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Disability Visual Aids: Available Products and Reviews

Updated/Revised Date: 2022-04-05
Author: Disabled World | Contact: Disabled World (Disabled-World.com)
Additional References: Disability Visual Aids Publications

Synopsis: Visual aids and adaptive technology products and their functions enhance the lives of people with vision disabilities. Visual communication in part or whole relies on vision, and is primarily presented or expressed with two-dimensional images, it includes signs, typography, drawing, graphic design, illustration, Industrial Design, Advertising, Animation color, and electronic resources. In North America and most of Europe, legal blindness is defined as visual acuity (vision) of 20/200 (6/60) or less in the better eye with the best correction possible. This means that a legally blind individual would have to stand 20 feet (6.1 meters) from an object to see it with the same degree of clarity as a normally sighted person could from 200 feet (60.96 meters).

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Main Document

Visual Communication is defined as communication through a visual aid, and described as the conveyance of ideas and information in forms that can be read or looked upon. Visual communication in part or whole relies on vision, and is primarily presented or expressed with two-dimensional images, it includes: signs, typography, drawing, graphic design, illustration, Industrial Design, Advertising, Animation color, and electronic resources. There are 4 levels of visual function, according to the International Classification of Diseases:

20/20 Vision

A term used to express normal visual acuity (the clarity or sharpness of vision) measured at a distance of 20 feet (6.1 meters). If you have 20/20 vision, you can see clearly at 20 feet (6.1 meters) what should normally be seen at that distance. If you have 20/40 vision, it means that when you stand 20 feet (6.1 meters) away from the chart, you can see what a normal human can see when standing 40 feet (12.19 meters) from the chart.

Legally Blind

In North America and most of Europe, legal blindness is defined as visual acuity (vision) of 20/200 (6/60) or less in the better eye with the best correction possible. This means that a legally blind individual would have to stand 20 feet (6.1 meters) from an object to see it with the same degree of clarity as a normally sighted person could from 200 feet (60.96 meters).

Some Quick Vision Impairment Statistics

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Basic labeled diagram of the human eye.
Basic labeled diagram of the human eye.
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Adaptive Technologies and Functions

A Braille reader is used as an input device on a personal computer. This is direct touch for embossed point on Braille paper by an isolated thin metal wire which can connect to any other large/small computers.

A (CCTV) or closed-circuit television system uses a stand-mounted or handheld video camera that projects a magnified image onto a video monitor, a television (TV) screen, or a computer monitor.

Braille Displays operate by raising and lowering different combination's of pins electronically to produce in Braille format what appears on a portion of a computer screen. They show up to 80 characters from the screen and are refreshable. The Braille display sits on the user's desk. The advantage of the Braille display in comparison to synthetic speech is in its direct access to information. They also check format, spacing and spelling.

Electronic Braille notetakers are small, portable devices with Braille keyboards for entering information. They use a speech synthesizer or a Braille display for output. The user then enters the information on the Braille keyboard and has the option of transferring it to a computer with more memory, reviewing it using the built-in speech synthesizer or Braille display, or printing it on a Braille or on a printer.

Screen readers that tell the synthesizer what to say. The synthesizers used with computers are text-to-speech systems. Their programming includes all the phonemes and grammatical rules of a language. This allows them to pronounce words correctly.

Screen magnifiers come with many options and can reach high levels of magnification. Today's full-featured screen magnification programs are compatible with Windows Vista, XP, and NT/2000. For those who need more than magnification, it is possible to use a built-in screen reader with today's screen magnifiers.

Visual Aids for Everyday Use

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Subtopics and Associated Subjects


Latest Disability Visual Aids Publications
Campus Maps for Students with Visual Impairments Article.
SAS launches free resources to create and share non-visual digital maps to help open up the higher education experience.
Publish Date: 2020-08-24
Acesight Electronic Glasses for Visually Impaired Article.Acesight Electronic Glasses for Visually Impaired Article.Acesight Electronic Glasses for Visually Impaired Article.
Acesight electronic glasses use technology that assists people with severe low vision to regain visual independence.
Publish Date: 2019-01-04 - Updated: 2019-02-10
Flexible Artificial Retinas Use 2D Materials Article.
The flexible artificial retina devices based on very thin 2D materials could someday restore sight to millions of people with retinal diseases.
Publish Date: 2018-08-25 - Updated: 2023-05-27

Additional Disability Visual Aids Publications

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Disabled World is an independent disability community founded in 2004 to provide disability news and information to people with disabilities, seniors, their family and/or carers. See our homepage for informative reviews, exclusive stories and how-tos. You can connect with us on social media such as Twitter and Facebook or learn more about Disabled World on our about us page.

Disabled World provides general information only. The materials presented are never meant to substitute for professional medical care by a qualified practitioner, nor should they be construed as such. Financial support is derived from advertisements or referral programs, where indicated. Any 3rd party offering or advertising does not constitute an endorsement.


Cite This Page (APA): Disabled World. (2022, April 5). Disability Visual Aids: Available Products and Reviews. Disabled World. Retrieved June 2, 2023 from www.disabled-world.com/assistivedevices/visual/

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