Zoom-Ex portable scanner, which, according to its manufacturer ABISee Inc., is
three tools in a single one-pound USB device: 1. an instant book-to-speech
tool; 2. a fast, 20-page-per-minute scanner plus OCR (optical character
recognition); and 3. a magnifier with no need for an X-Y table.
ABISee's Web site says, "The durable but lightweight design of the Zoom-Ex
Portable Scanner consists of a 2-1/2-inch digital camera on a specially
designed stand, which also serves as a guide for lining up the book or document
to be scanned. Because of the unique camera and stand design, the camera is
always at the exact distance needed to create a clear image, and a blind user
will always know exactly where to place the material to be scanned." The
Zoom-Ex costs $2,395. Call 800-681-5909 or 978-460-0480, or visit
www.abisee.com.
LevelStar A company which produces a pocket-sized PDA with a 30GB hard drive
for music and digital book storage. The unit, which has Wi-fi and Bluetooth
capability, also contains a Web browser, word processor, voice recorder and an
e-mail client. The keypad is like that of a traditional telephone, which can
be used alpha- numerically or with braille code. External keyboards are also
available. Levelstar.com is the Web address, and they also can be reached via
telephone at 800-315-2305. The price of this device is $1,395.
Handytech, which specializes in braille displays, was also among the
vendors who packed the hall. The company's latest product is a GPS (Global
Positioning System) receiver equipped with Way Finder Access software for use
with cell phones running the Symbian operating system. At this point, AT&T and
T- Mobile are the two providers with phones running that system, and your
monthly plan must include the data package. Handytech will sell you a phone
with speech software and a GPS receiver for $1,295. The map covers the entire
United States. Call 651-636-5184, or visit www.handytech.us.
Accent Signage Systems Inc. creates custom ADA-compliant interior signage
for companies throughout the world. Contact 800-215-9437, 612-377-9156, or
www.accentsignage.com
Ackley Appliance Service repairs braillers. Contact 4301 Park Ave. #540,
Des Moines, IA 50321; 515-288-3931 or www.braillerman.com.
Ai Squared sells the BigShot and ZoomText Magnifier/Reader software in
addition to the ZoomText Large-Print Keyboard. Contact 800- 859-0270,
802-362-3612, or www.aisquared.com.
American Printing House for the Blind (APH) creates educational, workplace
and independent-living products and services for people who are visually
impaired. APH has several catalogs, including Products; Daily Living; Family
Life; Bookstore; and Assessment. This nonprofit offers free subscriptions to
Reader's Digest in braille and on four-track tape, and Newsweek in braille.
Also, APH sells the innovative new MaximEyes desktop video magnification
system. Contact APH Inc., 1839 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40206;
800-223-1839, 502-895-2405, or www.aph.org.
At First Sight creates braille jewelry. Call 800-630-6650, or send e-mail
to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
All Star Brailler Repair guarantees its work for a year. Contact 947
Delaware Ave., Mendota Heights, MN 55118; 651-343-2505, www.braillerrepair.com
or [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Audio Bibles for the Blind, a division of Aurora Ministries, provides free
cassette Bibles in a number of languages and in English on both tape and
CD/MP3. Contact P.O. Box 621, Bradenton, Florida 34206; 941-748-3031, [EMAIL
PROTECTED] or www.auroraministries.org.
Bartimaeus Library for the Blind is a lending library of contemporary
Christian literature on cassette. This free service is available on
regular-format cassettes; the borrowing time is one month. Catalogs are
available in large print and on tape. Call 763-561-6955, or write to 3607
Woodbine Lane N., Brooklyn Center, MN 55429; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Blind Signs developed Detectable Directional Guidance Systems to make
public or private pedestrian areas safer and more accessible. The system's
brightly colored markers, which have an adhesive backing, can be applied to
crosswalks, ramps, public entryways, transportation gates and even stairways.
Contact 800-873-0594, 541-538-0202, or www.blindsigns.com.
Bumpy Pages makes affordable braille and large-print products, including
greeting cards, menus, business cards, clear adhesive labels, adjustable
bookmarks and dedication CD's. Contact 972-414-5678, or www.bumpypages.com.
Capital Accessibility's Owasys 22C is a talking screenless cell phone that
costs $249.95 with a two-year service plan from T- Mobile. Contact
877-292-2747, 202-595-7777, or www.screenlessphone.com.
CaptionMax provides closed-captioning, encoding, subtitling, Webcast
captioning and audio description for corporations. Contact www.captionmax.com,
or 800-822-3566.
Closed Caption Latina specializes in the design and implementation of
technological solutions for closed-captioning, computer-aided real-time
translation, video description, subtitling and dubbing. Contact
www.closedcaptionlatina.com, or 407-389-0712.
