RatonEyex: Create a free software that allows severely disabled to use the computer

Antonio Mata is the creator of 'RatonEyex', a tool that a webcam and shaking his head allows any company action.You Clinical Informatics, Badajoz (Spain), unselfishly gave of the program, installation, training and telecare

Reading email, enter text, make a phone call over the Internet or just surfing the net are usually performed simple actions anyone on a computer, but it may become unavailable to those who experience severe disabilities. Unreachable until yesterday. A computer pacense has introduced a new software that allows you take any action on a computer to people who, for any type of disabilities do not have mobility in your hands.

Antonio Mata Lozano, the company responsible for Clinical Informatics, Badajoz, for some twenty years, is the creator of RatonEyex and everything behind it. Its software, using a webcam, can handle the computer mouse with very slight movements of the head and without using their hands, thereby facilitating access to new technologies to major disabilities, she says.

This is their commitment to society. "Facilitating the use of technology is my way of helping," said Mata, who puts his program available to anyone who is interested, totally disinterested. But behind this software, which cost him about 800 hours of work, what proudest Mata is the service that gives users of your product. The company bears the cost of the tool, installation, and training that will give the disabled to learn to handle it, besides giving further telecare. A global project (software support) pioneered in Europe, he notes.

Mata stresses can be done "just as you would a person who had no disability" because this software based on artificial vision, through mathematical processes, calculates the movement of the wearer's head so that movement is achieved mouse on the computer screen. His only goal with this tool is that "as universal as possible, to reach the maximum number of people and there is no technical or economic impediment.

Ramon Sampedro was his inspiration. "Seeing the film Mar Adentro I got the idea while the protagonist, a quadriplegic, turning the pages of a book with a stick. Mata made a public demonstration of your product yesterday, International Day of Persons with Disabilities in Badajoz headquarters of the Confederation of the Physically Handicapped State Coordinator of Spain (Cocemfe). Its sole purpose is that the person with severe disability every day is as independent as possible.

Source:El Periódico de Extremadura

___________________________________
DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

The Visual Messenger provides access to virtual communication with drawings and Picts

An association of disabled Mataró has successfully helped to create the Visual Messenger, a new system that provides access to virtual communication for people with literacy difficulties, speech or movement. The invention, presented last week in Madrid, was hailed with admiration by those attending the conference Telecom R & D, sponsored by the Ministry of Industry, which brought together polytechnic universities, technological centers and leading companies in new technologies.
The application, created by the Foundation and the Fundació El Maresme Mataró-Maresme Tecnocampus has been developed by the CITAP (Center for Technological Innovation Adapted to Persons), and real computer innovation is adapted to persons with disabilities.
This is a project led by the spirit of youth overcome serious problems with literacy, speech and disabilities that affect their movements. To avoid this, the Visual Messenger uses a SPC representing words and concepts through pictograms and drawings that allows fluid communication between these brief but teenagers.
The initiative was to provide an outlet for the concerns of service users occupying the insertion of Fundació El Maresme, they needed to feel independent in handling the conventional Messenger. The majority, thanks to their schooling after they were already familiar with new technologies, but could not access a simple message, as did his brothers or friends.

THE DREAM OF THE MARKETING / With the collaboration of CITAP, they helped to extrapolate the uses of traditional mail overcoming the difficulties of their disabilities. Now, with the potential for spreading at fairs and congresses Visual Messenger system, do not hide the dream of any company in the sector that is interested and can market it.
The Fundació El Maresme, social institution initiative born in 1994, is characterized by constant innovation and development of elements for supporting people with mental disabilities. Other projects of his are the interfaces for the blind, personal assistants PDA and multimedia resources such as the Web's hip, which contains activities such as educational games, educational materials and teaching guides.

Source: El Periódico

___________________________________
DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

Introduction of ICT and disability blog in the I Conference of the "Community Technology Center" Masquefa (Barcelona) - Spain

In order to raise awareness of the center facilities and all services on 2 December is the "I-time CTC: Opportunities for the crisis and accessibility and ICTs".

Pedro Cabanes and Carlos Garcia blog discuss ICT and disability and the recent award won in the contest Premis Blocs Catalunya 2009.

In the morning the day was related government addresses the business. It can meet real-life experiences and expert advice to successfully address the critical economic moment.

In the afternoon, the target audience of the social world are professionals who want to learn and practice innovative projects with accessible ICT tools available downtown for people with any physical disability, mental or sensory.

