Adaptive Technology
Descriptions and links to the companies that produce and or sell adaptive technology for the blind and visually impaired.
- Braille Embosser
- A Braille printer.
- Braille Translation Software
- Software used to convert text to Braille using a computer and Braille embosser.
- CCTV (Closed Circuit Television)
- A television video camera combination used by people who are visually impaired to magnify the print in books and newspapers. It can also be used to write letters, and checks, and do different types of crafts like needlepoint.
- Large Print Printers
- Any ink jet, dot matrix or laser jet printer can produce large print all you need to do is set the font size larger before printing.
- OCR (Optical Character Recognition)
- Software used to convert scanned text, from books or other documents, into information that the computer can recognize. This software along with a PC and scanner gives blind and visually impaired people access to almost all printed material.
- Refreshable Braille Display
- A device used to produce Braille output the way computer monitors produce print output. They are especially useful for deaf blind people that cannot use speech output.
- Screen Magnification Software
- Software used by people with poor eyesight to enlarge the text on the computer screen.
- Screen Reading Software or Text to Speech
- Software used to convert Text on the computer screen into spoken words. Used by the totally blind and others that have trouble reading even magnified text.
Links
The companies listed below produce and or sell adaptive technology.
- Ai Squared – is a leading developer of screen magnification and screen reading software.
- ALVA Access Group – produces and develops: Braille displays, screen readers, speech synthesizers, screen magnification software, Braille software and printers, handheld organizers. They Cary both PC and Macintosh software.
- BIGSHOT – 20 levels of screen magnification from 105% to 200%.
- Clarity Solutions – manufactures auto-focus video magnifiers (CCTV's) for near and distance viewing.
- Dancing dots – The company that helps blind musicians make music with their computers.
- Duxbury Systems – They make Braille Translation software for Windows, Macintosh, DOS, and UNIX.
- Enabling Technologies – They make Braille embossers - (Braille Printers) for the smallest home office to the largest commercial printing house.
- Enhanced Vision – manufactures head mounted and stand type (CCTVs)
- Eschenbach Vision Aids – Their vision aids include magnifiers, telescopes, sun filters, binoculars, and electronic reading devices (CCTVs)
- Freedom Box – Internet access with a computer that you can talk to and it will talk back.
- Freedom Scientific – has screen reading & magnification software, Web access software, Braille note takers, embossers & displays, scanning & reading software/hardware.
- GW Micro – Makers of: Window-Eyes, Vocal-Eyes, Desktop and Laptop Computer Systems.
- Innoventions, Inc. – Magni-Cam is an affordable electronic magnifier that turns your television set in to a (CCTV).
- Kurzweil Educational Systems – Makers of software that converts the printed word into speech output.
- Net-Tamer – Using Net-Tamer, a shareware program, one can still access the internet with (DOS).
- Optelec – They carry (CCTV's), high quality magnifiers, and other products for people with low vision.
- OVAC Reading Systems for the Visually Impaired – Makers of affordable low vision reading systems (CCTV's).
- Pulse Data HumanWare – They carry: refreshable Braille displays, Braille note takers, Braille embossers, screen access software and Braille translation software.
- R J Cooper & Associates – They produce adaptive software and hardware for both blind and physically handicapped people.
- Telesensory – manufactures video magnifiers (CCTVs), scanners (OCR) and screen magnification products.