27 June 2005
IT and technological designers need to be focusing more acutely on the needs of deafblind people in the UK, according to the results of a new poll.
The news comes today as nationwide charity Sense celebrates its 50th anniversary and efforts begin for the nation's deafblind awareness week.
The survey shows that nearly half of all deafblind people in the UK have had difficulties in using latest technologies with many individuals with sight and hearing impairments insisting some of the devices have actually hindered their everyday lives.
The full results of the Sense survey are being published today at the Royal College of Physicians in London and co-authors Lucy Drescher and Nick Southern are hopeful that wide-ranging organisations will take note.
"Using our findings we have created recommendations for manufacturers, retailers, social services and the government," they said.
"The respondents form a unique group. As they have both sight and hearing impairments, technology that works well for them will also work well for millions of people with either hearing or sight problems."
Sense has recently commissioned the development of various software devices intended to make technology more accessible for deafblind people including EdWord, a talking word processor and EdWeb, a talking web browser which can be downloaded for free at www.deafblindonline.co.uk.© DeHavilland Information Services plc
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