Who needs adaptive technology in the home?

A screen reader is a technology that helps people who have difficulties seeing to access and interact with digital content, like websites or applications via audio or touch. The main users of screen readers are people who are blind or have very limited vision. The technology reads out loud what is on the screen and users can adapt it to their needs, such as by decreasing the speed of speech or changing the language. Screen readers also come with a Braille display.

If you have a condition that causes tremors you might have lots of unwanted extra characters appearing when you type, but there are ways you can adapt your keyboard to make it easier to use. Keyboard filters or filter keys are an accessibility option designed for people who find it hard to hold down multiple keys at a time. The feature adjusts the keyboard response and ignores repeated keystrokes caused by inaccurate or slow finger movements.

Text-to-speech tools are a type of assistive technology that reads digital text aloud. With a click of a button or the touch of a finger, it can take words on a computer or other digital device and convert them into audio. This is very helpful for those who may be living with vision difficulties. All kinds of text can be read aloud including audiobooks, documents, articles and more and can greatly improve the life of those partially sighted.

Screen magnification is a feature, tool or application that enlarges content from a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone screen making it easier to read. For a greater range of features, further screen magnification software can be purchased which can even make adjustments to mouse pointers, cursors and the colour of a desktop background and foreground. This tool is especially handy for those with visual impairments or sight loss.

Other types of devices can be used as electronic pointing devices to control your computer or other types of technology. These include ergonomic mice, bar mice, trackerball or rollerball mice, touchpads and trackpads, pen mice and graphic tablets. Joysticks are also handy for someone with limited mobility in their hands and can control certain types of technology by altering its direction. It can also be useful for those with visual impairments.