It seems like everyone nowadays cannot live without technology. What if something happened and you or a loved one lost their vision? Would you be able to use your technology? Believe it or not, the answer is yes because of adaptive technology.
What is adaptive technology?
As scary as adaptive technology might sound, it is not. Adaptive technology means technology that is explicitly designed to assist people with vision loss or other disabilities. Another term commonly used is assistive technology. It includes anything from screen magnifiers to braille printers.
Why is adaptive technology important?
Technology is always making it easier and convenient for everyone. Thanks to adaptive technology, it is possible for people with vision loss to use a cellphone or computer just like everyone else. It is opening the doors for people to get a job or go to college.
Adaptive technology is important because it’s helping visually impaired or blind people get employment. From IT to public relations, professionals with vision loss have successful careers with the help of adaptive technology.
Not only is it helping people with loss of vision find employment, but it’s also helping them do simple tasks. You can order your groceries from your computer or cellphone and have them delivered to your home. People who are blind order an Uber, check email and pay bills online with their personal devices.
What kind of adaptive technology is there?
Technology is constantly changing, simplifying and reinventing. Here are some of the adaptive technology that is available for you or your loved one to purchase.
Screen magnifier
This software enlarges the content on your computer screen. It is ideal for individuals who have some functional vision like those with macular degeneration or loss of acuteness. Thanks to this technology you can use the computer independently.
Microsoft office
Microsoft has adaptive technology available for people with loss of vision to use their Microsoft office products. It gives you the ability to hear text aloud with the narrator to use a magnifier to see items on the screen. Now visually impaired or blind people are capable of using Word or Excel like anyone.
Text to speech scanning
This type of adaptive technology reads the text on screens aloud for visually impaired or blind individuals. Reading emails, news articles or word documents are no longer a problem. The program can work with about every personal technology device like computer, tablet or phone.
Where can I learn about training for adaptive technology?
Whether you are young or old, anyone can learn how to use adaptive technology like ones we listed above. It was created to help make your’s or your loved one’s life easier. Luckily, there are resources like Outlook Nebraska computer and mobile device training, who offer free one-on-one training sessions to learn how to use adaptive technology.
It is a one-hour training session set up between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. An evaluation is completed during your first session to determine your training goals and to create an action plan.
Increase your independence by scheduling a one-on-one training session with us. Contact us today.
