Optelec Drives Low-Vision Innovation with the Compact 7 HD.

Optelec U.S. Inc., a world leader in innovative and life-changing assistive technology for people who are blind and low vision, on October 10 announced the launch of the much-anticipated Optelec Compact 7 HD electronic video magnifier.

Designed for users with low vision, the Compact 7 HD offers a truly portable, large seven-inch widescreen with high definition image quality, extreme simplicity and an attractive style. Watch the video below:

The Compact 7 HD makes the every day struggle of reading the newspaper or viewing photos easier for people with vision loss due to retinal eye diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy.

“We speak with thousands of users every month and we continuously hear that those who need a higher magnification enjoy portability but also require a larger screen for every day reading,” said Ivar Illing, Optelec International Product Manager. “The Compact 7 HD fills the gap for this solution with a larger field of view, continuous magnification from two up to 24 times and customizable settings. It’s unlike anything else on the market.”

Weighing less than 1.4 lbs, the Compact 7 HD is easy to take anywhere. For an effortless user experience, the Compact 7 HD features clearly visible and simple to operate controls with powerful functionality.

“Our customers are searching for ways to cope with their low vision and Optelec’s products can have a profound impact on their lives by optimizing the remaining vision,” said President of Optelec U.S. Inc., Stephan Terwolbeck. “The new Compact 7 HD provides high image quality and has a simple design that won’t leave our users frustrated and discouraged.”

The 8-megapixel high definition and auto-focus camera keeps the display text, photos and objects sharp and clear. With only “one-touch” to open, the Compact 7 HD tilts to a raised position for a comfortable and ergonomic viewing angle. The Compact 7 HD also incorporates dual-viewing modes. First, while opened it moves smoothly over reading materials. Secondly, the design allows for distance viewing up to three feet away—perfect for viewing a wall temperature display, daily calendar and more.

Key Features of the Optelec Compact 7 HD:
•Continuous magnification of 2X – 24X
•7-inch high definition full color TFT widescreen display
•Immediate reading with “one-touch” to open and power on
•4-hour continuous use rechargeable battery; large icon battery status
•Patented indirect LED lighting system for even, glare-free illumination
•8-megapixel high definition and auto-focus camera
•Large icon settings and information menu to save user settings
•Adjustable brightness with 19 high contrast and photo viewing modes
•Two reading positions
•Snapshot function with audio indication sounds
•Carrying case, wrist strap and a microfiber screen cleaning cloth
•Portable and lightweight at only 1.4lbs (22.6 oz.)
•Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
•2-year standard warranty

An estimated 21.5 million adult Americans have reported they either “have trouble” seeing, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses, or that they are blind or unable to see at all, according to the 2012 National Health Interview Survey. With the right tools, assistive technology like the Compact 7 HD can improve their quality of life, independence and mobility.

The Optelec Compact 7 HD is now available through the Authorized Optelec Dealer Network. For more information about Optelec and our range of simple and effective low vision solutions, contact us at 800.826.4200 or visithttp://www.Optelec.com or http://www.ShopLowVision.com.

Source: GAATES

New Version of Nokia Screenreader Now Available on the Nokia Store

The highly popular Nokia Screen Reader application, which was released late in 2011 for a limited range of devices and languages, has now been extended to include support for virtually all Nokia Symbian devices released in the last few years. In addition, it now supports a much wider range of languages. And the best part for users: it keeps being a free application!

“We’ve received fantastic feedback since the launch of Nokia Screen Reader 10 months ago,” explains Eduard Sánchez, CEO at Code Factory. “It’s been a great leap forward for affordable accessibility, and Nokia is to be credited for supporting the project. However, many users were disappointed that their phone or language was not supported. With the release of Nokia Screen Reader 1.3, we are delighted to be able to greatly extend the availability of Nokia Screen Reader both in terms of devices and supported languages, to once again break down the barriers of accessibility.”

Major features of v1.3:

• Support for a much wider range of languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish, Italian, Danish, Dutch, Greek, Hindi, Norwegian, Simplified Chinese, Turkish, Arabic, Croatian, Lithuanian, Bengali, Bulgarian, Catalan, Hungarian, Malaysian, Serbian, Slovak, Tagalog, Ukrainian, Vietnamese and Icelandic. Note that some of these languages do not have a corresponding Nokia HQ voice, so it is recommended to use the Nokia standard quality voice for these languages.

• Added the “Voice” option to the UI, which allows users to choose between the Nokia HQ and the Nokia (standard quality) voices. Nokia HQ will still be loaded by default when Nokia Screen Reader is first installed.

