Assistive Technologies for Vision Impairments and Reading

Making Print Material Accessible Make sure the language is easy to understand. Use a font like Comic Sans MS or Ariel and make sure it is at least 20-point at all times. Don't type things in all capitals as this makes a person who is learning to read, or who has difficulty reading, think each word is a new sentence. Do use bold but don't use italics or any fancy fonts.

Enlarged Text  Zoom-ex: A stand alone camera on a stand that connects to a computer through the USB port. No external power or batteries are needed because the camera receives its power from the USB port.

Enlarged Text  Zoom-ex: The unit will magnify documents for print and provides an OCR (optical character recognition) function to read the text of the page aloud. ABISee Inc. Price: $2,395.  Microsoft Word: Enlarging and sectioning print for students is available.

Braille Materials  Duxbury Braille Translator: This Braille translation software supports a wide range of embossers, multiple languages, and systems under Windows, and Macintosh. It supports conversion of documents from popular word processing applications. It has extensive formatting capability including use of styles. Options include translation to contracted and uncontracted Braille, computer code, and the use of math codes. Duxbury Systems. Price: Duxbury for Windows, $595.00; Duxbury for the Macintosh, $ Duxbury Systems. Price: Duxbury for Windows, $595.00; Duxbury for the Macintosh, $595.00

Picture/Symbols to Words  SymPrint Overlay & Design Software by EnableMart: SymPrint is the easiest way to make communication boards, AAC overlays, worksheets, signs, charts, homework and more. SymPrint is the easiest way to make communication boards, AAC overlays, worksheets, signs, charts, homework and more. $599.00

Predictable Books Predictable books have rhyming or repetitive word patterns, familiar concepts and simple story lines The text and illustrations enable children to anticipate words, phrases or events. Predictable books can be stepping stones in the reading development process.

Accessing Screen Text  Making the computer easier to use: Use Macintosh and Windows Universal Access settings! (free!) Big Keys LX: 1-inch square keys / simplified layout ($125.00) Magic Touch: Portable touch screen mounts on monitor and plugs in with USB ($180.00) ($180.00)

Accessing Screen Text  Making the computer easier to use: Screen Magnifiers / Hardware ($ $150.00) Screen Magnifiers / Software ($ $ ) ($ $ )  ZoomText does much more than magnify!  ZoomText does much more than magnify!

Accessing Screen Text  AT for reading on the computer: Augmentative Communication Consultants Inc. Reading software for a variety of disabilities: Reading software for a variety of disabilities: Functional Words: Nouns and verbs in context with live action video Laureate’s Autism series: Cause and effect training, early vocabulary development, emerging syntax My Reading Coach: Phonics, grammar, reading comprehension

Reading and Vision Devices with Audio  Screen Readers: Panopreter.com Reads.rft,.txt,.pdf, and.doc Playback is in.mpg or.wav $29.50 for one copy for one computer Works on Windows 7 or XP

Reading and Vision Devices with Audio  Screen Readers: Kurzweil 3000 Similar to panopreter Can scan printed items into program for TTS conversion Price tag can exceed $8000.

Reading and Vision Devices with Audio  Reading Pens: From Wizcom, costs $ Can read aloud scanned words, phrases or sentences. Can provide pronunciation and definitions within seconds. Earphone socket for private listening. Portable