Places are limited, you should confirm their attendance at meal time or to be held at La Fonda de Can Parellada writing email ctc@masquefa.net

Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Location: Community Technology Center - Av. Catalonia, 60
Masquefa (Barcelona)
Catalonia
Spain.
Tel +34 93 772 78 28
FAX. +34 93 772 58 68
Web: http://www.ctc.masquefa.net/
Email: ctc@masquefa.net
Map Location: http://www.ctc.masquefa.net/uploads/mapa_situacio708.pdf
Map restaurant: http://www.ctc.masquefa.net/uploads/mapa_fonda659.pdf

1st DAY CTC. OPPORTUNITIES TO THE CRISIS PROGRAM MORNING

9:00 Reception attendees

9:30 Presentation day and parliaments:


Xavier Ilmo Boquete and Saiz, Mayor of Masquefa
Mr. Carlos Ventura and Costa, Councilman City Council Economic Development Masquefa
Mr. Carlos Mernissi and Coarasa Councilman Masquefa City Council ICT
Ms. Sílvia Mas y Velázquez, Company Technical Masquefa City Council
Mr. Ramon Felipe and Bolger, President of UAE
Ilmo i Mr Teo Romero Hernandez, president delegate of the Area Economic Development Council of Barcelona
10:00 Conference Mr. Jordi Balsells economist, CEO of Sita Murt. Break 10:30 - Café11.00h Paper: "Experiences and real cases":


Mr. Juan Carlos Frean, director of Catalonia Expansion Area ALDI Supermarkets Company.
Mr. Jaume Arnal, CEO of TCN
Mr. Ramon Costa, president of the Commission ICT de l'Anoia
Mr. Alvaro Perez Gamero, head of the company TDE Gamper Sport
13.00h Clausura13.30h Lunch at the restaurant La Fonda de Can Parellada TARDEACCESIBILIDAD PROGRAM AND ICT asistentes17.00h Front 16.30h Presentation and parliaments:


Xavier Ilmo Boquete, Mayor of Masquefa
Mr. Carlos Mernissi, Councilman Masquefa City Council ICT
Mr. Carlos Ventura, Councilman City Council Economic Development Masquefa
Ms. Carolina Villanova, ICT technical Masquefa City Council
Honorable Mr. Ezequiel Martinez Mulero, Deputy to the Company's knowledge of a Council of Barcelona
1730 Pedro Cabanes Altadill and Carlos Garcia Bueno submit a pad ICT AND DISABILITY recently awarded the prize for best notebook ICT in Premis Blocs Catalunya 2009.

Coffee Break 18.00h - 18.30h Coffee Simultaneous Workshops


Mr. Borja Romero Salord, BJ Adaptations. Experimenting with ICT tools of TQC.
Mr. Louis-Philippe Matas, head of accessibility FESOCA Foundation, SIGTHOS project. Online Performers
20.00h Closure

Source: Community Technology Center Masquefa
http://www.ctc.masquefa.net/
___________________________________

DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal

http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/

Blog ICT AND DISABILITY

http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

DiverTIC released pictograms of Aumentativa.net

The National Association of Educational Technology for Diversity (DiverTIC) has recently released the Pictograms of one of their most emblematic Aumentativa.net. Aumentativa.net is a space full of resources for augmentative communication that integrates a dictionary pictorial and photographic own materials to download or view on-line, pictorial and photographic base, multimedia learning units, animations, automatic generation of multimedia materials on-line , automatic generation of printed curriculum materials, weekly updates and pictures of pictographs, pictograms request to the letter, etc..
The pictorial gallery, consisting of more than 6500 pictograms can serna tremendously useful for conducting materials and teaching resources with pictograms (adapted stories, school agendas, routines, signs of spaces, communication panels ...).
The system also allows control of other parameters pictogram display. So, at Pictograph click on Options, we can see the pictogram in any of its modes of presentation, or display the pictures or change the size or change the main color of the pictogram in the case of the pictogram displayed on option " high contrast "we can also change the background color. The "Edges" will convey the selected pictogram or picture / a with or without borders, assign a color and thickness of the edge, change the color of high contrast and even add the gloss and this, in turn, in uppercase or sensitive.
Texts From the option can choose between viewing the pictogram or picture without text or with text. In the latter case, we will have the option character case, with different fonts on each of them and something very interesting is the Rename option according to our interests or image of the pictogram selected by writing directly to assign the new name. This last possibility is especially interesting not only for work plurals, augmentative, diminutive or local but also for teaching Spanish as a second language.
A free pictorial gallery is accessed from the home page: http://www.aumentativa.net/. For subscribers include value added services like automatic generator of sentences, stories or multimedia activities among others.
The pictograms may be used freely for educational purposes to be nonprofit and recognized the authors of them.

