One Stop for Free Assistive Technology
Last updated on May 1, 2007
If you know of an open source or otherwise free AT application that is not listed in our library,
please let me know about it via e-mail. We would like to add it to this resource. Many thanks! Steve Jacobs
Commercial Assistive Technology contributes, significantly, to enhancing the quality-of-life, independence and employability of millions of people with disabilities. Unfortunately, many individuals, social organizations, schools and government agencies can not afford to purchase it. Further more, there are many additional situations that preclude people with disabilities from accessing, using... or continuing to use commercial AT. For example, when K-12 schools purchase AT for use by their students... the schools own the AT. Often this situation precludes students with disabilities from being able to take the school's AT home with them to complete homework assignments... or to their local libraries to help them study and surf the web with their friends.
When students graduate from high school they no longer have access to the AT that contributed to their success and independence as part of their K-12 education. The ability for high school students with disabilities to transition from high school to college, or into work environments, can also be negatively impacted.
Free Assistive Technologies can help to mitigate these problems. It is this end that we dedicate and maintain this website. Questions and comments may be addressed to Steve Jacobs, President IDEAL Group, Inc. and CEO, Online Conferencing Systems, Inc.
To return to the default version of our library please click the following link: Standard version of library. Each new Assistive technology appears as heading 1.
Technology Listing
Note: Each AT product is a new header.
AAC Keys
http://www.aacinstitute.org/Resources/
ProductsandServices/AACKeys/AACKeys.html
AAC Keys is a keyboard and mouse emulation program for Microsoft Windows-based and Macintosh computers. AAC Keys receives commands through your computer's serial port and translates them into keystrokes and mouse moves, giving you full control of your computer from another device. AAC Keys implements the common GIDEI (General Input Device Emulating Interface) commands (see below). AAC Keys has been designed to work with Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT 4, and Windows 2000 operating systems. A Macintosh version was developed following the introduction of OS X . (Earlier Macintosh operating systems included SerialKeys.) The Macintosh version was developed by computer science students at Millersville University of Pennsylvania under the supervision of Dr. Blaise Liffick.
Accessible BBC Listen Again
http://www.webbie.org.uk/accessiblebbc/index.htm
The British Broadcast Company (BBC) allows people to listen to vast quantities of their radio output up to a week after it is first broadcast on one of their dozens of radio stations. This service, called Listen Again, relies on a web browser interface that might be difficult for some users, especially people with screen readers. Accessible BBC Listen Again allows you to access the BBC's Listen Again content through a truly accessible interface designed to work with any screen reader. Select programmes and stations with the cursor keys and listen to them at your leisure. You get easy and simple access to hours of programming, including the ever-popular "The Archers" and "In Touch". The new version lets you access all of the Listen Again content among many other improvements (thanks to everyone for their suggestions!) It does still require that you have already installed something that can play Real Audio, which is the format the BBC uses for their radio on the Internet. The official program you can use, RealPlayer from Real, is very difficult to use and pops up lots of confusing messages. We suggest trying out Real Alternative from Edskes: this is free and is much easier to use. Just download, install and forget about it. The latest version of Accessible BBC works with it. The copyright of the BBC recordings is unchanged by this program: you are simply accessing them through a more accessible presentation of their own website. The new version should work better on more machines: several users contacted me with problems with 2.0. The programmes are also in alphabetical order now except for the first few "favourite picks" so you can find them quicker.
Accessible Podcatcher
http://www.webbie.org.uk/accessiblepodcatcher/
Accessible Podcatcher is a simple way for blind and screen reader users to use podcasts. Podcasting is a way to distribute audio files on the web. Accessible Podcatcher lets you access these podcasts. You can save them to disk, have your MP3 player transfer them for portable listening, and export and import lists of podcasts to send to other people.
Accessible Radio
http://www.webbie.org.uk/accessibleradio/index.htm
Accessible Radio is a way to listen to radio stations on the internet that is easy and simple to use and is designed to work with any screen reader. It lets you listen to any of the BBC Radio stations.
Accessible RSS News Feeds
http://www.webbie.org.uk/accessiblerss/index.htm
RSS is widely used by the weblog community to share the latest entries' headlines or their full text, and even attached multimedia files. In mid 2000, use of RSS spread to many major news organizations, including Reuters, CNN and the BBC, until under various usage agreements, providers allow other websites to incorporate their "syndicated" headline or headline-and-short-summary feeds. RSS is now used for many purposes, including marketing, bug-reports, or any other activity involving periodic updates or publications.
ACollab
http://www.atutor.ca/acollab/index.php
ACollab is a fully accessible, open source, multi-group, Web-based collaborative work environment. ACollab is available as a work groups addon for ATutor 1.4+ , and as a standalone collaborative work environment that will run on its own. ACollab is ideal for groups working at a distance developing documentation, collaborating on research, or writing joint papers, and ideal for online educators who wish to add group learning activities to their ATutor courses.
