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Technology
International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind (IBTC)
The International Braille and Technology Center is a comprehensive evaluation, demonstration, and training center, complete with over $2.5 million worth of nearly all of the tactile and speech output technology now available to the blind, the IBTC serves as a rich resource for vendor-free advice on all aspects of access technology.
Web Accessibility Certification
The National Federation of the Blind has developed a rigorous procedure by which Web sites and applications that have made special efforts to be accessible to the blind can be identified and recognized.
Presentations!
Mark Riccobono explores access technology for the blind with guests Anne Taylor and Preety Kumar, CEO of Deque Systems, Inc.
National Federation of the Blind Nonvisual Access Certification, (MP3) 14 MB)
Anne Taylor; Director of Access Technology; National Federation of the Blind
Access for the Blind to American Business Audio, (MP3) 16 MB
A Priority for Amazon. Craig Woods; Senior Manager for the Content Platform; Amazon.com )
Making Capcha More Accessible for the Blind, Audio (Mp3) 16 MB
DR. Jonathan Lazar; Director; Universal Usability Laboratory, Department of Computer and Information Sciences; Towson University )
Equal Access to Web 2.0 and Beyond. Audio (MP3) 18 MB
Wayne Dick; Professor; Computer Engineering and Computer Science; California State University )
System Access to Go, audio (MP3) 8 MB
>Mike Calvo; Chief Executive Officer, Serotek Corporation
Technology Resource List
Do you need a comprehensive list of the latest access technology available? Check out our technology resource list! From notetakers to talking thermostats, you'll find the information you need, including contact information for the manufacturer.
Access Technology Blog and Tips
If you want more than just product information, try our Access Technology Blog for first-hand stories about using access technology. The latest tips for users can be found on Access Technology Tips.
Accessible Home Showcase
The National Federation of the Blind maintains a permanent display of usable appliances and small electronics at its National Headquarters in Baltimore to allow its members and members of the public to explore mainstream appliances that are usable to the blind. Our access technology staff has also put together a list of "usable" products with a description of the non-visual user interface; we say “usable” because we do not know of any modern household appliances that are completely accessible. However, this list of appliances will help make your search easier, providing you with product information as well as manufacturer information. If you are in the market for consumer products such as a washing machine or a microwave, take a look at this resource. To visit the Accessible Home Showcase, please contact Clara Van Gerven at 410-659-9314, ext. 2410.
Presentations!
Access for the Blind to Consumer Products: Audio, (MP3) 13 MB
A Commitment from General Electric
Michael Eisenreich; Leader; GE.com Digital Media Technologies
Nonvisual Election Technology
Casting a secret ballot is a right most Americans take for granted. Now, for the first time ever, speech output technology voting machines make it possible for blind and visually impaired people to cast a secret ballot privately and independently.
Presentation!
The following video presentation contains the entire nonvisual election technology training curriculum developed by the National Federation of the Blind. The video also includes demonstrations of several electronic voting machines which can be used independently by a blind voter.
Download Nonvisual Election Technology Training Curriculum, (complete 54 minute video)
Recommended Reading
Available Online:
- Access Technology and Disabilities in the Twenty-First Century
by Ray Kurzweil (Braille Monitor, June 2004) - Accessible Cell Phone Technologybr /> by the International Braille and Technology Center Staff (Braille Monitor, June 2006)
- Accessible Personal Data Assistance Reviews, (TEXT)
- Accessible Personal Data Assistance Reviews, Audio (MP3)
by the International Braille and Technology Center Staff - America Online: An Internet Service That the Blind Can Use
by Curtis Chong (Braille Monitor, January 2007) - Appropriate Use of the Electronic Notetaker in School
by Curtis Chong (Future Reflections, Spring/Summer 2004) - A Beginner's Guide to Access Technology for Blind Students
(Future Reflections, Winter Spring 2006) - Choosing Your Braille Embosser
by Anne Taylor (Braille Monitor, October 2001) - Deaf-Blind Communication Devices
by Anne Taylor, Steven Booth, and Michael Tindell (Braille Monitor, October 2006) - An Examination of Four Stand-alone Reading Machines
by Steven Booth, Mike Tindell, and Anne Taylor (Braille Monitor, December 2006)
- GPS Technology for the Blind: A Product Evaluation
by the NFB's Access Technology Staff (Braille Monitor, February 2006)
- The Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader: The Revolution Is Here!
by James Gashel
(Braille Monitor, July 2006) - Laptop Computers and Electronic Notetakers for the Blind: A Comparison
by Curtis Chong (Braille Monitor, April 2003) - The Other Half of the Equation: PC-Based Reading Systems--A Comparative Review
by David Andrews (Braille Monitor, January 1995) - A Review of the Tiger Embossers by Robert Jaquiss (Braille Monitor, February 2004)
- The SAL (Speech Assisted Learning): A Review
by Robert Jaquiss (Braille Monitor, July 2003) - Striving for Excellence: The Role of Technology and More
by Joanne Wilson (Braille Monitor, June 2004) - The Topography of Technology, Blindness, and the Luddite
by Marc Maurer (Braille Monitor, June 2004) - You've Got More Mail
by David Andrews (Braille Monitor, June 2002)
>Many of the articles listed above can be ordered in print or Braille if desired. If you would like to order any of these items, please contact the Independence Market for availability. You may contact us by e-mail at IndependenceMarket@nfb.org or by phone at 410-659-9314, extension 2216. For additional information, please refer to our Independence Market Literature Order Procedure.
If you experience any difficulty using this Web site report all technical issues to:
©National Federation of the Blind of Texas, San Antonio Chapter 2009, All Rights Reserved.
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