This page is part of a more comprehensive resource collection
on Disability & Technology. Click
here to visit the Main Page.
Grouping "assistive technologies" according to
disability is probably inappropriate. Joy Zabala,
an NCIP Workshop
Facilitator says it best: "Have you ever been asked what
software would be right for a person with cerebral palsy or Down
Syndrome or any other specific disability? I hope you are smiling
as you read this, for if you know more than one person with a
particular disability, you know that's an unanswerable question
without knowing what the person needs to be able to DO as a
result of using the software. This is not to say that there are
not factors of disability that influence the selection and use of
tools, but that they are secondary to the desired functional use
of the tools." Nonetheless, many web sites do
categorize technology according to disability. If this is your
preferred way of accessing information on this topic, here are
some links that were found under disability-specific sites. Since
the functional needs of people with various disabilities overlap,
you may wish to visit all of them.
- Canadian National Institute
for the Blind The website of the CNIB which includes
information on the CNIB, their numerous employment
services and ways of promoting access technologies in
Canadian society. The site provides links to other
related sites and also an internal link to CNIB
publications. (Images used are supplied with an
alternatative text option) [ http://www.cnib.ca ].
- Adaptive
Computing Technology Center (ACT) Disability
Resources offers an extensive overview of products for
people with visual impairments, including Braille access,
enlargement of text and speech output. They include a
product description, technical specifications, suggested
retail price, US (& sometimes CDN) distributors. They
do not endorse these products, but each month they do
offer an more in-depth review of one of them. [http://iatservices.missouri.edu/adaptive/].
[More sites below, or Back
to Top]
- Blind
Links is a site has a rich collection of links,
several of which are related to technology. Look at
Adaptive technology, Mobility & Braille, Books &
magazines, and even the category on Commercial sites has
much helpful info. Like so many of these sites, the links
are not annotated so you have to surf 'n see. [http://seidata.com/~marriage/rblind.html].
- B&R Samizdat
Express is a gigantic site with a quirky collection
of links. For some reason, it contains considerable info
on disabilities and especially visual impairments. The
site manager, Richard Seltzer includes links to
electronic texts and several of his own articles on
Disability and the Internet. [http://www.samizdat.com/disabilities.html].
- Audiotech -
Assistive Devices for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is
a product and service company with up to date ideas on
adaptive technology. Note that they are part of a "webring" which
links you to many other related websites. [ http://www.hearingcenteronline.com/].
- Deaf
Education Database is part of a larger disability
site at the University of Edinburgh. Search this site via
the A-Z index or the topic index. Under topics, go to
education & resources and then Publications and
Assistive Devices. [http://call-centre.cogsci.ed.ac.uk/SSC/DEDbhome.html].
- Microsoft
Accessibility Options for Hearing Impairments ~ built right into to
every computer using Windows, yet few people know enough to take advantage
of these features. [http://www.microsoft.com/enable/guides/hearing.htm]
- Harris
Communications is a commercial site, but offers a thorough overview of
the kinds of devoices that can aid individuals who are deaf and hard of
hearing. [http://www.harriscomm.com/acb/index.cfm?ncp=yes&DID=7]
- The Deaf
and Hard of Hearing section of AbilityHub introduces you to several
helpful devices. Check out the entire site! [http://www.abilityhub.com/hearing/index.htm]
- Designing
An Accessible World. The link described above is part
of a larger site maintained by the Trace Research and
Development Center at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison. This link to the section on
accessibility discusses design principles and guidelines
for computers, telecommunications, products, housing,
recreation and more! [http://www.trace.wisc.edu/world/world.html]. The entire
site [http://www.trace.wisc.edu/index.html]
is highly commendable and worth a visit.
- The
Typing Injury FAQ is a very useful and extensive
resource on RSI and other typing related injuries with
links to information about keyboard and mouse
alternatives. [http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~dwallach/tifaq/].
This category will eventually contain more sites related to
learning difficulties, communication disorders and traumatic
brain injury.
- LD Resources
used to be called "Poor Richard's site". It
includes the somewhat eclectic interests of the site
designer, but LD Articles and Essays is a
goldmine. Most info on technology can now be found under LD
& Writing and under the Resources
section. [http://www.ldresources.com].
- The LD Online Home
Page is a valuable gateway to information on learning
disabilities. Click on LD In-depth on
their program map and then go to the link on Technology.
Here you will find many useful articles on technology -
many of them describing the use of computers to improve
writing and performance. Much of the content has been
created by LD students and their parents/teachers. There
are definitions, discussion groups, audio clips, research
findings and more. They also include links to other sites
on the Web. [http://www.ldonline.org/]
I've tried to include only
those sites that I've judged to be good/great.
If you know of a valuable site that I haven't included here
please let me know.
URL:
http://www.netaccess.on.ca/~galambos/tech2.htm
Site maintained by: Diane Galambos
[http://www.netaccess.on.ca/~galambos/]
Copyright: You are welcome to reproduce all or
part of this page, electronically or in print on the condition
that you reference the source.
Last revised:
October 04, 2006