Adaptive Equipment

Large Print Programs are used to magnify computer screens.  There are programs that can magnify the screen between 1x to 2x, and from 2x to 16x.  Some programs also offer voice output.  Large print programs allow the user to magnify any "standard" program.

Speech Output Programs are used to provide audio information about what is happening on the computer.  Speech programs allow the user to control the operating system of the computer and have full control over most computers that can be run.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) programs are used with scanners to provide electronic access to printed materials.  OCR programs can scan a printed page, automatically recognize the text, and read the information.  Some programs are capable of reading multiple languages, and have the ability to save the document in popular word processing formats.

Miscellaneous Helpful Programs - These are programs that I have found helpful while working with assistive technology.

The Technology Manufacturers Page is a list of companies that make products or have services for people.  The Vendors and Catalogs Page provides links to New England Sales Representatives and Catalog Vendors.

The following topics will be completed in the near future. 

Closed Circuit Televisions (CCTV's) can be used to enlarge and enhance the contrast of printed documents.  There is a wide variety of CCTV's to accommodate different needs and tasks.  CCTV's range in price from about $300 to $5000.

Electronic Text Conversion programs have the ability to take electronic text documents (like Word documents on your computer) and turn them into audio files.   This is an inexpensive way to create a WAV or MP3 file of any document.