Development of a Practical Computer Interface for the Visually Impaired

The potential benefits of a low-cost tactile sensory computer interface to the visually impaired community would be significant. Proposed is a system which would allow visually impaired individuals to interface any existing software or data base networks accessible by microcomputers. The system is based on a tactual sensing device which translates the screen code from a Commodore 64 computer monitor into Grade 1 braille. Within the paper, subsequent details of the system's design are compared with that of similar aids for the visually disabled.