June 26, 2008, 05:43:42 AM by Peter Verhoeven in .

University of Washington experts say that they have written new software, WebAnywhere , which can enable blind and visually impaired people to surf the Internet at any place.

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Free Screen Magnifier DesktopZoom Version 3 Released!

June 16, 2008, 03:01:01 AM by Peter Verhoeven in .

DesktopZoom is the most popular free screen magnifier for the Windows platform, that you can run without any installation and from a USB stick.
DesktopZoom version 3 now includes basic speech support!

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New Word add-in helps convert documents into talking books

May 08, 2008, 08:14:36 AM by Peter Verhoeven in .

Last year, Microsoft reaffirmed its support for DAISY, the talking book standard developed for the visually impaired. Today, the ability for Word to save files in that enabling format has been unveiled.

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Democrat wants to require disability-friendly Internet phones, video

May 02, 2008, 08:38:25 AM by Peter Verhoeven in .

At the moment, most TVs and telephones must be outfitted with special features for people with hearing, vision, and speech impairments under U.S. law. Now an influential Democratic congressman wants to expand those requirements to their Internet counterparts.

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Bones launches Milestone 312, the Next Generation Audio Engine for Blind People

April 30, 2008, 10:28:14 AM by Peter Verhoeven in .

Bones is proud to announce the release of Milestone 312, an enhanced version of the successful Milestone 311. Milestone 312 offers the unparalleled benefits of portability, usability and reliability that the Visually Impaired relies on. Milestone 312 has a multitude of new functions, including variable playbackspeed, Text-To-Speech, Audible.com playback, Daisy 3.0, integrated RFID reader, integrated FM tuner and direct connection of stereo microphones. The hardware includes 1GB internalFlash memory, USB 2.0 OTG High Speed connectivity, a clock and the proven strong, crystal clear speaker.

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Technological progress has not stopped bias in workplace, blind people find

April 05, 2008, 12:59:54 PM by Peter Verhoeven in .

Technology and training have improved to the point that blind people can adeptly perform a dazzling array of jobs - soon to include the governorship of New York. The biggest obstacle still in their way, advocates say, is the negative attitude of many employers.

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New DinoView Portable Round-the-Neck Electronic Magnifier Introduced in the United States by Independent Living Aids, Inc.

April 02, 2008, 12:57:27 PM by Peter Verhoeven in .

Pocket or Round-the-Neck Electronic Magnifier Allows Visually Impaired to Enlarge Print from 5X to 20X on Menus, Cans, Prescriptions, Newspapers etc. Portable electronic magnifiers have been available for several years, but this is the smallest, lightest, and most flexible one on the market

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ClaroRead Releases Open Source Accessible PDF for Windows

March 31, 2008, 01:38:40 PM by Peter Verhoeven in .

PDF files often are difficult to access by visually impaired. With the free Accessible PDF program for Windows PDF files, if they are not a scanned image, are now also accessible for visually impaired.

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Magic Lens Max 4.0 Released!

March 25, 2008, 02:13:42 PM by Peter Verhoeven in .

Magic Lens Max screen magnifier utility generates real-time enhanced and sharp visual effects, with Magic Lens Max you can magnify, rotate, lighten, sharpen and capture any area of the screen display, even in a full- screen mode.

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HumanWare expands its GPS line for people who are blind, with the new Trekker Breeze

March 20, 2008, 02:43:49 PM by Peter Verhoeven in .

At the CSUN conference in Los Angeles, HumanWare was unveiling a new talking GPS. The product is designed for people who are blind, for use when travelling in familiar surroundings. The product will also be appealing to people not comfortable with computers and screen readers. The new model is an addition to the popular Trekker and BrailleNote GPS systems, which have thousands of users worldwide. With this innovation, HumanWare will make GPS technology even more accessible to a greater number of people.

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Interviews with CSUN Exhibitors

March 20, 2008, 02:26:35 PM by Peter Verhoeven in .

