Accessibility

Accessibility can be described as the ability to access or benefit from a system. It is the way in which a product, service, or device, is made to be available to the many people using it. Georgia Academy for the Blind is a school in which provides services to children and youth whom are visually impaired or suffering from other disabilities. The school uses an assortment of technology services for those students who are visually impaired such as, Braille Note takers and keystone products to aide students. One of the students’s who attends the school named Malik, showed many things he can do with the products which was quite interesting. I loved the fact that he was also so passionate about his music and the way he was still able to make beats. I’m a music lover myself and it’s amazing how he didn’t let his impaired vision disrupt his dream. The school gives students the will power and the knowledge to go out and do things and to not feel sorry for themselves. Malik took charge during the video by showing the group how he uses the technology. He’s a very intelligent young man and his teacher even shared how smart and passionate about school Malik is. In the video Malik showed the different games he was also able to play. The games didn’t include any graphics, but it did include sounds and from Malik’s perspective it didn’t make a difference and he was still able to play all the while knowing there weren’t any graphics. Screen readers were also mentioned in the video and the one in which the school uses is called JAWS. JAWS for Windows is a Screen Reading Software that was developed by Freedom Scientific which is the largest worldwide manufacturer of assistive technology products for people who are blind or have low vision. JAWS is the most popular screen reader. It reads out loud what’s on the computer screen and also gives the user a unique set of tools for navigating through sites and accessing Web pages. JAWS is compatible with Microsoft Office, MSN

Cited: Accessibility. http://www.apple.com/accessibility/iphone/vision.html. Retrieved April 21, 2013. Blindness. http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/products/blindness/braillenotes.Retrieved April 21, 2013. JAWS for Windows Screen Reading Software. http://www.freedomscientific.com/products/fs/ JAWS-product-page.asp. Retrieved April 21, 2013. What is the National Federation of the Blind?. https://nfb.org/who-we-are. Retrieved April 21, 2013.