The most popular touchscreen devices, including iPhones, iPads, Windows 8 tablets and Android devices have screen readers installed. This makes them able to be used by people who are blind.
Using the case study of retired football star Steve Gleason, the 60 second ad details how eye tracking software on a Microsoft Surface tablet can be used to by people with severely limited mobility to communicate.
Gleason was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2011, and has since lost the mobility of his limbs and the ability to speak. Gleason communicates by focusing his eyes on a tablet computer with software that detects where he is looking. With this, Gleason is able to speak, write and even tweet.
The announcementstates that Window-Eyes will be available globally to anyone using Microsoft Office 2010 or later, saving users from paying $1,022. GW Micro states that the decision was a result of an increasingly critical need for people who are blind or vision impaired to have reduced barriers to technology access.
The first video, Kindle Fire for low vision users (embedded below), demonstrates how to customise the magnification, colour and font settings to make the tablet easier to use for people who are vision impaired.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3B1lTBKWjk
Watch the Kindle Fire for low vision users video with captions on YouTube
Screen readers are pieces of software which enable people who are blind to use computers, smartphones and tablets. They work by converting text and other information into synthetic speech. There are many different screen readers available. Some come installed already on devices, others are free to download, while some are costly.
