Modern Technologies used for the Visually Impaired

1. Modern Technologies used for the Visually Impaired

2. Introduction • Educating children has it’s challenges whether it is behaviour modification or curriculum development. Students with visual impairments can have very different abilities and needs, some children can have no vision, tunnel vision, peripheral vision or have some other form of limited sight. Classroom materials in the form of chalkboards and whiteboards will be inaccessible to students with visual impairments. Teachers therefore need to use assistive technology in combination with classroom materials to give students equal access.

3. Visual Input Devices • Visual Input devices are equipment or technologies that help people with visual loss access visual information in the environment. These devices enlarge print so that it is easy for a person with visual loss to see and read. E.g. closed-circuit television. closed-circuit television

4. Technology Implementation Closed circuit televisions(CCTVs) This device will be used in a Comprehension lesson the reading material would be projected through the device . The passage would be largely displayed on the device , making it possible for students to read the passage and answer questions.

5. Audio Input Devices • Assistive technology to help people with visual disabilities by changing what would be seen into information that is heard. E.g. talking ATM’s Panopticon – This device instant audio and braille Feedback.

7. Audiodescriptions • This is an assistive audio input technology that presents visual information on screen or stage via oral narrations.This system, initially developed for television, uses the added sound track available in stereo televisions to describe aspects important to a fuller understanding of the story.

8. Tactile Input Devices • These are equipments/technologies that allow people to use touch to gain information. A well-known tactile device would be braille which allows people to read by feeling letters that have been translated into patterns of dots raised on a flat surface such as paper. Braille

9. Students now have more access to classroom handouts in Braille. Teachers can scan pages into a computer and then use specialist software programs and printers to "translate" the text into Braille. For example, a teacher can turn a page of French into French Braille and then use a specialized embossing machine to convert that text onto a printed page of Braille. Other innovative ideas for using Braille include work by the University of Illinois. It is developing small sculptures, cast from bronze, with mathematical equations on them to help children between 7 and 10.

10. Low Vision Technologies • Text-to-Speech- software that converts digital text into audio. It is implemented in talking programs, like word processors, or is part of read aloud imported text. • Audio support-software or hardware that gives information through auditory channel in addition to the primary channel whether it be visual or tactile.

11. Audio support This would be a good device to aid students in read aloud. The students would be able to keep up with other students in the class in reading (Republic Reader). The teacher would be able to assess the student, to determine if he or she is ready to move on to the next level in the reader.

12. Portable word processing device • This electronic note taker with a Braille keyboard can help students take notes on any subject area, the teacher can also attach the device to a printer to print notes in Braille. The teacher can then compile similar note together e.g. Social studies notes to create a book which the student would have. • While dictation is been taught, students who are blind or visually impaired would be able to used this device to partake in the lesson as well.

13. Blindness • Talking Web browsers – self-voiced browsers that give access to many Websites through auditory channel. • Tactile-audio - overlays and devices link to a computer to output audio information assigned to a specific area in the overly that is put over a touch sensitive board. • Narrator (PC), Voice Over (Mac) – computer operating systems come with built-in voice output applications to support access.

14. Talking Web browsers This technology can be used in a Vocabulary lesson, where students can used it to find the meaning of a list of words, which can later be used in Creative Writing. The text to speech device word convert the meaning of the word into audio format so that they would be able to choose the appropriate meaning for the word.

15. Cortical (Cerebral) Visual Impairment • Large or color-coded keys keyboard – modified keyboard giving better access because of the bigger size of the characters, and various colors assigned to specific groups of keys. • Portable word processing device – a stand-alone tool for typing; its functionalities are usually much simpler than those of a computer system; it is also smaller and easier to handle than desktop or laptop computer.

16. Large or color-coded keys keyboard • The keyboard features color-coded consonants and vowels, which can easily be used by students in a phonics lesson. For instance:- students will be able to blend consonant- vowel -consonant (CVC) together to form one syllable words such as cat, mat, sat and fat. • The color coded numbers can be used in a Math lesson to teach addition and subtraction . • Given a sentence, the teacher can ask the students to punctuate the sentence .The students will be able to do so using the color coded keyboard.

17. Activity 2 Using the information given about the different types of technologies used to instruct the blind: • Give examples of ways you can utilize these technologies and for which subject areas. • Given the information about the different types of visual impairment, share your ideas on how the technologies mentioned can foster a better understanding of the information being presented.