Computer
The Lilac Services For The Blind offers another valuable service for blind and visually impaired individuals. Our adaptive computer lab has trainers that provide demonstrations and training for a variety of magnification, speech and Braille products that can enhance your computer abilities and independence at home, work and school environments. The following lists some of the products that are provided training:
Screen Reading Software
- JAWS for Windows JAWS works with your PC to provide access to today’s software applications and the Internet. With its internal software speech synthesizer and the computer’s sound card, information from the screen is read aloud, providing technology to access a wide variety of information, education and job related applications. JAWS also outputs to refreshable Braille displays.
- Connect-Outloud This program is designed for the beginning to experienced blind or low vision computer user to access the Internet through speech and Braille output. It allows you to surf the Web, send and receive email and create documents in the easy to use Freedom Scientific word processor and supports most popular Braille displays and notetakers. There are no complicated configurations to learn or difficult menus to navigate. The Eloquence speech synthesizer for seven languages is included.
- Window-Eyes Window-Eyes gives control over what you hear and how you hear it and provides enhanced Braille support. Converts components of Windows operating system into synthesized speech allowing for complete and total access to Windows based computer systems. Applications that utilize standard Microsoft controls will be spoken automatically with little to no configuration necessary.
Voice Recognition Software
- Dragon NaturallySpeaking This continuous speech voice recognition software program turns speech into text. You can dictate into virtually any windows-based application. Dragon NaturallySpeaking delivers significant benefits to disabled PC users looking to optimize productivity with their PCs.
- JawBone Some users of the JAWS screen reading software like to benefit from the advantages provided by Dragon NaturallySpeaking continuous speech voice recognition software. JawBone is a specialized interface software program that enables the coordinated use of Dragon NaturallySpeaking and JAWS for Windows (version 4.0 and higher).
Screen Magnification Software
- MAGic MAGic combines screen magnification of 2x to 16x with screen reading when purchased with the speech option. It gives you the ability to choose the information you want read from the screen as you navigate your applications. MAGic has talking large print installation, color-coded user interface and hot keys that avoid conflicts with Windows and software applications.
- ZoomText This magnifier and optional screen reader program magnifies everything on the screen from 2x to 16x and echoes typing, reads information pointed to by the mouse, and speaks program events as they occur. Flexible verbosity settings give you complete control over the amount of information spoken. Select a full-screen zoom window to maximize viewing area, or a partial-screen zoom window to see the normal screen and it's magnified view simultaneously. Up to six zoom windows can be displayed at the same time, each monitoring a different area of the screen.
- BigShot BigShot is a low cost magnification program that allows the computer user to fine tune the screen for more comfortable viewing. With 20 levels of magnification from 100 to 200 percent, this program allows its users to focus on their work without straining to see the screen.
Scan and Read Products
- OpenBook OpenBook software allows you to convert printed documents or graphic based text into an electronic text format using accurate optical character recognition and quality speech. Its low vision tools allow you to customize how the document appears on your screen, while other features provide portability. It also provides the flexibility to use either of the two text to speech software synthesizers: RealSpeak and ViaVoice. RealSpeak features a natural, human-sounding voice that can help enhance your reading experience. This program also supports most hardware speech synthesizers.
- OmniPage Pro This scanning software uses optical character recognition (OCR) to scan printed pages into a readable and editable format. You can scan letters, newspapers, books, magazines, and other printed material directly into applications such as Microsoft Word. The RealSpeak Text-to-Speech feature included in OmniPage Pro enables you to hear recognized texts read aloud.
- VERA VERA is a stand-alone reading machine that is designed for those who are blind or with low vision that want to continue reading easily and independently. It takes a picture of your printed material with its scanner and then reads the text in crisp, clear speech through an internal synthesizer. You can also view it on a computer monitor or television in large format. The keypad has large keys with colorful tactile markings and intuitive placement. You can read a page continuously, line-by-line or word-by-word, and save documents or entire books in its simple file system.
Notetakers
- Braille Lite 40 The Braille Lite 40-cell refreshable Braille notetaker provides several features from a complete word processor to a personal organizer, and more. The 40 character Braille display provides ample space for reading documents or even entire electronic books and articles. Scroll through volumes of materials with Braille Lite 40's two advance bars and the 40 cursor routers allow you instant movement to any cell on the display, for fast and easy editing. Combine the Braille Lite 40 with popular screen access software such as JAWS for Windows and you have a world-class 40-cell display for your PC.
- Type ‘n Speak This is a notetaker that gives you the combination of speech with a standard typewriter style keyboard. At two pounds, and about the size of a legal size sheet of paper, the Type 'n Speak lets you input and edit directly into the memory and instantly read back the information through the internal speech synthesizer at the press of a single command. It has complete word processing capabilities including a spell checker. The built-in Braille keyboard gives you the option of using a six-key Perkins-style input mode to enter information in either Grade 1 or Grade 2 Braille.
- PAC Mate This Pocket PC personal data assistant device offers users an integrated Braille option. These units provide the same direct access to everyday Windows-based desktop data and software applications and use JAWS for the speech output. Run Pocket PC versions of popular software programs to manage your information internally or sync up and share data with other devices. Surf the Internet and send and receive email with the addition of a modem.
Braille Translation Software
- Duxbury Duxbury software is designed to allow users to create highly accurate Braille for school textbooks, teaching materials, office memos, schedules, personal letters and more. Where you need to be sure of "perfection," it is recommended to make use of proofreading by a knowledgeable Braillist.
- MegaDots This DOS Braille translator program has powerful features for the volume transcriber and producer. Its straightforward, style-based system and automated features let the user create Braille with only a few keystrokes and control each step MegaDots follows to format, translate and produce Braille documents.
Learn about the following programs while working with the above adaptive software:
Microsoft Windows
Internet Explorer
Outlook Express
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Please contact our agency with your computer questions or to arrange an appointment with an adaptive computer lab trainer.
Telephone: (509) 328-9116 or 1-800-422-7893
E-mail: info@lilacblind.org
Computer Donations Needed
Do you have a Pentium computer you wish to donate? We have blind and visually impaired participants who could use a computer to enhance their lives in many special ways. You can use your donation as a tax deduction. We’ll pick up your donated computer at your request. On behalf of our blind and low vision computer users, your contribution would be most sincerely appreciated!
