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Home Appliances for the Blind

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Appliances for the Blind

There are many exciting new developments in the world of home appliances for those who are blind or who suffer from low vision. Whether one is looking for a new range top, a microwave, the latest dishwasher, or even a new washer and dryer combo, most appliance manufacturers are becoming more innovative in their inclusion of blind-friendly tools and technology in their products. These include specially-designed displays, raised fonts and braille on appliances, and even voice-activated controls. The blind and those with low vision have never had as many exciting options to choose from as they do today.

Choosing the Right Appliance

All this being said, these features are of little or nor value unless the user first knows how to use them and is comfortable doing so. It is therefore important to spend some time in research before making such a significant and expensive investment. One of the first questions to ask is this: “What are the most important features I need in this appliance?” It is also helpful to determine one’s comfort level with technology. A refrigerator might have all of the bells and whistles (and the price tag to match), but unless you know how to take advantage of those features, they will be of little or no benefit to you.

Braille Still a Central Feature on Appliances

It is also important to determine how critical it is for braille to be included on your new appliance. Manufacturers are including braille characters with some devices, and of course they can also be added using a braille stamp machine or labeler. For those with low vision, several of the major brands are including such things as large LED-displays or raised-print fonts to allow you to easily use their products. In all cases, remember to do your research before you arrive in the showroom. It is easier to succumb to the pressure of a salesperson if you haven’t first decided what you actually need beforehand. Happy shopping!

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Filed Under: Advancements, Blindness, Support, Technology Tagged With: , , ,

Braille Technology Today

Braille Technology Today

Advances in Braille technology are making it possible for many in the blind community to more easily read and write using braille. Some of these devices are designed to produce Braille books, while others give people the ability to read books and information using a computer or the Internet. As you would expect, some of these are both easy to use and inexpensive, while others are more complex and come with a higher price tag. Listed below are a few of the many tools now available for braille users to employ in schooling, work or home.

Slate and Stylus

In the inexpensive column, perhaps the most basic and easy tools to use are the slate and stylus. In many ways similar to using pencil and paper, slates are created by placing two thin sheets of plastic or metal together with a hinge to attach them in place. The slate is then opened in order to hold a piece of paper. At the top there are several rows of openings that match the shapes and sizes of Braille cells. The user then takes a stylus, which is a pencil-like object with a handle, to emboss or indent dots onto the paper being held by the slate. The indentations on the slate are designed to keep the stylus from tearing the paper below. Both slates and styluses are available in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and colors.

Braille Displays

On the more advanced and expensive side, braille displays are machines built with a row of cells or characters made of metal or plastic pins. These pins are then controlled by use of computer, moving up and down while displaying, in braille, the various characters are they appear on the display. One of the exciting aspects of this technology is its flexibility, given that it changes according to the user’s movements on the computer monitor. Generally these displays sit beneath a computer keyboard.

Filed Under: Advancements, Braille, Technology Tagged With: , ,

Technology Opening New Doors to the Blind

Technology Opening New Doors to the Blind

For those who are blind or who suffer from low vision, this is an exciting time to be alive. Advances in technology are rapidly and permanently opening new doors that have long been closed to these individuals. In some ways this can be overwhelming to someone who has had to live with some degree of imposed limitation for at least some portion of their life. Now that these limitations are disappearing, a blind person must begin to view the world in a new and at first unfamiliar way. People that haven’t had to face the everyday struggle of living in a sightless world may sometimes lack empathy for these individuals, which is understandable. It is ultimately up to each blind or sight-impaired person to determine how they will employ technology in their lives.

Assistive or Adaptive Technology: What is it?

One of the more exciting developments in recent years has been the emergence and incremental improvement of assistive or adaptive technology. There are many different types and categories of tools available, including such things as electronic braille readers, digital book players, computer software and computer scanners, large print calculators, and others. These items can range in cost from a few dollars to a thousand dollars and up. The most basic definition as to what one of these devices are is this: Any tool or device that provides greater ability and freedom to someone who otherwise would lack these things. it is important to note that with many of these tools, first having a basic understanding of braille makes them much more effective and helpful.

Is Braille Still Important?

For this and many other reasons, being “conversant” in braille is as vital a skill for the blind in today’s world as it has ever been. Although there are some both within and outside the blind community that have advocated for a decrease in the value placed upon learning and using braille, the evidence is clear that this is still a critical capability to have in the world today.

