Thursday, June 1, 2006

Evolution of User Interfaces for the Visually Impaired- Part 2

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,




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