Individuals with deaf-blindness can use assistive technologies to perform daily activities involving visual information, such as reading books and writing text messages. These devices promote accessibility, independence, and social inclusion.
Examples of communication devices for people with vision impairments include:
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Refreshable braille display. This device uses a series of pins to translate information from a computer braille display or smartphone. The pins move up and down on braille cells to convey information from the screen.
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FaceToFace. This application facilitates face-to-face communication between a person with impaired vision and a sighted or deaf-blind braille user. You can install the software on your computer. The sighted person can use the keyboard to type words in braille, and the conversation will appear in braille on the computer screen for the blind person.
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Screen reader applications. These software programs use a braille display or screen synthesizer to help people with impaired vision interpret information on a computer or smartphone. For example, an individual with deaf-blindness can use a screen reader to understand emails and text messages.
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Talking book players. The Royal National Institute of Blind People developed these audio book players to help blind and partially sighted people who can’t read print books. These specially designed players have easy-feel buttons and navigation features like bookmarks.
With the help of communication technology, a deaf-blind person can browse social media, read emails, write text messages, and engage in other forms of communication.
