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A Revolution in accessibility for the Visually Impaired
A Revolution in accessibility for the Visually Impaired
The potential is enormous, unimaginable really… is how one professional describes a research project currently being led by The Royal National College for the Blind (RNC), in Hereford. The College is currently helping pave the way for possibly one of the single biggest advances in the education of people who are blind, partially sighted or have difficulty with the written word.
The AHVITED (Audio Haptics for Visually Impaired Training and Education at a Distance) project, is a unique and revolutionary project that brings together many of Europes leading researchers, trainers and educators of people with a visual impairment. The project aims to transform the way in which learners gain access to graphical information – information, which has been previously inaccessible without sighted assistance.
Practically every academic and vocational subject taught contains a varying degree of graphical data, from maps and pictures, to graphs and charts, making the need for this research essential. For a sighted person this creates no problem, for someone without sight these graphical images are simply not accessible. The benefits of the project are clear –being able to freely access graphical data, without sighted assistance, not only builds confidence but also puts a learner in control of their own learning, allowing them to work at their own pace and speed.
More : responsesource.com