Solutions:
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Apps for Individuals with Vision Impairment
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Apps for Reading
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Color-coded Manuals, Outlines, and Maps
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Counting/Measuring Aids
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GPS Personal Locators
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Handwriting Recognition Technology
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Line Guides
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Low Vision Enhancement Products
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Mobility and Orientation Training and Products
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Tactile Dots and Markers
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Tactile Graphics & Maps
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Talking Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Maps
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Transportation Assistance
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Vehicle Rear Vision System
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Writing Aids
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Writing Guides
Apps for Individuals with Vision Impairment
Vendors and Products
- KNFB Reader
- Magnifier & Microscope [Cozy]
- Magnifying Glass (Android app)
- Magnifying Glass + Flashlight Android
- Magnifying Glass for Android
- Microsoft Office Lens-PDF Scanner
- NowYouSee Android
- Path Guide
- Reading Glasses - Magnifier - Visual Aid Zoom
- Sunu App
- waveOut
- weZoom - Magnifier and Low Vision Aid
Apps for Reading
Apps to help with reading disabilities including OCR, audiobooks, etc.
Vendors and Products
- (How to) Pronounce
- ABBYY TextGrabber + Translator
- Accessible Literacy Learning (ALL)
- Adjective Remix
- Aeir Talk
- Audiobooks for iPhone
- BARD Mobile
- ClaroSpeak
- Dictionary - Merriam-Webster
- Dictionary.com
- Ghotit Buzz Writer
- iBooks
- iPractice Verbs
- KNFB Reader
- Notability
- Prizmo
- SnapType
- Sounds: The Pronunciation App
- Voice Dream Reader
- Voice Dream Writer
Color-coded Manuals, Outlines, and Maps
Individuals with reading deficits may have difficulty reading manuals, outlines, or maps due to the complicated structure of the material and the size/type of font used in lettering. Color-coding this material can be helpful to people with learning disabilities. This accommodation improves efficiency, provides easy access to information, increases productivity, and makes information finding a simpler task. Ways to color-code include: highlighting, using a copy machine to copy information on to colored paper, using post-it notes and colored tabs.
Counting/Measuring Aids
These aids, often created by the employer, will allow the individual to accurately count or measure when unable to do so themselves. Examples include:
Pre-counted or pre-measured guides or jigs
Handheld counter (tally counter) also called a ticker/clicker
Liquid level indicators
Mark the measuring cup with a “fill to here” line
Mathematic tables posted at desk or in work area
Scratch paper to work out math problems
Vendors and Products
GPS Personal Locators
GPS personal locators provide tracking options for individuals. Some provide options such as sending a text message or SOS signal.
Handwriting Recognition Technology
Handwriting Recognition Technology includes a variety of products: e.g., software, writing pens, note collection platforms, and scanning products/services.
Vendors and Products
Line Guides
Line guides can be sheets of paper with bold, dark lines on them that are placed behind the sheet of paper that is being written on to provide guidance for writing is straight lines. The guides’ lines come is different sizes for varied spacing. Lines guides can also be plastic forms that are placed over the paper to help guide writing. There are guides for writing on regular sizes of paper, envelopes, and for signatures. Bold line paper can also be provided. It is printed with bold, raised lines to help with word and sentence spacing
Low Vision Enhancement Products
Vision Enhancement products are portable low vision aids that can be worn with glasses or head-mounted for persons with low vision.These devices may be used for a variety of distance and midrange visual activities such as seeing faces, TV, the blackboard in school, computer screens, packages on shelves, dialing the telephone, and signs while traveling etc. These products will not restore vision to normal.
Vendors and Products
- 8x X-Vision Binocular
- Arena D 8 x 32 B
- Around the Neck Stand Magnifiers
- Aspheric Hand-held Magnifier
- Bar Stand Magnifiers
- easyPOCKET
- Frame for Keplerian Monocular Telescopes
- Hand-held Magnifier / Stand Magnifier Combination
- Hand-held Magnifier with stand
- Makrolux 2.2x
- Makrolux 3.6x (with video demonstration)
- MakroPLUS 1.8x
- MaxDetail - Galiliean Telescope
- MaxDetail Clip
- MaxTV
- MaxTV Clip
- MenasZoom
- Monocular w/stand
- SmartLux Digital Portable Video Magnifier
- Trophy S Zoom Observation Instrument
- Variety of telescopic devices
- VarioMAXI Magnifying Lamp
Mobility and Orientation Training and Products
Orientation and Mobility (O&M) skills can help individuals with blindness or low vision to safely navigate their environment. O&M training may focus on the development of sensory awareness, techniques for traveling with a cane or service animal, and the use of other assistive devices while traveling.
Tactile Dots and Markers
For individuals with vision impairment, these products help to give information through touch. Some overlays for keyboards can add braille symbols to keys for blind typists. Some special markers use a unique quick-drying ink that can create free-form dots and lines and cn be applied on many different surfaces.
Vendors and Products
Tactile Graphics & Maps
Tactile graphics can be developed by using special thermal paper to enhance images, that when heated, will produce a tactile image, Braille embossing technology, or create your own! These products can produce raised-line maps, graphs, diagrams, and charts.
Vendors and Products
American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.
See3D
Talking Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Maps
A Global Positioning System (GPS) is used as a navigation aid in cars, airplanes, and ships. GPS receivers are increasingly being integrated with cell phones, PDA's, vehicle tracking systems, etc. Hand-held GPS receivers may be used by mountain climbers, hikers, and employees working outdoors.
Transportation Assistance
People with various limitations may have driving restrictions and need transportation assistance. Such assistance could include pairing the employee with a co-worker who can drive to meetings or events, transferring the employee to a position that does not require driving, adjusting the schedule so the employee can access public transportation, or helping to facilitate a carpool with co-workers for transportation to/from work. Some situations may be specific to the disability involved. For example, someone with epilepsy may need look at specific information about a state's regulations involving driving with epilepsy. This type of information can be found here: http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/living/wellness/transportation/drivinglaws.cfm
Vendors and Products
Rides in Sight
Vehicle Rear Vision System
A vehicle rear vision system might be used as an accommodation when a worker's ability to hear and see the environment is compromised. For example, a worker who is deaf who needs to operate a vehicle in the workplace, such as a forklift, may find it beneficial to see behind them when a mirror is not being used.
Writing Aids
Writing aids are products designed to help individuals with limited hand strengths perform writing tasks. Writing aids can transfer the fine motor pinch grip, usually used to write, to gross motor arm movements. A low tech solution is to push a pencil though a Styrofoam ball and use gross motor movements to write. Individuals with cumulative trauma disorders to the upper extremities or individuals with other impairments such as arthritis or quadriplegia benefit from these aids.
Vendors and Products
Writing Guides
These products are rigid pieces of plastic with a template cut out in order to assist individuals in tasks such as writing checks and signing documents.