Indiana Assistive Technology Blog

If you read this blog regularly, you have probably read a lot of articles about computer access for individuals who are blind, such as this one on CAPTCHAs, digital books, information on web site accessibility with IBM, voice over options on the iPhone, and many more.

You might have also read about technologies for people who are Deaf, such as captioning videos on Youtube, video relay services, and monitoring devices for those with partial hearing loss.

However, what resources are available to individuals who are Deaf AND blind?

Continue reading »

Ubi-Duo

The UbiDuo is an ideal communication device for people with hearing impairment.  It’s portable, runs on batteries, and allows for uncomplicated conversation between two to four people.  Let’s take a closer look at how this piece of assistive technology operates.

Continue reading »

IRISPen Express 6

Today I am reviewing the IRISPen Express 6.  This assistive technology device is a handheld scanner which you can use to highlight text to be entered into an application like a word document.  It promises to save time and be up to 100% accurate.  Let’s try it out!

Continue reading »

Did you remember to take your pills today?  Whether you’ve got a cognitive impairment or are just plain forgetful, assistive technology can help you stay on track with your medication.  Here are a few adaptive aids we have available at the INDATA Loan Library.

Pill Organizer

Pill Organizer – This tray will hold a week’s worth of medication, up to four doses a day.  Each compartment is labeled both in print and braille with the day of the week as well as the time of day (Morn, Noon, etc).

MedReady Medication Pill Box Reminder – The manufacturers of this handy device have thought of everything!  Not only does this pill tray have 28 different compartments for nearly a month’s worth of medication, it has an alarm!  When the alarm sounds, a little window slides open for you to access your pills.  You can set the alarm to go off once, twice, three times, or four times a day, and the alarm volume is adjustable.

Voicemate – This portable device monitors blood glucose and will also identify insulin vials.  It talks its user through the process of pain-free testing and identifies vial labels.  Very easy to use for those with low vision.

Talking Watch – If you don’t necessarily need a container for your medication, a talking watch is a great reminding tool.  Set an alarm for whatever time you need to take your medication and hear the time announced by a clear female voice with the touch of a button.

If you found these items intriguing, come see what else we have in store for you at the INDATA Loan Library!

Money Calc and Communication Device

A Learning Disability is a neurological disorder that affects the way a person learns, making it difficult to process information.  Some common problems associated with learning disabilities include difficulty in reading, writing, speaking, grasping math concepts, and language comprehension.   According to LD Online, fifteen percent of the U.S. population, or one in seven Americans, has some type of learning disability.

The INDATA Project recognizes that learning disabilities can complicate an individual’s way of life, and pledges to resolve such issues by providing resources for the necessary assistive technology.  Our Loan Library offers many learning disabilities devices including:

• Money Calc – This calculator is designed to facilitate learning centered around money math problems.  It has the option to display decimals with dollar signs, dollars, and cents (as in $5.00 instead of just 5).  Its big bright keypad includes buttons the shape of coins and mini dollar bills.
• Franklin Speaking Children’s Dictionary and Spell Corrector – With this device, students can check their spelling with phonic technology, hear over 40,000 words pronounced correctly, play word-building games, and more.
• AbleLink Schedule Assistant – Those with literacy challenges can use this device to organize their appointments with ease.  You can record a message to remind you of an event at the day and time you specify.
• B. A. Bar – Language therapy is made easy with this portable device.  Its digital voice corrects pronunciation errors and recalls instructions and assignments, making it an excellent assistive tool for work or school.
• Co:Writer – A word prediction program featuring several learning aids, such as topic-specific dictionaries and vocabulary bank to help improve students’ reading and writing.
• LiveScribe Pulse Smartpen – No ordinary pen!  This device will actually record audio as you write, and then play it back when you touch the pen to where you started writing.  Read our review about it here.
• Communication devices can also be very helpful for people who have difficulty speaking.

Be sure to check out other learning aids available at the INDATA Loan Library.  What kinds of assistive technology can you link to learning disabilities?  Share your thoughts!