Archives for “Aids & Tools”
Sutherland Shire Council in New South Wales, Australia, has a beach wheelchair available for community use at Cronulla Beach (South Cronulla). The wheelchair allows access to the beach for people who use wheelchairs or who find the beachfront difficult to negotiate. The chair is available free of charge for short term loans. The chair is [...]
National Wheelchair Beautification Month was founded by Horace Knowles. According to an article by the Nashua Telegram at nashuatelegraph.com, Knowles suggests attaching a florist’s water tube near the top of a wheelchair by means of Velcro and inserting the real or artificial flower of your choice. It brightens the day not only for the wheelchair [...]
X-chrom.com at https://www.x-chrom.com/ provides surgical bras, sports bras, and women’s activewear for every body to inspire every body to live an active lifestyle and do more with life. The site shows surgical bras by the type of procedure: shoulder surgery, heart surgery, lung surgery, breast surgery, etc. Their Custom Online Fitting Service provides personal service [...]
I’m trying out the AT&T Labs Text-to-Speech demo that came to my attention on Twitter. I encourage you to do the same! It answered a question that had bothered me for some time. How do text-to-speech tools handle spelling errors and emoticons? Well, a lot depends on context, but I still think people should stop [...]
The Amazing Stories magazine of the last century was devoted to science fiction stories of all kinds. In other words, stories of the future, and to some, the impossible. Research is making some amazing stories possible and bringing them into the present. We want to present two tales that we consider amazing. Helping the blind [...]
Jared Smith has provided a new tool based on many color checkers available that offers the ability to lighten and darken your color combinations slightly to find acceptable contrast levels. This new tool is at http://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/
The JuicyStudio Colour Contrast Analyser now redirects to the Luminosity Colour Contrast Ratio Analyser. The old Accessibility Evaluation and Repair Tools (AERT) suggested algorithm for determining colour contrast was replaced with the WCAG 2.0′s luminosity contrast algorithm. Success Criterion 1.4.3 of WCAG 2.0 requires that the visual presentation of text and images of text has [...]
This is a terrific open source tool for Web designers. Browsershots at http://browsershots.org/ Browsershots makes screenshots of your web design in different browsers. It is a free open-source online service created by Johann C. Rocholl. When you submit your web address, it will be added to the job queue. A number of distributed computers will [...]
Code-it Software has been a player in the development of Assistive Technology (A-Tech) software since 1997. They were the first to release “talking” web browsers (named ‘Web Talkster’ & ‘Web Speakster’) to aid children with ADD, or folks with poor eye sight, to enjoy the web. They are presently offering their array of ATECH Solutions [...]
Started in late 2001, GOK was created at the ATRC (University of Toronto) with funding from Sun Microsystems. GOK (an award winning software that provides text entry and graphical user interface interaction using only switches and/or mouse devices), is an on-screen keyboard that provides access to the GNOME desktop through dynamically generated keyboards, and text [...]
Orca is an open source scriptable screen reader. The development of Orca has been led by the Accessibility Program Office of Sun Microsystems, Inc. with contributions from many community members. For more information and to download Orca, see http://live.gnome.org/Orca. Using various combinations of speech, braille, and magnification, Orca is designed to work with applications and [...]
The following announcement was sent to us by Rachel Houghton. Renowned typographical foundry Fontsmith have teamed up with Mencap, the UK’s leading charity for people with learning disability, their families and supporters, to create a new corporate typeface as part of a complete rebranding exercise: “FS Me”. See the accessible PDF showing examples of the [...]
(This is an article reprinted here by kind permission from its author, Becky Morris.) Disabled student service providers and vocational rehabilitation counselors are on the ‘front line’ addressing the needs of hard of hearing individuals. You are the professionals who need to understand the communication obstacles, introduce technical solutions and other support services to hard [...]
Whirlwind Wheelchair International at San Francisco State University serves as the hub of a network of wheelchair manufacturing shops and related disability organizations around the world. Whirlwind is a nonprofit organization that designs wheelchairs for production and use in developing countries and by homeless people in the Bay area with accessibility problems such as stairs, [...]
By DAVID S. JOACHIM Published: December 6, 2006; The New York Times As both the price and size of computer chips shrink, manufacturers are enhancing the abilities of things like phones, navigation systems and even home appliances. These so-called accessibility technologies are not only for those with disabilities. For people with chronic ailments, these products [...]
Access Technology Tips from the National Federation of the Blind Apple® Accessibility Features Vision built into all Macintosh computers provides adjustable keyboard, an ergonomic mouse, CloseView screen magnification software, Easy Access system software (StickyKeys, SlowKeys, MouseKeys), electronic documentation, key-repeat disable, text-to-speech synthesis and voice recognition (PlainTalk), sticky mouse, and visual alert cues. The VoiceOver spoken [...]
Beyond the AP Stylebook: Language and Usage Guide for Reporters and Editors from Ragged Edge Online Common Latin abbreviations and expressions used in writing Glossary & Terms Tools Careers: How can I become a technical writer? Jargon to Avoid in Scientific and Technical Writing Society for Technical Communication (STC) Scientific Communication SIG of STC STC [...]
Did you know that service animals are not always dogs. They can include monkeys, cats, and small horses! JAN, the Job Accommodation Network (part of ODEP, the US Office of Disability Employment Policy), provides a brief explanation about this: There is not a comprehensive list of what types of animals can be service animals. Animals, [...]
ABLEDATA Access Software Hal, Luna, LunaPlus, Super Nova, and Cicero screen readers and other access software that provides speech and Braille for Windows. Active Living Alliance For Canadians with a Disability ADA&IT Technical Assistance Centers “All Access Pass: enabling technologies offer business possibilities,” by Dan Costa, Communications, Home Office Computing, April 2001. (156 K .pdf) [...]
ActiveForever.com provides a wide variety of resources for Assistive Devices that can help people maintain their independence and active lifestyle. Products include electrotherapy TENS and EMS units and supplies, and other items for sports medicine and physical therapy rehabilitation. Action Products, Inc. makes wheelchair cushions and seating systems; heel and elbow protectors, and full mattress [...]
911 Medical Alert Jewelry American Medical Identifications Medical Identification Jewelry Tinman Medical Identification
Foodler.com order food for delivery in CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IL, MA, MD, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, TX, and VA Heartland Home Foods [Maryland] Peapod [District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, Chicago, Milwaukee, Southeast Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Western CT, and Northern Westchester County] Safeway [District of Columbia, Maryland, [...]
Action Products, Inc. makes wheelchair cushions and seating systems; heel and elbow protectors, and full mattress overlays for Rehab/DME markets Advanced Mobility, Inc. provides an array of mobility equipment and services to both private and government clients in the Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., areas Autochair (wheelchair and scooter carriers). AutoChair designs and manufactures hoists [...]
DIMENET "DIMENET is a national computer networking system that is accessible at multiple locations and provides access for communications and information sharing among individuals involved in the disability rights and independent living movements." Enabling Technologies sells the Romeo and Juliet braille printers among other items. Ergoboard ArmRest helps prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and other Repetitive [...]
Dining with Dignity provides specialty flatware designed specifically for grasp impairment. EcoQuest produces fresh air and water purifiers, environmentally friendly laundry products, and healthy-living nutritional products Doctor Cook supplies an award-winning new saucepan design that eases strain on your wrists and forearms.
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