HumanWare Communicator a Great Tool For Deaf-Blind Communication

HumanWare recently released the HumanWare Communicator app for iOS devices. The app is designed to make communication between a deaf-blind person and a sighted person possible.When the conversation is started an introduction is displayed for the sighted user to read. The deaf-blind person uses a Bluetooth braille display to type a message to a sighted person, this message appears on the screen of the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.  Then the sighted user can respond using the virtual keyboard and the message will appear on the refreshable braille display. The conversation can then go back and forth with the deaf-blind person typing on the braille display and the sighted user typing on the device's virtual keyboard.

HumanWare describes the app as follows,

"The HumanWare Communicator application is intended to establish a text conversation, through a chat window, between a deaf-blind person and a sighted person. All interaction appears both on the deaf-blind person's refreshable Braille display, as well as visually on the screen of the iOS device."

The HumanWare communicator is available in the App Store for $99.99 for devices running iOS 5.1 or higher. To view screen shots of the HumanWare Communicator app in action click read more below.

Oregon Using the iPad to Assist Disabled Voters

Oregon is testing the iPad to assist disabled voters and allow them to vote privately. Some Oregon voters that are unable to vote using paper ballets will be able to vote using the iPad in tomorrow's election as part of a pilot program. Voters with visual impairments, physical disabilities, dyslexia and other disabilities that make voting with paper ballets difficult will be able to vote using a custom iPad app. The app will have the ability to enlarge font size, improve contrast and read text aloud to assist disabled voters. The app also works with VoiceOver for improved accessibility. Blind voters will be able to connect their Braille displays to the iPad via Bluetooth in order to read the ballets. Users that use Bluetooth accessories will be able to connect them to the iPad in order to vote.  The app will allow disabled voters to make their selections privately without election officials knowing which candidates the voter selected. Election officials made the following comments about voter privacy. 

"Some people want to vote independently, and they're the ones that we're talking to." 

Laws require people with disabilities to have equal access and privacy while voting.

Braille iPad Case

The iPad has many accessibility features built into the software. iOS includes VoiceOver, white on black and zoom. To learn more about iOS accessibility click here, here and here. A new concept case has a built in refreshable Braille display. The Braille display is very thin and does not add much wight. To learn more about thin refreshable Braille displays click here. The Braille display covers half of the screen for non-sighted users this is not a problem. The Braille iPad case is not for sale as of this post. To see more images of the Braille iPad case click read more below.

iOS Refreshable Braille Display Support

iOS has support for refreshable Braille displays. A Braille display allows a blind user to access the device. Refreshable Braille displays are compatible with the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. The Braille displays connect to your iOS device via Bluetooth. The pairing process is simple and quick. When the Braille display is connected to the device the Braille display can control the VoiceOver cursor on the display. The VoiceOver cursor can be used to select and read items on the screen.. Braille display compatibility allows blind users to access the information of their iOS device. For a list of compatible Bluetooth Braille displays click here. Watch the above video to learn more.

Tools to Make Typing on iPad Easier

Typing on the iPad's touch screen can be difficult and slow compared to a physical keyboard. While typing on the iPad you must look at the screen because you can not feel the keys. For people that can not see the screen typing on the iPad is slow. There are a couple of tools to solve this problem. The first solution is the iPad keyboard dock. The keyboard dock plugs into the iPad's dock connector and works with the iPad and iPad 2. The keyboard is similar to desktop and laptop key boards but has function keys specialized for the iPad. The keyboard dock costs $69 from Apple. Another option is a Bluetooth keyboard which connects to the iPad wirelessly. There are many Bluetooth keyboards on the market. Bluetooth keyboards can improve your typing experience on the iPad. Yet another solution is Keyguard which is a clear piece of plastic with holes cut  where the virtual keys are. Keyguard fits on the iPad so it does not slide off. Keyguard allows you to feel the location of the virtual keys. Keyguard comes it portrait and landscape views. Each orientation of Keyguard costs $19.95 from Lasered Pics. With these tools you will be able to type faster and more accurately on the iPad. 

iOS 5 to add new accessibility features (update)

Apple unveiled iOS 5 on Monday for their iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices. The new software adds many new accessibility features such as LED flash indicator for incoming notifications. This feature could be very useful for people with low vision that would be unable to see the screen but are able to see the flashing LED.

Another new feature of iOS 5 is speak-it. Speak-it allows a user to highlight text and then select speak-it and the highlighted text will be read allowed. iOS 5 adds many new features you can learn more and www.apple.com. iOS 5 will be released this fall.

(Update): Another accessibility found in a beta build of iOS 5 is the ability to draw custom gestures. These custom gestures will work with external braille displays over bluetooth. The feature could enable a user to draw a gestures to, for example, to control the braille display. Found on 9to5mac.com