Dolphin Computer Access Inc. sells access software, alt-format tools,
mobile tools and hardware. Contact 866-797-5921, 609-803-2171, or
www.dolphinusa.com.
Duxbury Systems Inc. creates braille software that supports uncontracted
and contracted translation in many languages as well as graphics, mathematics
and technical braille. Contact www.duxburysystems.com, or 978-692-3000.
Easter Seals is a partner of the National AgrAbility Project, which
assists disabled people employed in production agriculture on both large and
small farms. The project links the Cooperative Extension Service at a
land-grant university with a private nonprofit disability service organization
to provide practical education and assistance that promotes independence in
agricultural production and rural living. The Cooperative State Research,
Education and Extension Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, administers the AgrAbility Project. In partnership, the National
AgrAbility Project staff at the University of Wisconsin (866-259-6280) and
Easter Seals (800-914-4424) provide training, technical assistance and
information on available resources to the state AgrAbility Project staffs.
They provide training, site visits, on-farm assessments, technical assistance,
and other information directly to the farmer or rancher with a disability.
Visit www.agrabilityproject.org.
E-mail2phone allows blind and visually impaired people to access e-mail
via the telephone. Contact Brad Canham, 952-513-4392, ext. 208, [EMAIL
PROTECTED], or www.email2phone.net.
Envision America is a private, not-for-profit agency that uniquely
combines employment opportunities with rehabilitation services for Kansans who
are blind or have low vision. Envision is one of the largest employers of
individuals who are blind or low vision in a six-state region, and it also
operates retail stores on 15 military bases. Contact 2301 South Water,
Wichita, KS 67213; 316-267-2244, or www.envisionus.com.
Enabling Technologies designs, manufactures and supports braille
embossers. Contact 800-777-3687, 772-225-3687, or www.brailler.com.
Friends-in-Art is an organization of blind and sighted persons in visual
art, tactile art, music, writing, drama, photography and other art forms. The
group sponsors an annual showcase at the ACB national convention. Write to 400
W. 43rd St. #20L, New York, NY 10036.
Freedom Scientific creates screen-reading software, magnification
software, and other products for accessible scanning and reading as well as
braille displays, notetakers and an accessible PDA. Contact 800-444-4443,
727-803-8000, or www.freedomscientific.com.
GW Micro's products include Window-Eyes, the screen-reading software; the
Braille Sense, which offers notetaking and entertainment in a single package;
the Small-Talk Ultra palm-top computer; the SenseView portable CCTV; the Voice
Sense, a small, light PDA with a Perkins- style keyboard; and the SyncBraille
portable braille display. Contact 260-489-3671, or www.gwmicro.com.
HandiWorks sells a variety of "handy" products for people who are blind or
visually impaired. Contact 17216 Saticoy St. #418, Van Nuys, CA 91406;
800-331-6123, 818-704-7511, or www.handiworks.com.
Humanware makes myReader, a low vision auto-reader; the SmartView desktop
and the portable PocketViewer magnifiers; the Victor Reader family of digital
talking books; the BrailleNote personal information-management systems;
Maestro, an accessible PDA with speech; the ScannaR, which scans and reads
documents in seconds; the Brailliant range of braille displays; and two
GPS-based orientation solutions. Contact 800-722-3393, 925-680-7100, or
www.humanware.com,
In Touch Graphics creates high-quality tactile maps in both permanent
display and portable formats. Contact 612-220-6657, or
www.intouchgraphics.com.
InternetSpeech.com's netECHO service lets users listen to any Web site by
calling a toll- free telephone number. The company also provides customized
audio-based Internet solutions to businesses. Call 877-312-4638, 408-360-7730,
or visit www.internetspeech.com.
The Internal Revenue Service--Stakeholder Partnerships, Education and
Communication organization educates taxpayers with disabilities on available
tax credits, deductions and free tax help. Visit www.irs.gov, keyword
Community Network. The IRS also has several pamphlets for disabled people
available, including one in the LifeCycle series, "Living and Working with
Disabilities," with information about pertinent publications and the VITA
program, volunteers who do taxes free for people with low to moderate income.
Call 800-829-1040. Also, the Alternative Media Center provides IRS products in
many alternate formats. Contact 800-829- 3676, or [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Innovative Rehabilitation Technology Inc. (IRTI) specializes in a wide
range of assistive technology hardware and software tools. Contact
800-322-4784, or www.irti.net.
Kurzweil Educational Systems's Kurzweil 1000 software scans and reads
aloud print documents and digital files (such as eBooks or e-mail). Contact
800-894-5374, or www.kurzweiledu.com.
The Low Vision Store. This Minneapolis business sells adaptive equipment
for work and school, including magnifiers, CCTV's, used equipment--even an
affordable large-print calendar to rival the Ziegler Magazine's! Contact
800-871-8780, or www.thelowvisionstore.com.
