This document discusses assistive technologies that can help people with disabilities access libraries. It describes various types of disabilities that may require assistive technology, including hearing impairments, visual impairments, physical disabilities, and cognitive disabilities. It then provides details on different assistive technologies that can aid library access for people with specific disabilities, such as screen reading and magnification software, Braille devices, speech recognition software, and adjustable furniture. It also discusses national initiatives and libraries that provide resources in alternate formats for people with print disabilities.

1. Assistive & Adaptive
Technologies for
People with Disabilities
in Libraries
Sanmati Jinendran
M.Lib.I.Sc

2. Who might need assistive technology
in order to use the library?
•Hearing impaired
•Visually impaired
•Physical handicap
•Cognitive Disability

3. People with Disabilities
•‘People with Disabilities’ means people who are
blind/vision impaired, deaf/hearing impaired and
people suffering from locomotor disability (i.e.
disability of the bones, joints or muscles leading to
substantial restriction of the movement of the limbs).
• The Government of India has enacted legislation for
persons with disabilities : Persons with Disability (Equal
Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full
Participation) Act, 1995, which provides for education,
employment, creation of barrier free environment,
social security, etc.

4. What is Assistive Technology?
• According to ALA, Assistive or Adaptive
Technology (AT) are devices or computer
based accommodation that helps an individual
with special needs to work around or
compensate for a disability and enhancing
individual ability.
•In simple words, Assistive technologies refer to
products, devices or equipment's that are used
to maintain, increase or improve the functional
capabilities of people with disabilities.

5. • The first law of library science: “Books are for all”,
includes people with disabilities.
• Video magnifiers, electronic readers, optical
character recognition software, magnification
software, speech output systems and electronic
Braille devices etc. all provide a solution for a
particular individual with disability and these
computer related aids and equipment are commonly
known as ‘assistive’, ‘adaptive’, ‘access’, or
‘enabling’ technology.

6. Role of Assistive Technology in
Information Access
• Assistive technologies play an important role in
equalizing opportunities for people with disabilities
in several aspects of life as this technology enables
them to overcome various limitations and obstacles
faced in all types of environments.
• Access to the information is major problem for the
disabled but today ICT along with assistive
technologies have helped to reduce the digital
divide between sighted and the blind by providing
information on their computers.

7. Assisting Patrons with Blindness or Visual Impairment
• ZoomText Xtra screen-magnification software—this
program allows patrons with low vision to access
computer information by enlarging the screen display or
tailoring the display to accommodate their disability.
• JAWS screen reader—this program enables
individuals who are blind or visually impaired to access
the information on a computer screen through voice
output.
• Talking Typer software—Talking Typer, from
American Printing House (APH), is a specially designed
typing-teacher program for those who are blind, have
low vision, or learn at a different pace. The program
provides audio instruction and tutorials.

8. JAWS SCREEN READER

9. • SAFA( Screen Access For All) Reader is a screen reader
software for Indian languages, which can capture text
from the computer and transform it into the audio form,
which is then used by the visually impaired persons or
person with low vision. This free software is an
intellectual property of National Association For The
Blind, New Delhi.
• Kurzweil 1000 is a software which enables a visually
impaired user to gain access to both web-based, digital
or scanned print materials through its OCR and text to
speech features.
• Kurzweil 3000 enables to read aloud web-based, digital
or scanned print material by converting into mp3 to
provide audible files to listen

12. • Duxbury Braille Translating Software—program that,
like a word processor, allows users to type text, then
translate it into Braille. A Braille embosser produces
hardcopy.
• Braille embosser—similar to a printer, an embosser will
print Grade II Braille on paper, enabling patrons to create
hardcopies of documents. If hard-copy Braille is not
available, it enables users to save documents to a USB
flash drive.
• Open Book text reader—helps those with low or no
vision. Scans printed text and verbalizes the text via
synthetic speech.

