[Njtechdiv] {Spam?} KNFB Reader blog post on the Blind With Vision blog

[Brian Mackey]

Greetings to all,

 

Below the *** is a post on my blog, Blind With Vision, that I recently
posted regarding the KNFB Reader. After reading it, please share with others
via email or on your social media pages. Also please leave me a comment on
my site regarding the post.

 

Thank you.

 

Brian Mackey

 

***

 


Blind People Reading Print They Can't See? There's an App for That!


Published by Brian Mackey
<http://mackeyenterprisesllc.com/bwv-blog/author/bmackey88>  on December 1,
2016 <http://mackeyenterprisesllc.com/bwv-blog/2016/12> 

http://mackeyenterprisesllc.com/bwv-blog/blind-people-reading-print-they-can
t-see

I am a legally blind individual with an eye condition called Bardet Biedl
Syndrome and have difficulty reading printed materials. Typically, I read
using electronic magnifiers such as a Close Circuit TV or Freedom
Scientific's Ruby magnifier. But, these have downsides. A CCTV, especially a
desktop version, is not portable, and the Ruby, though it's portable, is
generally for quick reading and it is just one more item for the user to
carry with them.

 

Now, thanks to the advances of mobile technology, there is another way! The
National Federation of the Blind  <http://www.nfb.org/> has made the dream
of reading print for blind, visually impaired, and print-disabled
individuals into a reality with the KNFB Reader
<http://www.nfb.org/knfbreader> , a fast, accurate, and easy to use app for
an iOS or Android smartphone or tablet. The KNFB Reader mobile app reads
print aloud and can be used to read just about any printed material
accurately and almost instantly.

 

It's so easy. You simply take a photo of the words with your mobile device,
and the app reads these aloud with high quality text-to-speech through
optical character recognition (OCR). The KNFB Reader has tilt guidance and a
field of view report to tell you if you are getting the right photo. It
doesn't matter if you can see that you have the whole page in range or even
if it happens to be upside-down. Talk about the miracles of technology!

 

The KNFB Reader app is really a great tool. I have used it to read my pay
stubs and the printed mailing addresses on envelopes. KNFB Reader reads the
text flawlessly. I first use the field of view report to make sure I have as
much of the document captured as possible, then take a picture. You can also
use the tilt guidance feature to make sure the camera is level with the
document. If you are scanning a lot of documents, I recommend purchasing a
stand to rest the phone or tablet on. The National Federation of the Blind's
Independence Market sells one for $12. We all have smartphones with us all
the time these days, so this app gives you the ability to independently read
printed material wherever you are, which is very convenient!

 

The KNFB Reader can be used to read bills, class handouts, PowerPoint
presentations, business cards, song listings on CD cases, books, and so much
more. The original device, which was invented in the 1970s by Ray Kurzweil
<http://www.kurzweiltech.com/aboutray.html> , was the size of a kitchen
freezer and it was not portable! Now it is portable and can be downloaded
onto any device.

 

The KNFB Reader is available for Apple and Android devices for varying
prices. You can visit the Apple AppStore or the Google PlayStore to find
current pricing. The manual for KNFB is posted on the home page of the
National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey, www.nfbnj.org
<http://www.nfbnj.org/> , and the National Federation of the Blind of
Illinois, www.nfbofillinois.org <http://www.nfbofillinois.org/> . The manual
is also available within the app itself. Step-by-step instruction videos can
be viewed at www.knfbreader.com <http://www.knfbreader.com/> . If you have
any questions regarding KNFB, please direct them to the KNFB Reader Liaison
for New Jersey, Rick Fox, at 973-743-6107 or richardfox1 at comcast.net
<mailto:richardfox1 at comcast.net> .

 

You can live the life you want with KNFB Reader!

 

Some of the above material originated from www.nfb.org/knfbreader
<http://www.nfb.org/knfbreader> .

 

Please download the KNFB Reader from:

*         iTunes
<https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/knfbreader/id849732663?mt=8> 

*         Google Play
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sensotec.knfbreader&hl=en
> 

 

This post can also be viewed at:

*
http://www.perkinselearning.org/technology/blog/blind-people-reading-print-t
hey-can%E2%80%99t-see-there%E2%80%99s-app

*
http://www.nfbofillinois.org/blind-people-reading-print-they-cant-see

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/njtechdiv_nfbnet.org/attachments/20161204/77c944f2/attachment.html>