Movie theater popcorn, credited to gennierobot from flickr
Going to see a movie is a great way to spend an evening with friends, family, or a date. The cushioned seats, dark surroundings, smell of popcorn, and in-your-face large movie screen have a way of capturing your undivided attention and exciting the senses. Theaters across the nation have continually improved conditions to try and please a wide array of audiences by providing food and drink, a variety of different films available at one time, comfortable seating, and more. Thanks to MoPix, now even deaf or blind audiences can enjoy the experience!
Thanks to organizations like Bookshare and Project Gutenberg, people who have trouble reading standard print now have numerous options for accessing their literature. Digital books and accessible media provide spoken-word recordings, translated books for several languages, e-descriptions, and more. Explore the resources below and learn about each projects’ accessibility.
Assistive technology comes in many shapes and sizes. It can be high tech computer software, or very low tech tools, such as a magnifying glass. These items are not restricted to any one group; all kinds of people can gain independence from using assistive technology. There are technologies that can help with hearing loss, mobility challenges, learning difficulties, vision loss, and communication. These items are available for the young and aging, whether you have a severe disability or just need a little extra help. I know that I myself take advantage of eyeglasses for my poor vision, and am not afraid to admit that I use a jar gripper from time to time!
E-readers (also known as e-book readers) are portable devices used to display e-books, and lately the market has exploded with several different varieties. Let’s take a closer look at the accessibility features in these new products!
Braille is no longer limited to textured pieces of paper. Thanks to Assistive Technology, we now have many options for people with vision loss that enable them to read, write, and use a computer with ease.
Believe it or not, Braille (in its earliest form) was not originally designed for people with vision loss. According to Wikipedia, Napoleon had wanted his soldiers to be able to communicate with one another without speaking or using light. This proved to be too difficult, and the idea was abandoned. Louis Braille later perfected this code in 1821, representing letters with upraised dots to be read using your fingers. In 1837, France published the world’s first Braille textbook.
