Jun 17, 2011
Links:
Viz Wiz app for the iPhone: www.vizwiz.org
Nintendo Wii U: Basic information from Nintendo / Review from AbleGamers
Text/Data-only cell phone plans for the Deaf: http://bit.ly/mrOrXb
Check out our blog: http://blog.eastersealstech.com
Follow us on Twitter: @INDATAproject
Need a transcript? Check this episode's comments.logically
“Hi, this is Wade Wingler with the INDATA Project at Easter Seals Crossroads in Indiana and this… is your Assistive Technology Update—a weekly dose of information that keeps you up to date on the latest developments in the field of technology designed to assist people with disabilities and special needs”
viz wiz
A new project out of the University of Rochester, the free iphone app called Viz Wiz allows blind or visually impaired users to take a photo of objects and ask questions about them. For example, if you really are in the mood for a cherry popsicle but you have several in your freezer you can take a picture of a few of them and ask which one is red and get an answer like “the second one from the left.”
This app relies on real live human workers who are answering the questions which means that you can get answers to questions that a computer might have a hard time addressing.
Nintendo Wii U
Nintendo recently announced the next generation of their incredibly popular gaming console. It’s called Nintendo Wii U (as in the letter “u”) and it’s slated for release in 2012. While many people with cognitive disabilities, autism and age-related challenges may be excited about the new possibilities that the Wii U will bring, our friends at the able gamers foundation are concerned about accessibility of the new Wii console. They cite a challenges for one handed gamers, visually impaired gamers and hearing impaired gamers that might present issues. Visit our site for a link to the able gamers review and more information on the Nintendo Wii U.
cell phones for deaf
People who are deaf or hearing impaired rely on cell phones every day. Did you ever think about how cell phone carriers traditionally cell their services? Text messages are extremely useful for people who are Deaf, but have traditionally been tied to voice plans that are generally not helpful to Deaf users who rely solely on texting. To address this problem, most carriers now offer a data-only service. These services start at around at $30 per month and generally include unlimited access to text messages and email.
“Want more? Find links to all this great new technology at check out our blog at
EasterSealsTech.com or follow us on Twitter @INDATAProject. Until next time, this has been your Assistive Technology Update.”