Visually Disabled – How HCI Has Helped the Visually Impaired

Visually Disabled – How HCI Has Helped the Visually Impaired

There are a large amount of people in society whom may have a visual disability of some sort and with the development of HCI; new equipment is being designed in order to help aid these people in order to make their lives easier when it comes to using a computer in everyday life. Those whom have a visual disability may have been born blind, caused by a disease or it may have developed over time with age. People may also have issues with things such as colour blindness which makes it difficult for them to see text or images on certain backgrounds for example. Also people whom have epilepsy may also suffer in terms of the varied flashing images or text which they are unable to read on a computer as it will cause them to have an epileptic fit.

One of the first devices that I would like to talk about is the introduction of refreshable braille keyboards. Braille keyboards have been introduced to allow those, whom are visually impaired to be able to type text, browse the internet and carry out common tasks such as being able to download a file from the internet. On Braille keyboard there is one key for each of the dots; in order to type out certain letters, several dots on the keyboard will have to be pressed at the same time. After the letter has been pressed and the keys for the dots released, the keyboard will automatically move onto the text letter in the sequence. Another type of keyboard which is called QWERTY keyboard is used by children and people whom may have only been blinded recently and it differs to the ordinary braille keyboard as it provides a platform for people whom have trouble memorising the keyboard layout.  Please click on the link below for more information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braille_keyboard#Braille_transcription

Another device which can be used by people whom are visually impaired is a screen magnifier. The screen magnifier is a piece of software which is pre-installed on any windows device and when opened allows users to zoom in or out of a certain position on the computer screen in order to make the text more readable on the screen. One of the main software programs which are used by visually impaired users is a program called JAW. This program differs from the preinstalled screen magnifier that can be seen on windows as, as well as allowing users to zoom into certain parts of the screen, it also allows users to be able to change the colour of the background to make the text more readable for the user so for example have a black background with a white or yellow text colour. JAWS also allows users to have an option to have a text to speech output which means that all text which maybe types by the user will when highlighted, be read out to the user. Please click on the link below for more information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JAWS_(screen_reader)

The third device that I would like to talk about is a handheld device which is called “CCTT magnifier”. This device enables people whom are visually impaired to be able to read text which maybe on a hard copy of a text document. It allows the user to place the document on the device which is connected to the computer and to then be able to see this document on the computer screen. However, this document will be shown on the computer screen in the necessary colours which make it easier for the person to read. The document will be shown with the black background with the text colour being in a white or yellow colour to contrast with the background and therefore make it extremely easy to use.  Any document can be placed on the device in order to then be magnified and read by the visually impaired user.

The last device that I am going to talk about is descriptive audio which is known as “windows narrator” on windows. Windows narrator reads out information which can be found in dialog boxes as well as reading out a number of basic window controls in various different applications. The narrator can help aid the visually impaired person with basic processes such as installing applications by guiding them through set up menus by reading out what is displayed on the menus. Windows narrator works with notepad, WordPad, control panel and the internet explorer. It does not however, work with other programs as it has not been optimised for use in these programs. The narrator can be customised by what the user wants to be read out via the speech relay on the device. The program allows users to make sure that for example the text that they have written out is all correct and makes sense. For more information please click on the link below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Narrator

Below is a video in which the one person whom is partially sighted. In the video all of the technological elements are described that he uses inorder to make his experience much easier when using the computer for example.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6A5Lzb3ZWE&feature=player_detailpage

In conclusion, there are various different devices that are either being used or being created in the world today which make the HCI easier for people whom have a visual need. All of the devices /software that I have discussed above has enabled people with a visual impairment to carry out day to day activities with extreme ease and overall make their quality of life with much ease. The development of these devices will continue to aid people with disabilities in the near future.