On a recent trip to a training facility I learned about many products that bring about ease to a visually impaired persons everyday life.
Coupled with that in my business there are also items that I recommend.
Some of these are low cost and others are free.
Note that I do not sell any of these products.
First I will start with the items and then describe software and a screen reader.
Medication Reminder Pill Bottles: These bottles have a recorder that speaks instructions on how to take medications and what to do when you miss a dose.
The pharmacist actually records the message.
Average Price: $25.
00 Vibrating Watch: Vibrating watches are wonderful to remind one of meeting and when to take medication or and other activity.
Average Price: $100.
00 Talking Cooking Thermometer (not just for cooking): There are many uses for this item such as for in the kitchen testing the temperature of the meat or when cooking water.
Other uses include testing the temperature of a room, bath water, and heating pads.
Average Price: $30.
00 Braille Speakerphone with Large Numbers: Phones of these types have large numbers with accompanying symbols in Braille as well as a visual ring indicator.
Average Price: $33.
00 Checks and Deposit Register: Checks in Large Print can be ordered for free from your local bank.
Large check registers measuring 8.
5" by 11" for the visually impaired are available for purchase.
They make it easy to maintain your finances.
Average Price $6.
00 Talking Timers: There are many types that mention the end of timing.
Some come with many different functions but of course the cost is much more.
The price below is for the basic ones.
The Average Price: $12.
00 Talking Color Identifier: This is an invaluable wonderful tool for indentifying colors that is preformed by placing the tool on the item.
The color is then identified in speech.
Items that the tool can be used on are clothing, fabric or many other surfaces.
There are 14 types of colors normally identified with these products.
Average Price: $140.
00 Talking Calculators: They have large print and also speak.
The lower priced ones have the basic functions of adding, subtracting, dividing, multiplying, and calculating percentages.
Average Price: $20.
00 Talking Books and Players: These are available for free through the Talking Books Library.
Check your local Agencies.
White Canes: Most canes come in carbon fiber for lasting quality.
They are best as collapsing types for they fit conveniently anywhere.
Average Price: $35.
00 Talking Clocks and Watches: There are several types of talking clocks and watches with excellent voice quality.
Average Price: $15.
00 Magnifiers: Magnifiers come is several sizes with different magnification depending upon what the users needs are, so prices do vary.
Average Price: $10.
00 Braille Tags: These are great for sewing into clothes to indentify them.
An example would be to determine the color or for matching purposes.
They come in a package.
Typically the amount is a quantity of 50.
Average Price: $30.
00 Low Browse: From Lighthouse International this is an add-on to Mozilla's Firefox browser.
It enables visually impaired person to view web pages as the web author intended them to be viewed.
This software also reads the text on those pages that is formatted to the viewers own needs.
Please follow this link for additional information and to obtain the software: [http://www.
lighthouse.
org/abutus/lowbrowse/] FREE WebAnywhere: WebAnywhere is a screen reader that is web based.
The blind can access the web from any computer as long as it has a sound card.
For more details please see: http://webanywhere.
cs.
washington.
edu/ FREE These are just a few things to make everyday simpler and easier for the visually impaired without the high cost.
Coupled with that in my business there are also items that I recommend.
Some of these are low cost and others are free.
Note that I do not sell any of these products.
First I will start with the items and then describe software and a screen reader.
Medication Reminder Pill Bottles: These bottles have a recorder that speaks instructions on how to take medications and what to do when you miss a dose.
The pharmacist actually records the message.
Average Price: $25.
00 Vibrating Watch: Vibrating watches are wonderful to remind one of meeting and when to take medication or and other activity.
Average Price: $100.
00 Talking Cooking Thermometer (not just for cooking): There are many uses for this item such as for in the kitchen testing the temperature of the meat or when cooking water.
Other uses include testing the temperature of a room, bath water, and heating pads.
Average Price: $30.
00 Braille Speakerphone with Large Numbers: Phones of these types have large numbers with accompanying symbols in Braille as well as a visual ring indicator.
Average Price: $33.
00 Checks and Deposit Register: Checks in Large Print can be ordered for free from your local bank.
Large check registers measuring 8.
5" by 11" for the visually impaired are available for purchase.
They make it easy to maintain your finances.
Average Price $6.
00 Talking Timers: There are many types that mention the end of timing.
Some come with many different functions but of course the cost is much more.
The price below is for the basic ones.
The Average Price: $12.
00 Talking Color Identifier: This is an invaluable wonderful tool for indentifying colors that is preformed by placing the tool on the item.
The color is then identified in speech.
Items that the tool can be used on are clothing, fabric or many other surfaces.
There are 14 types of colors normally identified with these products.
Average Price: $140.
00 Talking Calculators: They have large print and also speak.
The lower priced ones have the basic functions of adding, subtracting, dividing, multiplying, and calculating percentages.
Average Price: $20.
00 Talking Books and Players: These are available for free through the Talking Books Library.
Check your local Agencies.
White Canes: Most canes come in carbon fiber for lasting quality.
They are best as collapsing types for they fit conveniently anywhere.
Average Price: $35.
00 Talking Clocks and Watches: There are several types of talking clocks and watches with excellent voice quality.
Average Price: $15.
00 Magnifiers: Magnifiers come is several sizes with different magnification depending upon what the users needs are, so prices do vary.
Average Price: $10.
00 Braille Tags: These are great for sewing into clothes to indentify them.
An example would be to determine the color or for matching purposes.
They come in a package.
Typically the amount is a quantity of 50.
Average Price: $30.
00 Low Browse: From Lighthouse International this is an add-on to Mozilla's Firefox browser.
It enables visually impaired person to view web pages as the web author intended them to be viewed.
This software also reads the text on those pages that is formatted to the viewers own needs.
Please follow this link for additional information and to obtain the software: [http://www.
lighthouse.
org/abutus/lowbrowse/] FREE WebAnywhere: WebAnywhere is a screen reader that is web based.
The blind can access the web from any computer as long as it has a sound card.
For more details please see: http://webanywhere.
cs.
washington.
edu/ FREE These are just a few things to make everyday simpler and easier for the visually impaired without the high cost.