Internet Access in sight for visually impaired

by Stephanie James Ely

Jamie Davis, a senior majoring in management information systems, has never seen the World Wide Web. Visually impaired since birth, the computer screen is a field of light and dark contrast for Davis, who uses a Braille 'n Speak program to decipher text.

This spring, a new world will open up for Davis and other students with disabilities at Wright State thanks to a $10,000 site license for the software program pwWebSpeak donated to the university by NCR, on behalf of Bill Eisenman, an NCR senior vice president.

Designed specifically by The Productivity Works, Inc., for individuals with visual impairments, pwWebSpeak is an Internet browser that interacts directly with the information on Web pages, and translates the information into speech. The program provides both speech and large character interpretation of the Web pages.

Users will be able to control their interaction with the Web. The user can use speech synthesizers, Braille output or large-print screen displays. The company envisions pwWebSpeak being used by keyboard literate blind users and sighted and non-sighted quadriplegics, according to The Productivity Works, Inc., Web site at http://www.prodworks.com.

"With pwWebSpeak, your ears take the place of your eyes," said Steve Jacobs, a member of NCR's executive office technology support team. He's also chairman of Project Freedom, an all-volunteer group of NCR associates and other individuals from across the nation. They "work to help maximize the accessibility and usability of information systems."

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With pwWebSpeak, your ears take the place of your eyes. It's a sensory swap.

Steve Jacobs

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NCR has partnered with The Productivity Works, Inc., on several joint ventures in the area of accessibility. "It's a sensory swap," said Jacobs. "Rather than having to look at something and then select it, people using pwWebSpeak hear something and then access it. It was designed to let people navigate and read with their ears the same way others read with their eyes. It can come bundled with speech synthesis software, or can use a speech synthesizer already installed on a PC."

The site license includes installing pwWebSpeak on as many client PCs on campus as required, or desired. "In our opinion," said Jacobs, "Wright State University sets the pace for accommodating students with disabilities into their housing, classrooms and into the whole infrastructure of the university."

"pwWebSpeak will be available on most of the computers in the university's computer labs. The library will be the principle user." said Steve Simon, director of the Office of Disability Services. "It can also be made available to individual students on their personal PCs."

There are applications of this software for users other than the visually and physically impaired. Students with dyslexia or other learning disabilities and those learning a new language, can navigate through the structure of a document based on contents, paragraphs and sentences rather than scrolling and interpreting a screen display.

"Much of the technology that's being developed for people with disabilities is technology that benefits everyone," said Simon.

"Eventually, pwWebSpeak may even make it possible to 'listen' to the World Wide Web while driving to work."

"This is a brand-new product, introduced to the public last summer," said Katherine Myers, adaptive technology specialist for disability services. She has worked for the past four months with NCR to bring the software to Wright State.

"There are different levels of licenses," said Myers. "We were given the most comprehensive and unlimited site license available. NCR wanted to make sure that any student on campus could have equal access, which further demonstrates their goal of access to technology for all people."

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