Assistive Technology for Blind Persons

1. Center of “Ars Vivendi: Forms of Human Life and Survival,” Assistive Technology for Blind Persons Present State of Assistive Technology Development and Issues to Be Addressed ●Assistive Technology for Blind Persons Assistive technology (AT) enables people with disabilities to accomplish daily living tasks, assist them in communication, education, work or recreation activities. AT for people with disabilities usually focuses on the way of accessing necessary information. Recent advances in ICT have enabled the development of the following AT products that are convenient for people with disabilities. • Screen reader that can read characters on personal computer • Screen magnifier that magnifies images and characters on display • Braille PDA that enables processing of Braille information • Speech machine for printed letters The performance of AT products is being improved year by year. On the other hand, a digital divide is widening among people with disabilities. Promotion of wider use of AT products and enhancing the accessibility of information are current issues to be addressed. AT products for Braille users Speech machine AT products for people with disabilities ● Importance of Local Knowledge in R&D Importance of users’ sensitivity for the development of AT products is being recognized. Some AT makers are trying to incorporate Local Knowledge, meaning sensitivity and knowledge rooted in the daily lives of people with disabilities, in their products. It is important to devise and implement a circulation model for R&D in which the needs of students with disabilities are collected through education for eliminating the digital divide and incorporating these needs into AT product development. Disabled person participating in development of AT product Contact: Ritsumeikan University, Office of Sciences and Engineering Research TEL:+81-077-561-2802FAX:+81-077-561-2811E-mail:rinc@st.ritsumei.ac.jp