| ACCESSIBILITY: Adaptive Technologies |
Updated June 30, 2008 | ||
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1. Tools to assist the visually impaired: WebAnywhere: Launched June 27/08, a web-based screen reader for the web. "It requires no special software to be installed on the client machine and, therefore, enables blind people to access the web from any computer they happen to have access to that has a sound card. .. WebAnywhere's will run on any machine, even heavily locked-down public terminals, regardless of what operating system it is running and regardless of what browsers are installed." WebAnywhere reads aloud Web text on any computer with speakers or headphone connections. 06/30/08 Spoken Text: FREE online text-to-audio converter. Spoken Text records from PDF, Word, plain text, PowerPoint files, RSS news feeds, emails and web pages, and convert them to speech automatically. The files are saved as MP3s so you can listen to them on your favorite audio device. "Our goal is to make the conversion of text to speech as simple as possible and in so doing make it accessible to everyone. The vast majority of the technology we use in our daily lives are way too complicated and overwhelms us with unneeded options and features. To this end we focused on providing a quick and simple way to convert your text content into spoken audio, for listening to on an iPod or your computer." 10/26/07 Talkr: Talkr converts text-only blogs into podcasts in MP3 that you can listen to on your iPod. It can also convert from text to speech any material you can capture in an RSS reader. In combo with your RSS reader, Talkr can keep tabs on your feeds and send audio to your computer as those audio files become available. 07/17/05 ReadPlease: "Offers a variety of text-to-speech products to a wide spectrum of users, ranging from business to personal use." 11/14/04 LIFT Text Transcoder: (for WEBMASTERS) "UsableNet's latest product, LIFT Text Transcoder, is a server-based tool that generates a customizable "text-only" view of your content, instantly. It removes the need for you to generate, store and maintain your own text-only version and makes your pages instantly more accessible allowing you to create content without hindering design time...It is a display service - the tool will display your current content in the best possible textual format to be accessed by disabled visitors and PDAs and cell phones users. LIFT Text Transcoder hides some accessibility defects so that they do not hinder the experience of using your text-only site." You can get a demo here. 04/28/04 Digalo: This page has a list of links for various text to speech applications, some of them free. 05/15/02 The Blind Readers' Page: "This site is a guide to sources of information in alternative formats (braille, recorded cassettes, large print, e-texts, web audio) accessible by people with print disabilities--those with visual and physical handicaps as well as dyslexia. It is also a guide to information about blindness, visual handicaps and other physical handicaps, with a special collection of Wisconsin resources. There are about 1,700 individual links, all evaluated, annotated and organized by subject." 10/31/01 Keyboard Shortcuts for your WebPages: If you have (IE 5.x+ and NS 6.x), try Alt-k (or Alt-k then Enter) to link to that info site. Did you know that you can provide your visitors keyboard shortcuts within your HTML? I was very surprised to learn this. ("The accesskey attribute, introduced in HTML 4.0, simplifies keyboard navigation. It's simple to include but it's only supported by the latest browsers on Windows systems.") 10/11/01 ReadPlease: a free text-to-speech program that's getting good reviews. Hear a webpage reader in action: You can hear how this NY Times article sounds through a screen reader. Note how reading is done at very high speed (access to the Times site requires free registration). I had to use Netscape rather than IE to hear this. I'm not sure if all readers speak so fast, but it was a good experience. Duxbury Braille Translator (DBT) and MegaDots: "Duxbury translators create braille from virtually any word processor, scan in information, use information from the World Wide Web, or create documents with our built-in word processors." 