The Bologna Declaration

Unlocking Human Potential:
A Call for Action to Improve Access to Quality Assistive Technology for Realising Fundamental Human Rights and Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in a Fully Inclusive Manner

Enabled Nevada website launched

In a collaboration between the NATRC and the UNR Reynolds School of Journalism the Enabled Nevada website was created to highlight the lives of people that either have or work with disabilities.   The goal, seeking to personalize disability rather than present statistics, involved numerous graduate journalism students and used newer media forms such as …

First bilingual voice for AAC

AssistiveWare released version 1.1 of their Proloquo4Text AAC app for iOS which adds the first ever bilingual American Spanish voices. The same voice is used in speaking both languages, allowing bilingual users to maintain voice identity. Voice identity is important developmentally for younger users and Proloquo4Text’s two child voices (Emilio and Valeria) are particularly welcome. …

White House Announces Audio Descriptions for Public Tours

Great move. However, I wonder if it would be better if the tours were made available online for individual’s to use on their own devices. Many visually impaired users are using smart devices (especially the iPhone with its built-in screen reader). This would also make it great for self guided tour for people with out …

The impact of assistive technology on young children with disabilities

Assistive technology can be a great resource for young children with disabilities who are developing language and literacy skills. The Center for Early Literacy Learning recently published this study to demonstrate just how beneficial assistive technology can be:. The effectiveness of different types of assistive technology for promoting the early communication and literacy abilities of …

A Video Introduction to Assistive Touch | BridgingApps

BridgingApps has released introduction videos to demonstrate how to access, setup, and use Assistive Touch on iOS devices. Note: AssistiveTouch can be used with adaptive switches! A Video Introduction to Assistive Touch http://youtu.be/zvnTfxUJs8k http://youtu.be/gqgE1P3fdCw http://youtu.be/MtzyphPC7nA http://youtu.be/nhlMm70fls8  

Making your iOS app accessible with VoiceOver

As much work and dedication that Apple engineers have put into accessibility and UD in iOS and OS X and even AppleTV many developers never take advantage of the accessibility API’s. You probably know that Apple’s range of iOS devices comes with a built-in screen reader called VoiceOver. What you may not be aware of, …

Using Siri to select words and start a car

As in an ear lie post, Getting Siri to work with a radio thermostat, this article highlights the potential applications, such as searching and choosing a word. The ability to open locked doors, close the binds and control heating and cooling (environmental controls) will enable more individuals to operate independently. The consumerization of these technologies will …

How medical apps are changing diagnoses and treatments

Striking a balance between the issues of professional experience and immediate needs is an increasingly important issue in the adoption/delivery of Assistive Technology. I’m excited about the potential of new health apps like Bant and Proloquo2go. Tools that improve doctor patient communication and empower patients are fantastic. But I’m a little wary of the robo-doc …

Verbally

Verbally is an iPad application designed to be used as an Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) device.  This application is intended for people who are nonverbal or have difficulties in expressive communication. It can be used as a communication aid for people with apraxia, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Cerebral Palsy (CP), …

E-Book Web Standards: Still Caught in Print?

Joe Clark, writer for A List Apart, has written an article on E-Book publishing, its standards and its future. In it, he argues that the future of E-Books lies in the future of HTML. HTML is about displaying words, he argues, and is a standard ready to be used. It cannot always work and may …

AdastraSoft reduces the price on its AT software for the iPhone

AdastraSoft has reduced the price on its range of assistive software offerings including HaloTalk: The application may be used as a set of “opposite” flashcards as-is.  However, HaloTalk is designed to facilitate rapid prompting.  Since autistic individual has a tendency to verbally repeat the last word(s) of a question, it is extremely important if visual …

Graduate Student’s iPhone App Gives Voice to Disabled Users

Graduate Student’s iPhone App Gives Voice to Disabled Users…