Editing Accessibility (section)

===Examples of common assistive technologies===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Impairment
! Assistive technology
|-
| Communication impairment
| [[Blissymbols]] board or similar device; [[Speech synthesis|electronic speech synthesizer]]
|-
| Hearing impairment
| [[hearing aid]]s, [[earphone]]s, [[headphone]]s, [[headset (audio)|headsets]]; [[Closed captioning|real-time closed captioning]]; [[teletypewriter]]; sign language [[avatar (computing)|avatars]]
|-
| Mobility impairment
| Page-turning device; adaptive keyboards and computer mice (pointing devices such as trackballs, vertical mouse, foot mouse, or programmable pedal)
|-
| Physical or mental impairment, learning disability
| [[Voice recognition software]], [[refreshable braille display]], [[screen reader]]
|-
| Perceptual disability, learning disability
| [[Audiobook|Talking textbook]]s, [[virtual keyboard]]
|-
| Visual impairment, learning disability
| Modified monitor interface, magnification devices; [[reading service]], [[e-text]]
|-
| Visual impairment, learning disability
| [[Braille note-taker]]; [[Braille printer]]; [[screen magnifier]]s; [[optical scanner]]
|-
| Visual impairment
| [[Screen reader]]s; notable examples include [[NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA)]], [[VoiceOver]], and [[Check Meister Screen Reader]]. Check Meister also offers a screen reader for Mac OS and Windows, available here: [Check Meister Browser](https://www.checkmeister.com/browser).
|}

====Mobility impairments====
One of the first areas where information technology improved the quality of life for disabled individuals is the voice operated wheelchair. Quadriplegics have the most profound disability, and the voice operated wheelchair technology was first developed in 1977 to provide increased mobility. The original version replaced the joystick system with a module that recognized 8 commands. Many other technology accommodation improvements have evolved from this initial development.<ref>{{cite journal|pmid=849131|title=Voice Operated Wheelchair| volume=58|issue=4|date=April 1977|journal=Arch Phys Med Rehabil|pages=169–75|last1=Clark|first1=J. A.|last2=Roemer|first2=R. B.}}</ref>

Missing arms or fingers may make the use of a keyboard and mouse difficult or impossible. Technological improvements such as [[speech recognition]] devices and software can improve access.

====Communication (including speech) impairments====
A communication disorder interferes with the ability to produce clearly understandable speech. There can be many different causes, such as nerve degeneration, muscle degeneration, stroke, and vocal cord injury. The modern method to deal with speaking disabilities has been to provide a text interface for a speech synthesizer for complete vocal disability. This can be a great improvement for people that have been limited to the use of a throat vibrator to produce speech since the 1960s.

====Hearing impairment====
An individual satisfies the definition of hearing disabled when hearing loss is about 30&nbsp;dB for a single frequency, but this is not always perceptible as a disability.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hear-it.org/Defining-hearing-loss|title=Definition of hearing loss – Mild, Moderate, Severe & Profound - hear-it.org|access-date=2018-07-02}}</ref> For example, loss of sensitivity in one ear interferes with [[sound localization]] (directional hearing), which can interfere with communication in a crowd. This is often recognized when certain words are confused during normal conversation. This can interfere with voice-only interfaces, like automated customer service telephone systems, because it is sometimes difficult to increase the volume and repeat the message.

Mild to moderate hearing loss may be accommodated with a hearing aid that amplifies ambient sounds. Portable devices with speed recognition that can produce text can reduce problems associated with understanding conversation. This kind of hearing loss is relatively common, and this often grows worse with age.

The modern method to deal with profound hearing disability is the Internet using email or word processing applications. The [[telecommunications device for the deaf]] (TDD) became available in the form of the [[Teleprinter|teletype]] (TTY) during the 1960s. These devices consist of a keyboard, display and modem that connects two or more of these devices using a dedicated wire or plain old telephone service.

Modern [[computer animation]] allows for [[sign language]] avatars to be integrated into public areas. This technology could potentially make train station announcements, news broadcasts, etc. accessible when a human interpreter is not available.<ref>{{cite conference |chapter-url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2049536.2049557 |chapter=Assessing the deaf user perspective on sign language avatars |last1=Kipp |first1=Michael |last2=Nguyen |first2=Quan |last3=Heloir |first3=Alexis |last4=Matthes |first4=Silke |title=The proceedings of the 13th international ACM SIGACCESS conference on Computers and accessibility – ASSETS '11 |date=October 2011 |publisher=[[Association for Computing Machinery]] |book-title=Proceedings of the 13th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS-11) |pages=107–114 |location=Dundee, Scotland |doi=10.1145/2049536.2049557 |isbn=9781450309202 |conference=13th ACM Sigaccess Conference on Computers and Accessibility}}</ref><ref>{{cite report |author1=World Federation of the Deaf|author1-link=World Federation of the Deaf |author2=World Association of Sign Language Interpreters|author2-link=World Association of Sign Language Interpreters |date=14 March 2018 |title=WFD and WASLI Statement on Use of Signing Avatars |url=https://wfdeaf.org/news/resources/wfd-wasli-statement-use-signing-avatars/ |page=2 |access-date=22 September 2020}}</ref> Sign language can also be incorporated into film; for example, all movies shown in Brazilian movie theaters must have a [[Brazilian Sign Language]] video track available to play alongside the film via a [[second screen]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 Sep 2017 |title=Deluxe Launches First Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS) Localization Service Outside Brazil |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/deluxe-launches-first-brazilian-sign-language-libras-localization-service-outside-brazil-300521137.html |access-date=14 Nov 2023 |website=Cision PR Newswire |publisher=Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc. through Cision PR Newswire}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Accessibility & The Audio Track File |url=https://cinepedia.com/accessibility/accessibility-the-audio-track-file/ |access-date=14 November 2023 |website=Cinepedia}}</ref>

====Visual impairments====
A wide array of technology products is available to assist with visual impairment. These include screen magnification for monitors, screen-reading software for computers and mobile devices, mouse-over speech synthesis for browsing, braille displays, braille printers, braille cameras, and voice-activated phones and tablets.

One emerging product that will make ordinary computer displays available for the blind is the refreshable tactile display, which is very different from a conventional braille display. This provides a raised surface corresponding to the bright and dim spots on a conventional display. An example is the Touch Sight Camera for the Blind.

[[Speech Synthesis Markup Language]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.w3.org/TR/2004/REC-speech-synthesis-20040907/|title=Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML) Version 1.0|website=w3.org}}</ref> and [[Speech Recognition Grammar Specification]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.w3.org/TR/speech-grammar/|title=Speech Recognition Grammar Specification Version 1.0|website=w3.org}}</ref>) are relatively recent technologies intended to standardize communication interfaces using Augmented [[Backus–Naur form|BNF]] Form and [[XML]] Form. These technologies assist visual impairments and physical impairment by providing interactive access to web content without the need to visually observe the content. While these technologies provides access for visually impaired individuals, the primary benefactor has been automated systems that replace live human customer service representatives that handle telephone calls.