-
>> Eric: I’m Eric and I have a
visual impairment called Stargardt’s
-
and it’s a macular degeneration
which affects the center of my vision
-
so it makes it really hard to read,
read fine print and see details
-
so I use the sides of my eyes
to see more in the periphery.
-
>> Computer: Zoom Text enabled.
-
>> Eric: The main piece of
assistive technology that I use
-
on the computer
is ZoomText
-
which is a screen magnifier
that allows me to make
-
everything on the computer screen
as big or as small as I need it
-
depending upon what I’m reading.
-
There’s also a built-in
screen reader on ZoomText
-
which I can also use
to help read documents
-
because my eyes get
tired really easily.
-
I use a TV monitor
that I have on my desk
-
that allows me
to see the board
-
and what is being projected
on the board by the teacher.
-
>> Mike: Hi, I'm Mike.
-
My disability is
that I am visually impaired.
-
I can see things up close but
further away it gets blurry.
-
I use a whole bunch
of different technologies
-
in my daily life.
-
My smartphone works brilliantly
for what I need it to.
-
It has a whole bunch
of different apps on it
-
that will help me
in my day-to-day life.
-
I have Voice Dream Reader
which is an input app
-
so you can switch over
different types of media
-
and it will allow it
to be read aloud to me.
-
>> iPad: Lyceum, Lyceum Tuesday
July 19 2016, five-zero P-M.
-
>> Mike: And that's
what the sign says.
-
Scanning is very important for
somebody with a visual impairment
-
because there are a lot of printed
materials in the world in general
-
that are very not
visually impaired friendly,
-
not blind friendly.
-
>> Jessie: Hi.
-
My name is Jessie,
-
and I'm a fourth-year student
at the University of Washington,
-
majoring in informatics
with a minor in diversity.
-
And I identify myself as deaf.
-
So the assistive technology,
I use a cochlear implant,
-
which is my own, personal device
I need to hear.
-
I often use an FM system,
which I give to my professor
-
so that I can hear the professor more
directly through my cochlear implant.
-
It's like a microphone.
-
Another accommodation
I use almost every day
-
is called CART, C-A-R-T,
-
which stands for
Communication Access Realtime.
-
So what it is, is a captioning device
that's real-time captioning,
-
that I can read the
transcript on the screen
-
while the professor is
talking in real-time.
-
>> Takashi: My name
is Takashi
-
and I have a disease
called retinoschisis
-
that affects my retinas.
-
Mostly I use my phone's camera
-
to take pictures of the whiteboard
or homework or what not
-
and just blow it up
as big as I can.
-
I use screen readers not so much
but I do like them and
-
ZoomText on my laptop.
-
Smartphones are such
an amazing tool.
-
I am oh so very glad that I was
born in an era with smart phones
-
because I just can't
imagine doing school
-
or living my life
without a smartphone.
-
>> Grace: I'm profoundly Deaf.
-
I grew up with two hearing aids
and then last year when I was 17,
-
I got a cochlear implant
on my right side
-
because I wasn't hearing anything
through my right ear.
-
In school, in school I use an interpreter,
a sign language interpreter
-
and also have a note taker
for each of my classes
-
whenever I request one
-
and if the class has
a video or movie showing
-
it usually has captions
or if there's no captions,
-
my teacher will
provide a transcript.
-
There's a lot of group projects
in my engineering classes
-
and I just use an
ASL interpreter pretty much.
-
And I talk to
the other students
-
and make sure that they're
aware that I'm Deaf.
-
I just tell them
to slow down a bit
-
or speak louder and they're usually
very flexible with me.
-
>> Vincent: My name is Vincent
-
and I’m currently a
PhD student at Georgia Tech
-
in human centered computing.
-
As it is with people with
all types of disabilities,
-
people with the same disability
also access information differently.
-
For example, I’m totally blind
and I primarily utilize my computers–
-
and I say that because I have
five or six different computers
-
with different operating systems–
-
and I utilize them
different ways.
-
I access a lot using the variety
of screen reading programs
-
with hardware and software
-based synthesizers.
-
I am wearing something
no one's even noticed yet.
-
I am wearing something that's
off-the-shelf technology.
-
It used to be military and
then it was extremely expensive.
-
This is a bone conduction headset
designed for runners.
-
I wear one
almost continuously.
-
This is off-the-shelf technology
that anyone can use right now
-
and also my watch
is connected to this
-
when things come through now
I hear them in my head
-
even with people around
-
and I just hear the notification
or whatever,
-
text messages,
news updates.
-
And now I don't even have
to go to my phone anymore.
-
>> Sheryl: My name is
Sheryl Burgstahler
-
and I direct
Accessible Technology Services
-
at the University of Washington
in Seattle.
-
As you can see,
it’s really important
-
that people with disabilities have access
to the technology that they need
-
including assistive technology
-
so they can be successful
in education, in careers,
-
and all the activities
that they wish to pursue.
-
It’s also important
that IT developers
-
including those that create websites,
documents, software and other IT
-
make those products accessible to people
who are using assistive technology
-
and to everyone else.