Visual disabilities
Assistive technology for people with vision problems replaces or adds to visual information using touch, sound or clearer images so they can access content and places on their own.
Physical environment
In the real world, assistive technology for people with visual disabilities uses tools that give touch or sound information instead of visual signals.
Example
A blind person uses a long cane to find obstacles when walking and depends on raised strips on the ground at crosswalks to know where it is safe to cross. These are physical tools that help with accessibility.
Key point
Guide dogs are well known, but they are not always available or suitable. Solutions for physical spaces should not rely only on guide dogs for access.
ICT environment
In the ICT environment, assistive technology for visual disabilities includes screen readers, screen magnifiers, braille displays and settings for high contrast or colour adjustments.
Example
A blind person uses a screen reader like NVDA or JAWS to listen to web content read aloud. A person with low vision uses built-in magnification to make the display bigger and easier to see. Both need the content to be organised in an accessible way.
Key point
Screen readers and magnifiers are both assistive tools for people with visual disabilities, but they work with content in very different ways. A page can work well with magnifiers but still not work with screen readers if it lacks the right structure.