Importance and Concept of Technology for the Visually Impaired

                            

Importance and Concept of Technology for the Visually Impaired

Impairment relates to the functional limitation of a sensory organ. If we see disability in this perspective then it only means that we need to use a little more or a little different technology to compensate for the limitation imposed,compared to the average, normal person.

To understand the relationship between technology and disability, we must understand that impairment is the limitation of the capacities and capabilities of the sensory organ whereas disability is the functional limitation consequent to

impairment.

This clearly implies that a person with blindness can do most of the things that a visually normal person can, but with the help of appropriate technologies and tools and perhaps using modified ways and means.

However, the technology and tools may not reach the needy persons at appropriate time/place.

Some reasons for this are given below:

Availability:

Right kind of tools, especially those that are meant for persons with disability are

not available in the general market. Lack of proper distribution system is also to be blamed for the lack of availability.

Affordability:

Cost of technology or tools are often prohibitive. For example, the screen reading software is the basic technology to be used by persons with blindness or low vision to work on the computer. This software costs more than the computer hardware.

Awareness:

The potential beneficiaries often are not even aware of what is available for their benefit.

Language:

Currently, the latest and the most effective technology available in developed

countries are not available in Indian languages. For example, a scanner can be used by blind persons to read printed books. This technology which is in use for English language for the past 20 years, is not available for any Indian language till date. For

this reason, most of these tools are useful to that small percentage of English knowing blind persons.

In the past decade, introduction of technology such as Screen Reading Software, Text Reading Machines, Talking mobile phone, Drawing Boards, Geometric Kit, Cassette Recorder or a Digital Recorder, etc., have played a big role in changing the meaning of blindness or low vision.

Steps are also being taken to overcome the challenges that are mentioned above. Many efforts are being made to introduce Indian language screen reading applications. The information society in general is making efforts to bridge the digital divide. It is definitely possible for a person with blindness or low vision to be totally independent for all their reading and writing needs.

Some of the revolutionary technologies that have already made a difference in the lives of persons with blindness are as follows:

Since computers have affected the lives of one and all, they are being used in every walk of life. One of the salient features of the PC is that it stores information in digital format. This information can be expressed or conveyed in many different ways. Same piece of information can be viewed on screen in different sizes or could be spoken out by the PC itself. One who cannot see, can hear a piece of information and the same information could be seen on the screen by a person who cannot hear. Therefore, information technology has come as a revolution for providing functional capabilities for persons with sensory impairment.

To illustrate, capabilities that this tool offers to persons with blindness are as follows:

1.    Read and write in the format commonly used.

2.    Use voice and text communication tools such as e-mail, web chat, internet

telephony and instant chatting.

3.    Use the Internet for all the purposes that it offers such as reading newspapers and magazines, Internet banking, online shopping, etc.

4.    Gain access to dictionaries, encyclopaedia, telephone directories, etc.

Information Technology

What the information technology has made accessible to persons with blindness are as under:

1.    Screen Reading Software and Text-to-Speech Engine (TTS)

Appropriate speech output from a computer enables persons with blindness to use a computer. This speech output comprises of two components:

(a) Screen Reading Software:

The screen reading software is a computer programme that picks up the relevant information from the screen and sends the information to text-to-speech engine

or speech synthesizer or a Refreshable Braille Display. This software determines what would be spoken by the computer.

There are innumerable screen layouts and user interfaces of computer applications. To be able to determine what would be the appropriate text to be spoken in each of those screens is an unending task. Screen readers need regular upgradation as new programs and applications are introduced in the market from time-to-time. A single key of the keyboard does different things in different softwares on a computer. For example, in a word processing environment, right arrow goes to next character whereas in the menu bar right arrow takes the focus to the next menu item. The speech output required in these two situations differs entirely. In the first situation only one character needs to be spoken whereas in the second situation complete item of focus needs to be spoken. Therefore, the screen reader sends the speech output in relation to the key pressed and the situation where the key

is pressed.

It is not possible for any company making screen reader to design appropriate speech output for every application. Therefore, most of the screen reading software provides tools to customize the speech output of the screen reading software so

that the users themselves can configure the screen reading software to make it compatible with any application that they have to use.

A text-to-speech engine is the software which converts any text string into a spoken word. A screen-reading software determines what will be spoken and the text-to-speech engine determine how that text would be pronounced. The quality of speech output and the various voices depend entirely on the text-to-speech engine.

(b) Text-to Speech-Engine :

Apart from being used as a speaking device for the screen reading software, the TTS is used in various other applications such as computerized telephonic inquiry systems, computerized announcement systems.To be able to design a speech output system for any particular language, it is essential to have a text-to-speech engine for that particular language.

Screen reading software can then be designed or adapted to give appropriate speech output to blind persons in that particular language. Screen reading software and a text-to-speech engine are entirely two different application programs, which, working in tandem, provide accessibility to computers for persons with blindness.

Jaws for windows from Freedom Scientific USA, Window Eyes from GW-Micro USA, Hal from Dolphin UK, Look Out by Premier Programming USA, etc., are all examples of screen reading softwares that use text-to-speech engines such as Eloquence by Eloquent Technology, Microsoft speech from

Microsoft, Flex Talk from ATNT, Deck Talk Access from Digital Equipments, etc., to provide speech output. The cost of screen reading softwares ranges from 150 US dollars to 1,200 US dollars.

