What’s New
Web search becomes easier for blind
In August, Eyenews had reported that Google search engine aims to make web search more accessible to visually impaired people. A.O.L., Yahoo! and other search engines are now following the same suit.
A.O.L., a unit of Time Warner Incorporated, will soon update A.O.L. web mail to make it more screen-reader friendly. The revisions, which will be under way by the end of the year, will eliminate the need for users with screen readers, to switch to a separate text-only page.
Talking signs
High-tech signs on buses, traffic signals and landmarks will be installed throughou
Blind people trained online as psychoanalysts
The first batch of 156 people in Beijing have completed an online training and pass
Blind artists offer a different perspective
For these artists, creating often entails touch or imagination.
Masters in Fine Arts
Allama Prabhu Lalithakala Academy has planned to extend distance education programm
Sailing scheme for the visually impaired
It will give visually impaired persons a once in a lifetime chance to learn to sail
Voice-Eye. The new text reader
The ‘Voice-Eye’ is a portable text reader designed to help visually impaired people. It comprises of a barcode scanner 'Voice-Eye Symbol' and a player that reads the text stored in the special Voice-Eye Symbol.
Tactile map for visually impaired
The tactile map uses different pieces of textured paper to delineate obstacles like railings, bushes and fences. A legend on the side of the map helps visually impaired users determine not only what each piece of texture represents, but also the colour. Although confident in her own long-cane skills, Lois Lawrie, president of the Tactile Colour Communication Society (Canada), said blindness usually creates problems.
Partially blind banker excels in squash
He proved just how good he is by winning the 40-44 year age group title at the Squash National Championships at the Delhi Gymkhana Club, recently. ”Squash is my passion,” said Sanjeev Anand after the victory.
Anand is partially sighted. He is a champion in a game that requires immense hand-eye coordination. After losing the first two sets in the final match, Anand kept his hopes alive by wining the third set. He then rallied on to win the fifth and the final set to claim his maiden national title.
Web surfing made easier
This Italian invention will enable blind and sight-impaired people to surf the web and enjoy Internet games.
The invention combines touch-screen surfing and stereo sound systems to offer both tactile and audio stimuli. These signals are fed to the brain via a ‘contact transducer’ that can be slipped over a fingertip.
The device is an invention by scientists at Milan’s Politecnico University (Italy). It is designed to make all Web-based multimedia accessible to the blind people, explained scientists at the Politecnico.
Smart keys make computers easy
U.3.keys are often called smart keys because they can hold software programmmes and settings, as well as data files.
Since software remains on the U.3. key and is not downloaded to a P.C., a user get an open access to any computer. Above all, it ensures privacy. The host computer remains completely unaltered and the user has the full assurance that no personal information will be left behind.
Photography: a new angle to see
Is sight a determinant to good photography? Perhaps no. A visually impaired student took a series of beautifully composed shots of a lush canopy of trees. When asked how he had framed the shots so precisely, he replied that he heard the wind rustle the leaves in a certain way and felt the sun's rays.
Iris and Kfir, both photographers with a strong social conscience, literally stumbled upon the idea on the Internet as they explored ways to contribute creatively to the community.
It means business
In an era of increased corporate responsibility, more and more businesses are keen to see their workplaces reflect the diversity of their employee base. In the past, blind people were left out, but things are slowly changing.
"Employers are definitely becoming more interested in diversity and they are paying to come to our assessment days, because they want to see how they can adapt their (recruitment) tests," said Genevieve Herga of ‘Blind in Business’ (U.K.).
Eye-chip could restore vision
In what can be considered as a break-through, Sandia National Laboratories (U.S.A.) has released a prototype eye-chip that may eventually help to restore sight to blind people.
The chip will be inserted onto the retina and linked to nerves that will send electrical impulses to the brain for processing. The module will receive data from a tiny camera lodged in the frame of a pair of glasses. The current technology should produce 1000 points of light (as compared to millions in the biological eye) and will deliver a yellowish image.
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