Dear AccessWorld readers,
In addition to our usual look into mainstream and access technology, in this issue Bill Holton takes a step out of the AccessWorld box and investigates cutting edge vision correction technology. In his article, he reports on four emerging technologies with the potential to enhance the useable vision of many individuals with age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. The information in his article is something we hope you will find useful. Please let me know how you feel about the occasional AccessWorld article reporting on vision-related research as it pertains to the most common causes of visual impairments. If research is something you are interested in, we may include more coverage in the future.
We will always do our best to keep you abreast of activities of new comers and major players in the field of vision loss. In that vein, next month,Janet Ingber will take a closer look at Odin Mobile, the first nationwide provider of cellular service dedicated specifically to people who are visually impaired. The company not only sells phones but also provides the service that goes along with the equipment.
In earlier installments of AccessWorld, Deborah Kendrick looked at the work Smith-Kettlewell Institute is doing with regard to video description through its Video Description Research and Development Center. Smith-Kettlewell research scientist Josh Miele and his team have been gathering information from consumers and producers of video description and in her article this month, Kendrick takes a look at where and how this critical feedback has been collected, and what those providing it had to say.
When it comes to product evaluations, this issue has that covered as well. The I.D. Mate Quest Talking Bar Code Scanner, CDesk from AdaptiveVoice, and the ScanJig are all evaluated this month.
As I'm sure you have all noticed, the days are now growing noticeably shorter. Students have returned to school, and it's now a logical time to begin thinking about work and careers. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and next month AccessWorld will recognize its observance by taking a closer look at new employment resources for people with vision loss as well as revisiting tried and true job search strategies.
The AccessWorld team hopes you will read each article in this and every issue to gain as much access information as possible. We encourage you to stay proactive in seeking out the access strategies that best meet your particular situation.
Sincerely,
Lee Huffman, AccessWorld Editor-in-Chief
American Foundation for the Blind