AComm
http://www.atutor.ca/acomm/index.php
ACOMM is an accessible Java-based Instant Messaging and Whiteboard tool. It has been designed to allow assistive technology users to participate in synchronous Internet-based communication activities that have traditionally been inaccessible to them. Features that set AComm apart from other similar systems are its full keyboard functionality, allowing users to draw without using a mouse; and peer descriptions, so a sighted user can type a text description of the whiteboard content that a blind person can listen to.
Acta
http://www.a-sharp.com/acta/acta.html
Acta is an outline processor. It lets you organize just about anything -- reports, ideas, lists, projects, graphics -- in the form of an outline, where topics have subtopics. Although giving a structure to your information is useful, where an outline processor shines is its ability to collapse the structure, showing only the most important information.
ADA Game
The ADA Game simulates how advocacy can promote positive changes in communities. Join in the discussions and work together to improve compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in your community of choice in the areas of: Program Access, Public Accommodations, Transportation, Employment, and Communication.
Adobe Rewader V7.0
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/
Improves the way you get work done. Adobe Reader 7.0 gives you improved speed, enhanced security, rich media capabilities, and other new features to help you share information using Adobe PDF documents.
AForm
http://www.atutor.ca/aform/index.php
AForm is a utility used to create accessible online forms, tests, or surveys. Using this utility to create forms ensures that people with disabilities accessing the Web with assistive technologies will be able to read and use the forms as would any fully able individual. Use the demo to create your own accessible forms. Download AForm from the SourceForge Web site.
AGRIP
http://www.agrip.org.uk/FrontPage
This site was created so that the community can learn about how to install, use and develop the software they produce. Their aim is to provide access to the mainstream gaming community not by producing specialist "accessible games" but by making mainstream games - and their associated extension and development tools - accessible. We want blind people to not only play the games that sighted people do, but to be involved in the online communities that surround them and to extend them, creating new games and applications with them; something that sighted people have enjoyed a great deal over the years.
Amaya
http://www.w3.org/Amaya/Amaya.html
Amaya is a complete web browsing and authoring environment and comes equipped with a WYSIWYG style of interface, similar to that of the most popular commercial browsers. With such an interface, users do not need to know the HTML or CSS languages.
AMIS
AMIS is a software program that you can use to read DAISY books. AMIS is a multilingual player for reading books complying with DAISY standards. AMIS is free of charge, open source DAISY book playback software.
Another Lens
http://www.b-zone.de/software/lens.htm
Another Lens displays a magnified view of the area of the mouse cursor. Quite handy, for example, for drawing software. The window contents can be locked, and saved to a file or copied to the clipboard for taking screenshots. Several additional options, like crosshairs, resizing the window and hiding the caption bar and/or main menu. Stays on top of other windows optionally. Note for fellow programmers: Full source code included (Delphi 4).
A-Prompt - Web Accessibility Verifier
Web authors can use A-Prompt to make their Web pages accessible to people with disabilities. The A-Prompt software tool examines Web pages for barriers to accessibility, performs automatic repairs when possible, and assists the author in manual repairs when necessary. These enhanced Web pages are available to a larger Internet audience.
Arcess Accessibile Computer Games
http://www.arcess.com/demo2.cfm
These simple switch games are easy to play and are designed to be widely accessible for players who have Muscular Dystrophy, Cerebral Palsy, Spinal Injury, Head Injury or other physical disabilities. They can be played as single switch games, speech recognition games, expanded keyboard games (Intellikeys, Unicorn Keyboard, Concept Keyboard, Mini Keyboards), assistive technology researchers and vendors
assistivetech.net
A National Public Web Site on Assistive Technology which offers extensive up-to-date assistive technology (AT) and disability-related resources, including in-depth AT reports, as well as four easy-to-use search features to find assistive technology to meet your needs.
ATalker
http://www.atutor.ca/atalker/index.php
ATalker is a Web-based text-to-speech utility, based on the Festival Text-to-Speech system. With synthesized speech ATalker can read text out loud over the Web. With the ATalker Theme installed, the ATutor interface and feedback messages can be read out loud.
ATutorAtutor is an Open Source Web-based Learning Content Management System (LCMS) designed with accessibility and adaptability in mind. Administrators can install or update ATutor in minutes, and develop custom templates to give ATutor a new look. Educators can quickly assemble, package, and redistribute Web-based instructional content, easily retrieve and import prepackaged content, and conduct their courses online. Students learn in an adaptive learning environment.
Audibill
Audibill is a simple Windows program designed to recognize the denominations of paper currency from the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Europe. It will run under any version of Microsoft Windows, and should support any flatbed scanner that has a compliant Twain or WIA interface. Note that currencies other than that of the United States are scanned in color. As a consequence, they cannot be recognized with a scanner that supports only black and white scanning. Unlike most programs from Kurzweil Educational Systems, Audibill is not self-voicing. We expect it to be used with a screen reader. Once you have run AudibillSetup.exe, you will find additional documentation in the ReadMe.txt file, which will be located under the folder "Program Files\Kurzweil Educational Systems\Audibill". The currency recognition program itself is titled Audibill.exe, and will be found in that same folder.
