Author: Umakant Mishra
Abstract:
Physically or mentally challenged people cannot use a
computer in the same way a normal people can. For example, a person with
disability in hands cannot use a standard keyboard or mouse efficiently. People
having hearing problem, visual challenge etc. cannot interact with a computer
like a normal person. So it is necessary to specially design the computers,
interfacing devices and software interfaces, which can be used by the
physically challenged people.
This article analyses the types of visual disabilities,
different assistive technologies for different visual disabilities, guidelines
for developing user interfaces for the visually impaired, software products available
for assisting the visually impaired, and Inventions made on such adaptive
technologies. The objective is to analyze and explore various assistive
technology for the visually impaired users, and throw some light on the scope
for future improvements on such interfaces.
The first part of this article discussed about various
assistive technologies for different visual disabilities and guidelines for
developing user interfaces for visually impaired users. This part of the
article discusses about various inventions made on such Adaptive Technologies
and scope for future inventions on Adaptive Technologies.
Keywords: TRIZ, Innovation, Inventive Problem
Solving, Invention, Software Patents, GUI, Software inventions, Graphical User
Interface, GUI design, GUI elements, assistive technologies, adaptive
interfaces, speech recognition, VRS, Visual disabilities, Karaoke, speech
synthesis, Braille, screen magnifying, vibrations, audible signals,
