Assistive Technology

BrailleTouch is a smartphone app that allows blind and visually impaired people to type on a touchscreen. It is based on the familiar six-key braille keyboard found on the Perkins Brailler and many electronic Braille notetakers. Both the free trial version and full version are available for download.  BrailleTouch was made possible, in part, by the Wireless RERC’s App Factory and the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Download BrailleTouch

The Abilities Expo is coming to Atlanta on February 8-10, 2013 and will provide an opportunity for individuals with disabilities, seniors, veterans and healthcare professionals to get a firsthand look at “new technologies, new possibilities, new solutions and new opportunities to change your life.” The Wireless RERC will have a booth in the Assistive Technology (AT) Pavilion where the current research conducted by the RERC, Shepherd Center’s AT Department and Georgia’s Tools for Life Program will be showcased.

The Wireless RERC has just launched a new survey on hearing technology for people who are hard of hearing. The purpose of this survey is to learn how people who are hard of hearing use their mobile phones, and also to learn about their hearing experiences while attending public meetings and events. The information collected will help our mobile app developers understand your needs. Please try your best to complete all parts of this survey. Your answers are important to us, even if you don't use wireless technology.

December 2012 - At the end of December, several disability organizations, referred to collectively as the “Consumer Groups,” filed an informal complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) alleging that Amazon.com, Inc. (Amazon) repeatedly violated the FCC Internet Protocol (IP) closed captioning rules, 47 C.F.R. § 79.4. Under the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) enacted in 2010, television shows and videos available online are required to provide captions and increase accessibility for all individuals, including those with disabilities.

December 10, 2012 — Ayanna Howard, a Georgia Tech professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Hae Won Park, a Georgia Tech graduate student, have developed and created Access4Kids with the goal of helping children with limited mobility, “giving them the ability to use what’s in their mind so they have an outlet to impact the world.” Access4Kids is a wireless input device that utilizes a sensory system to measure pressure, which translates a child’s physical movements into fine-motor gestures that enables them to control and interact with a tablet computer.