14. Braille Embossers

15. Shruti Drishti(C-DAC)
• "Shruti Drishti" is an Integrated Text-to-Speech [TTS] &
Text-to-Braille [TTB] System for the Visually Impaired
using the Information Extraction and Retrieval
techniques. Shruti Drishti is a web page browser
developed for visually impaired users is considered to
provide user-friendly environment, sharing and
strengthening of global knowledge by removing barriers
and providing equitable access to information through
speech and Braille assistive technologies. The system
enables visually impaired to browse internet using
minimum key combinations.

17. Assisting Patrons with Hearing Impairment or
Deafness
• Dragon Dictate (convert speech to text)
• iCommunicator promotes independent communication
for persons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing and
encourages increased literacy by “translating” English a
number of ways:
• The iCommunicator translates in real-time:
• Speech to Text
• Speech/Text to Video Sign-Language
• Speech/Text to Computer Generated Voice
• Infrared Assistive Listening Device: Amplifies sound
• Induction Loop Assistive Listening Device - Removes
background noise, reverberation

18. ShrutLekhan – Rajbhasha
•ShrutLekhan-Rajbhasha, a Hindi speaker
independent, continuous speech recognition
system is a milestone in the field of Speech
technology that enables a machine to
recognise human speech and provide an output
in Hindi Unicode. This project has been
developed by Applied AI Group, C-DAC, Pune
for Department of Official Language [DOL],
Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

20. Assisting Patrons with Physical Disabilities
• Persons with physical disabilities may need assistance in doing some of
the physical tasks that are involved in using the computer. Persons
using wheelchairs or scooters will need a sturdy, safe workstation. Table
height and monitor position should be adjustable.
• Madentec Tracker—users wear a tiny reflective dot on the forehead or
glasses. A computer camera/tracker allows users to manipulate the
cursor through head movement.
• Softype—a software utility that replaces the functionality of a standard
keyboard with a full-featured, onscreen keyboard.
• Special input devices such as trackballs, joysticks, switches, touch pads,
and augmented keyboards (micro keyboards or oversize keyboards with
enlarged keys)

23. Assisting Patrons with Cognitive Disabilities
•e-Saadhya (Saral Anukulaney Adhyayan) is An
Adaptable & Accessible e-Learning framework
for the children with mild mental retardation and
Autism.
•It is an ABA(Applied Behavior Analysis) based,
Adaptable and Accessible e-Learning
environment which adapts to the educational
needs of the children with cognitive disability.

24. Assistive Hardware Facilities Available for the
People with Disabilities
• Scanner/Reader
• Speech Synthesizer
• Magnifying Glasses
• Tactile Image Enhancer, Single Handed Keyboard
• Prosthetic and Orthotic devices
• Simple/Electric Wheel Chairs
• Adaptive keyboards (e.g. Muppet Learning Keys,
Power Pad, Unicorn Board, Touch Windows)
• Speech-input devices (e.g. Voice Master)
• Cursor-control devices (e.g. Adaptive Firmware Card,
Multi-Switch Adapter Box)

25. Magic Magnification Software

28. DAISY Forum of India (Sugamya Pustakalaya)
• DAISY Forum of India is a consortium of Not for
Profit organizations from India who are involved in
production and distribution of books and reading
material in accessible formats for persons who
cannot read normal print due to visual, cognitive or
physical disabilities.
• The DAISY forum of India envisions a world where
people with print disabilities have equal access to
information and knowledge without delay or
additional expense in their own language.

29. Sugamya Pustakalaya
• Department of empowerment of persons with
disabilities, (DEPwD) launched the online library in
collaboration with National Institute of Visually
Handicapped (NIVH), member organisations of Daisy
Forum of India, powered by TCS Access.
• The Sugamya Pustakalaya is the aggregator of
accessible versions of books available in India. This
library has been created by DAISY Forum of India to
provide access to books to persons with print
disabilities. It is poised to become the largest collection
of books in accessible formats in India and a one-stop
resource for the reading requirements of all those
persons who due to blindness, weak eyesight or any
other disability cannot read the standard print.

