Working Together: Computers and People with Sensory Impairments

[ Music ]

(Narrator) A generation
ago, personal computers

began to make their
mark on the world.

It was the beginning
of an incredible change

in the way we do things.

For people with
disabilities, that change

was even more profound.

(Dan) For the first time,
people with disabilities,

particularly people
who are blind,

had a chance to
compete successfully,

using the computer.

(Stephanie) I found
that computers opened up

a whole new world, and I could
get a lot of stuff in Braille.

What I can do is I can
use my screen reader

to get into a different program;
I can type something up

just regularly on the
computer, hit three buttons,

and it will be in Braille
right in front of me

on a piece of paper.

(Israel) The program
I use for speech

helps me read
everything like email,

and if I look for
information about something,

it will tell me the results.

(Narrator) They're talking
about adaptive technology:

software and hardware
systems that assist computer

and Internet access for
people with disabilities.

(Dan Comden) The technology
that we have available

is appropriate for
people with a wide range

of sensory impairments.

Everything for somebody with
a minor hearing impairment,

where we might do some
captioning or special blinking

on the screen, to somebody who's
blind, who needs speech output,

or maybe wants to incorporate
speech output with speech input.

(Narrator) People with
sensory impairment

are affected in the way they
use vision, hearing, or touch.

They may have a slight
loss of ability,

or they may be completely
unable to use one or more

of their senses.

(Michael Richardson) Sensory
impairments affect people in

a variety of ways, depending on
how well they've adjusted

to their disability,
how significant it is.

For me personally, with a
significant, profound hearing loss,

I have issues
with communication.

Hearing and talking
on a regular phone

is nearly impossible for me.

However, the use
of computers lately

has really enhanced my
communication abilities,

especially with
the use of email.

With email, I'm able to communicate
with anybody anywhere, anytime.

(Narrator) Some people
with sensory impairments

may not need adaptive
technology for computer access.

Others will require
significant enhancements.

To decide what
works best for you,

start by determining
what you want to be

able to do with the computer.

Then choose accommodations
that help you do those things.

(Dan) It's absolutely vital that
somebody with a disability be

involved in the decision-making
process when it comes

to selecting their
adaptive technology.

They're the experts who
know what they need,

so it's imperative that they be
part of evaluating what's going

to be a successful solution.

(Justin) Adaptive technology
has helped me out a great deal.

I can get on the Internet and
access anything I want to with

voice output on the
computer, and it, you know,

it's just really
helped me out a lot.

(Narrator) We'll show you some
of the computing tools that

people with sensory impairments
have used successfully.

These are just some
of the options;

there are always other
approaches to try,

and new hardware
and software are

being developed all the time.

(Narrator) We'll start
with visual impairments.

First, a definition.

Low vision is a loss
of visual acuity

while retaining some vision.

People may have
uniform low vision,

or they may have variations such
as tunnel vision or alternating

areas of vision and
total blindness.

There may be light sensitivity,
or an inability to see colors.

People who are blind have very
little or no vision at all.

(Ryan) Now I'm going to
Internet Explorer right now.

(Screen reader) http...

(Narrator) Speech output is
the most popular form of access

for people who are blind.

This software
allows the computer

to read aloud text,
email, or Web pages.

(Screen reader)
Page has 31 links.

(Narrator) Ryan, a high
school student who is blind,

uses this type of software.

(Ryan) It can tell you all
the stuff on the screen,

and it speaks through
your sound card.

It's good for surfing
the Web, doing email,

or doing your reports.

I can go into a Word
document, I can start typing,

it will speak the
character as I'm typing it.

(Screen reader)
W..I..N..D..O..W..S period.

(Ryan) I can also have it read
to me exactly what I've typed,

so I can know if I made
any spelling mistakes.

(Screen reader) I like
Jaws for Windows.

(Narrator) People who are blind
use a standard keyboard for input.

That standard keyboard also
controls the screen reader.

(Screen reader) Link
reference tools.

Enter.

(Narrator) Braille
output systems

are also available
for those who need

more detailed information
than speech output provides.

Refreshable Braille
displays echo information

from the screen to a
panel with Braille cells

with moveable pins.

To print materials
for later reference,

a Braille embosser gives
a permanent record.

(Teacher) You have
about eight minutes...

(Narrator) Portable notetakers,
using speech or Braille,

can be invaluable
for people on the go.

(Student) I'm writing this down.

(Narrator) Many people with low vision
use screen enlargement software.

This enlarges text and graphics
displayed on the monitor.

You can also use
closed circuit TVs,

or video magnifiers, to
enlarge printed materials

or photographs.

This camera has auto
focus and can be

used with a computer monitor.

(Nate) You slide your
paper under and then just

fool with the
knobs a bit and you

can get it as big or
as small as you like.

(Narrator) For those who
are sensitive to light,

the enlargement systems
can also reverse the screen

from black on white
to white on black.

And large print
keytop labels may

be helpful for people
with low vision

who are learning to type.

(Buffy) I have a
question about this word.

What does it mean?

(Narrator) People with
hearing impairments

may have partial or
complete hearing loss.

And for general computer
use, there's very little need

for adaptive technology.

Built-in operating features
offer visual alternatives

to audio signals.

(Buffy) For example, when you
get a signal from the computer

like a beep or a honk that says
you've done something wrong,

then they can make it do
something else to show me that

something's wrong.

(Narrator) Streaming multimedia
is a concern for people who can't hear.

Captioning for videos, or
audio transcribed into text,

are ideal.

However, most content
developers don't include this.

Some do.

(Jeffrey) When I use
my computer at home,

some of the games and so
forth, and the Internet,

has closed captioning.

(Narrator) For
immediate conversation,

people who are deaf
or hard of hearing

have some electronic options.

One choice is instant
messaging software.

Another is to use a TTY
or TDD device, which

sends typed messages
over telephone lines.

The newer TTY or TDD
versions allow conversation

between someone with
a computer and someone

using the TTY or TDD.

(User) Final fourth-quarter projections?

(Computer) Final fourth
dash quarter projections?

(Narrator) People with limited
sensitivity in their hands or fingers

may not be able to use
a standard keyboard and mouse.

Speech input software allows
them to control a computer

and enter text.

If the loss of sensitivity
is peripheral neuropathy

due to diabetes, there may
be vision loss as well.

In that case, speech output can
be combined with speech input,

using middleware to
connect the two programs.

(Computer) Pay close attention
to the recognition accuracy

of the system.

(Dan) Middleware allows
the speech output software

to work with the
speech input software;

it brings the two together
so that the person who

is speaking and
listening to the computer

can have a successful
experience.

(Narrator) Selecting
adaptive technology

should be based on
individual needs.

For education, employment,
and everything else,

it's all about success.

(Michael) The
advancement of technology

and the use of computers
in the last 10 or 15 years

has just been
phenomenal, especially

for people with disabilities.

And to see my peers,
other people with disabilities,

succeed well in
school and careers

is just a wonderful sight,

and who knows
what the future holds.