Tesla

Vision

Introduction

This page contains information about visual accessibility for blindness, low vision, and color-blindness.

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Reference Books and Resources

There are several excellent books related to vision. See the suggested reading list for general information and detailed reference books for your library.

See the Resources page for links to Sight / Vision Loss resources on the Web.

Disclaimer

The AccessAbility SIG does not diagnose, prescribe, or endorse. We simply provide information to those who want it. For more information about product endorsements and other disclaimers, please see our Legal Information page.

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Recent and Relevant

Macular Degeneration

“UCSB Studies Link Alzheimer’s Disease, Macular Degeneration“, by Josh Braun, Staff Writer. Published Wednesday, May 28, 2003. Issue 135 / Volume 83 New

“Retina shift restores sight: Duke Eye Center performs surgery to help people with macular degeneration see again”, by Sarah Avery, Staff Writer. Published by the Raleigh News & Observer – Friday, January 2, 2004 New

Virtual Blindness Game: Seeing in Relation to the World

The Blind Eye is a hybrid audio game, like The Curb Game and Terraformers. The game is the result of The Blind Eye Research Project, developed in Denmark in 2000, where the participant has the opportunity to experience the virtual world in a manner similar to being visually blind. Conceptually, The Blind Eye examines the idea of seeing in relation to the world. Update: The game is now abandoned and not available for download through the original website (which also has disappeared). A back-up copy of the game is available through a download link, however. All rights remain with the original developer.

Mobile phones: Owasys is a reality

February 2005: An accessible phone designed for blind users. – The Owasys 22C mobile phone uses speech synthesis technology that allows you to make and take phone calls and text messages without the use of a visual display. http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/PublicWebsite/public_wel0205owasys.hcsp [United Kingdom / Spain]

The Owasys 22C is now available in the U.S. See http://www.screenlessphone.com/index.html

Accessible cell phones

The American Federation for the Blind (AFB) evaluated 11 of the top cell phones on the market to determine the accessibility of today’s cell phones for people who are blind or visually impaired. They provide several research reports including a report about three types of cell phones that have speech output for the blind: the Owasys 22C, Nokia 3650 with TALKS Software, and the Nokia 3660 with TALKS Software. This article also describes the 16 features that survey respondents rated as the most important for accessibility for cell phones / mobile phones. http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw050406

Making Documents Accessible to the Blind

There is a book published by the American Council of the Blind titled A Guide to Making Documents Accessible to People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired. This document is available online, in regular print, large print, braille, or on cassette tape. http://www.acb.org/accessible-formats.html

Zoom for Low Vision

Wednesday, 15th June 2005 – By Gez Lemon. An article about creating alternative stylesheets for people with low vision. This discusses zooming text and color contrast. http://juicystudio.com/article/zoom-low-vision.php

Blind engineering student ‘reads’ color-scaled weather maps using Cornell software that converts color into sound

January 21, 2005: Victor K. Wong, a Cornell University graduate student from Hong Kong who lost his sight in a road accident at age seven, is helping to develop innovative software that translates color into sound. “Color is something that does not exist in the world of a blind person,” explains Wong. “I could see before, so I know what it is. But there is no way that I can think of to give an exact idea of color to someone who has never seen before.” The inspiration for using image-to-sound software came in early 2004 when Wong had problems reading color-scaled weather maps of the Earth’s upper atmosphere—a task that is a necessary part of his doctoral work in “space weather,” which attempts to predict weather patterns high over the equator for use by Global Positioning System and other satellite communications.” more...http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Jan05/Wong.software.to.html

Libraries for the Blind Launch Digital Audio Book Service

January 5, 2005: State libraries for the blind in Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, New Hampshire, and Oregon, along with the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), part of the Library of Congress, have partnered to launch an innovative digital audio book service for visually impaired users.

Unabridged (http://www.unabridged.info/) enables blind patrons to check out and download digital spoken word audio books directly to their computers. The digital audio books can then be played back on a PC, transferred to a portable playback device, or burned onto CDs.

