What can assistive technology do for you?

The skills that enable people with low vision to do the things they want to do again can either be low tech or high tech, or usually a combination of both. Below is a sample of some of the skills that we teach and how these skills can help you to be as independent in your daily life as you desire. We teach and consult with clients, businesses and disability professionals to best take advantage of all that adaptive technology has to offer.

Use your computer (Mac or Windows) with Speech, Braille or Magnification

• Learn to email,surf the internet, shop online, organize household tasks, manage money, keep track of names and addresses
• Utilize scanners and printers to read your hard copy mail or other print materials
• Use cloud systems and filing apps to keep track of your important paperwork
• Write papers and produce work for your job

Use your cell phone or mobile device (iPhone/iPad or Android)

• Call, email, read books, and get access to information on the go with speech, Braille, or magnification
• Read menus, keep track of recipes, scan and read food labels, take notes, access media (music, TV and Movies, books, newspapers and magazines), object, barcode and money identification, play games, access your bank
• Sync data and file share, never lose a document or phone number
• Use social networking, facebook, twitter, linkedin, Skype or your cell phone to keep in contact with family, friends and business colleagues
• Use audio technology with mobile devices such as speakers, bluetooth hearing aid accessories, fm systems, etc.

Use mobile technology while out and about

• Utilize a white cane or a guide dog to go anywhere you want to go, safely cross streets and navigate public transit systems
• Use your computer or mobile device to find routes of travel in advance for new destinations
• Use GPS apps to get turn by turn guidance as you travel
• Explore the area and her real-time ongoing information about your location (find out what stores, hotels and restaurants are around you)
• Call taxis, pay fare and  track when your cab has arrived and where it is taking you
• Find the nearest transit stop and when the next bus is coming; or find the best routes and times ahead of time

Use Braille and Augmentative Communication

• Use Braille and tactile markers for labeling household items and appliances
• Read Braille books (hard copy or digital), with both uncontracted and contracted Braille, or 8 dot/computer Braille
• Write Braille notes and letters with a slate and stylus or Perkins Brailler
• Read Braille on a Braille Display; navigate around your computer or mobile device with a Braille Display
• Use Braille notetakers, or Windows and Mac compatible Braille Displays,
• For those who are deaf blind, use a Braille display and mobile device to communicate with anyone/ even if they don’t know Braille or Sign Language
• Explore other low tech and high tech tactile/pictures augmentative communication solutions

Use adaptive techniques for day-to-day living

• Plan menus, make a grocery list, shop and prepare meals
• Keep your house clean and organized
• Launder and organize your clothes
• Make minor household repairs (fixing doors, simple plumbing, home maintainance)
• Learn adaptive techniques for minor first aid and healthcare
• Safely care for children at home and at the playground, out and about. Diaper, feed, and manage children’s needs.

Utilize assistive technology in your job

• Your business’s proprietary software can work with assistive technology, which can be customized for how you do your job.
• Use word processors, databases, spreadsheets and presentation software at your job
• Utilize technology to help you keep track and take notes in meetings and workshops

Individuals with Blindness or Low Vision

We work directly with individuals with vision loss on customized services that  take them were they want to go in life. We serve clients of all ages in 1:1 or small group settings. We teach assistive technology, orientation and mobility, techniques of daily living like cooking, housework and laundry tasks, and tutoring. We can also help individuals work with their employers, schools, and service providers to find the best accommodations for their success in these settings.

We also offer TAPS Club for individuals who are comfortable with technology but want to keep their skills fresh, keep up-to-date with new technology and get support when they need it..

Business Services

We help employers and employees plan and utilize accommodations in the workplace. We analyze the job and the employee’s preferred modes of work, and match accessible solutions that bring employers and qualified employees together in successful partnerships.

We also help employers who may not have a specific employee in mind, but want to make the workplace more accessible. We can visit your workplace and work with your HR professionals to make your place of business as welcoming to a diverse workforce as possible. We also do website testing for accessibility with W3C access requirements. While we do not develop websites ourselves, we can work with your web developers to illustrate what is and isn’t working on the site and make specific suggestions on how to improve it for full accessibility.

We also offer customized JSL scripting for Freedom Scientific JAWS screenreader, allowing the screenreader to work most effectively with your business’s software in a way that makes the most sense to your employees, thus streamlining the integration of JAWS with your specific software and computer requirements.

Disability Professionals

We can work directly with your clients, or consult with you to work to find solutions for a particular client’s accessibility need or employment accommodation. Technology is changing all the time, and we make every effort to keep up-to-date on the latest advances so that you don’t have to.

We can present information to you and your agency on the newest available technology and show you how your clients may best utilize it. We can help to problem solve accessibility issues within your agency or when obstacles come up for your clients and provide direct technical assistance to solve the problem. We are always happy to collaborate with disability service professionals to bring a whole new element of service to clients.