Audio Enriched Links
http://www.cs.unc.edu/~parente/ael/index.shtml
Audio Enriched Links provide previews of linked web pages to users with visual impairments. Before a user follows a hyperlink, the Audio Enriched Links software presents a spoken summary of the next page including its title, its relation to the current page, statistics about its content, and some highlights from its content. We believe that such a summary may be a useful surrogate for a full web page, and help users with visual impairments decide whether or not to spend time visiting a linked page.
Audio Radio
http://www.audiobookradio.net/index.php
LISTEN TO SPOKEN WORD INTERNET RADIO STATION
Listen to spoken word Internet radio station broadcasting 24/7.
We are a free radio station dedicated to broadcasting stories, drama, poetry and interviews. We broadcast popular audio books by best-selling authors, as well as promoting new and unsigned writers from around the world.
Easily listen to radio online from work or home
Free non-music entertainment for the more discerning listener
Listen to popular audio books narrated by professional actors
View our week's programme schedule to see the great variety of choice on offer
AutoHotkey
AutoHotkey is a free, open-source utility for Windows. With it, you can:
Automate almost anything by sending keystrokes and mouse clicks. You can write a mouse or keyboard macro by hand or use the macro recorder.
Create hotkeys for keyboard, joystick, and mouse. Virtually any key, button, or combination can become a hotkey.
Expand abbreviations as you type them. For example, typing "btw" can automatically produce "by the way".
Create custom data entry forms, user interfaces, and menu bars. See GUI for details.
Remap keys and buttons on your keyboard, joystick, and mouse.
Respond to signals from hand-held remote controls via the WinLIRC client script.
Run existing AutoIt v2 scripts and enhance them with new capabilities.
Convert any script into an EXE file that can be run on computers that don't have AutoHotkey installed.
AutoIT
http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/
AutoIt v3 is a freeware BASIC-like scripting language designed for automating the Windows GUI and general scripting. It uses a combination of simulated keystrokes, mouse movement and window/control manipulation in order to automate tasks in a way not possible or reliable with other languages (e.g. VBScript and SendKeys). AutoIt is also very small, self-contained and will run on 95, 98, ME, NT4, 2000, XP, 2003 out of the box with no annoying "runtimes" required! You can even make compiled executable scripts that can run without AutoIt being installed!
http://www.yuasa.kuis.kyoto-u.ac.jp/
AutoMouse is a software which controls the mouse and key-inputs in your place. You can make a program by combining Mouse-operating-commands, such as `Click this picture', `Double-click this picture', etc. When you execute the program, the mouse moves automatically. Key inputs are also available.
BATS
http://www.cs.unc.edu/Research/
Spatial information is often presented in
the form of maps that viewers actively explore to learn about an area. People
who cannot see cannot share the benefits of such a visual representation, and
have traditionally relied on audio descriptions, tactile maps, guidance from
others, and even trial and error when learning the layout of a region. On-going
assistive technology research has yielded a number of promising techniques to
help people who have visual impairments plan daily walks and get directions, but
little has been done to promote the same kind of spatial awareness provided by
visual maps. The Blind Audio Tactile Mapping System (BATS) project focuses on
the latter area of research by helping people without sight access and explore
spatial information.
Big Calculator
http://www.sensorysoftware.com/
software/bigcalculator/index.html
A large calculator for Windows. You can either on the buttons with the mouse or use the numeric keypad to perform calculations. The size of the calculator buttons is determined by the WIDTH of the calculator window.
Big.com
An accessible search engine
BlockCAD
http://web.telia.com/~u16122508/proglego.htm
This program lets you build virtual models with lego-like bricks.It works in 3D with blocks that work the same as lego. There are different shape blocks and accessories like windows. You can use 3D movements to see all the angles of the drawing. Great for developing spatial relations.
Bookshare.org
http://www.bookshare.org/web/Welcome.html
A collection of digital books designed for use by people with disabilities. Many books can be downloaded for free and used with Kurzweil.
BRLTTY
BRLTTY is a background process (daemon) which provides access to the Linux/Unix console (when in text mode) for a blind person using a refreshable braille display. It drives the braille display, and provides complete screen review functionality. Some speech capability has also been incorporated.
Browsealoud
Simply by scrolling your mouse over the text that you want read to you, browsealoud will read and speak what you require, helping you navigate enabled websites more easily. Browsealoud features include:
Build your own Medieval Castle
http://www.yourchildlearns.com/owlmouse.htm
Build your own castle while learning about the history and parts of a castle.
Calculator Software
http://www.calculator.org/download.html/
This is a set of easy to read calculators that help develop math and science skills. It can be used with windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP and PDA with Windowsce.
CCT Solitaire
http://www.afb.org/prodProfile.asp?
A fully-accessible traditional solitaire game. Keyboard commands perform all functions. Sound effects are included.
CHIP Speaking
http://members.aol.com/chipspeaking/index.html
CHIPSPEAKING is a desktop augmentative communication device that supports up to 99 messages. Users can record in their own voice (or care-givers can record the voice of someone else of the same gender and age) or take advantage of computerized voices.
