Visually Impaired Students in Biology Labs

There is currently research being done to help create assistive technology to be used for visually impaired students in biology labs. The research is being done by University of Pune and is in the works to help create maximum independence for students. The goal is that this will help increase the students' love of science and overall confidence. I remember the best part of science class being when the instructor would announce "lab time." It was so much easier to learn the concepts of science when I was able to apply them in the lab. I am thrilled that the University of Pune is doing research in assistive technology in order to help bring the job of "lab time" to the visually impaired.

For a link to the full article, please visit:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/research-backs-assistive-technology-to-help-visually-impaired-in-bio-labs/1054284/0

To visit EmpowerTech's website, please visit:

http://empowertech.org/

Independence for Teens and Parents

Here is a great article by Quest Online Magazine about how teens can become more independent and how to transition into becoming adults. The article goes through important categories such as timing, assistants, and resources to help further the discussion. It is always a hard topic to address, but independence is a great step to work towards.

Read the article at:
http://static.mda.org/publications/Quest/q32teens.html

Another resource that may be helpful is our own EmpowerTech organization. We help individuals with disabilities to establish independence through the use of technology. We also have a program to help prepare students for employment.

Please visit us at:
http://empowertech.org/

The Blind Geek Zone

The Blind Geek Zone is a blog that allows people that are blind to keep in touch with the latest technologies available. Here is the link to the blog that includes podcasts and reviews of these technologies:

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0014t-KgSFbzs-zksy42hL0ZVeS7AX2IUcxBnfu077jG2DKeUMBT10kmb-yX9Hg0OW_6NUxenCOUmDXSEshHCEJ14-bWJDQzYyGNv5DNFECpEhpQEr3apgRBGslsr-uhFwLSVAaBrCOKWY=

2013 Technology Advances to Watch

James Temple, a Chronicle Columnist, recently published an article outlining what are the five areas of technology he will be looking for this upcoming year. We have listed them and summarized why their advances are so important.What is so fascinating about all of these innovations is how revolutionary they are. As an organization that uses technology to help people with disabilities, these new advances, like artificial intelligence and gesture control, are sure to help us in our mission to empower the disabled.

Personal Robotics:
With successful robotic lifeguards and Google's robotic cars that have logged more than 300,000 miles on the road, personal robotics is an area that will constantly be improving, and it is only a matter of time before personal robots are a regular presence in our lives.

Context-Aware Computing:
Millions of people regularly use services like Apple's Siri and Google Now, services that represent sophisticated artificial intelligence, so an update in these soft-wares are sure to occur in the near future.

Electric Vehicles:
Electric vehicles have made extreme progress and continue to develop "new cheaper, and smaller options." Electric vehicles like the Hiriko can go up to 75 miles on a single charge, an appeal that is sure to stimulate more developments. 

3-D Printing:
Artificial limbs, drones, and homes have all been successfully built by 3-D Printers. The 3-D Printers "spit out layers of metals, plastics, and other materials to form just about anything."

Gesture Control:
The company, Leap Motion, is set to begin shipping its much anticipated gesture control product early this year. The product will allow user to control a computer using mid-air hand movements. 

To view the full article, visit:

http://www.sfgate.com/technology/dotcommentary/article/2013-technology-advances-to-watch-4158790.php?cmpid=twitter%20…#page-2

Video-Games for People with Disabilities

At EmpowerTech, we teach people with many different disabilities how to use technology, including computers. One may ask, how does someone that is blind or with low-vision use a computer without being able to see the screen? Using technology such as JAWS, a computer software with a speech synthesizer, students are able to use the computer to do numerous tasks such as use Microsoft Word or send an email, without needing to see the screen. Tasks such as accessing the web without using the screen may seem daunting to us, but our students make it look easy with their unwavering determination. Another question that may arise is "how does someone that has a disability use entertainment like video-games?" This blog post will address how people with different types of disabilities can use video-games.

Blind Gamers:

To some, entertainment like video-games are considered a necessity. Without accessibility, blind gamers may play 2-dimensional games, like Street Fighter, and memorize how long it takes to get their character from one side of the screen or what it sounds like to use a "spinning flying kick." But, today's 3D technology and games are difficult for a blind gamer to use with those techniques. Because of this, Munawar Bijani, an avid video-gamer, developed the world’s first combat flight simulator for the blind. Bijani, a blind gamer, created the game now called “Three-D Velocity” to take entertainment for the blind to the next level. The game is now regarded as one of the best “audio games” on the market today and has been downloaded over 11,000 times.

Color Blind Gamers: 

Although not every gaming company can create fully accessible audio versions of their games for the blind, companies can create versions of their games that are accessible for color blind users. Sometimes, colorful video games are difficult for color blind gamers to use. Statistics show that 1 in 12 men and 1 in 250 women have a form of color blindness, making the disability widespread enough for gaming companies to consider inclusive gaming. James Herndon offers inclusive tips from Equal Entry:

"1.   Make sure that the colors you use do not convey important information. 

2.   Exaggerate the difference between foreground and background colors. 

3.   Don’t use colors with a similar lightness, no matter how much they differ in saturation. 

4.   Lighten the lighter colors and darken the darker ones."

Gamers with Other Disabilities:

Those strategies will work to make accessible games for color blind users, but what about people with other disabilities? The not-for-profit organization, AbleGamers, works to ensure the inclusion of gamers with all disabilities. This year, AbleGamers honored FIFA 13 with the Accessible Mainstream Game of the Year Award. The prize was given for the PC version of the game, for being “the first high-end mainstream sports game to allow users to control the entire game with only a mouse.” AbleGamers cited that FIFA 13 is a valid product for one-handed gamers or those with muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis. Organizations such as AbleGamers and EmpowerTech show that having a disability does not necessarily mean not accessing technology such as computers or video-games. For more information on the articles used in this blog post, please see below.

Resources:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/12/16/videogames-for-the-blind.html

http://www.bpcprograms.com/games/three-d-velocity 

http://g3ict.org/resource_center/newsletter/news/p/id_398

http://www.policymic.com/articles/21924/fifa-13-awarded-most-accessible-game-for-disabled-gamers