Source: http://tecnologiaydiscapacidad.es/2009/11/23/divertic-libera-los-pictogramas-de-aumentativa-net/

___________________________________
DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

Internet of Things and people with disabilities

Today we will talk of the future of the Internet. Where are we going? What will be beyond the Internet we know today? One of the visions of how the Internet is the future (although it is coming, as you will see in this article) is the "Internet of things".

Internet of things, we mean an Internet where all objects: vases, chairs, books, keys, cups, etc., may be connected to the Internet and interact with other objects and with people exchanging information through the Internet. This has a very useful applications for people with disabilities.

The Internet of Things is the expected trend after several years of platform, network and Web 2.0, we move to ubiquitous (wireless Internet from any site) that intelligently enables you to link to objects, services and products both in the real world and virtual worlds.

Internet of things is what he proposes an alliance of five companies that lead the first prototypes of the Future Internet. Tikiag are a company that proposes to associate applications using an object that manages electronic tags; Mir: ror Violet device that detects objects Pachube, a service for tag and share real-time data objects, artifacts, buildings and environments worldwide, Arduino, an open source hardware platform which can indicate software functionality, and finally, ZeroG Wireless a company that produces semiconductors for buildings based on chips that are activated by WiFi networks. See more videos and demos on ReadWriteWeb.

This dispositvo becomes the first commercial type capable of reading RFID tags. The RDIF is a system of radio frequency identification can provide information identifying a receiver reads and acknowledges. Thus, any object that contains an RFID tag or sticker can be read by a device with this technology reconociéndolo.La idea of Mir: ror is able to connect via USB to your PC or Mac, so that when we leave on him our book, keys or cup (to name a few), will be able to recognize what object it is, sending information to the platform Violet, and throwing and various applications and activities, previously set by us at the above web company. For example, we make when we allow our cup of coffee on the Mir: ror, the state information in our social networks (Facebook type) switch to "having coffee" or that when we move beyond our umbrella, we notify the our computer screen or through audio of temperature on the street, or to bring a book to the RFID reader to the computer read your content. And so to endless possibilities.

- We would like to receive comments to this story.
What would you do if you could connect an RFID sticker to an object and that this object could communicate on the Internet by sending an email message, information, etc..?
What applications will occur to persons with disabilities?

Where to buy? info@diversitatfuncional.net

Source:http://www.hectormilla.com/innovacion/2208/os-presento-el-internet-de-las-cosas
___________________________________
DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

Cooking for blind people

New technologies not only serve to design amazing gadgets and home appliances but also really useful when they can fulfill a social work, such as devices and systems designed for people with disabilities. For those suffering from blindness, Touch & Turn can be helpful because it is a cooking system that allows blind people cook delicious meals without running any risk.

While the designer does not indicate their mode of operation, it is known that the system operates from an integrated clock that allows to know the state of observing cooking without the pot. The design is by Menno Kroeze who worked with the organization Action for Blind People to come up with an electric cooker adapted to their needs.

More: En la Web Menno Kroezen, en inglés.

Source: Fundación Tecnologia Social

___________________________________
DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

Mexican students create a system to control electrical with a simple eye movement

Two Mexican university have created a system that will allow disabled people to control appliances with a simple eye movement and thus enable them to be more autonomous in their homes. Moncada studies, together with its project partner, Luis Eduardo Lara, 22, Biomedical Engineering at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, a race which, among other things, teaches students to design tools to make life easier for disabled.

"When someone suffers an accident, very strong in his own injury, is usually maintained eye movement and we took advantage for the patient to interact with home appliances," he told Efe Arturo Moncada, 21.

By its system students took first place in the academic competition NI University Challenge 2009, American contest in which there were a total of 17 projects.

Moncada and Lara in an interview with EFE showed the operation of his invention, which is based on the technique of electro-oculography.

Operation

The system works by using electrodes placed on the user's head and give a signal from his eye movements, which signal is processed and cleared electronically to pass then to the computer interface.

Moving his eyes, the patient may select a button on the computer screen corresponding to one share of each appliance.

Once you select the action, it is confirmed today with a button is pressed by hand, but that students may try to push it in the future otherwise, for example, pressing his head.

According to Lara, "the important thing is to understand that the human body is an energy machine" and therefore "move the eye when you generate a business."

Prototype

The student explained that what they have built "a very simple prototype" that needs many improvements and acknowledged that much still remains to be implanted directly into a home.

"You can continue to develop its software and hardware to become more compact, more portable and accessible to people who use it," he added.

