Blindness or vision impairment can affect an employee’s ability to read or see either the keyboard keys or the computer screen and thus impact on their accuracy and productivity for computer based tasks within the workplace.
Workplace solutions and adjustments
There are many products and solutions that make using a computer easier for people with blindness or vision impairment.
A range of keyboards and accessories are available to assist with locating keys and improving speed and accuracy of computer input:
A number of screen magnification options can be considered depending on the level of vision impairment. Consideration can be given to upgrading from a standard 19 inch computer screen to a slightly larger compatible screen:
Standard software from both Apple and Microsoft have built in accessibility features to assist with viewing and operating a computer. These included features such as adjusting display features like screen contrast, font sizes, mouse pointer options. In built magnification and narration programs are also included in some software.
Other options for magnifying or enlarging text or screen images include either an external screen magnifier which is placed over the monitor or specific software that allows for magnification of text as required.
A range of software is also available such as screen reading software to improve accessibility of information. Some options include:
For Braille users, a range of options are available to improve accessibility:
References
Apple 2007, Accessibility – Vision, Apple Inc., California, viewed 12 October 2007, http://www.apple.com/accessibility/vision/
Microsoft 2006, Comparison of Accessibility Features in Various Versions of Windows, Microsoft Corporation Australian Headquarters, North Ryde, viewed 12 October 2007, http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/chartwindows.aspx
Microsoft 2006, Accessibility - Make items on the screen appear larger (Magnifier), Microsoft Corporation Australian Headquarters, North Ryde, viewed 12 October 2007, http://www.microsoft.com/enable/training/windowsvista/magnifier.aspx
Vision Australia 2007, Computer Based Magnification Systems, Vision Australia, Enfield, viewed 12 October 2007, http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=1239