Monday, November 07, 2005

QTpedia

Wikipedia is an admirable project and there is no doubt that when it has an article about any term most chances are that it will be better than any Google or Yahoo equivalent. Still Wikipedia is not enough. I believe QTSaver might assist Wikipedia and complement it and I'll try to prove it in my next researches.

This is what Wikipedia has to say about Adaptive technology for the blind:
Adaptive Technology for blind people
Blind people use many products that have voice activation such as talking watches, talking calculators and talking computers. Talking scales, talking compasses and talking thermometers are also available. Talking computers use screenreading software to have the machine read to blind people. They also use products with Braille feedback, such as Braille watches and Braille writing devices. Many computer products for blind people are made by Freedom Scientific.

Technology for visually impaired people
Visually impaired people, who have eye problems but still have some sight, have computers which have enlarged screens so that they can see better. Another product for them is the CCTV.

And this is what QTSaver has to add to this article:

http://www.rehabtool.com/
Assistive or Adaptive Technology (AT) commonly refers to products, devices or equipment, whether acquired commercially, modified or customized, that are used to maintain, increase or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.
http://www.bsu.edu/web/ucs/ucl/act
View a video on how students with disabilities use adaptive technology to access the Internet.
http://www.washington.edu/doit/MathSci/adaptech.html
In this section we will look at the solutions that adaptive technology provides in enabling access to computers for people with disabilities. We will explore how the application of universal design principles can reduce or eliminate barriers to electronic resources in the section that follows.
The video highlights some of the special advantages access to computers, adaptive technology, software and the Internet provides to people with specific disabilities. The handout Meet the Speakers in the Videotape - Working Together: People with Disabilities and Computer Technology provides information about the students featured in the videotape presentation.
Computers can help people with learning disabilities focus and better understand information. For example, adaptive technology that provides multi-sensory experiences, such as displaying information in text while it is being read by a voice synthesis program, can increase some people's reading speed.
http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Shopping_and_Services/Disabilities/Assistive_Technology/Adaptive_Technology LTTI Corp. - offers an adapted trackball for quadriplegics and other persons with limited hand function. IntelliTools Inc. - adaptive computer technology including assistive hardware and educational software for students with disabilities. Makers of the IntelliKeys keyboard and a range of special needs software.
http://www.ala.org/ala/products/books/editions/adaptivetechnology.htm
Chapter 1 Could Helen Keller Use Your Library?
The book focuses on access to the Internet using large print, voice, and Braille. Contributors Judith Dixon and Doug Wakefield are respected experts in the field of adaptive technology and the Internet. Both have lectured widely on the subject and use adaptive technology extensively. In this book, we describe specific products. Fortunately, new adaptive technologies are continually being developed.
http://www.adaptivetech.net/
Adaptive Technology Consulting provides solutions for working around the inconvenience of: Blindness Low Vision Learning Disabilities We can increase independence and self-esteem by giving people who are blind, low vision, or learning disabled the freedom to access and create print or electronic information.
http://www.d-r-d.com/assist.html
Assistive and Adaptive Technology The following resources include communications, educational, rehabilitation and research institutions as well as manufacturers and vendors of Assistive technology products.
If you've used or heard about the Click-N-Type AutoClick feature, you know that there are many people who have the manual dexterity to move a mouse, trackball or other pointing device, but do not have the fine motor skills to actually click a mouse button. To address this need AutoClick was introduced to give such individuals the ability to type on the Click-N-Type keyboard.
Alliance for Technology Access The ATA, is a network of community-based resource centers dedicated to providing information and support services to children and adults with disabilities, and increasing their use of standard, Assistive, and information technologies. 2175 East Francisco Blvd., Suite L; San Rafael, California 94901 USA ATRC Adaptive Technology Resource Centre; University of Toronto. Purpose is to develop and share solutions to challenges faced by users of adaptive technology.
ASI designs and distributes a number of custom software and hardware products for the educational research and Assistive technology communities. Two examples are SS-ACCESS, a single-function switch interface for Windows or DOS, and WinSCAN 2.0, A multi-function switch interface for PCs with Windows. 331 West Second Street; Lexington, Kentucky 40507 USA Accessibility Aids and Adaptive Technology by RehabTool.com Helping people with learning, communication and access disabilities become more independent and productive through assistive and adaptive computer technology.
http://www.ucp.org/ucp_printsub.cfm/145/9721
It makes it possible for people with disabilities to communicate, get from place to place, participate in school, work, play, have friendships, maintain and enhance general health and well being, and overall enjoy life. : http://www.ucp.org/ucp_printsub.cfm/160/6913
Assistive technology can enable or enhance a person’s life in many different ways. It can give communication to someone who cannot speak, provide proper seating and positioning to someone who has physical challenges, and provide the necessary adaptations to increase one’s independence.
Today’s technology has opened a door of tremendous opportunity to those in need. By opening the doors of technology, individuals with disabilities can improve their quality of life by increasing their ability to function independently at home, school, or work. UCP of Mobile offers the Assistive Technology Team and the Easley Family Lending Library to assist consumers in finding the technology which best fits their individual needs. http://okabletech.okstate.edu/
New Assistive Technology Law will help Oklahomans with disabilities. Oklahoma ABLE Tech's Mission is to help individuals with disabilities gain access to assistive technology so that they can achieve their greatest potential. Millions of Americans with disabilities depend on assistive technology such as wheelchairs, communication tools, and other resources that help accommodate the challenges of living with a disability. Federal funding provided under the Assistive Technology Act has helped states establish systems to help individuals with disabilities gain access to assistive technology. Now, by refocusing the Act on direct aid to individuals, these funds will ensure even more individuals with disabilities have access to the technology they need. This will be accomplished through the Assistive Technology Act of 1998, as amended.

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