• Support for a large number of new devices. The full set of supported devices is now: Nokia 500, 603, 700, 701, 808 PureView, 5320, 5530, 5630, 5730, 6120, 6121, 6210, 6220, 6700 Slide, 6710, 6720, 6790, C5-00, C5 5MP, C6-00, C6-01, C7, E5, E52, E55, E6-00, E63, E66, E7, E71, E71x, E72, E73, E75, N78, N79, N8, N85, N86, N96, N97, N97 Mini, X6 and X7.

• Support for devices running Symbian Belle Refresh and Symbian Belle Feature Pack 2 (FP2) firmware.

• Support for latest version of WhatsApp v2.8.14, the world’s most popular mobile messaging application.

 To find out more information about Nokia Screen Reader visit, http://codefactory.es/en/products.asp?id=425

To access the Nokia Screen Reader user manual, visit, 

http://www.codefactory.es/descargas/nsr/Nokia_Screen_Reader_Manual_English.htm 

You can download Nokia Screen Reader v1.3 from the Nokia Store (either on your phone via the Store app or by connecting the phone to a computer with the Nokia Suite application installed). Search for “Nokia Screen Reader” to download and install this new version. The direct link to Nokia Screen Reader on the Store is http://store.ovi.com/content/224364. Note that sighted assistance may be needed to download the application from the Nokia Store. The installation process however is completely accessible if you leave Nokia Screen Reader running to guide you through the process.

Source: GAATES

Netflix and NAD Reach Historic Agreement to Provide 100% Closed Captions in On-Demand

Netflix Inc. and the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), a non-profit organization, have submitted a joint Consent Decree to a federal court in Springfield, Mass., ensuring closed captions in 100% of Netflix streaming content within two years.

NAD, along with the Western Massachusetts Association of the Deaf and Hearing-Impaired (WMAD/HI) and Lee Nettles, a deaf Massachusetts resident, brought suit against Netflix seeking that commitment in 2010.

The agreement indicates the parties’ mutual intent to increase access for people who are deaf and hard of hearing to movies and television streamed on the Internet. Netflix began its closed-captioning program in 2010. Netflix has increased captioning for 90% of the hours viewed but is now committed to focusing on covering all titles by captioning 100% of all content by 2014.  Captions can be displayed on a majority of the more than 1,000 devices on which the service is available.

Howard A. Rosenblum, CEO of NAD, the lead plaintiff in this case, said, “The National Association of the Deaf congratulates Netflix for committing to 100% captioning, and is thrilled to announce that 48 million deaf and hard of hearing people will be able to fully access Netflix’s Watch Instantly services.”

“We have worked consistently to make the broadest possible selection of titles available to Netflix members who are deaf or hard of hearing and are far and away the industry leader in doing so,” said Neil Hunt, Netflix Chief Product Officer. “We are pleased to have reached this agreement and hope it serves as a benchmark for other providers of streaming video entertainment.”

Netflix will also improve its interface so that subscribers will be better able to identify content that has been captioned in the period until 100% captioning is achieved.  The parties have asked the court to maintain jurisdiction of the case for four years to assure compliance with the terms of the Decree, and plaintiffs will monitor Netflix’s progress.

“We’re so pleased that Netflix worked jointly with plaintiffs to devise a reasonable and workable way to achieve 100% captioning. The Decree is a model for the streaming entertainment industry,” said Arlene Mayerson, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund’s Directing Attorney. “DREDF hopes that this is the beginning of opening the internet for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in streamed entertainment, education, government benefits, and more.”

The Consent Decree is available here: http://dredf.org/captioning/netflix-consent-decree-10-10-12.pdf regarding National Association of the Deaf, et al. v. Netflix, Case No. 3:11-cv-30168.

The plaintiffs are represented by the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund in Berkeley, CA, the Oakland, CA law firm Lewis, Feinberg, Lee, Renaker & Jackson P.C., and the Boston, MA law firm Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak & Cohen, P.C.

Netflix is represented by David F. McDowell and Jacob M. Harper of Morrison & Foerster LLP.

Source: NAD, GAATES

ReadEasy Move for People with Vision Disabilities

GW Micro announces the ReadEasy Move, the first in a new generation of stand-alone digital capture reading systems specifically designed for people who are blind or low vision.

ReadEasy Move

The ReadEasy Move is compact, stylish, lightweight, and easy-to-use.  The ReadEasy Move has an intuitive user interface consisting of only 6 buttons making it the ideal reading solution for people of all ages, whether they are 4 or 104.