Maxi-Aids sells a wide variety of assistive products for people with
visual, hearing and mobility impairments. They also have household, technology
and medical/health products. Call 800-522-6294, 800-281-3555 (TTY), or visit
www.maxiaids.com.
Piano Boutique. William Benjamin's business card says, "piano tuner
extraordinaire" and "The tuner alone preserves the tone." Contact him at 2625
Mahan Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32308; 800-297-1861, or www.pianoboutique.biz.
Polara Engineering Inc. manufactures accessible pedestrian products, such
as accessible pedestrian signals and ADA-compliant pedestrian push buttons.
Its Navigator APS provides audible and vibro-tactile features for all
pedestrian phases, while the BullDog Push Button offers durability and
state-of-the-art electronic technology. Contact 888-340-4872, 714-521-0900, or
www.polara.com
QuikScrybe Inc. is a one-stop transcription shop for all braille,
sight-saving large-print and audio CD needs. Contact 303-485-6895, or
www.quikscrybe.com.
Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic's library contains an extensive
collection of audiobook titles in a broad variety of subjects at all academic
levels. Anyone with a documented disability that makes reading standard print
difficult is eligible to use RFB&D's audio textbooks, but they must become a
member. Contact 800-221-4792, or www.rfbd.org.
RJ Cooper and Associates carries special software and hardware products
for persons with special needs. A very nice man, Louis Herrera, showed me two
of them: an accessible mp3 player as well as the Thunder screen reader, which
plugs into a Windows computer with a USB port. This portable, simple and
powerful screen reader is tailored for blind people who may be new to using a
computer, or who need a simpler, cheaper alternative to more costly (and
comprehensive) programs. Contact 800-752-6673, 949-582-2572, or
www.rjcooper.com.
Sendero Group manufactures GPS products, including the BrailleNote,
VoiceNote and other adaptive technology. Contact 888-757-6810, 530-757-6800,
or www.senderogroup.com.
Serotek Corporation has developed a network that enables users requiring
adaptive technology to access the Internet, e-mail, chat rooms and shopping
while using the simple FreedomBox designed interface. Over the years, Serotek
has added products that allow users with varying disabilities the freedom to
access computers outside their homes. Contact 866- 202-0520, or
www.serotek.com.
Sighted Electronics Inc. manufactures braille displays, braille embossers,
braille notetakers, screen readers and screen magnifiers. Contact
800-666-4883, 201- 666-2221, or www.sighted.com.
The Social Security Administration has produced the pamphlet, "Working
While Disabled- -How We Can Help." Contact 800-772-1213, 800- 325-0778 (TTY),
or www.socialsecurity.gov.
Talking Tabs teaches guitar using all-audio music instruction on CD's.
Contact 800-660-6850, or www.talkingtabs.com.
TalkingThermostats.com sells several thermostats that talk. Contact P.O.
Box 27145, Golden Valley, MN 55427-0145; 800-838-8860 or 763-591-9557.
Tenacity Corporation's newest software is Access A Phone, which is
designed to allow people with vision, mobility and cognitive impairments to
utilize the full functionality of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
telephones with ease and comfort. Contact 866-756-0321, or
www.tenacitycorp.com.
According to the FCC.gov Web site, VoIP technology allows you to make
voice calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular (or
analog) phone line. Some VoIP services may only allow you to call other people
using the same service, but others may allow you to call any telephone number.
Also, while some VoIP services only work over your computer or a special VoIP
phone, other services allow you to use a traditional phone connected to a VoIP
adapter.
Vision Cue offers a select assortment of braille, low-vision and speech
products from a variety of key manufacturers. Contact 4858-A S.W. Scholls
Ferry Road, Portland, OR 97225; 888-318-2582, 503-297-1510, or
www.visioncue.com.
WGBH/Descriptive Video Service provides descriptive narration of key
visual elements, which is then inserted within the natural pauses in dialogue
to help low-vision viewers to better understand the story. Descriptions are
accessed on TV programs via the Second Audio Program (SAP) option, which is
standard on most contemporary TV's and VCR's. DVS descriptions are currently
available on: 169 PBS stations nationwide; Turner Classic Movies cable network;
selected series on the CBS, Fox and Nickelodeon networks; feature films;
large-format and IMAX films; and more than 200 major home video releases
available for purchase through the DVS Home Video catalog or on loan at 1,300
public libraries nationwide. No special equipment is required, only a standard
TV and VCR are needed to enjoy home videos. All videos are sold at the
suggested retail price--there's no additional charge for the description.
Described movies are also available on loan from more than 1,200 public
libraries. To purchase a DVS Home Video, call 317-579-0439. To request a
large-print catalog, call 888-818-1999. To request a braille catalog, call
888-818-1181. To hear a listing of the latest DVS Home Video titles available
or to hear a listing of television programs broadcast with DVS, call
800-333-1203.
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