Chapter 2

• This presentation covers the following:

– Various hardware to help people with physical difficulties use a computer.

– Various software to help people with physical difficulties use a computer.

• Investigate various hardware devices and software for different types of disability.

• Create a presentation which looks at each device and software and explains how it is used and how it aids the disabled user.

• There are two main types of disability that concern those who use a computer.

– Visually Impaired– Motor Impaired

• Visually impaired people can suffer from:– Complete loss of sight in one or both eyes– Partial loss of sight

• There are various devices that can help people who are visually impaired.

• Investigate the following devices:– Braille Keyboard– Microphone– Loudspeaker– Braille Printer

• For each device, explain how it is used and how it benefits the user.

• Investigate the following devices:– Mouth Stick– Puff Stick– Tongue activated joystick– Eye-typer– Foot Mouse

• For each device, explain how it is used and how it benefits the user.

• Can you find any other example hardware that can be used by Visually Impaired users of ICT?

• Can you find any other example hardware that can be used by Motor Impaired users of ICT?

• Investigate the following types of software:– Text-to-Speech system– Speech-to-Text system– Auditory Feedback system– Screen magnifier– Predictive text– Sticky Keys

• For each software, explain how it is used and how it benefits the user.

• Also, provide an example brand name for the software you find.

• A visually impaired university student needs to buy a computer to help her with her essays.

• Explain what types of hardware and software she could use to help her write her essay.

• A person who was involved in a car accident has become paralysed from the neck down.

• He want to start writing a blog about his experiences and how he has coped with his disability to help other people in a similar position to himself.

• Explain what types of software and hardware he could use to help him write his blog and publish it online.

• Describe how voice recognition works.

• Devices and software that help physically disabled users interact with ICT can also be used to help elderly people interact with ICT. Discuss this statement.