The Blind Can See with Their Tongues

Update: Source: University of Montreal news release, June 2, 2004: Tongue Display Unit (TDU) perfected. More… http://radio.weblogs.com/0105910/2004/06/03.html

2001—A Danish study found that people who were born blind can learn to see by having electrical impulses applied to their tongue. This research may also benefit other groups of disabled patients with brain injuries or diseases such as epilepsy, dementia, blood clots in the brain or patients who have had surgery where a portion of the brain has been removed. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are developing a tongue-stimulating system that translates images detected by a camera into a pattern of electric pulses that trigger touch receptors. That people can decode nerve pulses as visual information when they come from sources other than the eyes shows how adaptable, or plastic, the brain is, says Wisconsin neuroscientist and physician Paul Bach-y-Rita, one of the device’s inventors. “You don’t see with the eyes. You see with the brain,” he contends. An image, once it reaches an eye’s retina, “becomes nerve pulses no different from those from the big toe,” he says. To see, people rely on the brain’s ability to interpret those signals correctly. More… See also November 28, 2004: BehindTheMedspeak: BrainPort – See with your tongue and hear and touch as well.

How Does the Eye See?

We recently received an inquiry from a student about the shape of the human field of vision. The following Web sites provide information about this.

How We See: The First Steps of Human Vision http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/CC/vision_background.html
Newton’s Apple teacher guides: Human Eye. How does the human eye see? How does the eyeball work? http://www.newtonsapple.tv/TeacherGuide.php?id=1539
Sensitivity for global shape detection http://journalofvision.org/3/10/4/article.aspx
Glossary of Lasik Laser Eye Surgery Related Terms http://www.usaeyes.org/glossary/glossary.htm
What do dogs see? http://www.inkabijou.co.uk/see.htm

Anthropometric Methods: Designing to Fit the Human Body (Monographs in Human Factors and Ergonomics) by John A. Jr. Roebuck

BSR/HFES100 Human Factors Engineering of Computer Workstations The 2002 draft is undergoing canvass review in order to be considered as a new American national standard and is available to interested parties.

The WHATIS.COM Word-of-the-day

November 19, 2003: TODAY’S WORD: Web-Braille

See our complete definition with hyperlinks at http://searchsoa.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid26_gci828599,00.html?track=NL-34

Web-Braille is a data file format that can be read on a Braille display or transmitted to a Braille embosser. Web-Braille files typically have the extension .brf. The Braille codes in Braille-ready files allow blind people to read electronic documents from computer disks or from the Internet.

Web-Braille files generally contain 25 lines per page, with each line holding up to 39 characters. A single printed page translates into several Braille pages; the exact ratio depends on the nature of the document. Mathematical expressions and symbols, as well as graphics, can be converted into words before being translated into Braille-ready files. Complex mathematical documents have the highest Braille-to-text page conversion ratios.

Several thousand Web-Braille books are available for downloading from the National Library Service (NLS) in the U.S. About 40 new books are published online in this format every month. The NLS Web-Braille material is available only to citizens or residents of the United States, or to qualified institutions.

There are several Braille computer codes in the U.S. See About Braille by Liz Gray, Braille Transcriber, Certified by the Library of Congress in Literary Braille.

A universal Braille computer code for technical documents was introduced in 1991. See A Universal Computer Braille Code For Literary And Scientific Texts by Durre, Karl P.; Tuttle, Dean W. and Durre, Ingeborg.

U.S. National Library Service (NLS) Factsheets: Web-Braille

College Scholarships for Blind Students

Each year, the National Federation of the Blind grants thirty scholarships to legally blind persons in higher education from college freshmen to doctoral candidates for academic excellence, community service, and financial need. The scholarships range in value from $3000 to $12,000.

Applications for the coming year are due: 31 March 2008.