31. • Bookshare, the largest International online library for
persons with print disabilities is also integrated into
Sugamya Pustakalaya. All the titles available in
Bookshare library for India can be searched and
downloaded through the Sugamya Pustakalaya.
• The Sugamya Pustakalaya is providing books primarily
in DAISY, EPUB and BRF format. The files downloaded
from this online library can be read on computers,
mobile phones, tablets and dedicated eBook readers. It
will soon implement DAISY online protocol for providing
direct download to mobile apps and compatible DAISY
hardware players.

32. Helen Keller Library, JNU, New Delhi

33. Anna Centenary Library Braille Section

34. Louis Braille Library Centre Pondicherry University

38. Books in Alternate Formats

39. AT Workstation

40. Screen Readers
• A Screen Reader is a software that
uses a Synthesized Voice to read
information from a computer screen
• Users hit special key combinations
rather than use the mouse.
• Many websites are not accessible to
screen readers because of unlabeled
graphics or other bad design.
JAWS and
WINDOW EYES

41. Screen Magnifiers
ZOOMTEXT
Screen Magnifiers make the
information on the computer
screen bigger so that people
with low vision can see it.

42. CCTV
Video
Magnification
• Magnification to 70x
• Color
• Auto focus
• Movable tray

43. Scanning & Reading (OCR)

44. Speech Recognition

45. Refreshable Braille Display
Braille Embosser – loud, need enclosure
Duxbury Braille Translation software
Braille
Web Braille from NLS
Easy Converter – Format Translation

46. Adjustable Furniture
• Chairs
• Tables

47. National Library Service for the Blind &
Physically Handicapped
•Player and USB cartridge
•Size of large print book, 2
pounds
•Rewind and Fast Forward
buttons jump by increment
•BARD Downloadable Talking
Books and Web Braille
(electronic Braille)

48. Recording for the Blind and
Dyslexic
•Non-profit organization that records textbooks
•Textbooks in CD format
•Not compatible with NLS playback machines
•$75 to join
•Must buy player
•Contact RFB&D for specials
•www.rfbd.org

49. BookShare.org
• Online accessible digital library for print disabled readers.
• Available for free to all print disabled students in the World.

50. PlayAway Books
• Digital audiobook that plays itself
• No other gadget needed
• One AAA battery
• Bookmark, FFW, RWD
• Skip by Chapter
• Speed Control

51. Learning Software
•WYNN Wizard and Kurzweil 3000
•Scanning, reading, writing
•Kidspiration, Inspiration, InspireData
– Visual Organization

52. Assistive Listening Devices
Pocket Talker

53. Accessible Meeting Rooms
Loop Amplification

54. Open Source and Free ATs
•Read Please – Text to Speech for Learning
•Screen Readers:
•Non Visual Desktop Access (NVDA)
•www.satogo.com
•Thunder

55. Conclusion (To Sum up)
•Develop special needs pilot projects using ICT
•Adapt implemented projects to serve people
with special needs
•Inclusive Libraries: A step toward making
libraries disabled friendly
•We need Accessible Libraries because…
disabled people should have: Equal access to
Information, Equal access to Knowledge &
Equal access to Education.

56. References
• American Library Association (2001), “Library Services for People
with Disabilities Policy”, viewed 09 November 2017,
<http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/ascla/asclaissues/libraryservice
s.cfm>.
• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (2014). “National
Policy For Persons with Disabilities”, Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment, viewed 05 November 2014, <
http://socialjustice.nic.in/policiesacts3.php>
• Koganuramath, M.M. and Choukimath, P.A. (2009), “Learning
resource centre for the visually impaired students in the
universities to foster inclusive education”, International Conference
on Academic Libraries, Delhi, India, 5th-8th October, pp.619-625,
viewed 09 November 2017,
<http://crl.du.ac.in/ical09/papers/index_files/ical104_215_458_2_R
V.pdf>.
• Koulikourdi, A. (2008), “Assistive technologies in Greek libraries”,
Library Hi Tech, Vol.26, no.3, p.387-397.

57. "The only thing worse than being
blind is having sight but no
vision."
Helen Keller

58. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING