Sophia Ewaniuk
ICS201
Q1: Technologies that exist that help people with disabilities to access and use technology, and how these technologies benefit society.
References
Are self-driving cars the future of mobility for disabled people?. (2017). Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/are-self-driving-cars-the-future-of-mobility-for-disabled-people-84037
Halsey, A. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/driverless-cars-promise-far-greater-mobility-for-the-elderly-and-people-with-disabilities/2017/11/23/6994469c-c4a3-11e7-84bc-5e285c7f4512_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.5e5adc2f319a
Lacomblez, C. (2017). 6 Reasons Why You Need Text-to-Speech Technology | ReadSpeaker. Retrieved from …show more content…
Text-to-speech technology is a program offered all over the technology world which converts text on a computer to speech for the visually impaired, or people with reading disabilities. In America, there is 14% of people who struggle with reading, and are illiterate. With something like Text-to-Speech, it accommodates the people who fall into this category and who shouldn’t be left behind in the technology world due to their personal struggles. If Text-to-Speech can help people who can see, it sure does work wonders for the people who can’t see. Text-to-speech has been the biggest breakthrough for the visually impaired in terms of technology. Giving the visually impaired this option to use technology just like the rest of the world, is so helpful and very accomodating. Another upcoming accessible technology is the Braille Smartwatch. This watch is basically a watch that communicates to you with braille instead of other watches that would speak out-loud to you. The founder Kim said that most blind people are blind after birth, in fact …show more content…
While it is overlooked, it is very important. Some of the major issues are: exposure to radiation, eye strain, and effects on posture. The radiation that comes from computers is mostly in the actual computer but there is some that comes from the monitor. The amount of electromagnetic radiation will depend on the type of screen used. Newer screens usually are better for the about of radiation emitted. Still, no matter how much radiation there is, it is still recommended to be 12 inches from the screen to be out of harm's way. Eye strain has become so bad that there is a classified vision problem called Computer Vision Syndrome. The computer screen has glares that cause letters to not be as sharp or clear,a dn the contrast to be off between the background and letters. This can put stress on your eyes and cause symptoms of blurred vision and /or dry eyes. There can also be vast effects on posture. Someone who is required to sit in front of a computer for a long time or someone who often does can sometimes get pain in the neck wrist, arms, and even headaches. In fact, when one sits with their head 3 cm in front of their neck, the neck is forced to hold 30 times the weight of the head. This forward head position causes strain to the neck and there could be multiple strains or sprains that may be unnoticed or overlooked. Research suggests taking posture breaks while at a computer