The Intel® Reader is Friendly

A great benefit of working at the Lighthouse is that I get to try out new items that fall into the category of “vision-friendly technology.” Recently, I had the luxury of borrowing one of the newly released Intel® Readers.

I am pleased to report that I find the Intel Reader is as user-friendly as it claims to be. This, I know, is no small feat, because just about every device I come in contact with makes this same assertion, and way more often than not, I don’t make it past “Step 2” or “3.”

The key to my success…the relative simplicity of good design, along with the quick-start guide built right into the Reader. The user manual is also built in, eliminating the anxiety I usually feel upon encountering an instruction book that I will never be able to read. The buttons are tactile, each unique in its shape and position.

I’m feeling pretty proficient and I know that if I can operate this little machine…anyone can. (In fact, it feels kind of like one of those things you’ve borrowed from a friend but really don’t want to give back.)
Its function and assistive nature have grown on me, and it will be interesting to see what happens when I have to return it. Until then, I am discovering new ways to use it every day, and I am going to share my experiences in coming posts to talk about how the Intel reader works for me. Stay tuned.

The Freedom of Speech

This week, Intel made a big, bold move, stepping squarely into my world with the launch of the Intel Reader. Frankly, I could not have dreamt up better company, and I applaud their interest in changing the world a little bit by creating a product that just might take the sting out of reading for millions who have difficulty with print due to dyslexia and declining vision.

The mastermind behind the Intel Reader is Ben Foss, a kid from New Hampshire (now 36), who managed his way ― all the way ― to, through and beyond Stanford Law School with severe dyslexia. While reading print, admittedly, was not one of his strengths, strategy clearly was! He knew early on that if he could get all those words past his dyslexia, the rest might be easy.

Last week, I had the great pleasure of participating in a number of press briefings on the Intel Reader, serving as an advocate for people with low vision, as well as sharing my perspective as a person in need of a “reading machine.”

The Intel Reader is coming home with me this weekend ― and we have big plans! First, I’m going to read my mail, which has been piling up. Then, I’ll break open a magazine or two, maybe Vogue first, then The New Yorker. And on Sunday, my plan is to take some of my favorite cookbooks off the shelf and try a new recipe. These things are suddenly possible again because the Intel Reader has a camera that photographs pages of text and converts it to speech. The technical aspects are of little interest to me; I just want to know if it will help me get back to things that I enjoy but have been unable to continue to do with less and less vision.

Everything happens for a reason. I’d like to think that Ben Foss was very successful at overcoming the challenges of dyslexia. And his endeavors may save millions of children and adults the embarrassment of having to say, “Sorry, I can’t read this.” Not to mention the unfortunate misperception that lack of intelligence or illiteracy is to blame.

Your Booming Market Awaits

I met Andy Karp, of the Jobson Optical Group, at LITE 2009 and he graciously extended an invitation to write a guest column for Vision Monday, an online and print publication covering the optical industry. I was delighted to do it and used my 350 words to reconfirm (just in case anyone was wondering) that we (people with low vision) want good looking things, too!

Read my column titled, “Your Booming Market Awaits.”

Signs of The Times

The printed newspaper, before long, will be a piece of nostalgia. I understand the desire of some to hang on to their dependence on newsprint, as I was forced to quit some time ago. It was not a habit I particularly wanted to kick, but one of the first things to go with declining vision is the ability to read newsprint – small fonts, bad contrast.

With such difficulty, one might think it best to let go, turn on CNN and be done with it. I tried, but quitting for me proved equally as difficult. It is no surprise that I moved with the herd to The New York Times on the Web, and while a definite improvement, it was still not the news-reading experience I was dreaming of.

Then, just a few months ago, I had, what I consider, a major breakthrough. Having signed up (reluctantly) for nytimes.com daily emails with “Today’s Headlines,” I was delighted to discover that I could scroll through article headlines, synopses, and links to full articles. Once linked, I click on “Print” to get a cleaned-up version of the article, which makes reading much easier with my eyes--or with my computer’s speech, a satisfying experience.

Sounds like a pretty simple solution, and indeed it is. Took me a while, but today I’m feeling it was worth the trip. Especially since so many people I’ve shared this with are switching, happily, to my method of reading nytimes.com, whether they were struggling or not. Good for me, better for everyone. Try it!

I continue to dream of the day I will be able to choose how I read the “paper” online. I will be able to select the font, the contrast, the layout, and I even get to choose the voice in which the paper is read to me, aloud. I know that day is coming!

Share The LIKE

I want to hear from You!

Last week, hundreds of you joined us for LITE 2009, Lighthouse International Technology Expo, showcasing a variety of accessible tech items, designed to make life a little easier, for people with impaired vision.

I, like you, am seeking information, and my best resource, always, is people, passing the word. I have a long list of tips from others, and I always hope to repay the favor, by passing it forward, sharing it with another..

I’ll kick off the sharing with my biggest “LIKE” from LITE 2009 – Universal Access. Wickopedia’s definition: Universal access refers to the ability of all people to have equal opportunity and access to a service or product from which they can benefit... (read more). Certainly not a new concept, but somewhat of an emerging movement in accessible technology, driven by the massive ageing population, which I am delighted to be advantaged by.

This is the stuff my dreams are made of. LITE presentations by Apple and Google representing their passion and commitment to Universal Access. Their success proven by the fact that I use many of their products every day; iPod, iPhone, Google Accessible Web Search, Gmail, Blogger, Goog411.

Now it’s your turn to “share the like.”

What did you like at LITE?

Did you find what you were looking for?