8 March 2005
The UK is poised to take delivery of new American-designed web reader technology that has the potential to facilitate Internet accessibility for those with various disabilities including visual impairments and dyslexia.
The IBM team commenced the project with the sole intention of coming up with a product to improve accessibility for visually impaired people but discovered during the design process that it could be used to combat countless other hindrances.
"It was designed initially primarily for the blind," confirmed Phil Jenkin of the IBM accessibility centre research.
"Then as we started developing with some of its visual characteristics, we found the benefits were available to the sighted dyslexic user or the low vision user."
Guido D Corona is a visually impaired member of the IBM team working on the Web Reader and he revealed to Austin's KXAN TV news that the technology has great social potential.
"It means opportunity for education, leisure and employment," commented Mr Corona.
"But it goes beyond that. It means that people with disabilities are inserted back into mainstream society."
The Web Reader works with keystrokes and without a mouse and according to Mr Corona has the capability to enable users to read up to 350 words per minute.© DeHavilland Information Services plc
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