Title: Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship
One scholarship of $12,000 supports a blind scholar pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time, post-secondary course of study.
Title: Melva T. Owen Memorial Scholarship
One scholarship of $10,000 is awarded to a blind student in any field of study, as long as the award helps the student to attain financial independence. The scholarship excludes religion and those seeking only further general or cultural education. Eligible applicants must be legally blind and pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time, post-secondary course of study.
Title: National Federation of the Blind Scholarships
Two scholarship of $7,000 are awarded with no additional restrictions.
Title: Hank LeBonne Scholarship
One scholarship of $5,000 is awarded. Hank LeBonne was a man who loved life and loved the National Federation of the Blind. His last wish was that his remaining assets be used to help young blind men and women have the same opportunities in life he enjoyed. No additional restrictions.
Title: Jennica Ferguson Memorial Scholarship
One scholarship of $5,000 is awarded. Given to keep alive the memory of a young woman who dealt with her blindness and terminal illness with a grace and strength she frequently assured others she drew from the Federation and from her faith in God. No additional restrictions.
Title: Michael and Marie Marucci Scholarship
One scholarship of $5,000 is awarded to a legally blind student who is studying a foreign language or comparative literature; pursuing a degree in history, geography, or political science with a concentration in international studies; or majoring in any other discipline that involves study abroad. The winner’s file must also show evidence of competence in a foreign language.
Title: Sally S. Jacobsen Scholarship
One scholarship of $5,000 is awarded to commemorate Sally’s indomitable spirit; education (education of disabled youth preferred); no additional restrictions.
Title: Hermione Grant Calhoun Scholarship
One scholarship of $3,000 is awarded to a female blind student. Eligible applicants must be legally blind and pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time, post-secondary course of study.
Title: Kuchler-Killian Memorial Scholarship
One scholarship of $3,000 is awarded to a legally blind student who is pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time, post-secondary course of study.
Title: E. U. Parker Scholarship
One scholarship of $3,000 is awarded to honor a long-time leader of the National Federation of the Blind whose participation stood for strong principles and strong support of the Federation’s work. No additional restrictions.
Title: Howard Brown Rickard Scholarship
One scholarship of $3,000 is awarded to a blind scholar studying or planning to study in the fields of law, medicine, engineering, architecture, or the natural sciences. Eligible applicants must be legally blind and pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time, post- secondary course of study.
Title: Charles and Melva T. Owen Memorial Scholarship
One scholarship of $3,000 is awarded to a blind student in any field of study, as long as the award helps the student to attain financial independence. The scholarship excludes religion and those seeking only further general or cultural education. Eligible applicants must be legally blind and pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time, post-secondary course of study.
National Federation of the Blind Computer Science Scholarship
One scholarship of $3,000 is awarded to a student who must be studying in the computer science field.
Title: National Federation of the Blind Educator of Tomorrow Award
One scholarship of $3,000 is awarded to a student who must be planning a career in elementary, secondary, or postsecondary teaching.
Title: Fifteen National Federation of the Blind Scholarships
of $3,000. No additional restrictions.

In the Press

National Science Foundation Sign Language Examples “A Language at Its Genesis” Nicaraguan Sign Language (NSL), ASL< and Irish Sign Language (ISL)
C. A. Technology (founded in 1990 by Oleg Tretiakoff to develop, manufacture, and market electronic aids for the blind), has announced the formation of a new Optacon Division. The division is working on the development of a new and improved print reading machine for the blind to replace the discontinued Optacon models. (TeleSensory regretfully announced that it would discontinue the Optacon as of December 31, 1996.) The new development project is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation. See http://www.catechnology.net/dssbhotretiakoss2.html for a list of the new features that are being planned for the new design. If you have questions, comments or suggestions for the new Optacon, contact C. A. Technology at optacon@catechnology.net
At a September 2001 STC meeting, Maureen Hogg of the Rocky Mountain chapter (shown at right), demonstrates the use of the Optacon and her other assistive technologies that allow her to communicate and perform her job.
Hubble’s images for the blind. Touch the Universe information and a video is available at http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2002/28
Archive of Vision and other Health Articles from USA Today Health

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Screen Reading Software

Reading Web Pages

The Lynx Viewer is a service that allows web authors to see what their pages will look like when viewed with Lynx, a text-mode web browser.
MacSpeech Dictate Uses the Legendary Dragon NaturallySpeaking speech recognition engine, works with other applications you have on your Mac. Won the Macworld Expo Best of Show 2008.
WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind) provides screen reader and low vision simulators. These simulations convey what it is like for a person with visual impairments to access the Internet.
Web Talkster software application for Windows that gives you the option of having the browser “talk” the text content of a Web page, speak the clipboard content or the selected text by simply clicking the “Play/ Speak” button. In simple language, it is a talking Web browser. The software has been tested and “talks” most formats of Web sites.
Screen Access For All (SAFA), Screen reader in Indian languages

Fonts and Web Accessibility

Some fonts are good for reading text in print and others for reading text on a screen. Examples of how some popular fonts look on the screen are shown in the Font Comparisons table. The following resources discuss how font size can impact the readability of web pages.

“Why I’m Not Reading Your Blog and Why Others May Not Be Also“, from The FuzzyBlog!, counsels you to make sure your CSS files allow users to adjust the font size.
“Dive Into Accessibility” discusses why you should make your web site more accessible and provides guidelines on how you can do so within 30 days. Day 26 provides particularly useful information about using relative font sizes.
“Let Users Control Font Size“, a Jakob Nielsen Alertbox article, discusses why having the ability to adjust the font size is critical to the readability of web pages. This article includes several useful links to sites that provide readability guidelines.

