Where It's AT – Assistive Technology Blog

Introducing E.A.S.Y  LLC

Contributed by Joel Zimba, Special Projects Coordinator, MDTAP

The In TACT product line for tactile graphics from E.A.S.Y LLC takes traditional raised-line drawing kits to a new level.  Until now, erasing the raised-line drawings made with a product like the Draftsman has been impossible.  The In TACT Eraser can accurately smooth the raised drawings made on the thin plastic film used in freehand drawing kits.

A seemingly trivial advancement you might think.  It’s the difference between using pen and pencil on paper which costs $.30 per sheet.  I can’t count the number of times I had to start a drawing from the beginning when I was studying Geometry.

The next product in the In TACT product line is the In TACT Printer.  The printer can produce a tactile drawing from a digital source.  Previously, nearly all such drawings were made by hand.  The In TACT Printer can reproduce drawings in minutes.  These drawings could be generated by mathematical functions or by any other means, requiring no actual drawing on the part of an instructor.  Upon my request, the In TACT Printer made me a sine wave plotted on an X Y graph.  Groovy!

Finally, the In TACT Tablet can create a digital record of a freehand drawing.  A software developer could create a flow chart with a tactile drawing kit and then save and send the digital image to multiple recipients via E-mail–all of whom could view the image as though it had been drawn with a standard graphics tool like Paint.

In theory, I could use the In TACT Printer to create a tactile version of a colleague’s drawing, modify it with the In TACT Eraser and then add my own changes.  I could then send the new version back to the rest of the design team because my changes had been captured by the In TACT Tablet.

You can find out more about E.A.S.Y. LLC and the In TACT line of products at www.easytactilegraphics.com.

As the saying goes, there’s an app for that. And when it comes to emergency planning for individuals with disabilities, it’s vital to stay connected and be prepared. Whether it impacts access to the home, assistive technology, or services, disaster planning is vital. And now, many federal and state agencies offer apps to make this process a little easier.

Here are just a few:

• FEMA Disaster Planning Smartphone App
• iTunes Disaster Planning Apps
• iTunes American Red Cross Shelter App

Whether you are deaf, hard of hearing, physically impaired, low vision or experiencing other forms of disabilities, access to telephones can be challenging. MDTAP maintains a web page on various resources that may be helpful in acquiring a phone that meets your needs. Learn about the Maryland Accessible Telecommunications Program, free cell phones for individuals with disabilities and more. Read about all of these resources and more here.

WCAG 2.0

Difficulty: Beginner

Category:

• Principles
• Validation

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 is a W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) specification for measuring web accessibility. WCAG 2.0 is based upon four core principles – perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust; or as an acronym – POUR. Ensuring POUR content across disabilities will ensure highly accessible web content. These guidelines are most useful as tools for implementing and evaluating accessibility, but true accessibility is determined by the end user experience, not by compliance to a set of rules. Level AA conformance with WCAG 2.0 is a common standard measure of good accessibility.

How Can a Blind Singer ‘See’ the Choirmaster’s Baton? – Slashdot

Here is a great example of asking the Internet at large for a DIY Assistive Technology Solution.  Several suggestions are made.  The engineering complexity and the costs are weighed.  It’s like a quick brain-storming session between engineers.

We may never know which solution works out in this case.  Feel free to chime in with a few of your own as long as the thread stays open.

http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/13/04/07/1851219/ask-slashdot-how-can-a-blind-singer-see-the-choirmasters-baton?

The Onkyo Corporation is again sponsoring a braille essay contest for people of all ages. Contest winners receive cash prizes valued from $500 to $2,000. The Onkyo Braille essay contest is being administered by the National Federation of the Blind on behalf of the North America-Caribbean Region of the World Blind Union.

Essays must be written by contest participants, in English or their native language, in Braille on paper, and must be completely original in nature. Participants are also asked to submit their essays in electronic format. Entries should be no fewer than 800 words and no more than 1,000 words in length. There will be two groups of competitors-one Junior group, aged 25 and under; and one Senior group, aged 26 and up, and prizes range from $500-$2,000.

Essay topics:
1. How do you acquire knowledge and information through Braille or audio devices? (Illustrate with some interesting personal stories/episodes.)
2. How can blind persons become independent by learning Braille or music?
3. Individual concept about world peace from the viewpoint of persons with disabilities.

All essays must be received by April 30, 2013. Visit http://www.nfb.org/onkyo-braille-essay-contestfor more information and an application. Please contact Trisha Tatam at (410) 659-9314 (ext. 2510) or ttatam@nfb.org if you have any questions.