For visually impaired and blind users of computers, this term can have various meanings. For partially sighted individuals using screen magnificaton software, the characters on the screen can be made larger without regard to the file type — PDF, ASCII, etc. For very low vision and totally blind individuals using speech synthesis or a refreshable […]

This is a concept used in the ADA to identify the portions of an agency’s program that have to do with written documents. Written documents are viewed as part of the program of a public agency and therefore must be accessible in order for the communication to be deemed effective. For more information, see alternate […]

This medical diagnosis is most commonly understood to describe reversal of letters, numbers, or mirroring of such shapes. Since its original description, many types of dyslexia have been found to exist. Under many programs, this diagnosis is considered to be a disability. Such programs typically evaluate the specific manifestations present to gauge their impact on […]

This term usually refers to text files (ASCII or word processing files) mounted on a website that can be located and copied to a local computer with standard web browsers.

DotsPlus is a set of tactile fonts that permits virtually any computer document written in a language based on the Roman alphabet to be printed in a form readable by a blind person. Standard text printed in the six-dot DotsPlus font reads very much like grade 1 (non-contracted) standard braille. The eight-dot DotsPlus font set […]

See also Seeing Eye Dog, Dog Guide, Service Animal, and Assistance Animal. This is a specially trained dog that helps people who are blind as they walk about. The dog wears a specially designed harness with a handle shaped like an upside down “U”, allowing the user to grasp the harness comfortably while walking. These […]

Subject to certain standards, documents and other matter may be mailed free of postage by or for the use of blind or other persons who cannot read or use conventionally printed materials due to a physical handicap. These provisions apply to U.S. domestic mail only. The USPS may require individuals claiming entitlement to the free […]

The law and pertinent guidance set forth by the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, for protection of persons with disabilities from discrimination.

In general, this term refers to any condition that limits normal activities of daily living. Various public and private organizations may have more narrowly defined definitions that qualify an individual for certain benefits. In the field of blindness, visual acuity is the standard by which presence and degree of disability are determined.

This approach to preserving sound every component of a sound down into digital (electronic) data. The sound, a car horn sounding for example, is assessed and analyzed thousands of times a second. This is called sampling. These samples are stored in various means on digital media (hard drives, CDs, etc.). Sophisticated software can be used […]