A wearable sensor to help ALS patients communicate
/Researchers have designed a skin-like device that can measure small facial movements in patients who have lost the ability to speak.
Read MoreAlexa’s Show and Tell feature IDs objects for blind and low-vision users
/The feature is available in the US on Echo Show devices.
Read MoreAtlanta App iAccess Helps Users Rate and Review Venues’ Accessibility
/When Brandon Winfield was a teen in California, he and his friends were obsessed with motocross racing—to the point that one of Winfield’s first words was motorcycle.
Read MoreGoogle Maps now helps visually impaired people cross the street and stay on course
/Using voice directions.
Read More‘It’s my escape.’ How video games help people cope with disabilities.
/When Jackson Reece lost his arms and legs to sepsis after already being paralyzed, he thought his life was over. It was video games that brought him back.
Read MoreMicrosoft’s Halo-themed prosthetic arm will make kids feel like Master Chief
/Microsoft’s 343 Industries has partnered with bionics non-profit Limbitless Solutions to create Halo-themed, 3D-printed prosthetic arms for children. The prosthetic arms are fully functional, with hands that are capable of gripping objects through EMG sensors. The best part is, they’re donated free of charge to recipients.
Read MoreTechnology: unlocking opportunities for disabled people in 2019
/Technology has presented us with the power to transform the way we live and work, particularly providing life-changing opportunities for disabled people.
Read MoreSmart cities could be lousy to live in if you have a disability
/Cities sometimes fail to make sure the technologies they adopt are accessible to everyone. Activists and startups are working to change that.
Read MoreWhy did it take Instagram so long to add features for visually impaired people?
/Instagram announced on Wednesday, in a short company blog post, that it would make the app more accessible to the visually impaired.
Read MoreInstagram is now using AI to describe photos for users with visual impairments
/Instagram announced today that it’s rolling out new features that will make the app easier to use for people with visual impairments. The changes will allow screen readers to describe photos, either automatically using AI or by reading custom descriptions added by users.
Read MoreBraille for a New Digital Age
/When she was a graduate student in her native Bulgaria about five years ago, Kristina Tsvetanova was once asked to help a blind friend sign up online for a class. Understanding why he could not do so opened her eyes to the lag in technological innovation to benefit blind and visually impaired people.
Read MoreMicrosoft's Nadella Says AI Can make the World More Inclusive
/Talk of articial intelligence often leads to speculation about how machines may displace workers. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella thinks we should talk more about how AI algorithms can expand the workforce now—by helping people with disabilities.
Read MoreHow to Find Google's New Built-In Breathing Exercise
/The TechWatch editors have selected this news item because it is analogous to our LiveWell development project BreatheWell Wear. We hope you can try out both BreatheWell Wear and Google's web-based breathing exercise.
Read MoreXbox Adaptive Controller to Improve the Gaming Experience for People with Disabilities
/This September, Xbox will release a new video game controller that has been developed intentionally for people with limited mobility. For those with physical impairments, the standard controllers that come with an Xbox can be impossible to use. Because of this, Xbox has designed a controller that includes ports for a multitude of other devices such as switches, specially made joy sticks, and foot controllers. They advertise that the adaptive controller will include “"Nineteen 3.5mm ports and two USB 2.0 ports for external inputs. One 3.5mm stereo headset jack for audio." Xbox is also selling other accessories such as wheelchair mounts and leg mounts.
Read MoreCongressional Record Announcement regarding the NIDILRR 40th Anniversary
/Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, on behalf of millions of people with disabilities, today I wish to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, NIDILRR, and its 40 years of accomplishments and contributions to the lives of people with disabilities.
Read MoreMicrosoft Xbox Adaptive Controller first look: A new, necessary gamepad
/The Xbox Adaptive Controller is the first of its kind. It's a plug-and-play option for people with disabilities -- it connects to the Xbox One or a Windows 10 PC via Bluetooth, and powers on just like the Elite. The controller itself is a clean white rectangle, about 11 inches long and 6 inches wide, with two large black buttons on its face. The buttons aren't touchpads, but they are light-touch enabled, clicking down with the softest of taps so players can roll their palm between the two or otherwise click them without exerting much force. Each button makes a slightly different noise as well, offering an extra layer of sensory input.
Read MoreXbox: Accessible games can “mean the difference between existing and living” for disabled people
/Microsoft continues to position itself as a paragon for inclusivity - but it's also keen to get more developers, publishers and platform holders involved in the conversation.
The firm gained a great deal of attention earlier this summer when it announced the Xbox Adaptive Controller, a device that enabled disabled gamers to adapt standard control schemes with a variety of custom inputs suited to their unique circumstances.
Read MoreFirefox makers working on voice-controlled web browser called Scout
/Mozilla, the organization behind Firefox, is exploring a very different web browser called Scout that's operated by voice rather than keyboard, mouse or touch-screen taps.
The nonprofit revealed the Scout project in an agenda item for an all-hands meeting taking place this week in San Francisco. "With the Scout app, we start to explore browsing and consuming content with voice,"
Read MoreApple, Microsoft and Google join forces to create a universal standard for braille displays→
/A substantial move for technology accessibility was made today as the non-profit USB Implementer Forum (USB-IF) announced a new standard for braille displays – underpinned by an agreement between major tech companies including Apple, Google and Microsoft. The standard will make it much easier to use braille displays across different devices
Read MoreUS Senate Ratifies Marrakesh Treaty
/The US Senate voted unanimously to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty, also passing necessary changes to US copyright law that are required to implement the treaty.
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