Where It's AT – Assistive Technology Blog

Server-side Image Maps

Server-side image maps (typically an <img> with the ismap attribute) allows x and y coordinates of where a user clicks the image with a mouse to be sent to a server for processing. For example, for a state map, the x and y coordinates of where the user clicks could be analyzed to direct the user to a web page for the county they clicked. Server-side image maps are not keyboard accessible – one cannot click a particular point on an image using the keyboard. Instead of server-side image maps, client-side image maps (wherein clickable areas or ‘hotspots’ are defined) should be used. Client side images maps (<area> elements with appropriate alternative text and a logical navigation order) are fully accessible to both mouse and keyboard users.

Text Detective 

Contributed by Joel Zimba, MDTAP Special Projects Coordinator

I am often asked which OCR app for the iPhone works best.  There are dozens of apps which claim to perform optical character recognition using the iPhone.  Most of them upload text for processing by servers somewhere in the cloud.  This of course means you must always be connected to the Internet and you are at the mercy of the speed of your connection.

While none of the OCR apps I have tested work nearly as well as the now, somewhat dated, KNFB Mobile hardware and software combination, Prizmo was my choice by far.  To its credit, the somewhat expensive and complex user interface of Prizmo did produce reliable results on my first attempt to recognize text.  Then, everything changed last week when I discovered Text Detective.

I’m coming a bit late to the game. Text Detective has been available for over a month, which is nearly a lifetime in “app years.”  The reviews of Text detective from the Applevis website (http://www.applevis.com) were fairly positive.  There is also a podcast available which demonstrates the utility and limitations, so I decided to part with my hard-earned $1.99.

Text Detective is simple.  Even without reading the included notes on how to begin using the app, I hit the “Start Scanning” button and got reasonable results.  Text Detective works differently from most OCR apps.  It actively looks for text, rather than simply taking a picture and rolling the dice.  Though I wasn’t using the recommended iPhone 4S camera, the app only took a few seconds to find some text and begin processing.  While there were some missing words and letters in my initial attempt, I could easily follow the gist of the letter I tried to scan.  It was definitely enough to perform my usual printed document triage, which greatly reduces the amount of paper clutter in my life.

Text Detective has a long way to go before being a replacement for the KNFB Mobile.  It will not recognize skewed text, and the print must be right-side up.  Also, there is no method of maximizing the scanning area or finding the edges of the document for better scanning.  Text Detective is under active development.  There was a recent update which implemented use of the flash, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it improve in other ways in the near future.

In conclusion, Text Detective is much easier to use than most OCR apps.

It isn’t great, but it makes the best of the camera quality we have in the current iPhones.  I think it is well worth the low “introductory” price of $1.99.

The Maryland Office for Genetics and Children with Special Health Care Needs has developed the “My Health Care Notebook.”

This notebook provides steps on what to include about your child’s health, as well as a variety of printable pages that can be personalized and printed.

Click here for more information on creating a Health Care Notebook.

And click here to access a wide variety of pages including emergency forms, medication forms, mobility information, estate information and MUCH more!

AT in the news for the week of 8/13 – 8/17

Video: An injured soldier’s customized bike accommodates his prosthetic arm for Leadville

Oscar Pistorius, technology, acceptance of the disabled have sparked interest

New French-Language Communication Aid App from MyVoice Inc.

Enabling DIY computing with innovations such as Raspberry Pi and Scratchteam’s programming language

Survey: Accessing Public Transit Buses Using a Ramp

Education wants to tailor Web content to visitors’ disabilities

The self-driving car logs more miles on new wheels

Physically challenged and fashionable

EyeRing voice-activated augmented reality device for the blind

Wheelchair-accessible taxis available in Prince George’s County, MD

Robot exoskeletons push boundaries for disabled

Mobile device helps teach academics, life skills to disabled child

Flutter dress vibrates when it hears loud noises

Access to high tech a challenge for students with disabilities

Nike Asked To Make Special Needs Shoes

Image Maps

Image maps allow an image to have defined clickable areas or ‘hotspots’. These hotspots are defined in the<area>element using coordinates for geometric shapes. The hotspots are navigated by keyboard users in the order in which they are defined in the source code. The order should be logical – usually either left-to-right, top-to-bottom or alphabetically. Because these hot spots provide functionality, every<area>element must have a descriptive alt attribute. The main image may require alternative text if it conveys content that is not conveyed through the individual<area>elements. For example, a map of the state of Utah with hotspots for each county would likely be given alt="Map of counties in Utah".

It’s a pretty good guess that if you’re reading our AT blog then you’re really interested in AT! Of course so are we. And we know that as technology changes and consumers become more and more comfortable with both mainstream and specialized technologies, there’s a greater need than ever to have assistive technology specialists guiding consumers through the AT process. Whether they’re helping someone make a decision on which communication app would best meet a child’s needs or helping an aging parent determine which video magnifier would best work for reading mail and maintaining independence, the need for AT professionals is growing.

For those interested in becoming certified AT Specialists, perhaps the best place to start to learn about the process is http://web.resna.org/certification/index.dot. RESNA, the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America provides extensive information on how to become certified, testing guidelines, and much more.

Additionally, in Maryland, Coppin State University offers an Assistive Technology Certificate Program for AT Specialists interested in enhancing their skill levels. For more information on the graduate certificate program visit http://legacy.coppin.edu/rehabcn/tech.asp.