VI Unit/Assistive Technology Room Hardware
JAWS: JAWS (Job Access With Speech) is a computer screen reader program for Microsoft Windows that allows blind and visually impaired users to read the screen either with a text-to-speech output or by a Refreshable Braille display. In the University, Jaws allows VI students to perform all the basic IT components of their study including email, word processing and access to the universities virtual learning environment.
MyReader 2: The myReader2 video magnifier is an auto-reader for low vision from HumanWare. You quickly take images of book or magazine pages and myReader2 rearranges the text onscreen. This is called Text Reflow, and is a far simpler and more accessible way to read text from the screen, without the need to scroll around a document. You choose how you prefer the text to appear, making reading easy again. MyReader2 lets you store 10 pages at a time and provides the best reading experience of any desktop magnifiers.
Desktop Magnifiers: As with the myReader 2, desktop magnifiers allow you to see printed materials enlarged on a screen using CCTV technology. These magnifiers are simpler to use but offer less advanced features.
Braille embosser: The braille embosser allows for the printing of hard copies of braille documents. These documents can even include diagrams, charts and graphs as well as standard braille text.
ZoomText: This software enlarges and enhances everything on your computer screen, making all of your applications easy to see and use. It allows for the display of crystal clear text at all magnification levels.
Read and Write: This software from Texthelp offers a range of features to help with study, including a number of useful tools for visual impairments. These include screen reading tools and the ability to convert documents to sound files you can listen to on a phone or MP3 player.
If you have any questions about assistive software, please ask out Assistive Technology Advisor, Thomas Welsh.
Our Disability Assistants provide one-to-one assistance to disabled students with specified tasks, such as:
- Taking notes in class on behalf of students, most commonly D/deaf students or students who have difficulty with note taking due to a physical impairment.
- on-campus mobility and other physical tasks
- assisting in the production of accessible format materials
When a student requires the support of a Disability Assistant, the Disability Adviser will create a written agreement which details the nature of the support to be provided. Both the student accessing the support, and the Disability Assistant, will be asked to adhere to this agreement.
