AT for Visual Impairments

• travel/orientation and mobility

• Food (eating - keeping utensils and certain foods at specific positions so the client knows where everything is)

• Shopping (ex. knowing your way around a mall)

• Communication/access to computers and the Internet

• Household tasks

• Self care

• Recreation socialization

• Access to printed reading material

types of occupations/activities that vision impairment impacts

20/20

What is standard vision?

You are able to read 20 size text from 20 feet away

What does 20/20 vision mean?

visual acuity

ability to see clearly (sharpness)

visual accommodation

changing from seeing far to near and near to far

Ciliary

________ muscles change the curvature of the lens.

peripheral vision

ability to see everything surrounding you while you focus on one thing in front of you

blind

visual system does not provide useful input

low vision

standard size font, contrast, spacing, etc. is inadequate (can’t quite see the standard things)

age-related macular degeneration

when macula loses blood vessels and you lose central vision

glaucoma

visual disorder caused by increased intraocular pressure

cataracts

visual disorder involving clouding/opaqueness of the lens

diabetic eye diseases

vision issues that people with diabetes can develop

• sensory aids

• glasses/contact lenses

• increasing size, contrast

• positioning in the proper place in the visual field

What kinds of things can be done for people with minor or mild vision issues?

alternate

If the vision impairment is severe, an _________ sensory pathway must be used.

braille, white cane

What are examples of tactile alternate sensory pathways for people with severe vision issues

computerized environmental interface, camera, information processor, display, screen reader

more technical and advanced solutions for people with vision impairments

video magnifiers

electronic aid that consists of an environmental interface and a user display

• the images can be manipulated and controlled (brightness, contrast)

• large amount of magnification (typically 45 - 80x)

Topaz

electronic aid: a type of video magnifier that consists of a computer screen and a video monitor that have a split screen

JAWS (Job Access with Speech)

a screen reader that is designed to assist blind and visually impaired users in accessing and interacting with their computers (voice over device)

Braille

traditionally embossed on heavy, bulky, and takes up a lot of space

costly and errors are hard to fix easily

bad thing about Braille

refreshable Braille display

Braille where the dots keep changing

10

Because easier options, like text-to-speech, less than __% of people with severe visual impairments learn to use Braille.

personal data assistant

PDA (on cellphones ex. voice memos, notes app, calendar, email, timer)

speech and screen readers

can record or read material for people

Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

recognizing what the letters are and what words they make

the technology could make a mistake, have to check it, and may have to correct it

drawbacks of OCR

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

What is the display on the home screen of a smartphone an example of?

GUI

designed to save typing, reduce effort, and make users more successful, and allows for more intuitive use

GUI

menu of icons, one or more windows that provide a menu of choices, clicking and dragging are important features

visual - cannot be used without seeing it

GUI uses _______ metaphors.

• Pointer location

• Multiple windows

• Spatial organization

• Elements such as size, color, and style

• Graphical information

problems with GUI

auditory icons

Sounds to alert of things happening - tapping sound when a new window opens

Earcons

Auditory labels that do not necessarily have a direct relationship to the event, but use rhythm, pitch, timbre, or register (ex. Bell sound when opening a file, drum when closing the file)

Hearcons

completed sounds (a melody rather than a single note)

ex. nature sounds, musical works, instruments

• Can invert colors

• Enlarge text

• Mouse tail/trails

• Enlarged mouse

solutions for computer and vision impairments

• lots of processing power

• software can be easily used

• built-in features

pros about phones and people with visual impairments

vertical magnification aids

Used when the person looks straight ahead (upright position).

• Help with distance vision or tasks that require looking outward

horizontal magnification aids

Used when the person looks downward, usually at a flat surface.

• Help with near tasks that involve reading, writing, or crafts

Optical aids

These use lenses to improve or enlarge an image

ex. magnifying lenses

Non-optical aids

These don’t use lenses, but make visual tasks easier through contrast, lighting, or size adjustments.

ex. large-print books

Electronic aids

These use technology (cameras, screens, or software) to magnify or read out information

ex. TOPAZ

Portable Magnifiers that are cell phone or tablet-based

allows you to take a picture of the text and then magnify it for display on the built in screen, can zoom in on individual letters

KNFB

portable text-to-speech reader that takes a picture of the book, then reads the words out loud to you

Screen Reader

a software program that lets blind or visually impaired users hear or feel (through Braille) what’s displayed on their device’s screen

• reads aloud the text displayed on the screen or sends it to a Braille display

• ex. computer, smartphones

On Apple and Windows devices, in the settings, you can zoom in

• ex. zooming in and out on a computer screen

Where can you find magnifying software?

Magnifying Software

gives up to full access to the screen (in computer settings)

dynamic display Braille printer

What type of display is this?

• Braille printers that change the configuration based on the words you want.

hearing, touching, smelling

What other senses can people with visual impairments use to help them orient themselves and move around in the environment?

They don’t always detect every hazard.

• ex, bikes, tree branches, posts, ladders, streets

Even though using other senses like hearing, touching, and smelling is beneficial for the visually impaired, what can be a downfall?

guide dogs, long cane, electronic aids, orientation systems, navigation systems

What are the 5 main approaches that can help compensate for lack of sight?

Long Canes

tool used to maximize tactile and auditory input from the environment

Electronic Travel Aid (ETA)

any electronic device designed to help blind or visually impaired individuals navigate safely and independently

Orientation Device (OD)

non-electronic or environmental navigation aids that help users understand their surroundings and maintain orientation

• support guide dog use

• presence of more distant objects compared to a cane

• can be built into canes

• use laser/ultrasonic waves and signal the user with auditory or tactile information

• some can be worn on the body

Pros of Electronic Travel Aids (ETAs)?

Navigation Aids

tools or systems that help a person know where they are, where they want to go, and how to get there

• ETAs don’t tell you where you are or where to go.

• ODs don’t update or guide you to new destinations.

downsides to ETA and OD devices that Navigation Aids solve

• adapted compasses (tactile or talking compasses)

• talking signs (ex. auditory - “bus stop to your right”)

• GPS systems (use satellite signals and give spoken directions)

three kinds of navigation aids

GPS systems

allow for knowing where you are, where landmarks are, and intersections

• stored digital maps (ex. Google Maps)

• use of databases only (uses checkpoints to get you to your destination)

• user generating their own routes (uses landmarks along a familiar path ex. take a left at the turkey hill)

What are the 3 different kinds of GPS systems?

Beeper Balls

can be used to play sports

• balls that beep so the person knows the catch the ball, where to move, when to hit the ball, etc.

Bar Code Readers

device you can use in your home to scan the barcodes in the book and it will read the book to you

ID Mate

a portable barcode scanner designed for blind users that identifies products by reading their barcodes and speaks the product name

PAC Mate

accessible notetaker device for blind users (like a portable Braille computer)

voice output

make the appliance more accessible; these auditory signals replace or support visual indicators

microwave beeps, beeping coffee maker, beeping oven

examples of voice output on mainstream appliances