Cline Library Technology Overview
Cline Library has purchased new assistive technology giving blind or visually impaired students better access to library materials. The new technology includes a Top-Braille, a SmartView Versa+, and a Tiger Embosser. The Tiger Embosser is housed in the Assistive Technology Room, located in Media Services. The Top-Braille and SmartView Versa+ are available for checkout at the Media Services desk.
Top-Braille
The Top-Braille is a revolutionary reading personal assistant, ideally designed to allow people who are blind instantaneous access to read all printed texts.
As the user moves Top-Braille along printed text, the printed material is translated into Braille. The translation of each printed character is controlled by the speed with which the user moves Top-Braille. Navigation software indicates the direction to the user and allows the user to follow the text line by line. Top-Braille is ergonomically designed to provide comfort and ease of use.
Key Functions:
- Recognition of all printed text with Braille and speech output.
- Recognition of all printed text with Braille output only.
- Color recognition.
SmartView Versa +
The SmartView Versa+ handheld electronic magnifier is fully and easily adaptable to meet the specific requirements of the user. The contrast mode and magnification can be configured to best match the vision of the user.
Features:
- Autofocus: Have a clear view up to 4 inches away from objects
- Magnification: Up to 15 times regular print
- Freeze picture on the screen and save for later reference
- Large screen: See more with a 4.3 inch widescreen LCD
- High contrast viewing modes: See text in the following contrasts –
- White on Black
- Black on White
- Yellow on Black
- Yellow on Blue
- Full Color
SmartView Versa+ Magnifiers combine portability, easy use and powerful magnification to make it possible to read text and view objects at a size that works for you.
Tiger Embosser
The Tiger Embosser uses a standard Windows printer driver to emboss images. The Tiger Embosser specializes in making raised dot patterns to represent visual images (it allows you to "feel" what a picture looks like).
Features:
- Prints Braille and ink on the same page
- Formats Word and Excel documents to Braille automatically
- Creates raised visual images on paper from anything on the computer screen
- Includes Tiger Designer - tactile graphics design software for Windows
- Employs Tiger Technology - the new standard in embossed tactile graphics
The Tiger Embosser is a Braille tactile graphics embosser that can emboss text and graphics directly from Windows applications using its own driver software. It will print Braille at a resolution of 20 dots per inch, single-sided or inter-point. The Tiger interprets color and shades of gray in visual images with embossed dots of varying heights. Braille graphics can be produced in 3-D with great variation in textures, shapes, and thickness of line for maps, scientific graphing, and illustrations.
For more information, visit Media Services at Cline Library or call (928) 523-6820.
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ACCESSIBILITY