app on a computer or be built into a website, a smartphone, or a braille device. braille embosser a braille embosser is, simply put, a printer for braille. instead of a standard printer adding ink onto a page, the braille embosser imprints the raised dots of braille onto a page. some braille embossers combine both braille and ink so the documents can be read with either sight or touch. refreshable braille display a refreshable braille display or braille terminal is an electro-mechanical device for displaying braille characters, usually by means of round-tipped pins raised through holes in a flat surface. computer users who cannot use a computer monitor use it to read a braille output version of the displayed text. desktop video magnifier desktop video magnifiers are electronic devices that use a camera and a display screen to perform digital magnification of printed materials. they enlarge printed pages for those with low vision. a camera connects to a monitor that displays real-time images, and the user can control settings such as magnification, focus, contrast, underlining, highlighting, and other screen preferences. they come in a variety of sizes and styles; some are small and portable with handheld cameras, while others are much larger and mounted on a fixed stand. screen magnification software a screen magnifier is software that interfaces with a computer's graphical output to present enlarged screen content. it allows users to enlarge the texts and graphics on their computer screens for easier viewing. similar to desktop video magnifiers, this technology assists people with low vision. after the user loads the software into their computer's memory, it serves as a kind of "computer magnifying glass". wherever the computer cursor moves, it enlarges the area around it. this allows greater computer accessibility for a wide range of visual abilities. this large-print keyboard has tactile elements and special keys for the visually impaired. large-print and tactile keyboards a large-print keyboard has large letters printed on the keys. on the keyboard shown, the round buttons at the top control software which can magnify the screen (zoom in), change the background color of the screen, or make the mouse cursor on the screen larger. the "bump dots" on the keys, installed in this case by the organization using the keyboards, help the user find the right keys in a tactile way. navigation assistance assistive technology for navigation has exploded on the ieee xplore database since 2000, with over 7,500 engineering articles written on assistive technologies and visual impairment in the past 25 years, and over 1,300 articles on solving the problem of navigation for people who are blind or visually impaired. as well, over 600 articles on augmented reality and visual impairment have appeared in the engineering literature since 2000. most of these articles were published within the past 5 years, and the number of articles in this area is increasing every year. gps, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and cameras can pinpoint the exact location of the user and provide information on what is in the immediate vicinity, and assistance in getting to a destination. wearable technology wearable technology are smart electronic devices that can be worn on the body as an implant or an accessory. new technologies are exploring how the visually impaired can receive visual information through wearable devices. some wearable devices for visual impairment include: orcam device, esight and brainport. personal emergency response systems main article: telecare this voter with a manual dexterity disability is making choices on a touchscreen with a head dauber. personal emergency response systems (pers), or telecare (uk term), are a particular sort of assistive technology that use electronic sensors connected to an alarm system to help caregivers manage risk and help vulnerable people stay independent at home longer. an example would be the systems being put in place for senior people such as fall detectors, thermometers (for hypothermia risk), flooding and unlit gas sensors (for people with mild dementia). notably, these alerts can be customized to the particular person's risks. when the alert is triggered, a message is sent to a caregiver or contact center who can respond appropriately. accessibility software in human–computer interaction, computer accessibility (also known as accessible computing) refers to the accessibility of a computer system to all people, regardless of disability or severity of impairment, examples include web accessibility guidelines. another approach is for the user to present a token to the computer terminal, such as a smart card, that has configuration information to adjust the computer speed, text size, etc. to their particular needs. this is useful where users want to access public computer based terminals in libraries, atm, information kiosks etc. the concept is encompassed by the cen en 1332-4 identification card systems – man-machine interface. this development of this standard has been supported in europe by snapi and has been successfully incorporated into the lasseo specifications, but with limited success due to the lack of interest from public computer terminal suppliers. hearing impairments people in the d/deaf and hard of hearing community have a more difficult time receiving auditory information as compared to hearing individuals. these individuals often rely on visual and tactile mediums for receiving and communicating information. the use of assistive technology and devices provides this community with various solutions to auditory communication needs by providing higher sound (for those who are hard of hearing), tactile feedback, visual cues and improved technology access. individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing utilize a variety of assistive technologies that provide them with different access to information in numerous environments. most devices either provide amplified sound or alternate ways to access information through vision and/or vibration. these technologies can be grouped into three general categories: hearing technology, alerting devices, and communication support. hearing aids main article: hearing aid a hearing aid or deaf aid is an electro-acoustic device which is designed to amplify sound for the wearer, usually with the aim of making speech more intelligible, and to correct impaired hearing as measured by audiometry. this type of assistive technology helps people with hearing loss participate more fully in their hearing communities by allowing them to hear more clearly. they amplify any and all sound waves through use of a microphone, amplifier, and