Danie van der Merwe

Real-time text on Android and iOS is helpful for those with hearing or speech disabilities to converse in real time with text

Sun, 29 Oct 2023 05:53:06 -0300

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

While texting is great for asynchronous conversations, calls are still the way to go if you want real-time conversation.

That's not an option for people who are hard of hearing or have speech difficulties. RTT or Real-time text solves this issue by allowing people to text in real-time. In this guide, Android Police explain the RTT feature, how to activate it on Android smartphones, and how to use it in different situations.

One benefit of RTT over text messaging is that it allows you to connect to businesses, government agencies, and emergency services. To connect to emergency services using RTT, all you do is dial 911 (in the USA) in RTT mode.

This feature makes emergency services accessible to people with hearing or speech disabilities and allows everyone to connect to emergency services without speaking. If you are in a situation where speaking out loud can be detrimental to your safety, use the RTT feature to connect to 911.

To connect to government agencies or businesses, you can use the Relay service. People who are hard of hearing or have speech impediments can connect to the relay service by dialling 711 (probably also USA). An operator picks up their call and connects them to the desired service.

See What is RTT calling?

Want to activate RTT calling on your Android? Our guide shows you how to turn on this accessibility feature and start real-time text conversations

#technology #disabilities #accessibility

technology disability accessibility

Researchers at University College London make touchless computing tech on the cheap - No special hardware or cloud service needed, just a regular CPU and webcam

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 17:27:10 -0300

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

The software, called MotionInput, was developed to enable touchless computing for a variety of purposes, from making computers easier to use for people with disabilities, to aiding professionals who have their hands full, like surgeons.

"What makes this software so special is that it is fully accessible," said Phillippa Chick, global account director for health and life science at Intel.

"The code does not require expensive equipment to run. It works with any standard webcam, including the one in your laptop. It's just a case of downloading and you are ready to go."

See British boffins make touchless computing tech on the cheap

#technology #disabilities #accessibility #London #OpenVINO

No special hardware, internet connection, or cloud service needed, just a regular CPU and webcam

technology disability accessibility openvino London

New DEAFinition App helps you communicate with deaf friends and family

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 11:55:26 -0300

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

A new South African app called DEAFinition, developed by mobile app specialists Codehesion, helps users to learn the basics of sign language to communicate with deaf friends and family.

DEAFinition is a non-profit company providing a range of services and funding opportunities to promote equal access for the deaf community.

The SASL DEAFinition App, available to Android and iPhone users, offers reference videos and material for the official sign language used by deaf people in South Africa.

See New DEAFinition App helps you communicate with Deaf friends and family

#technology #mobile #deaf #hearing #disability

A new South African app, developed by mobile app specialists Codehesion, helps users learn the basics of sign language to communicate with Deaf friends and family.

technology deaf hearing disability southafrica

Brain-Computer Interface Turns Thoughts to Text - Allowing a paralyzed man to imagine writing and have the words translated to text

Sun, 09 Jan 2022 07:31:48 -0300

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

Dating from May 2021, researchers used an experimental device to tap into surgically implanted electrodes, capturing activity in the region of the brain responsible for physical movement. When the quadriplegic patient envisioned writing individual characters by hand, words flew across the screen. The text was highly accurate (95 percent) and arrived faster (90 characters per minute) than any other BCI, coming in at around the same speed performed by similarly aged people typing on their smartphones.

Led by Frank Willett, a research scientist with the Braingate research consortium, the new system doubles the speed of previous thought-to-text BCI tools, which had subjects look at a screen and mentally “point and click” — as if using a cursor — rather than simply imagining writing the letter.

See Brain-Computer Interface Turns Thoughts to Text

#technology #brain #bci #disability

Breakthrough tech defines "a new kind of writing," researchers say.

technology brain bci disability

Accessible-Coconut – Linux for visually impaired

Tue, 18 May 2021 07:43:01 -0300

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

The Universal Access section provides many utilities and applications for target users:
* Screen-reader (turned on by default) can read out everything you do on the screen using a keyboard/mouse.
* A quick button to turn on or turn off the screen reader as you need.
* Onboard on-screen keyboard
* Magnifier App – Magnus
* Sharada Braille Writer to write Braille

The Minor Motor Difficulties profiles have the following options as pre-set:
* Enhance contrast in colors on the entire desktop
* Make test larger and easier to read
* Press keyboard shortcuts one key at a time
* Ignore Duplicate keypress (Bounce keys)
* Press and hold keys to accept them )slow key

Linux, being Linux, means that any other distro can be setup to do the same. The real advantage here is that this distro is largely pre-configured for those with visual impairments. It has even got auto-updating baking in as standard, called coco-patcher.

See Accessible-Coconut - Linux for Visually Impaired People [Review]

#technology #linux #opensource #visualimpairment

We take a look at “Accessible-Coconut” – a friendly Linux for Visually Impaired Users. We covered the features, utilities, download details, and a brief review of this distro. There are few free and open-source Linux distributions out there that are designed for visually impaired or challenged people. They often wonder – which free Linux distribution

technology linux opensource disability

Neural implant lets paralysed person type by imagining writing (vs just cursor control) - A paralysed individual hit 90 characters per minute with 99% accuracy

Wed, 12 May 2021 16:26:29 -0300

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

This week, the academic community provided a rather impressive example of the promise of neural implants. Using an implant, a paralysed individual managed to type out roughly 90 characters per minute simply by imagining that he was writing those characters out by hand.

Previous attempts at providing typing capabilities to paralysed people via implants have involved giving subjects a virtual keyboard and letting them manoeuvre a cursor with their mind. The process is effective but slow, and it requires the user's full attention, as the subject has to track the progress of the cursor and determine when to perform the equivalent of a key press. It also requires the user to spend the time to learn how to control the system.

As the researchers themselves put it, this "is not yet a complete, clinically viable system." To begin with, it has only been used in a single individual, so we have no idea how well it might work for others.

See Neural implant lets paralyzed person type by imagining writing

#technology #neuralimplant #paralysed #physicalimpairment #disability

A paralyzed individual hit 90 characters per minute, 99% accuracy.

technology disability