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Devices For The Disabled Unit 10

The document discusses adaptive technologies that can help computer users with disabilities. It provides examples of speech synthesis systems, magnification software, braille printers and input devices. It also describes adaptive switches, screen pointing devices and voice recognition systems that allow motor-impaired users to control computers. The goal is to determine the specific needs of a disabled worker and adapt computers cost-effectively to allow independent work.

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Álvaro de Souza
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406 views4 pages

Devices For The Disabled Unit 10

The document discusses adaptive technologies that can help computer users with disabilities. It provides examples of speech synthesis systems, magnification software, braille printers and input devices. It also describes adaptive switches, screen pointing devices and voice recognition systems that allow motor-impaired users to control computers. The goal is to determine the specific needs of a disabled worker and adapt computers cost-effectively to allow independent work.

Uploaded by

Álvaro de Souza
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Unit 10 I/O devicesfor the disabled

1 Adaptive technology
Working in pairs or srnall groups, look at the pictures and discuss these
questions. Use the phrases in the box to help you.

What sort of difficulties do you think are experienced by compute r users with
limitations of vision ar mobility?
2 What types of devices could be helpful to blind users?
3 How can a person with mobility limitations communicate with a computer?
Think of possible tools or solutions.

Keywords
blind person motor-impaired person
magnification software adapted keyboard
braille printer on-screen keyboard
adaptive switch voice recognition system
optical head pointer

000 - •••
0900@"!IIOOee
oOOOeeCl)(90eee
0 ••• 0.00 ••••
•• 000.000 •••
•••••••••••• _ .~ .>,-----1

45
Unit 10 I/O devicesjàr lhe disabled

2 Reading
A Read the text below and find:
I two examples of speech synthesis systems.
2 the kind of software which is recommended for someone with partial vision.
3 the speed oftheJuliet braille printer.
4 the ways adaptive switches can be activated.
5 the function of voice recognition devices.
6 the software used to send the contents of the screen to a speech synthesizer.
7 the name of smali devices that aliow information to be input using braille.
8 how screen-pointing devices are used.

Computers for the disabled


Sal has ali the necessary qualities for becoming a The first task in adding adaptive technology to a
good telemarketer.* He's bright, outgoing, and computer is to determine the specific needs ofthe
persistent. He is also blind. Phyllis wants to hire disabled worker in questiono To work effectively,
him, but she has some concerns. How will he be most blind users need to have their computers
5 able to use the company's database ifhe can't see adapted with technologies such as speech synthe-
the monitor? How will he read office correspon- sis, magnification, braille, and OCR. One
dence? And more important, what will it cost the example of a speech-synthesis system is VertPro
company to adapt the workplace to accommo- from TeleSensory. This product can read MS-
date hirn? DOS-based word processors, databases, spread-
10 Phyllis must accommodate hirn, since her com- sheets, and other text-based software. Window
pany is in the US, and therefore subject to the Bridge from Syntha-Voice can verbalize both
Americans with Disabilities Act, ar ADA. But ~vlS-DOS- and Windows-based applications.
she needn't worry. The latest adaptive technology For someone with limited but usable vision, a soft-
for personal computers provides a cost-effective ware magnification package may be appropriate.
15 way to alIow Sal and workers with other disabili- Magnification software can enlarge text appear-
ties to do their jobs with independence. ing on the screen by up to 16 times.

Speech synihesis systems eonsist qf a combination of a


speech synthesirer working together with a screen reader For braille input, there are portable note-taking systems
programo The sereen reader is the scfuoare that allows that cangenerate afile to be transferred to the Pc. OIM
lhe user to direet what portion of the screen should be deviees are connected to the PC in place cf the standard
sent to the synthesiret: The speeeh synthesirer is lhe keyboard to provide for a braille input mechanism. In
device that contens the sereen contents into spoken addition, there are programs that can configure a
words standard keyboard so it ean be usedfor braille input

46
Unit 10 l/O devicesjór the disabled

For braille output, the Juliet printer fram The user can also have an external adaptive
Enabling Technologies interfaces to any standard switch to select menu choices or virtual keys fram
35 serial or parallel port. This printer can emboss an on-screen keyboard. Adaptive switches come
braille on both sides of a page at a speed of 40 in a variety of forms that can be activated by eye
characters per second. The Reading Edge OCR movements, breath control, or any other reliable 50
fram Xerax lmaging Systems and the Arkenstone muscle movement.
Open Book Unbound fram Arkenstone can read Another way of contralling computers is via a
40 printed material to blind people and send the text Morse-code system. Such a system consists of
to aPC. adaptive switches and software for people who
To adapt equipment for motor-Impaired can't type on a full keyboard but have the ability 55
workers unable to type on a standard keyboard, to physically push at least one key.
you can employ adapted keyboards, head point- Voice-recognition systems permit people to issue
45 ers, and Morse-code systems. verbal commands to a computer to perform data
entry.

Screen-pointing devices allow motor-impaired users to


control the compute: The user inieracts with the
program by touching the screen with a specialired
instrument and does not need a keyboard or a mouse

Adapted from 'Computers for the disabled' ,JosephJ. Lazzaro, BrrE Magazine,June 1993)

* Someone who markets products by phone.


.•. This makes it illegal for employers to discriminate against people with disabilities, and
compulsory for them to accommodate an individual's disability in the workplace.

B Match the ter ms with the definitions.

I disability 4 interface
2 braille 5 speech synthesizer
3 port 6 Morse code
a) a system of writing and reading (using raised dots) for blind people, to enable
them to read by touch
b) a socket to connect I/O devices
c) incapacity
d) a system of dots and dashes, ar short and long sounds, representing letters of
the alphabet and numbers
e) a hardware device used in conjunction with a screen reader program to
convert screen contents into spoken words
channels and control circuits which allow different parts of a computer to
communicate with one another. It also refers to the part of the system that
allows a use r to interact with programs

47
Unit 10 I/O devicesjàr the disabled

3 Language work: Noun phrases


A Read the gra:nunar hints in the box and then Noun phrases
the noun phrases 1-7. Decide what type of In describing a noun phrase, we can
rnodifierfs) is/are placed before the 'head' in distinguish two components:
each case. - the head, and
- the modifier - notably adjectives and
Types of modifiers nouns. Thus:
- compatible computer
a) adjective modifier head
b) participle - machine code
c) 's genitive modifier head
d) noun
We have the following range of modifiers:

1 disabled worker • adjectives


Ilike this portable compu ter.
2 rehabilitation engineer
- a computer which is portable
3 employee's abilities
4 external adaptive switch • participles
Ilike this drawing and painting
5 Windows-based applications
programo
6 pointing device
- a program that draws and paints
7 speech synthesizer Ilike this pocket-sized computer.
- a computer that fits into your pocket
B Explain the following noun phrases.
• '5 genitive
Examples: llike the director's computer.
memory chips chips qf memory - the computer which belongs to the

a device which controls the disk drive director


disk controller
• nouns
1 screen reader Ilike this colour scanner.
2 printing devices - a scanner which works in colour
3 company's database
4 adapted keyboards
5 magnification program
6 eye movements

48

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