Click-Catch
http://lang.tivi.pl/software.htm
Click-Catch(C) available options:
You may choose which button to simulate between left/right/middle mouse buttons.
You can also set single or double click.
There are two "hot keys" available. You must enable them in settings. "hot keys" are disabled by default.
Combination of "control"+"x" pressed together at once starts clicking, "control"+"s" stops.
In cases, when you cannot use "hot keys" to start/stop clicking, there are two buttons implemented.
To start simulation press "START" button or press "STOP" to stop it.
You may also need to change time interval between clicks.
You can set its value from 10 hours to 100 miliseconds.
Minimal step is 50 miliseconds.
There is a possiblity to save your settings. Settings are stored in Windows Registry File.
Click-Catch(c) has no instalation procedure (it's only one file after all!)
so it can not delete its entry after deinstalation (delete).
It has however an option called "clear WinRegFile entry".
Use it freely, it is harmless.
Click-N-Type Speech Package v. 1.0 by Lake Software
http://www.free2u.org/freeware/
system_utilities/tools_for_disabled/
click-n-type_speech_package.html
More than just fun, Typing Sounds provide audible feedback, you may select one of the "Spoken Keys" options, as well as normal typewriter sounds. The feature "speaks" the keys back to you, letting you know you've hit the correct key and documentation on how to create "Spoken Keys" is included with the Click-N-Type help file, so people can create their own.
Click-N-Type virtual keyboard
v. 3.0 by Lake Software Windows® 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP
Click-N-Type is an on-screen virtual keyboard designed for anyone who needs help using a physical keyboard with special consideration for the severely handicapped. Full featured virtual keyboard, Word prediction and completion, Fully configurable including macros, AutoClick and Scanning Modes. Many language/keyboard packs available. Keyboard Designer and many user designed layouts included, Audible and visible feedback options, including Spoken Keys. Works with all pointing devices including head mouse and virtual mouse programs like Point-N-Click. Types into all programs including IE address boxes. Programs to administer user access available.
CNTDesigner v. 2.0.8 by Polital Enterprises
CNTDesigner is a keyboard layout designer designed to work in conjunction with Click-N-Type V3+ by Lake Software. The combination of CNTDesigner and Click-N-Type will give the user complete freedom to design their own keyboards, controlling size and placement of all keys as well as the overall size of the keyboard. If none of the standard keyboards provided by Click-N-Type suit your fancy, and the Custom Alphabet just doesn't have enough flexibility to meet your creative needs, then the keyboard designer CNTDesigner is the add-on you use to design your own keyboard layout.
Compendium
http://www.compendiuminstitute.org/
Compendium provides a methodological framework, plus an evolving suite of tools, for collective sense-making and group memory. Validated in both small and large scale business projects, it is the result of over a decade's research and development at the intersection of collaborative modeling, organizational memory, computer-supported argumentation and meeting facilitation. Compendium offers innovative strategies for tackling several of the key challenges in managing knowledge: 1. Improving communication between disparate communities tackling ill-structured problems; 2. real time capture and integration of hybrid material (both predictable/ formal, and 3. unexpected/informal) into a reusable group memory transforming the resulting resource into the right representational formats for different stakeholders.
CoolSpeak
CoolSpeak is a new Internet messaging system which lets you and your friends, family and fellow workers send and receive voice messages anytime, anywhere via the Internet. CoolSpeak messages can include voice, text and file attachments. All you have to do is register on the CoolSpeak web site for a FREE CoolSpeak VoiceBox. There are no hidden charges! You can then exchange voice messages with any other registered CoolSpeak user anytime, anywhere in the world! CoolSpeak users can send and receive messages at no charge, via the CoolSpeak desktop application or the CoolSpeak browser plug-in.
Crazy Darts
http://www.afb.org/prodProfile.asp?
This online, audio-based game allows you to throw a dart at a moving target. When the game starts, sound comes out of either the right or left speaker and moves to the opposite speaker. When you believe the sound is directly in front of you, you press the spacebar to throw the dart. A recorded voice announces the scoring region on the dartboard that the dart hit. To keep things interesting, the target moves across the speakers at a variety of different speeds. When the game is over, your total score is announced.
Cursor Animator Version 2.0.1
http://www.tucows.com/preview/204209/
This software has animated and brightly colored cursors. It is for mac computers only.
Cursor Enlarger
This software allows you to enlarge your cursor. Each of the enlarged cursors are the maximum of 32 by 32 pixels. It is windows based software.
Cursors Large and Bright
http://joescursors.tripod.com/HVCurPg.htm
Collection of large and brightly animated cursors. This software is intended for non-profit use only. It is windows based software.
Cursors Unlimited
There are many cursors types available at this site. Some of the cursors are freeware and some are shareware. Also there are instructions on how to create your own cursors. this is windows based software.
