Assistive Technology for Visually Impaired

What is Assistive Technology

Assistive technology describes any piece of equipment, device, tool, or software that helps someone overcome their limitations. In particular, assistive technology helps people with disabilities, neurodivergence, and Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) overcome their challenges and complete tasks and activities. 

In general, assistive technology increases engagement and productivity for many people. This includes those who may be managing conditions such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, autism, mobility issues, or hearing and vision loss. Demand for assistive technology tools is rising, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) predicting that 3.5 billion people will depend on assistive technology by 2050.  And there are a range of tools that can help these growing numbers. 

So, let’s take a look at some examples of assistive technology and the differences between them. 

How Can Assistive Technology Benefit People With Visual Impairments?

Finding the most appropriate assistive technology for visually impaired people shouldn’t be too hard to do. That’s because there’s a wide range of devices, tools, aids, and software programmes out there to match the needs of people who have visual challenges. 

Most assistive technology for visually impaired people includes some form of audio cue. Audio cues and prompts allow users to navigate tasks independently. They also help people with visual impairments imagine what they may be looking at. To showcase the impact of audio cues, here are some examples:  

• Audio descriptions: These support spoken versions of content that go beyond dialogue or narrative. They can include descriptions of characters, costumes, scene details, and any gestures or subtext.  
• Voice control: Many people will know what Alexa is since it’s a leading piece of voice control technology. Greater accessibility across the board means users can easily give their phones or other devices instructions using their voice. 
• Object recognition: Detecting objects is a challenge for people with visual impairments and object recognition helps them overcome this daily challenge. It’s a computer vision technique and form of software that uses algorithms to identify objects and provide audio descriptions. Current IoT object recognition technology is reaching an object detection rate of 99.31%. 
• Screen readers: Screen readers work by rendering images and words into sounds or also braille. They’re often an essential tool for people who are blind or visually impaired.

Can Assistive Technology Benefit Visually Impaired Students?

In a word, yes. Assistive technology can benefit visually impaired students in fundamental ways. Assistive technology impacts learning at all levels, from primary education up to Higher Education. To showcase the impact, here’s a quick list of benefits: 

• Accessibility: Screen readers and audio descriptions enable students to gain better access to educational materials, informational resources, and lectures.  
• Sense of inclusion: Studies have shown that feelings of inclusion can rise by as much as 20% when people with visual impairments use assistive technology.
• More fluid communication: Voice control features and audio cues help blind students communicate with others, letting them access in-person and live discussions. 
• Increased confidence: With better access to the information they need and parity with their peers, visually impaired students will feel more confident about their abilities. 
• Better academic performance: Greater access to information, stronger communication, and a better sense of inclusion all lead to higher chances of academic performance.

Example List of Assistive Technology for Visually Impaired

It’s worth noting that visual impairment is common and rates are rising. The WHO estimates that over 1 billion people have visual impairment ranging from blindness to mild vision impairment. Further studies also estimate the number of people with blindness will accelerate to over 100 million by 2050. 

Thankfully, a range of assistive technology for visually impaired people exists which can help. So, let’s run through some of the devices, applications, and software programmes available that you may want to consider.  

Dictation Software

Dictation software makes use of voice control to make writing possible or much easier for people with visual impairments or blindness. It usually features voice recognition software to help users type out words when they speak commanding instructions into the app or software. 

A good example of fast and accurate dictation software is TalkType. It’s compatible with every type of app and you can access it through your browser. TalkType recognises specialist language and is entirely based on voice control. This lets you command and instruct the programme using only your voice.     

Screen Reader Technology

Screen readers come in a variety of forms. Some offer screen magnification while others use audio descriptions to relay information on the screen to the user. Apps like Google’s TalkBack use a combination of screen reading, vibrations, and sound alerts to support users as they browse the internet using Chrome. This combination helps users check notifications and navigate apps or social media channels without the need to see the screen in front of them. 

Keyboard Navigation

For people who may have milder visual impairments, keyboard navigation technology may be enough to gain access to proper functionality when using a computer. Keyboard navigation tools include large print keyboards, trackballs with separate mouse buttons, and braille-based keyboard stickers.  

Braille Keyboards

An alternative to adding braille stickers to a keyboard is to source a braille keyboard directly. Typically, braille keyboards have fewer keys than you’d find on a standard QWERTY keyboard. And each key corresponds directly to one of the six dots in a braille cell. For example, by pressing keys F, S, and D at the same time you’ll produce a single braille character.

Braille Displays

Refreshable Braille Displays (RBD) are electro-mechanical devices that display braille characters on a pad. The pad reveals round-tipped pins that rise through holes in a flat surface to represent words on a screen. 

Audio Labelers

In essence, audio labelers help people label objects or items using audio recordings. They come in different forms ranging from pens to pegs to wands and other types of stylus. Recording new data into these devices helps users create voice-based audio datasets they can refer back to. 

Bone Conduction Headphones

This is a unique type of assistive technology for visually impaired people that uses vibration technology to transmit sound onto the bone area surrounding the ear. By bypassing the need to send sound into someone’s inner ear, they allow users to keep their inner ear functionality as normal. Otherwise, users may drown out surrounding sounds and noises they need to hear while receiving augmentative information from a computer.