDA, book reader) is the Nokia N91, combined with a screen reader or magnifier and the DAISY book reading software from Code Factory. The Nokia N91 stores up to 3000 songs, and features a 2 megapixel camera, email, web browser, and video sharing.
Accessible iPod for the Blind
Of all the MP3 players, the iPod Shuffle is among the most accessible for the blind, as it has no screen or complicated settings and features four controls: forward, back, play/pause, and volume. The iPod Shuffle plays iTunes- and Audible.com-imported audiobooks, and the new, smaller model provides speech (it tells you what track you're listening to) and a new in-line remote earphone cord, which includes volume and navigation controls.
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