Resources for Computer Tools

Dan Brown, BrownRD@concentric.net, who is blind, sent us the following information.

First, there are several programs that enlarge the print which appears on the computer’s screen. Notable among these are the programs Zoomtext Xtra, LP Windows, and Magic. In addition to print enlargement, many of these programs are now providing limited speech, although it is assumed that the user will not be completely dependent on this oral output.

Second, there are programs, usually known as screen readers, which attempt to read all of the pertinent information which appears on the screen. Notable programs here are Job Access With Speech (JAWS) for Windows®, Window-Eyes, and Outspoken for Windows. Some screen readers can, in addition to the speech which they produce, also display the screen’s contents in refreshable Braille on a display device specially designed to show Braille dots.

Third, several Optical Character Recognition programs have been designed which allow the blind or visually impaired user to scan in text, and have it recognized and spoken aloud. Kurzweil 1000 and Ruby are two of the primary OCR programs now being produced.

Fourth, their are specially designed handheld computers, usually referred to as notetakers, which give the blind/visually impaired person a portable method of writing down and storing information. Most of these devices use a speech interface, but there are also a few which use Braille. The keyboards are sometimes designed around the standard computer qwerty keyboard, and, in other cases, a Braille keyboard is used. Blazie Engineering produces the Type ‘n Speak, Braille ‘n Speak, and Braille Lite. Another company called Pulse Data produces a notetaker called the Keynote Companion.

“My privately owned business provides training of adaptive technology to blind consumers of the Texas Commission for the Blind, some private individuals, and some businesses such as Hilton Worldwide Reservations. I provide setup, training, programming where needed, and learning materials in large print, Braille, or cassette.”

For information about the products mentioned, see the Resources pages.

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Additional Resource Information

AbilityHub has been added to the Resources list under Adaptive Technology. AbilityHub is an assistive technology related web site for people with a disability who find operating a computer difficult, maybe even impossible.

The Video Eye, made by the Video Eye Corporation (10211 West Emerald, Boise, ID 83704; 800-416-0758). This machine videos and projects onto a 27-inch television whatever you place in front of the camera. It magnifies up to 50 times and is designed specifically for persons with reduced vision. Reading, knitting, writing, and so forth can all be facilitated. (Source: Small Farmer’s Journal, Spring 2000)

Vischeck is a site that demonstrates different types of color blindness.

British Telecommunications (BT) Age & Disability Action: “Safe web colours for colour-deficient vision” Information and design tools for designing sites so that color cues are not lost.

Color Blindness: NEWMAN Services Corp., which specializes in database and Web application development, offers free tools that let you see how the colors in a Web page or graphic will appear to a person with color blindness. The site includes links to other pages with information about color blindness.