2.    Screen Magnification Software

This software is designed to enable persons with low vision who can read large print to operate a computer. The condition of low vision varies widely. Therefore the screen magnification software offers magnification from 2 to 20 times and come in varying styles such as full screen magnification, magnifying lense simulation,

vertical or horizontal split window magnification, etc. This magnification is different from increasing the font size. Increasing the font size would change

the formatting of a document and would not provide magnification for items such as menus, etc. Screen magnification software, on the other hand, magnifies only the display of the document on the monitor and the original formatting of the

document is preserved.

Magnification soft wares provide magnification to any and every part of the screen

and not just to the text of the document. These softwares have enhanced capabilities for using different color contrast. A few of the screen magnification softwares also use speech output to

help a person with low vision to lessen the strain.

With the use of the screen magnification software

persons with low vision use the same devices of

the input such as the mouse and a keyboard used

by a sighted person which allows the easy

integration of the persons with low vision in the

mainstream computer education or work

environment.

Operating systems such as Windows are now

supplied with in-built screen magnification

software which has a limited capability. Magic by

Freedom Scientific USA, Zoom Text by Ai-Square

USA, Lunar by Dolphin UK are some of the

examples of screen magnification softwares

designed specially for persons with low vision.

Screen magnification softwares cost between 80

and 600 US dollars.

3.OCR and Scanners

An OCR and a Scanner turns a computer

into a reading machine for those with low vision

and the blind This equipment helps them to gain

access to the hard copy of the text. The scanner

sends the image of the printed-paper to the

computer where the OCR software processes the

image and converts it into a digital text which can

be read using the text-to-speech engine or through

a Refreshable Braille Display. Within a few seconds

of starting to scan a paper, the computer starts

reading it. This system can read only the print, but

not the handwritten text.

The OCR softwares also have a limitation

of not being able to recognize the text correctly if

the printing is not of an excellent quality. There

are a few OCR softwares designed specially for the

blind. These are more user-friendly in processing

tables, images, columns, etc. They are supplied

with built-in text-to-speech engines, thereby

eliminating the use of screen- reading software for

reading purposes.

These special OCRs are much more

expensive than the general purpose OCRs.

Kurzweil 1000 by Kurzweil Education Systems

USA, Open Book by Freedom Scientific USA,

Complete Reading System by Premier

Programming USA are a few examples of special

OCR softwares made for the blind. Omni Page

Professional, Text Bridge and Fine Reader are the

examples of general-purpose OCR softwares

which can be used by blind persons with the help

of screen reading softwares. The cost of OCRs

ranges from 150 to 1000 US dollars.

4.Refreshable Braille Display

A Refreshable Braille Display is a hardware

device, an alternate output device for a text-to-

speech engine. The Refreshable Braille Display

gives one line of Braille information which is sent

out by the screen reading software. This line of

Braille keeps changing as new information is sent

by the screen reader to the Braille display. There

are various models of Braille display which can

provide 20, 40 or 80 cells of Braille at a time.

There is a greater chance of adaptability of

Braille output for different languages since the basic

Braille cells remain the same for every language.

The very high cost of Braille display comes

in the way of its use in developing countries. Alva

Delphi Multimedia & Alva Satellite by Alva Access

Group, Braille Stars by Pulse Data Human Ware,

Braille Ellex by Paper Meyer Company Germany

Power Braille by Freedom Scientific, Vario by

Braum Germany are a few examples of Refreshable

Braille Displays. The various models of Braille

display of 40/80 cells cost between 4,500 and 11,000

US dollars.

5.Note-takers

Braille note-takers are essentially hand-held

devices that use either a Braille or QWERTY

keyboard for input and voice and/or refreshable

Braille for output. These devices have built-in

packages for word-processing, spread sheets,

address book, clock, calendar, e-mail, internet

browsing, etc. These devices have long battery

backups that enable its use without power input

for a whole day. Lightweight and highly portable,

they can be connected to desktop or laptop

computers so that files may be backed up.

Some note-takers can be connected to

external disk drives (for an additional cost) to

permit storing files on floppy disks. Many of these

note-takers can be attached to a modem for

handling e-mails and web browsing. They can also

be attached to Braille embossers/printers.

Note-takers are extremely useful devices for

students of integrated education and in work

environment. Aria by Robotron Australia, Braille

Desk 2000 by Artic Technologies; Braille Lite

Millennium, P ACmate, Type n’ Speak, Type Lite,

Braille n’ Speak by Freedom Scientific; Braille Note

& Voice Note by Pulse Data HumanWare; Braille

Elba by Papenmejer Germany; TransType 2000 by

Artic Technologies are a few examples. Cost of

these note-takers range between 1,200 and 5,000

US dollars.

6.Voice Diary

Voice Diary, a small hand held device, has

multiple applications: appointments, calendar,

clock, calculator, address book and note-taker. Data

in a voice diary is stored in the form of recorded

audio. This device uses speech recognition to

search for the names and appointments. These can

be searched by speaking the names into the voice

diary. Voice Diary by Voice Diary Ltd., Israel and

Voice Make by Parrot France are available models

of voice diaries costing in the range of 70 to 250

US dollars.