With both the growing popularity of the internet as well as the increasing number of individuals with disabilities today many people are looking at developing both websites and technologies that allow people with disabilities to use computers and interact effectively online with both company websites as well as other individuals.
Aside from developing a speech web browser in order to assist those who may be blind or have other visual disabilities be able to browse the web many web developers are now also looking at website layout specifically to cater to all kinds of web browsers – both in standard browsing windows as well as in alternative browsers designed specifically to assist disabled individuals. This has led many companies to hire on developers and coders with the explicit purpose of designing a system that will be able to give users an enjoyable experience and allow them to both access all necessary information as well as use a website without difficulty.
Other software advancements have come in the form of speech recognition software, such as Dragon NaturallySpeaking, that allows users to not only type documents but control all computer actions through set voice commands. These dictation softwares can actually be trained to execute specific actions when told a command and can assist people with opening programs, browsing the web, fill in forms or do any number of other computer tasks. Additionally, they learn the more you use then, so those who have a difficult time using a standard keyboard and mouse may be able to rely upon dictation software instead to assist them.
At the same time hardware specifically for people suffering from some sort of disability is also being developed, such as the Braille keyboard used by many computer users – including those at Yahoo’s Accessibility Lab that specializes in developing effective usable programs to assist internet users regardless of their handicap. For others a one-handed keyboard can be purchased that allows all typing done on a full-sized keyboard to be done with simply one hand – FrogPad has developed one that can work via Bluetooth or USB cable and is designed to enable users to type 40-60 word per minute with one hand in a matter of just a few hours of usage. With the internet looking to play a bigger and bigger role in our lives these developments are helping keep users from all walks of life enabled and empowered when it comes to their own computing experience.