ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND ACCESSIBILITY

There are many technological aids for those with vision loss. Though the focus of this website is on vision loss due to a NAION event that usually only affects one eye, there are those that have had another event affect their other eye. This page lists some of the technologies available to those with vision loss in both eyes.

Let’s break this down into categories:

1. Magnification Tools:
– Digital magnifiers
– Handheld magnifiers
– Desktop video magnifiers (CCTV)
– Screen magnification software

2. Text-to-Speech (TTS) and Screen Readers:
– JAWS (Job Access With Speech)
– NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access)
– VoiceOver (for Apple devices)
– TalkBack (for Android devices)

3. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Apps:
– KNFB Reader
– Seeing AI
– Voice Dream Scanner

4. Navigation Aids:
– GPS apps designed for visually impaired users (like BlindSquare)
– White canes (for those with more severe vision loss)
– Guide dogs (for those with more severe vision loss)

5. Smart Home Devices:
– Voice-controlled assistants (Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomePod)
– Smart lightbulbs and thermostats

6. Specialized Devices:
– OrCam MyEye (wearable device that reads text, recognizes faces, and identifies products)
– eSight (electronic glasses that enhance vision for some types of visual impairment)

7. Computer Accessibility Features:
– High contrast modes
– Cursor enlargement
– Text-to-speech for document reading

8. Mobile Device Accessibility:
– Voice control
– Dictation features
– Adjustable text size and contrast

9. Audiobook Services:
– Audible
– Bookshare (for those with print disabilities)

10. Adaptive Sports Equipment:
– Beeping balls for sports
– Tandem bicycles

It’s important to note that the level of assistive technology needed will vary greatly depending on the extent of vision loss. Those with unilateral vision loss may need less intensive aids compared to those with binaural vision loss.

Would you like me to expand on any of these categories or discuss how they might be specifically relevant to people with NAION?