Manage Physical World

The modern desktop environment was designed to make the computer interface look and act like things you are already familiar with.  But for a person with physical limitations, this can make electronic devices inaccessible for the same reasons that the physical world is.  In addition to providing better interfaces for information tools than they are delivered with, assistive technologies can use computers to help make the physical world more accessible.  These accommodations fall into a few categories:

• A great deal of information that we need to access is available only printed on paper.  Various technology can convert such sources into electronic documents that can be accessed through most AT interfaces.
• Many devices have controls that are too small, difficult to operate, and/or difficult to perceive.  Assistive technologies can provide access to many devices by speaking what you would like the device to do.
• A growing area of assistance is known as "augmented reality." In this application, additional information is laid over the direct perception of the world to assist with management.  This might include translations of visible signage or pointers to features that are around corners or inside buildings.
• Because technology changes rapidly, a device that used to work may no longer have the proper connections.  There are tools that can make some devices act as if they included newer connections to extend their usability, or in other ways act like other devices.

What sort of accommodation are you looking for?