Webliography of Assistive Technology for the Blind or Low Vision
This webliologhaphy contains links to sites that contain infomation about Blindness
and low vision, as well as sites that sell assitive technology
This Webliography has a list of web links to sights for purchasing assistive technology for people who are
blind or have low vision. While some of these links are specifically for students,
others are links to sites for the general population who are blind or have low vision.
http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=44&TopicID=189&DocumentID=2646
This web site has educational interventions
to use in the classroom, plus links to other web sites, and a bibliography for more information.
Approximately 90% of individuals with visual
impairments have functional or low vision; just 10% are functionally blind. However, students with low vision are often an
overlooked majority in the population of children who are visually impaired. Difficulties of students with low vision are
often not as apparent as they are for students who are blind. Nonetheless, students with low vision require direct instruction
in literacy, visual efficiency, accessing the core curriculum, compensatory skills and more. The following educational interventions
are beneficial to students in any school setting.
http://www.viguide.com/
This site contains information on many topics pertaining to parenting and teaching
a child with visual impairments. My name is Betsy Walker and my inspiration for this site is my daughter Katie who is blind due to ROP.
http://www.afb.org/
This site provides general information
which is useful in understanding about blindness or low vision.
Over the last 30 years the educational
field working with children who are blind or have low vision has moved to a more comprehensive look at what education should
be for students with visual impairments. AFB supports the choice of parents and students to decide how to best serve their
individual needs. What is important and true to the spirit of the Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA) is that
not one delivery model fits all children. Each child's placement must be an individual decision. The key is a full array of
service delivery options in school districts available across the country
http://www.nextup.com/TextAloud/assistive-technology-education.html
TextAloud is the assistive technology software that has proven especially
helpful for children and students with a visual impairment. This powerful text to speech tool is used in classrooms across
the world, because it turns what is essentially a text-based medium into something that can be enjoyed even if you can't read
the screen. With the help of assistive technology, everyone can reap the benefits of the Internet, email and textual information.
In today's world, students everywhere depend on online sources for homework and academic projects - and when all text is read
out loud in a clear, human-like voice, anyone with a visual disability can do the same.
There are many text-to-speech software
products on the market these days. But, when it comes to value, it’s hard to beat TextAloud MP3. NextUp.com has designed a product that converts digital text to audio and further enhances it with
portability potential. It’s a product that will increase the appeal of text-to-speech for people who lack the time or
ability to read. If these flexible features aren’t enough to get your attention, consider the price. It’s just
$24.95 (US)
to purchase TextAloud MP3 via download, or you can get it on CD with the optional premium AT&T Natural Voices for a total
of $51.90 (US) including shipping. At these prices, TextAloud
MP3 is one of the most cost-effective and useful utilities you can purchase.
TextAloud MP3 can be purchased on-line
at www.nextup.com. Consumers who want to learn more about this software before making a decision
can download a free fully functional 20 day trial from the company’s web site.
http://www.freedomscientific.com/
Welcome to Freedom Scientific,
the world’s leader in assistive and adaptive technology for individuals who are blind, or have low vision or learning
disabilities. Our products include screen reading software for the blind, magnification software for those with low-vision,
and other products for accessible scanning and reading, as well as braille displays, notetakers, and the world’s leading
accessible PDA for the blind.
http://www.nyise.org/vendors.htm
This website has excellent links to sources
for purchasing adaptive technology for the Blind or the visually impaired.
Vendors specializing
in technology for the blind