speaker. there is a wide variety of hearing aids available, including digital, in-the-ear, in-the-canal, behind-the-ear, and on-the-body aids. assistive listening devices assistive listening devices include fm, infrared, and loop assistive listening devices. this type of technology allows people with hearing difficulties to focus on a speaker or subject by getting rid of extra background noises and distractions, making places like auditoriums, classrooms, and meetings much easier to participate in. the assistive listening device usually uses a microphone to capture an audio source near to its origin and broadcast it wirelessly over an fm (frequency modulation) transmission, ir (infra red) transmission, il (induction loop) transmission, or other transmission methods. the person who is listening may use an fm/ir/il receiver to tune into the signal and listen at his/her preferred volume. amplified telephone equipment this type of assistive technology allows users to amplify the volume and clarity of their phone calls so that they can easily partake in this medium of communication. there are also options to adjust the frequency and tone of a call to suit their individual hearing needs. additionally, there is a wide variety of amplified telephones to choose from, with different degrees of amplification. for example, a phone with 26 to 40 decibel is generally sufficient for mild hearing loss, while a phone with 71 to 90 decibel is better for more severe hearing loss. augmentative and alternative communication an aac user uses number coding on an eye gaze communication board. augmentative and alternative communication (aac) is an umbrella term that encompasses methods of communication for those with impairments or restrictions on the production or comprehension of spoken or written language. aac systems are extremely diverse and depend on the capabilities of the user. they may be as basic as pictures on a board that are used to request food, drink, or other care; or they can be advanced speech generating devices, based on speech synthesis, that are capable of storing hundreds of phrases and words. cognitive impairments assistive technology for cognition (atc) is the use of technology (usually high tech) to augment and assist cognitive processes such as attention, memory, self-regulation, navigation, emotion recognition and management, planning, and sequencing activity. systematic reviews of the field have found that the number of atc are growing rapidly, but have focused on memory and planning, that there is emerging evidence for efficacy, that a lot of scope exists to develop new atc. examples of atc include: neuropage which prompts users about meetings, wakamaru, which provides companionship and reminds users to take medicine and calls for help if something is wrong, and telephone reassurance systems. memory aids memory aids are any type of assistive technology that helps a user learn and remember certain information. many memory aids are used for cognitive impairments such as reading, writing, or organizational difficulties. for example, a smartpen records handwritten notes by creating both a digital copy and an audio recording of the text. users simply tap certain parts of their notes, the pen saves it, and reads it back to them. from there, the user can also download their notes onto a computer for increased accessibility. digital voice recorders are also used to record "in the moment" information for fast and easy recall at a later time. a 2017 cochrane review highlighted the current lack of high-quality evidence to determine whether assistive technology effectively supports people with dementia to manage memory issues. thus, it is not presently sure whether or not assistive technology is beneficial for memory problems. educational software educational software is software that assists people with reading, learning, comprehension, and organizational difficulties. any accommodation software such as text readers, notetakers, text enlargers, organization tools, word predictions, and talking word processors falls under the category of educational software. eating impairments adaptive eating devices include items commonly used by the general population like spoons and forks and plates. however they become assistive technology when they are modified to accommodate the needs of people who have difficulty using standard cutlery due to a disabling condition. common modifications include increasing the size of the utensil handle to make it easier to grasp. plates and bowls may have a guard on the edge that stops food being pushed off of the dish when it is being scooped. more sophisticated equipment for eating includes manual and powered feeding devices. these devices support those who have little or no hand and arm function and enable them to eat independently. in sports a new york city marathon competitor uses a racing wheelchair. assistive technology in sports is an area of technology design that is growing. assistive technology is the array of new devices created to enable sports enthusiasts who have disabilities to play. assistive technology may be used in adaptive sports, where an existing sport is modified to enable players with a disability to participate; or, assistive technology may be used to invent completely new sports with athletes with disabilities exclusively in mind. an increasing number of people with disabilities are participating in sports, leading to the development of new assistive technology. assistive technology devices can be simple, or "low-technology", or they may use highly advanced technology. "low-tech" devices can include velcro gloves and adaptive bands and tubes. "high-tech" devices can include all-terrain wheelchairs and adaptive bicycles. accordingly, assistive technology can be found in sports ranging from local community recreation to the elite paralympic games. more complex assistive technology devices have been developed over time, and as a result, sports for people with disabilities "have changed from being a clinical therapeutic tool to an increasingly competition-oriented activity". in education in the united states there are two major pieces of legislation that govern the use of assistive technology within the school system. the first is section 504 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 and the second being the individuals with disabilities education act (idea) which was first enacted in 1975 under the name the education for all handicapped children act. in 2004, during the reauthorization period for idea, the national instructional material access center (nimac) was created which provided a repository of accessible text including publisher's textbooks to