DanZ Memory
http://www.danzgames.com/memory.htm
In this game, you choose how many sounds you would like to be a part of a pattern that you will remember. Then, you listen to a single sound, and try to remember it. If you're successful, a new sound is added and you must remember both sounds. This continues, and continues, until you cannot remember anymore and make a mistake. But don't think things are easy. The game has some advanced options, such as letting you specify how many sounds to add to the sequence after you successfully remember a pattern, and even randomly adding sounds to the pattern. You can also specify how many different sounds you would like in the pattern. This game does not require directX--only a screen reader. It will work on all Windows platforms including Windows 95. It is just 1.5 MB in size, and freeware, so why not give it a go.
Dasher (Speech) Documentation
http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/
dasher/download/papers/Manual.pdf
Dasher (Speech)
http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/kv227/
A very unique speech recognition system bundled with Dasher
Dasher (Standard)
http://www.splasm.com/products/productdasher.html
Dasher is an information-efficient text-entry interface, driven by natural continuous pointing gestures. Dasher is a competitive text-entry system wherever a full-size keyboard cannot be used. Streaming video demonstration (1.5 mins asf). The eye-tracking version of Dasher allows an experienced user to write text as fast as normal handwriting - 25 words per minute; using a mouse, experienced users can write at 39 words per minute. A $128.95 Headtracker for an eye gaze system. Voice Buddy Interactive Voice Control Version 3.0 $39.95.
Dependency Win95/98/Me/Win2K/XP
http://camtech2000.net/Programs/depncy10.zip
Most programs require the support of additional files sometimes not included in order to run properly. Dependency will show you the dll's and ocx's as well as their size and location that the exe of the program is dependent upon.
Drawing for Children
http://www.cs.uu.nl/~markov/kids/draw.html
This is an easy to use drawing program with many activities to explore.
Dwell Click
http://www.sensorysoftware.com/software/dwellclick/index.html
Dwelling is resting the mouse over one area of the screen for a specified time. The dwell click software allows you to perform left-click, right-click and double clicks, and even drag things around the screen. This is ideal for those who can operate the mouse pointer, but not the buttons. For example, users of a head mouse such as the Smart NAV can use this software to control mouse operated Windows programs.
EdgeWrite
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~edgewrite/
Accurate Text Entry for Handheld Devices
Designed for Compactness, High Tactility, and Physical StabilityEdgeWrite is a new unistroke text entry method for handheld devices designed to provide high accuracy and physical stability for people with motor impairments or people "on the go."
EdgeWrite uses a unistroke alphabet designed to leverage physical edges for greater stability in text entry. An EdgeWrite user enters text by trasversing the edges and diagonals of a square hole in patterns that feel like writing regular letters.
EdgeWrite is also available for Windows on a variety of common input devices.
Educational web sites:
Site that explains how things work
Site that works with a wide range of cognitive skills and subject matters
EdWord and EdWeb
http://www.deafblindonline.org.uk/software.html#ee
EdWord is a talking word processor that allows you to combine text with symbols. EdWeb is a talking web browser that can display web pages as a combination of text and symbols.
EmacSpeak
http://www.cs.cornell.edu/home/raman/emacspeak/
Emacspeak is a speech interface that allows visually impaired users to interact independently and efficiently with the computer. Audio formatting --a technique pioneered by AsTeR-- and full support for W3C's Aural CSS (ACSS) allows Emacspeak to produce rich aural presentations of electronic information. By seamlessly blending all aspects of the Internet such as Web-surfing and messaging, Emacspeak speech-enables local and remote information via a consistent and well-integrated user interface. Available free of cost on the Internet, Emacspeak has dramatically changed how the author and hundreds of blind and visually impaired users around the world interact with the personal computer and the Internet. A rich suite of task-oriented tools provides efficient speech-enabled access to the audio desktop and evolving semantic WWW. When combined with Linux running on low-cost PC hardware, Emacspeak/Linux provides a reliable, stable speech-friendly solution that opens up the Internet to visually impaired users around the world.
E-Speaking
e-Speaking is free for you to download and use. e-Speaking includes over 100 pre-defined commands. If you wish to add, edit, or delete commands from e-Speaking, you will need to purchase a license to activate that part of the code.
http://www.e-speaking.com/download.htm
Eventcorder
http://www.eventcorder.com/ec_downloads.htm
Eventcorder records and plays back Windows events. With Eventcorder, a sequence of keystrokes and mouse-clicks can be implemented at the touch of a single button.
Everyday Skills
http://www.oatsoft.org/Software/everyday-skills
Switch-activated software that supports teachers in teaching the young people who are deafblind in learning everyday skills.
EzMagnifier v. 1.2 by Ancient Software
http://www.ancientsoft.com/ezmagnifier.htm
EzMagnifier is a small utility to magnify a portion of the screen where you can choose the zooming factor and you can resize the magnified portion itself to suite your needs. You can capture the image of the magnified area and the program saves it in the same folder of the program and you can save multiple captures as the program save them sequentially.
Fab Four
http://www.brillsoft.com/Index_files/Page603.htm
Consists of 4 single switch games for users with special needs. These are cause and effect games for users with special needs. Download it to try! After all it is completely free, however if you are able, a donation to keep the website running would be appreciated.
FatBits
http://www.digitalmantra.com/fatbits/
Fatbits magnifies an area of the screen and paints the giant pixels into a new window, which may be useful if you have a visual impairment. To make the screen even more accessible, you can modify the colours it displays.