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Braille in the New World

The numbers are striking. Based on recent surveys, there are close to 60,000 children in the United States that are legally blind. Of these, it is estimated that only ten percent or less of these children are using Braille as their main means of reading. In comparison, it is estimated that close to 50% of legally-blind children were using Braille in 1960. Although there are several reasons for this decline, including decreases in school budgets and changing philosophies regarding how blind children should be educated, the biggest impact has likely come from technological advancements.

Technology Opening New Doors to the Blind

Particularly among young people, the development of technological tools such as speech readers, audio books and Braille writers have led to a decrease in this age group’s use of traditional Braille. Although some in the blind community have concern over this, it is generally considered to be a positive development. If the goal is to increase the range and depth of learning for the sight-impaired, then the means employed to obtain this should be of secondary importance. Using advanced technology also has positive social ramifications for legally-blind children, since use of the Internet and more particularly social networks such as Facebook, give these children ample opportunity to develop new connections.

Braille Still a Doorway to the World

Without question, the learning of Braille should still be encouraged among all age groups and social classes. Just as learning the piano is considered an important gateway to learning how to play any other musical instrument, learning Braille prepares children that are blind to more easily learn and use all of the more cutting-edge tools available for learning now available in the 21st century. Although those without vision certainly still face hurdles as they make their way through a sightless world, technology is increasingly knocking those hurdles down, or at the least making them easier to clear. Everyone with an interest in seeing the blind successfully make their way toward a meaningful life should be engaged in promoting any and all tools that will lead to this objective.

Filed Under: Advancements, Braille, General, Support, Technology Tagged With: , , ,

Braille Technology Today

Advances in Braille technology are making it possible for many in the blind community to more easily read and write using braille. Some of these devices are designed to produce Braille books, while others give people the ability to read books and information using a computer or the Internet. As you would expect, some of these are both easy to use and inexpensive, while others are more complex and come with a higher price tag. Listed below are a few of the many tools now available for braille users to employ in schooling, work or home.

Slate and Stylus

In the inexpensive column, perhaps the most basic and easy tools to use are the slate and stylus. In many ways similar to using pencil and paper, slates are created by placing two thin sheets of plastic or metal together with a hinge to attach them in place. The slate is then opened in order to hold a piece of paper. At the top there are several rows of openings that match the shapes and sizes of Braille cells. The user then takes a stylus, which is a pencil-like object with a handle, to emboss or indent dots onto the paper being held by the slate. The indentations on the slate are designed to keep the stylus from tearing the paper below. Both slates and styluses are available in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and colors.

Braille Displays

On the more advanced and expensive side, braille displays are machines built with a row of cells or characters made of metal or plastic pins. These pins are then controlled by use of computer, moving up and down while displaying, in braille, the various characters are they appear on the display. One of the exciting aspects of this technology is its flexibility, given that it changes according to the user’s movements on the computer monitor. Generally these displays sit beneath a computer keyboard.

Filed Under: Braille, General, Support, Technology Tagged With: , , , ,

What a Pulse Oximeter Does for Blood . . .

Fingertip Pulse Oximeter

Image via Wikipedia

. . . a cane does for a blind person. It may sound like a harsh statement, but it’s quite true, and very innocent. There are 161 million blind people in the world. A blind person’s cane is an excellent tool. It can be helpful in maintaining balance, or to ensure that a blind person’s path is clear.

A pulse oximeter is a device that fits on a person’s finger and measures the oxygen level in a person’s blood. A specific oxygen level reading can be taken from a blood sample, but only this device allows a continuous monitoring of the blood. A blind person’s cane does much the same thing, constantly monitoring the area around them.

Blindness appears all throughout history. It was a disease that was untreatable by medical science until the last hundred years or so. Steps were taken to aid them, specifically the development of the Braille alphabet by Louis Braille in 1821; specially designed canes; ideas such as the ridges on coins that are designed to help blind people identify each denomination; or Braille watches, calculators, iPods, GPS devices, and so forth.  Within the last few decades, laser technology has paved the way for surgeries that can make a world of difference. While some stages of blindness are still beyond healing, many of the less-advanced onsets can be staved off or completed cured.

Blindness was once misunderstood. Blind people were looked down on, maltreated, and ostracized. Now, however, others are gaining understanding, looking for and finding cures for this disease, and finding ways for blind people to live normal, unhampered lives. While certain aspects of a blind life and a seeing life will continue to be different, those differences are nominal compared to what they once were.

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