Technology, tools and resources to make literature accessible to people with disabilities · Maldita.es

A reading community should be accessible to allTherefore, be the right to allow all citizens to acquire knowledge under equal conditions. We don't mean it, it says it Law 10/2007 on Reading, Books and Libraries. The Act also specifies that programs promoting reading and support programs for the book sector must take into account specific needs People with disabilities. as? Promotion, dissemination and standardization of accessible formats and methods such as alphabetic media BrailleLos Sound supportLos Digital media or settings Easy reading.

Of course, Enjoying a literary journey should be within everyone's reach, now technology and new digital tools make it even more possible. If you're thinking of giving books as gifts on these dates or anytime (do it, it's always a great idea), remember that these are available too. Options and Resources For people in need.

Tools for the blind

For people with certain types of visual impairment, the use of one tool or the other is up to them Degree of visual acuity How long did he live with that disability? These are some of the options highlighted by the experts we spoke to.

• E-booksThis includes increasing the font size, improving color contrast, font thickness and line spacing to make it accessible to people with low vision. Susan Peakes, writer and librarian specializing in universal access and reading access. This can be done from any mobile device to adjust colors and contrasts, recalls co-founder Iria Aragunde. See accessibility without limitations And Clirp project.

• Braille e-books.

• Technology tools that convert text into Braille, as Braille line. It is an electronic device that converts the screen of another device to which it is connected, such as a computer, into Braille.

• Screen readers or voice technologies, programs that allow you to convert text to audio. A free option NVDA; has jaws, for a fee, suggests Jorge Gascon, an expert on digital accessibility at the department in charge of accessibility at the Miguel Hernández University of Elche. For mobile devices, it recommends native iOS (Voiceover) and Android (talk back) That too LUP, a smart magnifying glass Multilingual Pocket: You just need to take a photo of the text and the device converts it to audio without the need for an internet connection. There is also a mobile version.

• Magnifiers, magnifiers or teleloupes, devices that increase the size of text, are indicated for people with low vision. On mobile phones, there are also expansion tools in the Settings section, and some apps also allow you to do so.

• Once bibliographic adaptation. Once connected, users can request any book to be converted to a format they can read. When responding to requests, they prioritize books that respond to academic or work reasons, and from there, rest, explain. Maltida.S Carmen Byari, once Director of Bibliographic Services. Bayarri insists that the evolution of software and printers has made it too fast to adapt to Braille. Since 2008, Once has a digital library of 75,000 titles for the blind that members can access from anywhere in Spain; You need a computer, mobile phone or tablet for this.

• Audio books, books read aloud. The e-Biblio Digital Library of the Ministry of Culture There is a large table; There are other sites like Audible From Amazon. Once a Audiobook playback application And Audio stories. Of course, Bayarri remembers that not everyone is suited to using a mobile phone or computer, and there are those who continue to use it. CDSo this is a format that they offer.

• Read along. Beyond the technical possibilities, Aragunde says what works best for her is reading together: Chloe Rodriguez, the other half of Ver Sin Límites Accessibilidad (who is not visually impaired) reads aloud, and she listens. “It's really cool, and I think it could work for a lot more people as a book club,” she suggests.

Of all the options, which should you choose? From his personal situation, Arakunde says, “The Text-to-speech programs are one of my favorite technologiesThey are also sufficiently developed More or less authentic and unedited voices”. On the other hand, “magnifying glasses are fine for small texts, but I find them a nuisance for a large book; I have long used telemagnifying glasses to consult dictionaries and read some texts, but still I still keep the audio and text in ink if the font size is large enough“, assumes.

Instruments for the Deaf

People with partial hearing loss face challenges when it comes to enjoying reading, and it's not enough for them to just pick up any book. “Sign language users a A completely different system than the oral system, So reading an unedited book takes a lot of effort,” explains Baix. For example, subjunctive phrases, double meanings, or metaphors can be verbal games that are difficult for a person who has been deaf since birth and knows only sign language to understand.

Although Sign language A Positive impact on reading habit For the deaf youth, at the end of the study Deaf people's perception of reading: A perspective on adolescence At the CNSE Foundation (Confederation of the State of the Deaf), the Autonomous University of Madrid and the German Sánchez Ruipérez Foundation, “there is a lack of materials and spaces adapted to the communication needs of the deaf,” he explains. Maltida.S Konza Díaz Robledo, Director General of the CNSE Foundation.

The Technology are proportional New supports So that literature can be said with “a great visual language Sign language”, recounts Díaz. Some possibilities:

• CNSE Foundation's Virtual LibraryWhat an error Translated into Spanish Sign Language Children's stories and works etc La Celestina, El Lazarillo de DormsPoems by Miguel Hernandez or blood marriage.

• The application I'll tell you (web and app) works like a digital book reader, but in this case its interface allows you to watch videos in sign language. There are topics like Plato and I, The Fallen Angel or The Queen of the Seas, translated into Spanish Sign Language with voice and subtitles. In addition, the app allows you to create and share stories of your own creation among its users and users, Diaz notes.

• My trunk in sign languageA collection of stories and songs in sign language collected from the CNSE Foundation and the Internet, which you can browse freely and organize your own library by adding new stories.

• Adapted booksBooks etc Karambuco editionsIt contains a QR code with audiovisuals in Spanish Sign Language.

• VideolibrosenSeñas, A virtual library offering several titles in sign language with a focus on children's literature.

Tools for people with disabilities or motor limitations

Physically, people with motor disabilities or limited mobility, such as someone with a stroke, face similar situations. Couldn't turn the pages of the book. Thanks to technology, resources are also available.

• In digital media, you can use Eye readersEye tracking devices or Eye trackers Control devices, for example, turn pages with eye movements. To do this, you need to configure the device so that it works, for example, on the iPad, As explained here.

• There are other devices like Los Joysticks Y buttonsIt also helps to use tablets and computers for reading.

• There are also options like iPad Helping touch For those who have difficulty touching the screen or pressing buttons. Setting it up will simplify the motions you need to perform to open a digital library, select a book, and turn pages.

• applications such as Voice book, created by the Association Di-Capacitados. It is a digital book reader that is used with voice commands without the need for physical contact.

Tools for people with cognitive disabilities

In this case, Gascón excels Easy to read, A way to create documents that are easy to understand. Peix points out that this type of option also helps people who are deaf, have a learning disability like dyslexia, or are not fluent in language.

There are many adapted books available in physical and digital form A full content easy-to-read libraryIt contains collection of literature, collections of poetry, stories and works The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The Little Prince oh Don Quijote of La Mancha. They have this in DOWN ESPAÑA A Guide to Accessible Libraries.

In this article the cursed has collaborated with his superpowers George Gascon, digital accessibility expert.

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First publication date of this article: 01/04/2024