Festival Speech Synthesis System
http://www.cstr.ed.ac.uk/projects/festival/
Festival offers a general framework for building speech synthesis systems as well as including examples of various modules. As a whole it offers full text to speech through a number APIs: from shell level, though a Scheme command interpreter, as a C++ library, from Java, and an Emacs interface. Festival is multi-lingual (currently English (British and American), and Spanish) though English is the most advanced. Other groups release new languages for the system. And full tools and documentation for build new voices are available through Carnegie Mellon's FestVox project (http://festvox.org)
Flite
http://www.speech.cs.cmu.edu/flite/
Flite (festival-lite) is a small, fast run-time synthesis engine developed at CMU and primarily designed for small embedded machines and/or large servers. Flite is designed as an alternative synthesis engine to Festival for voices built using the FestVox suite of voice building tools.
Galileo
http://www.baum.ro/eng/products/galileo/galileo.html
Galileo 4 is the screen magnification software for Windows NT/2000/XP developed by BAUM. Though Galileo 4 is an independent and autonomous program that offers every comfort of a modern screen magnification software, it has especially been developed for use with the screen reader Virgo 4. By combining these two solutions all former compatibility problems between screen readers and screen magnification software now belong to the past.
Game Accessibility SIG
http://www.igda.org/accessibility/
Games play an important part in our culture and help add to our quality of life. The Game Accessibility SIG was formed to help the game community strive towards creating mainstream games that are universally accessible to all, regardless of disability. Through our work we hope to help bridge the knowledge gap about how to increase the accessibility of mainstream games that exists between disability groups and game developers and publishers.
GC (graphing calculator)
http://www.compilerabuse.com/projects/gc/gc_help.htm
You can use this program for building two-dimensional graphs of functions. In order to draw a graph of a function, enter the function into the upper box of the window and press Apply/Draw or Enter. Use letter ‘x’ as an argument. All the functions you enter will be added to the list box that is on top of the window. You can then scroll through the list and select a function. After you select a function, press Apply/Draw or Enter. The function you have selected will become current and will be drawn in blue. All other functions in the list will be drawn in green. Also, the function that is current will be calculated at the value that is shown in the x= box. The result will be displayed in the f(…)= box. You can add the values of x into the x= list the same way you add functions to the f(x)= list. Just press Apply/Draw or Enter every time you change or add values into those boxes. Pressing the Remove button will delete the current function from the list and its graph from the display window. The last function in the list will become current. Pressing Clear Argument List will remove all the values from the x= list except for ‘0’. Clear All clears both function and argument lists, and the display window. All the buttons on the window have corresponding items in the menu.
Get
http://camtech2000.net/Programs/getpth10.zip
Have you ever needed to get the full path to an exe or any other file? Or maybe you have so many you've forgotten what they are and don't want to open them one at a time to find out. 'Get Paths' automatically copies the path to the clipboard and lets you quickly view both text based and image files. Files types supported are txt, bat, log, diz, reg, frm, vbp, vbw, ctl, bas, bmp, gif, jpg, jpeg, ico, tif, tiff, wmf, emf, png, mix and exe.
Gnopernicus
http://www.baum.ro/gnopernicus.html
Gnopernicus is part of the GNOME Accessibility Project. It is a screen reader and magnifier and it enables users with limited vision, or no vision, to use the Gnome 2 desktop and Gnome/GTK+2 applications effectively. By providing automated focus tracking and full-screen magnification, Gnopernicus aids low-vision Gnome users. Its screen reader features allow low-vision and blind users to access the standard GTK+2 and Java-based GUI applications via speech and Braille output. By leveraging Gnome 2's built-in accessibility framework, Gnopernicus will make interacting with applications more efficient for these users and enable use of the Gnome 2 desktop for some users who otherwise would have no access to Gnome.
GOCR
GOCR is an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) program, developed under the GNU Public License. It converts scanned images of text back to text files. Joerg Schulenburg started the program, and now leads a team of developers. GOCR can be used with different front-ends, which makes it very easy to port to different OSes and architectures. It can open many different image formats, and its quality have been improving in a daily basis.
GOK
The gok project aims to enable users to control their computer without having to rely on a standard keyboard or mouse. Many individuals must control the computer using alternative input methods. Using innovative dynamic keyboard strategies, and leveraging gnome 2's built-in accessibility framework, the gok will make control more efficient and enable use of the gnome 2 desktop. With the right hardware support and the gok individuals will have full access to applications that support the AT SPI, and therefore, full access to the functionality these applications provide.
Google Accessible Search
http://labs.google.com/accessible/
Accessible Search is an early Google Labs product designed to identify and prioritize search results that are more easily usable by blind and visually impaired users. Regular Google search helps you find a set of documents that is most relevant to your tasks. Accessible Search goes one step further by helping you find the most accessible pages in that result set.