“This system is the new generation in the ReadEasy product line,” said Dan Weirich, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for GW Micro. “It’s unique, compact design makes it one of the smallest reading machines available on the market.”

According to Weirich, a person who is blind or low vision can read any printed text by simply placing the text under the ReadEasy Move’s camera and pressing a button.  The system takes a picture and then begins reading the text in a clear, human-sounding voice within a matter of seconds.  The buttons located on the ReadEasy Move are tactile, making it easy to use regardless of your level of vision.

ReadEasy Move customers can add a Keypad Feature Pack to enable more advanced functionality to the ReadEasy Move, such as the ability to save and open files to and from a USB flash drive.  Individuals with low vision can obtain additional benefits from using the ReadEasy Move Low Vision Pack, which allows you to connect the device to a computer monitor to magnify text in addition to reading it.  Add the optional Low Vision Touch Pack (touchscreen monitor sold separately) and instantly turn the ReadEasy Move into a reading system that supports multi-touch gestures much like those used on the iPhone and iPad!  Low vision users can quickly move around a document, adjust magnification and start reading using intuitive touch gestures!

For customers who need access to documents in foreign languages, such as Spanish, French, German, Italian, and others; additional languages can be easily added to the ReadEasy Move.  The ReadEasy Move is the first stand-alone reading machine that can recognize and switch between multiple languages automatically (additional languages sold separately).

The ReadEasy Move is now shipping so place your order today! Customers within the U.S. can contact GW Micro or your local GW Micro dealer to order or for more information.  You can reach GW Micro by phone at (260) 489-3671 or via email at sales@gwmicro.com, or learn more about the ReadEasy Move on the web at 

ReadEasy Move Information.

Source: GAATES

User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG v2.0) Drafts Published

The User Agent Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (UAWG) on October 4 published updated Working Drafts of User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG) 2.0 and Implementing UAAG 2.0. UAAG defines how browsers, media players, and other “user agents” should support accessibility for people with disabilities and work with assistive technologies.

UAAG 2.0 is updated to better address mobile devices and input by speech, touch, and gesture. See the call for review e-mail for a summary of changes. Comments are welcome through 9 November 2012. Learn more about the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).

Source: W3C, GAATES

AbleGamers Foundation to Open First Accessible Arcade for Gamers with Disabilities

The AbleGamers Foundation will be opening its first permanent arcade for gamers with disabilities on Wednesday, October 10 in Washington D.C. public library’s main MLK branch.

 

The Accessibility Arcade offers a hands-on showcase of accessible technology that can enable gamers with disabilities to play mainstream video game systems and titles.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming new and experienced gamers with disabilities of all ages to the library for a unique experience. When properly used, video games can be an important learning tool for literacy, spatial reasoning and curriculum support as well as a wonderful social experience.” said DC Public Library Adaptive Services Division chief Venetia Demson.

The AbleGamers Foundation  aims to make digital media and entertainment more accessible for gamers with disabilities in order to improve their lives.

Source: GAATES

University adapting video game technology to help physically disabled computer users

TOKYO —The University of Tokyo Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (known as “RCAST” for short), in conjunction with Microsoft Japan, has launched trials of new a computer program that utilize Microsoft’s Kinect for Windows technology as a way for physically disabled people to communicate and interact with computers.

For the uninitiated, Kinect is a motion-sensing camera designed for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console and Windows PCs that tracks users’ body movements and is capable of recognizing voice commands. The technology first became available for Xbox users just under two years ago, with Microsoft heralding a new age of gameplay where “you are the controller”, seeing users flapping around their living-rooms like maniacs to control their video games.


While games that utilize Kinect well have been few and far between, it would seem that the technology, once intended as a competitor to Nintendo’s popular Wii console, could soon be changing disabled people’s lives for the better.

As shown in the images below, the clever folks at RCAST have put together an incredible new piece of software, known as OAK (Observation and Access with Kinect), that allows severely disabled people to interact with computers.The system is able to recognize both movement and depth of field, meaning that even users whose movement is heavily restricted could potentially operate a computer.

The Kinect unit’s camera has been optimized to focus on key areas of the user’s body, particularly the face, and, along with the use of voice recognition, allows users to communicate their intentions far more freely than before.With the assistance of the DO-AT support group, the first wave of trials of the OAK system are currently underway across Japan, with physically disabled children invited to test out the new system and provide invaluable feedback for its improvement.

So, even though decent Kinect-controlled videogames remain thin on the ground and many game developers are becoming increasingly shy of utilizing the device, it would seem that the technology still has the potential to do a lot of good.

Source: Japan Today