1. PART C – AT for visual impairments
AT Tools at the University
Examples and Case Studies
PART C – AT for visual impairments

2. ICF Framework ACTIVITY LIMITATIONS IMPAIRMENTS
Blindness and Low Vision at the University
ACTIVITY LIMITATIONS
PARTICIPATION RESTRICTIONS
Culture access (lessons, books, learning material)
Orientation and Mobility (campus, university structures)
Daily well-being, care and autonomy (cooking, student dormitory)
IMPAIRMENTS
1. Visual acuity (sharpness)
2. Visual field
3. Loss of Contrast
4. Light Sensitivity
AT TOOLS (Contextual Factors)
Lens, optical and electronic solutions
ICT tools (sw, hw, app)
Digital texts and accessibility
Geolocation, object recognition
REDUCTION
PROMOTION

3. Focus on Impairments
Glossary
LOW VISION is a bilateral  impairment to vision that cannot be adequately corrected with medical, surgical, therapy, conventional eyewear or contact lenses. It is often a loss of sharpness or acuity but may present as a loss of field of vision, light sensitivity, distorted vision or loss of contrast. 
BLINDNESS  is the inability to see.
VISUAL ACUITY is acuteness or clearness of vision.
VISUAL FIELD is spatial array of visual sensations available to observation.
LIGHT SENSITIVITY refers to a reduced or increased reactivity to light.
CONTRAST SENSITIVITY describes the ability of the visual system to distinguish bright and dim components of a static image.

4. Focus on Impairments Visual Acuity Simulation Normal Acuity
Acuity Loss

5. Focus on Impairments
Peripheral Vision Loss Simulation

6. Focus on Impairments
Central Vision Loss Simulation

7. Focus on Impairments
Contrast Sensitivity Loss Simulation

8. Black text on white screen (PC) White text on black screen (PC)
Focus on Impairments
Contrast Sensitivity Loss Simulation
Black text on white screen (PC)
White text on black screen (PC)

9. Modificare lo sfondo (nero su bianco, nero su giallo)
Focus on Impairments
Increased reactivity to light simulation
Modificare lo sfondo (nero su bianco, nero su giallo)

10. AT Tools
OPTICAL LENS

11. AT Tools
VIDEO MAGNIFIER

12. PORTABLE VIDEO MAGNIFIERS and Apps for Tablet and Smartphone
AT Tools
PORTABLE VIDEO MAGNIFIERS and Apps for Tablet and Smartphone

13. MAGNIFICATION SOFTWARES
AT Tools
MAGNIFICATION SOFTWARES

14. AT Tools
VIDEO LINK
In this video, a blind person shows how she can use a touchscreen tablet activating the screen reading function
SCREEN READER is a software that interprets what is being disaplayed on the screen and re-presents to the user with text-to-speech or Braille output device.

15. AT Tools
VIDEO LINK
In this video a blind person uses a braille display in association with a screen reader and a standard keyboard
BRAILLE DISPLAY is an electro-mechanical device for displaying braille characters by means of round-tipped pins raised through holes in flat surfaces

16. AT Tools
VIDEO LINK
ASPHI, one of our AT network partner, creates a free APP for Android that lets low vision people to listen QR code digital information attached to an object or a paper.
QR CODES could be a low cost solutions in order to create digital tags for objects, places and leaflet. Qr codes can be associated to a text, a web link and can provide digital information about the object.

17. AT Tools
SPECIAL KEYBOARDS with magnified keys could be useful for low vision students that are practicing the no look use of a standard keyboard

18. AT Tools
VIDEO LINK
In this video a blind person uses ARIADNE GPS, an iOS App developed by one of our AT network partner. This App uses a screen reader associated to a virtual map
GPS based APP can help blind and low vision student in mobility and orientation skills

19. AT Tools
EBOOK: if created with accessiblity standard, ebook (epub) and digital texts (pdf, txt, doc and rtf) can be recognized by blind and low vision students.
SCANNER: Scanner associated with OCR software (Optical Recognition Software) can be used to transform books printed on paper on digital accessible texts..

20. Case Study University of Bologna Accessibility of learning materials
150 – 200 digital texts provided per year (pdf, txt, rtf and epub format) for students with visual impairments, dislexya, and physical disability)
Guidelines for tutor, library and accademy staff regarding accessibility of digital files (slides, papers, etc.)
Tutorials on how to use scanner, OCR (Optical Characters Recognition) softwares and create usable and accessible learning materials (links, chapters navigation, etc).
Braille Printing for some specific purpose: short texts in foreing languages (students need to recognize the correct spelling of words and screen reader can be misleading)

21. Case Study University of Bologna
Graphics and drawing accessibility: At University of Bologna, we have a problem with specific books that deal with scientific texts because formulas or graphics can't be recognized by the OCR A blind student of Political Sciences invented a system to read with fingers the graphics of economics. This is not a technological solution but it is a useful solution that she invented with a tool (tactile drawing board) that is a widely used by blind people at the elementary school. The drawing is tactile so the student can touch the curves and the graphics

22. Case Study University of Bologna
Access to the blackboards: At University of Bologna, that are a lot of traditional blackboards and just a few digital whiteboards. Low vision students can’t easily access traditional blackboard . A low vision student of math used for a semester a DIY solution. He experimented a video HD camera recording of the blackboard during the lessons. At home he watched the hd video recorded in his big screen computer and takes snapshot of the blackboard, zooming and increasing contrast, in order to access formulas.

23. Case Study University of Bologna
Accessibility of leaflets and information materials: At University of Bologna, we use QR codes (for low vision students that can point it with their smartphones and listen an audio version of a website or texts and DIY Braille label (e.g. EADHE leaflet)