Types of Disabilities Flashcards
Q
What are the common causes of blindness?
Diabetes, Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma, Accidents or traumatic injuries to the eye, Stroke, Retinitis Pigmentosa
What is the legal definition of blindness?
According to the U.S. definition of blindness, a person who has a visual acuity of 20/200 with corrective lenses or who has a field of vision (what can be seen in front of the person) that is 20 degrees in the eye that has the best vision is considered to be legally blind.
What is a screen reader?
Screen readers convert the text on the web page into spoken words.
What are solutions for individuals who cannot see digital or electronic interfaces (such as computers, automated teller machines (ATMs), mobile devices, airport kiosks, etc)?
Screen readers can read interfaces and content out loud to users by converting digital text to synthesized speech, but only if they have been designed to be accessible. Screen readers do not announce text styles such as font, color, size, bold, and italic.
Self-voicing interfaces and applications can communicate to users without the need for a screen reader, but these are appropriate mostly for broadcasting information, because they usually do not interact with the interface or content as screen readers do.
Refreshable Braille output devices use screen readers to convert digital text to Braille. These devices are typically expensive, and only a minority of blind people know how to read Braille.
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What are solutions for individuals who cannot use screen readers on digital content and interfaces not designed with accessibility in mind?
Interface designers and content authors can edit the markup to make it compatible with the assistive technologies used by blind people.
What are solutions for individuals who cannot see when walking?
Canes help blind people feel their surroundings as they walk.
Service animals (e.g. “Seeing Eye” dogs), trained to assist blind people, help them navigate their surroundings.
GPS-based walking instructions with an audio interface, either automated or via a remote human navigator.
Raised tiles on the ground to indicate the edge of a platform, a pathway along a sidewalk, the beginning of a staircase, etc.
Eliminate low-hanging architectural features that a blind person could bump into.
Clear pathways without obstructions in hallways, sidewalks.
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What are solutions for individuals who cannot see signs or other text on buildings or other areas in the built environment?
Map and geolocation applications on mobile devices can announce the names and descriptions of buildings and other location-related information.
Braille labels and descriptions on entrances, rooms, bathrooms, historical markers, and other points of interest can allow blind people to explore and understand their surroundings, as long as the person knows Braille, and as long as the Braille labels are easy to find.
Tactile models of the exterior of buildings, or of floorplans of the interior of buildings help blind people form a mental map of their surroundings.
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What are solutions for individuals who cannot see or feel the controls on flat interfaces on consumer devices such as microwaves, ovens, dishwashers, etc.
Alternative interfaces with knobs or other tactile controls.
Audio interfaces.
Remote control through applications on mobile devices.
What are solutions for individuals who cannot read the text on the containers or packaging for consumer items such as medicine, toothpaste, shampoo, sunscreen, hand cream, personal care products, foods, drinks, candy?
Embossed Braille (or Braille stickers) on packaging and product containers help consumers identify items both in the store and after purchase.
What are solutions for individuals who cannot read money to determine its value?
Applications on mobile devices can photograph the money and read the value to blind people.
Paper bills and coins could be manufactured in different sizes, shapes, or textures to allow blind people to distinguish the value based on touch.
Non-cash systems of payment can allow blind people to make financial transactions via computers, mobile devices, or on-site payment hardware with screen readers or self-voicing output.
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What are solutions for individuals who cannot read books, magazines, posters, postal mail, or other printed materials?
Optical character recognition software can convert scanned images of text into digital text readable by screen readers. The accuracy of the conversion depends on the quality of the original document, as well as font choices, line spacing, and the quality of the conversion software itself.
Information can be placed online or in other digital formats to allow blind people to read the materials using their own assistive technologies.
What is low vision?
People with low vision can see, but their vision is still quite far from perfect even with powerful corrective lenses. Those who have low vision may be unable to see well enough to drive or read most printed text unless they enlarge it.
What are common characteristics of blur or blur with low contrast in low vision individuals?
Blur: For people who have low vision, faces and objects appear blurry. It is difficult for them to distinguish specific features.
Blur with Low Contrast: People who have low vision or blurred vision can also experience seeing things in low contrast, meaning that there aren’t very many bright or dark areas.
What are common characteristics of cataracts in low vision individuals?
Cataracts: There are some people who experience blind spots in their eyes, which can cause them to miss visual information if it’s in one of their blind spots.
What are common characteristics of diabetic retinopathy in low vision individuals?
Diabetic Retinopathy: Diabetic Retinopathy is another eye condition that causes people to see floating dark spots, similar to what the image depicts here.