03/24/01 ZoomText: "Two product levels: Level 1 is an advanced screen magnifier. Level 2 is a fully integrated magnifier and screen reader – designed specifically for the low-vision computer user." 03/24/01 DocReader: "A stand-alone Windows applicatiion. Supports drag-and-drop, printing, and loading/saving Docs or text. It also keeps a list of the most-recently-used documents. You can change the font, the default document directory, colors, and of course the window size." 03/24/01 Text To Speech Live Player: "Text To Speech Live Player is a text-to-speech application that lets you listen to text in documents, web pages, email messages and more." 01/17/04 JAWS: "The most popular screen reader worldwide, JAWS® for Windows works with your PC to provide access to today’s software applications and the Internet. With its internal software speech synthesizer and the computer’s sound card, information from the screen is read aloud, providing technology to access a wide variety of information, education and job related applications. JAWS also outputs to refreshable Braille displays, providing unmatched Braille support of any screen reader on the market. A training tutorial is included." 0/15/02 Text to Speech - TextAloud MP3: "TextAloud MP3 is Text To Speech software that uses voice synthesis to create spoken audio from text. You can listen on your PC or save text to MP3 or wave files for listening later." This is a shareware product which is only good for 20 days then it's $25, but the free evaluation version never really expires. 05/25/04
Text to Speech - OPENBook: "Read, edit, and manage scanned images from books, magazines, manuals, bills, newspapers, and other printed documents. It essentially turns your computer system into a scanning and reading machine." 03/24/01 Text to Speech - TextHelp: A writing tool that is a screen reader. 03/24/01 Text to Speech - ReadPlease: A FREE screen reader that highlights text as it reads. Lots of customizable features; very flexible. 03/24/01 2. Tools to assist with typing difficulties: TRACKER from EyeTwig.com: "Control your computer with just moving your head..... do virtually anything without using your hands...requires no special hardware...just plug into your existing webcam...browse the internet, check your mails, read documents...and more. Tracker has speech recognition support, and keyboard mapping will be supported soon (for games software)." 11/16/05 Speech to Text - Dragon NaturallySpeaking: A voice dictation program that allows you to dictate into the computer to create text without typing. I read that this product and ViaVoice (below) both do this with about 94% accuracy. 03/24/01 Speech to Text - ViaVoice: IBM's speech recognition software product. Convert dictation to text with about 94% accuracy. 11/08/01 WAVE Accessibility Validator: Test your website for accessibility issues. You can enter any URL, and WAVE will give you feedback to help with accessibility. The tool is not perfect but a great starting point and guide. 03/02/07 Assistive Technology Toolbox, Tips and Tricks: Students and Adults, Learning Disabilities and Cognitive Challenges. "This toolbox is intended only as a guide to explore possible tools and solutions for persons with learning disabilities. Listed resources and references are provided for interested parties to familiarize themselves with assistive technologies and information that encourages research, dissemination and an ongoing process of discovery." 01/29/05 UsableNet: UsableNet provides the industry-leading software that empowers web developers and organizations to automate website accessibility and usability testing, repair and delivery. 02/11/04 Disabled User Testing: [from UseableNet.com] Combines coordinated website testing by users with disabilities with ongoing automated monitoring tools to secure initial compliance with accessibility standards and guidelines and continuously accessible content. Request a review/info. 02/11/04 Automated Text-Mode sites with LIFT Text Transcoder: [from UseableNet.com] Adds usability value for alternative devices, both assistive and PDA. Request a demo. 02/11/04 Point-n-Click: "a FREE on-screen virtual mouse designed for anyone with a disability that makes it difficult or impossible to click a physical computer mouse. It uses AutoMouse, a feature similar to AutoClick." 08/05/01 Click-n-Type: Created by the same people as above, this device "is an on-screen virtual keyboard designed for anyone with a disability that prevents him or her from typing on a physical computer keyboard. As long as the person can control a mouse, trackball or other pointing device, he or she can send keystrokes to virtually any Windows application". 08/31/01 Dyslexia - Nessy: An online learning system targeted at dyslexics. 12/12/02 Dyslexia and Dyslexic computers: This UK company says "We aim to provide the best service for the dyslexia student and other students. 12/12/02 Dyslexic.com lists various software and other resources for computer users with dyslexia. 12/12/02 |
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