An Alternative Option to Dedicated Braille Notetakers for People with Visual Impairments: Universal Technology for Better Access

Abstract

Technology provides equal access to information and helps people with visual impairments to complete tasks more independently. A major obstacle to use of assistive technology for people with visual impairments is expense associated with purchasing, maintaining, and updating such technology equipment (Microsoft Corporation, 2004). Sapp (2007) suggested that there are three important elements of technology to be considered for people with visual impairments. These are affordability, accessibility, and usability. Although proprietary technology venues developed for people with visual impairments may have fulfilled needs associated with accessibility well, it is other two critical components for which there is significant room for improvement. Universal design refers to the process of creating products (devices, environments, systems, and processes) which are usable by people with widest possible range of abilities, operating within widest possible range of situations (environments, conditions, and circumstances) (Vanderheiden, 1996, p. 1). The concept of universal design may have potential implications for addressing issues related to use of technology devices by people with visual impairments. More specifically, affordability, accessibility, and usability of technology devices can be successfully addressed by adopting universal design. Among various assistive technology options for people with visual impairments, braille notetakers have been considered most significant because of their technological innovation. Braille notetakers allow users who are visually impaired to retrieve e-mails, access web pages, maintain schedules and calendars, emboss braille documents, and perform math and scientific calculations (Farnsworth & Luckner, 2008). With their capability to utilize speech and braille at same time and to use six-key entry or a traditional QWERTY keyboard, braille notetakers became widely used among people with visual impairments. For example, Edwards and Lewis (1998) reported that almost 25% of teachers in Florida said they used braille notetakers in providing instructions for their students. Various types of techniques in utilizing braille notetakers have been devised. For example, Kapperman and Sticken (2003) reported that braille notetakers could be successfully used to create mathematical equations and could assist students with visual impairments in communicating better with their math teachers. Nemeth code instructions (Amberg, 2001), foreign language translation (Kapperman & Sticken, 2002), and general notetaking and braille translation (Farnsworth & Luckner, 2008) were implemented as significant functions of braille notetakers. A DEDICATED BRAILLE NOTETAKING DEVICE A braille notetaker is a portable device that has built-in refreshable braille display and is designed specifically for people with visual impairments (Samuels, 2008). While having functions similar to mainstream laptop computers and maintaining equivalent connectivity options such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), wireless local area network (LAN), and Bluetooth, it can store electronic documents, translate uncontracted and contracted braille in real time, and allow access to mainstream technology such as reading Microsoft Word and text documents. In a Delphi study conducted by Smith, Kelley, Maushak, Griffin-Shirley, and Lan (2009) on identifying important competencies of assistive technology, use of braille notetakers was regarded as a topic with which teachers of students with visual impairments should be acquainted. Furthermore, one participant of study conducted by Farnsworth and Luckner (2008) indicated that use of braille notetaker positively reshaped his school work and communication with others. This statement exemplifies importance of a braille notetaker for people with visual impairments. Although braille notetakers provide a variety of functions for people with visual impairments, there are some perceived disadvantages as well. …