Why use Braille? Technological developments are bringing more and more assistance to those who are blind or have visual impairment. A standard iPhone ships with the VoiceOver screen reader app, allowing users to have information read to them. Speech synthesizers, once infamous for their robotic and sometimes difficult-to-understand timbre, have become more and more naturalistic. […]
Posts in the Independent Living category:
Voice Banking Allows People to Communicate Using Their Own Speech
There are many assistive technologies available today to help people who have some sort of speech impairment, known collectively as the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) field. Usually these communications involve some type of computer-generated speech, or recordings of common sayings performed by an actor. Voice banking is one option that lets those who can […]
Tecla Shield: Hands-free control of smart devices
Assistive technology can make things more convenient for some, but for others it makes things possible! Smart devices have indubitably helped thousands of individuals with special needs communicate, control switches, and so much more. However, some individuals with upper-body mobility impairments aren’t able to operate their smart device(s) independently. This is where the Tecla Shield comes in. […]
iClick: Wireless control of appliances
Looking for an easier way to control your electrical appliances? With the new iClick wireless control, you’ll be able to operate these appliances using switches and even your iPad! The innovative iClick device allows users to turn electrical appliances on and off using either: Standard wired switches plugged into the iClick. SimplyWorks Wireless Switches which pair directly with the […]
Wheelchair Blankets
There are few things I despise more than cold, wintry weather; between getting stuck in the snow and my legs turning purple from extreme temperatures, the idea of winter is anything but fun to me. Since I’m unable to hibernate until spring (sigh), I’ve looked for products to make my going out in winter a little […]
National Cristina Foundation Connects Nonprofits with Technology
When the National Cristina Foundation was established three decades ago, nobody had yet come up with the term “digital divide.” But that’s what their mission has been for more than 30 years: to connect nonprofit groups with technology needs to donors of reusable hardware so the disadvantaged can have access to computers, mobile devices and […]