Related Resource Information

ACB RadioPhone: 866-400-5333
URL: http://www.acbradio.org/pweb/“Connecting the Blind Community”. ACB Radio showcases and nurtures the creativity and talents of the blind/low-vision community from many parts of the world. ACB Radio is heard over the Internet by a global audience using free software on their computers. The station has visitors from over seventy countries.
For information about downloading compatible players and for how to get the ACB Radio Tuner, see the Welcome section. ACB Radio: Main Menu Live programPhone: 866-400-5333Get answers to your blindness technology questions with the interactive Main Menu Live radio show. Main Menu is a one-hour weekly interactive Internet audio program for discussion issues related to accessibility technology. The number to call into the show is 866-400-5333.
You may e-mail your questions to mainmenu@acbradio.org. You may also interact with the show using MSN (Windows Live) Messenger. The MSN Messenger ID is mainmenu@acbradio.org.
To interact with a group of Main Menu listeners about the topics heard on Main Menu and Main Menu Live, you can join the Main Menu Friends e-mail list. The address to subscribe is main-menu-subscribe@googlegroups.com.
To subscribe to podcast feeds for Main Menu and Main Menu Live, use the following RSS links:
Main Menu http://feeds.feedburner.com/MainMenu
Main Menu Live http://feeds.feedburner.com/MainMenuLive
Main Menu may be heard on Tuesday evenings at 8:00 a.m. Eastern, 5:00 a.m. Pacific, and at 1 a.m. universal (GMT) on Wednesday mornings on the ACB Radio Main Stream channel. Follow this link to listen to the radio show. American Printing House for the Blind1839 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206-0085
Phone: 800-223-1839
E-mail: info@aph.org
URL: http://www.aph.org/LISTENING TO WINDOWS 95 is an interactive CD-ROM-based tutorial for Windows. Betacom Corp.2999 King Street W.
Inglewood, ON
L0N 1K0
Canada
Phone: 800-353-1107VisAble Scientific Calculator allows users with low vision to perform scientific, statistical, and trigonometric calculations (comes with large print manual) Blazie Engineering105 E. Jarrettsville Road
Forest Hill, MD 21050
Phone: 410-893-9333Notetaker offers combination of speech access, refreshable Braille, and a standard keyboaRoad Stores more than 16,000 pages of Braille info! Together with a screen access program like Job Access With Speech (JAWS) for Windows®, Type Lite becomes a dynamic Grade 2 Braille display for your PC. No knowledge of Braille is required to operate Type Lite. BlindSkills, Inc., publisher of Dialogue MagazinePO Box 5181
Salem, OR  97304-0181
Phone: 800-860-4224 / 503-581-4224
Fax: 503-582-178
E-mail: blindskl@teleport.com
URL: http://www.blindskills.com/ Closing the Gap526 Main Street
PO Box 68
Henderson, MN  56044
Phone: 507-248-3294
Fax: 507-248-3810
E-mail: info@closingthegap.com
URL: http://www.closingthegap.com/The Feb./March 1999 issue of the bimonthly newspaper, Closing the Gap, is devoted to the annual Closing the Gap Resource Directory, a guide to the selection of computer-related products for people with disabilities. The directory can be purchased separately for $14.95 or can be included as part of an annual subscription for $31. Community Services for the Blind and Partially Sighted9709 3rd Avenue NE, #100
Seattle, WA 98115-2027
Phone: 800-458-4888
URL: http://www.sightconnection.com/CSBPS has an online store dedicated to products for living with vision loss. Disability NetSuite 5D North Mill
Bridgefoot
Belper, Derbyshire, DE 56 1YD
England
Phone: 44-1773-824343
Fax: 44-1773-824353
E-mail: paul@disabilitynet.co.uk
URL: http://www.disabilitynet.co.uk/Their web site offers information for disabled people—wide variety of services ranging from research to penpals. Duxbury Systems, Inc.435 King Street
PO Box 1504
Littleton, MA 01460
Phone: 978-692-3000
Fax: 978-692-9712
URL: http://www.duxsys.com/They offer various software applications for visually impaired people. Enabling Technologies1601 NE Braille Place
Jensen Beach, FL 34957
Phone: 800-777-3687
E-mail: enabling@brailler.com
URL: http://www.brailler.com/Translates American English text from your PC or Mac into print or Braille. Built-in synthesizer speaks all prompts as they appear on the LCD screen. Full Life ProductsPO Box 490
Mirror Lake, NH 03853-0490
Phone: 800-400-1540
URL: http://www.superproducts.com/index.php?ct=8305Model 560CW Talking Caller ID, which audibly announces incoming 10-digit telephone numbers and stores 99 recent calls for visual and audio review. General Council of Industries for the Blind1901 N. Beauregard Street
Alexandria, VA  22322
Phone: 703-998-0770
Fax: 703-998-9053
URL: http://www.nib.org/ Index Braille (Sweden)E-mail: info@indexbraille.com
URL: http://www.indexbraille.com/Optical Braille Recognition scanning program that makes it possible to read single-and double-sided Braille documents with a standard A4 scanner. Innoventions Inc.5921 S. Middlefield Road
Suite 102
Littleton, CO 80123
Phone: 800-854-6554
Fax: 303-727-4940
E-mail: magnicam@magnicam.com
URL: http://www.magnicam.com/magnicam/They sell the Magni-Cam TRIAD color electronic magnification unit. There are three viewing modes available: color, black and white, and enhance color. Rosangela Berman Bieler711 Brent Road
Rockville, MD 20850
Phone: 301-838-3031
Fax: 301-838-3029
