ZoomText

Showing someone assistive technology that does not really have an idea that such items exist is fun. They are amazed that there are such wares out there in the world. I wish more people had the awareness that there are aids that bring those who have difficulty functioning in the majority world up to a level playing field. It should be second nature in this age of technology to find reasonable and appropriate assistance for people who need to do things differently.
It is true that some people who have a disability find ways as they live life to assist themselves and that is good. But when it comes to education it is sometimes hard to compete academically using the “homespun” accommodations so to speak. For example, I knew of a woman who was deaf. Her parents never sent her to school because of their isolated location. She learned to communicate with her family so there was no problem. But when she decided to go to school she did not have a way of communicating with the world outside her home.
At any rate there is much technology out there, high tech and low tech. Today I showed off the ZoomText software (www.AIsquared.com) for a colleague. This particular software was created for folks with low vision. It will magnify anything on the computer screen in sizes that are astounding. This particular version will also read if needed. In addition, the user can switch colors and backgrounds to suit their vision needs and change the views from full screen to magnifying glass, to bars across the screen. This software is excellent for computer users who have low vision. Since this version will act as a quasi screen reader it has other applications such as assistance for someone who may be a non reader.