ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
The Assistive Technology in the University of Guyana Library
The Assistive Technology Corner was setup in the Library in March 2010. It features the following equipment and software specifically geared to persons with sight & hearing difficulties. Listed below are some of them:
SARA - Scanning and Reading Appliance
Freedom Scientific's SARA™ (Scanning and Reading Appliance) is an affordable and easy-to-use solution for those with low vision or who are blind or deaf-blind. The SARA enables the reading of a wide variety of printed material including books, documents, mail, newspapers, magazines, and so much more. Using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, the SARA works like a computer scanner that recognizes text, translates it into speech, then reads the text aloud.
TOPAZ™ - Desktop Video Magnifier w/ 19" LCD Monitor
TOPAZ™ Desktop Video Magnifiers make seeing type, handwriting, and small details easier than ever before. Just place a letter or picture on the movable Glide Table, and adjust the magnification level and display colors to work best for your eyesight. Your document displays in super-large size on the screen. Anything that fits on the Glide Table can be magnified.
Product Features
• LCD monitor - adjustable height and tilt for your viewing comfort
• Magnification dial - adjust magnification from 3 times up to 78 times the actual size
• Color Panel - Simple, accessible controls for color selection and brightness
• Position Locator Beam - Easily guides you to rxact document placement
• Reading Table - generous size, with fingertip control and wide side-to-side motion
A computer with hardware & software customized for persons with audio/visual disabilities. The Software includes:
JAWS® Screen Reading Software Professional –
The most popular screen reader worldwide, JAWS® for Windows® works with your PC to provide access to today’s software applications and the Internet. With its internal software speech synthesizer and the computer’s sound card, information from the screen is read aloud, providing technology to access a wide variety of information, education and job related applications. JAWS also outputs to refreshable braille displays, providing unmatched braille support of any screen reader on the market.
Premier Predictor Pro
Premier Predictor Pro is a voice output word prediction program designed for use by individuals with learning or upper extremity disabilities. The program displays a word list next to the cursor as the user types in any program on the computer, displaying the most probable word at the top of the list. The words are read aloud as the user moves up and down the list with the arrow keys. When the user selects a word, it is entered automatically into the document. A built-in talking dictionary enables the user to hear the definition to make sure that the selected word is the right one. Word prediction is adjustable by grade level, and the program includes word prediction in French, English, and Spanish. Word Search allows the user to search for a word. Dictionaries of medical terminology are included.
Dragon Naturally Speaking
Dragon Naturally Speaking is a speech recognition software that allows the user to dictate documents naturally and control applications using simple voice commands.
iCommunicator Kit 5.2
The iCommunicator program helps persons who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or those with other communication challenges achieve two-way communication. It is an interactive solution to communication accessibility needs in educational, workplace, and public access venues. The iCommunicator is also a teaching tool that helps improve literacy skills. The iCommunicator software program converts speech into multiple streams of data for simultaneous presentation of text, video-sign language, and computer-generated speech. The iCommunicator software works with Dragon Naturally-Speaking speech recognition software allowing you to train your computer to recognize voice and speech patterns. The program stores these voice fi les for immediate access.