E-mail: IIDisab@aol.comThe Inter-American Institute on Disability is a private, nonprofit org. that mediates between public and private organizations and associations for disabled people. Currently concentrating on North and South America; hopes to extend itself to all Spanish- and Portuguese speaking countries in Europe and Africa. Jewish Guild for the Blind15 W 65th Street
New York, NY  10023
Phone: 212-769-6263
Fax: 212-769-7869
URL: http://www.jgb.org/They have an assistive technology center that forms part of the guild’s continuing efforts to find employment for blind and visually impaired job seekers and students. Located at the guild’s Estelle R. Newman City Center. The program consists of assessment and approx. 80 hours of training. Technology staff members will produce a profile of the job site, including recommendations for necessary assistive equipment, when the newly trained employee begins work. Job site assistance includes integrating blind or visually impaired individuals into the work environment by familiarizing employees and technical staff with the specialized adaptive equipment; technical support for operation of assistive equipment; and integration with existing computer systems is also provided. Linwood GallagherADA Consulting, Inc.
Box 3126
Carson City, NV  89702Books for visually-impaired computer users that are available in print, large print, Braille, ASCII disk, or 2-track cassette: Family Fun with Computing, Competitive Computing for the Print Disabled, Tools for Considerable Independence With Computing Macular Degeneration PartnershipPhone: 888-430-9898
URL: http://www.amd.org/ National Council on Disability1331 F Street, NW
Suite 1050
Washington, DC  20004
Phone: 202-272-2004
Fax: 202-272-2022
TTY: 202-272-2074
URL: http://www.ncd.gov/ National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation ResearchRobert Jaeger
U.S. Dept. of Education
400 Maryland Avenue SW
Room 3422
Switzer Building
Washington, DC 20202-2645
Phone: 202-205-8061
TDD: 202-205-9136
E-mail: Robert_Jaeger@ed.govThe NIDRR invites nominations of qualified candidates to serve 3-year terms as peer reviewers on standing panels. Peer reviewers should be scientists, experts in the rehabilitation or independent living fields, or knowledgeable individuals with disabilities. NIDRR will use the standing panels of peer reviewers to evaluate Field Initiated Project applications and applications for Small Business Innovative Research projects (about 400 apps/year). NIDRR plans to form standing panels on the following topics: employment outcomes, health and function, technology for access and function, independent living and community integration, statistics, outcomes research, disability studies, rehab. science, and policy. RNIB National Library Service (formerly known as the National Library for the Blind)RNIB National Library Service (or RNIB Talking Book Service)
PO Box 173
Peterborough
PE2 6WS
UK
Phone: 44-0845-762-6843 or 44-0173-337-5350
URL Customer Service Centre: http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/publicwebsite/public_pbsiteinfo.hcsp E-mail: cservices@rnib.org.uk
URL: RNIB LibraryFeatures a collection of resources that are accessible to screen readers, refreshable Braille, and Realaudio. Includes dictionaries, computer acronym guides, Victorian literature, management materials, and gardening information. National Organization on Disability910 16th St. NW
Washington, DC  20006
Phone: 202-293-5960
Fax: 202-293-7999
TDD: 202-293-5968
E-mail: newsome@nod.org
URL: http://www.nod.org/ Optelec US6 Lyberty Way
Westford, MA 01896
Phone: 800-828-1056, ext. 118Optelec designed a new line of video magnifiers, including the ClearView 700, a computer-compatible model with 800 x 600 line resolution (includes instant focus and one-touch zoom). Productivity Works, Inc.7 Belmont Circle
Trenton, NJ 08618
Phone: 609-984-0844
E-mail: info@prodworks.com
URL: http://www.prodworks.com/pwTelephone: Turns your standard telephone into the most common, lowest cost web resource possible. Listen to your personalized information while traveling to and from work, check news stories from Internet Radio World Wide, call to check on school closings, etc. Judy ByrdPulse Data International Inc.
351 Thornton Road
Suite 119
Lithia Springs, GA 30122-1589
Phone: 888-734-8439
URL: http://www.pulsedata.com/Judy Byrd developed two new devices for people with macular degeneration and other types of vision loss: Smart Keypad and Smart Organizer (designed to work with the SmartView video Magnifier). Features include on-screen display of a large character clock, calendar, calculator, telephone/address book, appointment calendar, and a memo pad. J.V. RamanAdobe Systems, Inc.
345 Park Avenue
San Jose, CA 95110
Phone: 408-536-3945
E-mail: raman@adobe.com
URL: http://cs.cornell.edu/home/raman/Emacspeak-2000 is a fully functional audio desktop that provides access to all major 32 and 64 bit operating environments. Provides speech access to computers, Internet, and e-mail. John Panarese, Managing DirectorTechnologies for the Visually Impaired, Inc.
9 Nolan Court
Hauppauge, NY 11788
Phone: 516-724-4479
E-mail: TVII@cris.comBrailleMaster 6.0 is a product that produces Braille and large print from the written word. VisionConnectionURL: http://www.lighthouse.org/medicalYour connection to vision health information and an accessible community for people who are partially sighted or blind. World Wide Web ConsortiumURL: http://www.w3.org/WAI/The W3C has released the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.