In its current version, Google Accessible Search looks at a number of signals by examining the HTML markup found on a web page. It tends to favor pages that degrade gracefully --- pages with few visual distractions and pages that are likely to render well with images turned off. Google Accessible Search is built on Google Co-op's technology, which improves search results based on specialized interests.
Accessible Search is a natural and important extension of Google's overall mission to better organize the world's information and make it universally accessible. Google Accessible Search is designed to help the visually challenged find the most relevant, useful and comprehensive information, as quickly as possible.
In the past, visually impaired Google users have often waded through a lot of inaccessible websites and pages to find the required information. Our goal is to provide a more useful and accessible web search experience for the blind and visually impaired.
Google Desktop
http://desktop.google.com/index.html
Google Desktop gives you easy access to information on your computer and from the web. It's a desktop search application that provides full text search over your email, computer files, music, photos, chats and web pages that you've viewed. By making your computer searchable, Google Desktop puts your information easily within your reach and frees you from having to manually organize your files, emails and bookmarks. It makes searching your computer as easy as searching the web with Google.
Grid Maker
http://www.deafblindonline.org.uk/software.html#gm
An accessory for producing grids for use in EdWord and EdWeb. This can provide a list of words or symbols for the user to choose from when writing, as well as pictures, effects and web addresses.
G-TalkSearch
http://desktop.google.com/plugins/i/
G-TalkSearch is a plug-in for Google desktop search. It is an innovative piece of binary (.Net CLR Binary) written to enable people with disabilities to use Google desktop search. Well not only people with disabilities, but a lot of ohter fun loving people who want to talk with Google desktop search can use this. Use Google desktop search with your voice. Command it and it takes you to webpages, cache files etc... To use it you MUST download all of the following, additional, files or else Program does not work. Net Framework 1.1; Speech SDK 5.1; from http://www.microsoft.com/speech/download/sdk51/; Google Desktop Search; MS Agent Components and Tools including:
-MSAgent.exe
-Microsoft Agent character files : Genie.acs
-Text-to-speech engines: http://activex.microsoft.com/activex/
-SAPI 4.0 runtime support: Spchapi.exe
-Speech recognition engines: actcnc.exe
-Speech control panel: Spchcpl.exe
All of the above are available in the Microsoft page
- http://www.microsoft.com/MSAGENT/downloads/user.asp
GTKeyboard
GTKeyboard is an application written in C with the aid of the Gimp Toolkit. It is intended to help users with physical disabilities to enter text into a simple editor, as well as to help them use other X11 applications that require keyboard input. GTKeyboard allows the user to press keys on an onscreen keyboard that will either be entered into a simple text editor that GTKeyboard provides, or into the application of choice that the user specifies by clicking on the window. It has also been used by people who have strange keyboard layouts, and by people who for one reason or another cannot use a keyboard with the machine in question.
Hark The Sound
http://www.cs.unc.edu/Research/assist/Hark/index.html
Hark The Sound is a really simple sound game intended for young kids who are visually impaired. It was inspired by my friend and colleague Diane Brauner and was written by Gary Bishop. It is free for educational and fun use.
Head-Tracking Pointer
http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/tech/headpointer/download
The Head-Tracking Pointer provides an inexpensive and easily-used mouse replacement for those unable to use traditional pointing devices. Using only software and any Web-cam, this application allows users to point and click with character-level accuracy by simply aiming their face. Unlike other head-tracking solutions, the Head-Tracking Pointer does not require special-purpose hardware, head gear, or tracking aids, such as retro-reflective dots. Users train the system by tipping their head left and right. Custom-tracking algorithms provide reliable operation in a wide range of environmental conditions. Head motion is translated into pointer motion by custom filters that provide both high speed for long movements and high accuracy for fine control, without switching modes. All clicking variations are supported, including right clicking, double clicking, and click-and-drag.
HELP Read
HELP Read™ is FREE software that reads along with you while you do the reading. Whether you’re younger or older, new to reading or have your own library, HELP Read™ should be able to help you read more and understand more of what you read.
HiCaption
A new captioning tool (Windows only).
Hotkeycontrol XP 5.3
http://www.inchwest.com/hkcontrol.html
Hotkeycontrol is the award winning solution to create keyboard shortcuts for routine tasks. These tasks include, but are not limited to opening files, ejecting cdrom drives, restarting the computer, typing frequently used text, controlling active windows, changing volume and recording macros. The list of configured hotkeys can be shown transparently using on screen display (OSD) which eliminates the need to remember the hotkeys contrary to conventional hotkey managers. Besides that, volume status and other information can also be shown directly on screen using OSD. And, more features can be added to the program by creating plugins - which essentially makes the possibilities limitless. In addition to normal combination hotkeys, you can use single keys such as function or number pad keys. The additional keys on your Multimedia/Internet keyboard can also be used with Hotkeycontrol and all the hotkeys are functional even in games and in other full-screen DirectX applications. HotKicks
IDAIR
An opensource platform independant daisy reader
Inclusive CD Player
http://www.inclusive.co.uk/downloads/downloads.shtml#cdplayer
A free, switch accessible CD player for Windows 95 onwards.