Interviews with CSUN Exhibitors Brian takes a walk around the CSUN exhibition hall and interviews a number of company representatives manufacturing interesting products.

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ReadTheWords - Free Service That Reads Your Text Aloud

March 18, 2008, 02:32:31 PM by Peter Verhoeven in .

ReadTheWords is a free online service that will read any text you enter aloud. There are many ways to do this, but this site distinguishes itself with several interesting options.

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Braille Labels Make Beer Drinking for the Blind No Accident

March 04, 2008, 04:13:18 AM by Peter Verhoeven in .

Blind drunk... it's a phrase that's not yet been condemned as being offensive to the visually impaired, though that may change after this article is published. Somehow though, visually impaired drunk just does not convey the right mental image.

Anyway, getting drunk to the point where you begin to lose your senses should be a conscious choice. If you actually ARE blind and sober, and wish to remain that way (the latter, at least), then Japanese brewers have got your best interests in mind.

Full Story | | | 2365 views

Fujitsu Accessibility Assistance Software Achieves Milestone of 200,000 Downloads Worldwide

March 04, 2008, 03:44:29 AM by Peter Verhoeven in .

Fujitsu Limited today announced that Fujitsu Accessibility Assistance, a set of three software tools for diagnosing and improving web accessibility, has passed the milestone of 200,000 downloads worldwide.

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Crash after Visually Impaired driver parked tractor in fast lane

March 01, 2008, 08:41:47 AM by Peter Verhoeven in .

A visually impaired elderly driver caused a pile-up on the A9 after parking his tractor in the fast lane of the dual carriageway. Robert Simpson stopped the tractor and trailer and got out to walk across the road because he had missed his turn-off by three miles. The 77-year-old, who is registered blind and lives in a nursing home, got lost on his way home from a trip to Perth on the farm vehicle.

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Assistive Technology Industry Association Elects AT and IT Leaders From Diverse Market Segments to Its Board of Directors

February 27, 2008, 06:30:32 AM by Peter Verhoeven in .

The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) played host to a record setting number of attendees during its 9th annual conference held January 30 - February 2 in Orlando, Florida. During the conference, members of the association elected four new members and welcomed one returning member to the ATIA Board of Directors. The board is responsible for supporting ATIA in becoming a global leader known for raising awareness and providing education about assistive technology-related solutions to consumers, practioners, governments, private industry and educational institutions.

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Vista Accessibility Features

February 25, 2008, 01:22:49 PM by Peter Verhoeven in .

In 2003, Microsoft commissioned Forrester Research to measure the market for accessibility technology and present findings about computer users who could benefit from it. The results were surprising. One quarter had a visual impairment, nearly the same percentage had dexterity difficulties, and one fifth had hearing problems.

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Is small print a problem?

February 25, 2008, 01:07:26 PM by Peter Verhoeven in .

I haven't been able to read the paper since May, he said. My vision kept getting worse and worse. I love my sports page. I really miss keeping up with the Vols.

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Video Eyewear Could Help Macular Degeneration Patients See Again

February 25, 2008, 12:52:43 PM by Peter Verhoeven in .

Eyetonomy, the leading Video Eyewear manufacturer for medical applications, recently launches the portable video magnifier SightMate LV920. SightMate is wearable like glasses and helps people suffering from Macular Degeneration (MD) make the best of their remaining vision. Currently over 12 million people in North America are affected by MD.

Full Story | | | 2630 views

Apple Update Braille Support in Leopard

February 06, 2008, 02:51:28 AM by Peter Verhoeven in .

Today, Apple released the Braille Display Update 1.0 for VoiceOver in Leopard. VoiceOver, part of the Universal Access family of accessibility tech, allows blind or visually impaired users to hear what is on the screen. Via the new update, when you connect a compatible Braille display, VoiceOver automatically detects it and sends it information about what is displayed on the screen.

Full Story | | | 1934 views

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