Some Basic Assistive Technology
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Whether it's assistive technology training or any other thing to help people with disabilities on the Web, it starts with a page being Bobby Approved and thus more accessible to the disabled.
For example, for those with a vision disability we make sure that all text is in readable fonts, that there are no color clashes, that ALT tags are properly done, and so on.
In addition to being Bobby Approved for accessibility, this page recommends some assistive technology equipment, such as screen readers and speech-to-text software for people with disabilities.
Is there a tool or service or assistive technology training or equipment you'd like to see featured here? Please contact us and let us know.
Special Note. As a courtesy to visitors to this "people with disabilities" page who have questions about SSD benefits, we present a step-by-step guide to the Social Security Disability Benefits FAQ pages prepared by the US Social Security Administration. |
Serving People With Disabilities
 Disabled parking is now commonplace. |
As time and progress march on, there have been advancements that many of us could never have imagined. Things like wheelchair ramps and handicapped parking spaces were virtually nonexistent only a few decades ago.
Nowadays, these conveniences for people with disabilities are extraordinarily common and are seen nearly everywhere you go. The popularity of such accommodations and so many people with disabilities making use of them seems commonplace and certainly nothing so extraordinary.
But the truth is, it took considerable time and effort to bring about things like handicapped parking spaces and wheelchair ramps. By contrast, the Internet has become friendly to people with disabilities in a much shorter time.
As an example, the disabled can use the Web to find disability grants and benefits. It's pretty easy to search, but the overall process isn't easy. Our goal is to help the disabled with the process...
Disability Hardware And Software
 Thunder is a screen reader that's free of charge for the disabled. |
With various gadgets and devices catering to people with disabilities, the Internet and computers in general have gone a long way to providing for those who might not be able to access Internet and computers in the way that they were traditionally intended.
With this effort to provide for those who might need some assistance, all manner of features and software have been developed. Among these is software that reads text from the screen.
It then translates it into speech to be perfectly understood by those who might not be able to read or see the monitor to make out the text. It literally reads the screen and then speaks it.
In addition to software that reads text and converts it into speech is software that does the opposite. By providing voice activated software, many operating systems have the ability for people to control the operating system by voice alone.
While still in its infancy, voice activated features and software have come a long way and have allowed all manner of individuals the freedom of becoming untethered from their keyboard and mouse.
Converting Speech To Text
Some of the most interesting software allows individuals to speak into a microphone and then have that speech converted into text. This allows for large blocks of information to be communicated over the Internet.
This is a godsend to individuals who are unable to type or to operate the mouse and keyboard at all. The impossible becomes possible as simply talking replaces the job of keying in information via a keyboard.
While generally intended for disabled people, these features and software are available for anyone and provide an extraordinarily simple user experience for those who wish to improve their convenience level.
In many cases, software that allows individuals to speak and convert that speech into text has become extraordinarily popular with stenographers, journalists and others who do a tremendous amount of typing and are not the most accomplished of typists.
In this way, the software that is designed for use by individuals who cannot otherwise operate keyboard and mouse has become popular with those who simply do not wish to operate keyboard and mouse.
As with many products, features that are aimed at people with handicaps have become popular with those who are simply interested in convenience, bringing the software and features into the mainstream and making them widely available to the rest of the world.
Go to the Accessible.org Home page from
this "People With Disabilities" page.
