User Interface for Visual - Impairment

Abstract

This paper proposed a user interface for visual impairment to operate a computer using Braille input method. This system is focus on embedding the visual-impaired user enabling functions into the desktop operating environment for the visual-impairment. The proposed system can simultaneously display the context, which is inputted by the Braille input method, on the tactile Braille reading device, the computer screen with printed text and the audio device with voice. Moreover, the system can also detect the printed text, which was updated by other application program, on the screen and exports new content to blind system (tactile reading device and audio device) to remind the visual-impaired operator about this event. The major contribution of this paper is to enable the visual-impaired user to use their proficient Braille input method to operate the computer and the tactile reading device, simultaneously, without learning other input method. The performance of the proposed system has been evaluated by sightless users and has shown encouraging results.