Features:
two different graphic styles
one or two switch access
mouse and keyboard access
automatically remembers settings
suitable for controlling from an IntelliKeys or Concept Keyboard
Inclusive Serial Switch Driver
http://www.inclusive.co.uk/downloads/
A stand-alone serial switch driver for Windows, programmed to send the standard keys of Space and Return. For single or two switch access. Option to send a continuous stream of keypresses or a single keypress. Send a selection of other commonly used keypresses such as function keys and number keys.
iRotate
http://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/irotate.shtm
Fast screen rotation without the fuss
iRotate provides convenient access to the native rotation capabilities present in contemporary display drivers, via a popup menu accessible from the system tray and optional system-wide hotkeys. It's no longer necessary to resort to bloated Windows hacks, additional software layers or phantom drivers to achieve content rotation. In most instances, support is now available directly from the graphics chip manufacturers, who continuously improve and apply quality assurance to their drivers. By leveraging the native rotation capabilities now provided by ATI, nVidia, Intel, Matrox, S3, XGI and others, iRotate offers exceptional speed and efficiency, with minimal impact on scarce system resources - the entire iRotate package, including installation, documentation, and native language support in all the major European and Asian languages, weighs in at only 100kb. And like all EnTech graphics utilities, iRotate supports multiple graphics cards from various vendors, simultaneously, under every multi-monitor enabled operating system from Windows 98 to XP.
iZoom Screen Magnifier
http://www.ohsht.org/izoom_index.htm
Redefine your computing experience with iZoom, a Professional Grade Screen Magnifier and Reader built into a single application. Magnify your screen anywhere from 1.5 to 16 times while having it read out to you, all ready with color/cursor enhancements and image smoothing.
Jetstream Trader
http://www.brillsoft.com/Index_files/Page552.htm
You control a hot air balloon on the planet Gull. Direction is controlled by entering different ‘jetstreams.’ Jetstream trader is a very complex single switch game for people with gross motor skills only. The objective is given at the start of each level, you have to deliver cargo to earn credit. You can then use the credit for more gas. No gas, no flame, no go!
Joomla!
Joomla! is a powerful Open Source Content Management System. It is used all over the world for everything from simple websites to complex corporate applications. Joomla! is easy to install, simple to manage, and reliable.
Joystick 2 Mouse 3
http://www.freewareweb.com/cgi-bin/
Joystick 2 Mouse lets you control your mouse and keyboard using your joystick or gamepad.
Joystick 2 Mouse
http://www.tucows.com/preview/292788
Turns a joystick into a mouse. It works on Windows 98/NT/2K/ME/XP.
Jupiter
http://www.eklhad.net/linux/jupiter/
This software makes Linux accessible to the blind user.
Kavlon 10-key
http://kavlon.org/index.php/10key
Kavlon 10-key keyboarding wordlist database is a utility to re-map a small set of keys to a larger set of keys and to use that mapping to allowing fast entry of words.
KMagnifier?
KMagnifier (or kmag, its unix name) is a small utility for Linux to magnify a part of the screen. It was initially written for KDE 1, before becoming dormant. The development was then picked up by me and KMagnifier got its new life. It is currently being maintained/developed actively.
KMagnifier is very useful for people with visual disabilities and for those working in the fields of image analysis, web development etc. If you are using kmag, and would like to share the reason why you use kmag, please drop me an email. This website and related stuff (CVS etc.) is hosted on sourceforge. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the kind people at sourceforge and VALinux for their great contribution towards the development of open source software.
KM-RW
http://www.compilerabuse.com/projects/
This program allows the user to record and later play back sequences of keyboard and mouse input.
Large Pointers 1.0
http://onlineconferencingsystems.com/
Over 80 additional pointers and cursors for those with visual or perceptual difficulties. Icon styles include animated, colored, large, I-beams and circles.
Learn Letters
http://www.yourchildlearns.com/owlmouse.htm
This software teaches children to know and make the twenty-six letters of the alphabet.
Letter Sounds
http://www.yourchildlearns.com/owlmouse.htm
Learn letter and sound relationships.
MacroMaker
http://members.ij.net/anthonymathews/MacroMaker.htm
MacroMaker is truly a free piece of software for personal home use, but the author would not refuse a donation if the software proved useful to you. You DO NOT have to donate money to use MacroMaker for personal home use, only if you want to. There may be a way for you to make a donation without even spending any money out of your own pocket. Click the "Making a donation" hyperlink in the left column for details on how to make a donation.
MAGpie 1.0
http://ncam.wgbh.org/webaccess/magpie
The original Web-based media captioning tool (Windows only).
MAGpie 2.0
http://ncam.wgbh.org/webaccess/magpie
Create captions or audio descriptions for Web media with this free tool from NCAM (Windows or Mac OSX).
Make a Farm
http://www.yourchildlearns.com/owlmouse.htm
Create your own model farm with silo, barn and chicken coop. Kids will choose crops and animals and what to grow to feed themselves and their animals.
Make a Town and Make a Village
http://www.yourchildlearns.com/owlmouse.htm
Kids set up their own streets, decide where to put different buildings, parks and shopping districts.