| Adaptation
|
Description
|
Brand
Name |
Free
or Inexpensive |
| Screen
reader |
Sophisticated
text-to-speech software that uses synthesized speech to read text, menus,
buttons, dialogue boxes, etc. |
|
Downloadable
demos:
|
| Document
reader |
Text-to-speech
software that uses synthesized speech to read what is on the screen or on
the clipboard (but lacks many of the powerful features that a screen reader
has) |
|
|
| Voice
synthesizer |
Hardware
- produces speech output for text-to-speech programs |
|
Contemporary
screen readers do not need this because they use standard sound cards (e.g.,
Sound Blaster) |
| Reading
machine |
Standalone
equipment that scans pages and reads content using synthesized speech |
|
|
| Optical
character recognition (OCR) software (used with a scanner) |
Software
- converts a printed page that has been scanned into electronic format (a
text file) for speech output or storage |
|
Mainstream
products
|
| Text
based browser, web and e-mail |
Software |
|
|
| Portable
Braille note taking device |
Hardware
– portable note taking device with a Braille keyboard and speech output
|
|
|
| Portable
QWERTY keyboard note taking device |
Hardware
- portable note taking device with a QWERTY keyboard and speech output |
|
|
| Braille
translation software |
Software
- converts electronic text into Braille code and formats text for printing
in Braille |
|
|
| Braille
printer |
Hardware |
|
|
| Refreshable
Braille display |
Hardware
- add-on to computer that gives a one line Braille display of what is on
the screen |
|
|
Computer Technologies for Students Who Are Blind