Furthermore, if this system were to be implemented would require the patient to familiarize themselves with the machine, with the sensitivity of the motion, and each device would have to be custom, said the young man.

"The intensity of motion varies from person to person and even in the same subject signal changes depending on his moods, so that each system must be calibrated for each particular person," said Lara.

This idea, explained the young researchers, came as part of a school project for which they had to get moving the cursor on the computer screen with their eyes.

Although still a long way from his university a reality, the two young men still have the dream and the dream that one day may serve to make things easier for the disabled.

Source: Hoy Tecnología (spanish)

___________________________________
DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

Prosthesis allows a person to drive your car

This may sound with style robots, but is a step in prosthetic technology. Christian Kandlbauer lost both arms in an accident two years ago and was given prosthesis on both sides. Now, German companies and Paravan Otto Black have teamed up to create a system that allows Christian drive a car. Paravan specializes in the manufacture of modified cars for those with disabilities, and with the participation of Otto Black, Christian's car has been specially created to be connected to the completion of remaining nerves in the amputation site. Now Christian Kandlbauer can drive a car, in fact, has passed the driving test and driving himself to go to work every day.

Source of information

Fundación Tecnologia Social

___________________________________
DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

Automatic captions in YouTube

Since we first announced captions in Google Video and YouTube, we've introduced multiple caption tracks, improved search functionality and even automatic translation. Each of these features has had great personal significance to me, not only because I helped to design them, but also because I'm deaf. Today, I'm in Washington, D.C. to announce what I consider the most important and exciting milestone yet: machine-generated automatic captions.

Since the original launch of captions in our products, we’ve been happy to see growth in the number of captioned videos on our services, which now number in the hundreds of thousands. This suggests that more and more people are becoming aware of how useful captions can be. As we’ve explained in the past, captions not only help the deaf and hearing impaired, but with machine translation, they also enable people around the world to access video content in any of 51 languages. Captions can also improve search and even enable users to jump to the exact parts of the videos they're looking for.

However, like everything YouTube does, captions face a tremendous challenge of scale. Every minute, 20 hours of video are uploaded. How can we expect every video owner to spend the time and effort necessary to add captions to their videos? Even with all of the captioning support already available on YouTube, the majority of user-generated video content online is still inaccessible to people like me.

To help address this challenge, we've combined Google's automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology with the YouTube caption system to offer automatic captions, or auto-caps for short. Auto-caps use the same voice recognition algorithms in Google Voice to automatically generate captions for video. The captions will not always be perfect (check out the video below for an amusing example), but even when they're off, they can still be helpful—and the technology will continue to improve with time.

In addition to automatic captions, we’re also launching automatic caption timing, or auto-timing, to make it significantly easier to create captions manually. With auto-timing, you no longer need to have special expertise to create your own captions in YouTube. All you need to do is create a simple text file with all the words in the video and we’ll use Google’s ASR technology to figure out when the words are spoken and create captions for your video. This should significantly lower the barriers for video owners who want to add captions, but who don’t have the time or resources to create professional caption tracks.

To learn more about how to use auto-caps and auto-timing, check out this short video and our help center article:



You should see both features available in English by the end of the week. For our initial launch, auto-caps are only visible on a handful of partner channels (list below*). Because auto-caps are not perfect, we want to make sure we get feedback from both viewers and video owners before we roll them out more broadly. Auto-timing, on the other hand, is rolling out globally for all English-language videos on YouTube. We hope to expand these features for other channels and languages in the future. Please send us your feedback to help make that happen.

Today I'm more hopeful than ever that we'll achieve our long-term goal of making videos universally accessible. Even with its flaws, I see the addition of automatic captioning as a huge step forward.

* Partners for the initial launch of auto-caps: UC Berkeley, Stanford, MIT, Yale, UCLA, Duke, UCTV, Columbia, PBS, National Geographic, Demand Media, UNSW and most Google & YouTube channels.Posted by Ken Harrenstien, Software Engineer

Source: Google Blog
___________________________________
DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

Eyetracking: Low cost technology for the control of the mouse through the eye.

The EyeWriter project is an ongoing collaborative research effort to empower people, who are suffering from ALS, with creative technologies.

It is a low-cost eye-tracking apparatus & custom software that allows graffiti writers and artists with paralysis resulting from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to draw using only their eyes.


About:

Members of Free Art and Technology (FAT), OpenFrameworks, the Graffiti Research Lab, and The Ebeling Group communities have teamed-up with a legendary LA graffiti writer, publisher and activist, named Tony Quan, aka TEMPTONE. Tony was diagnosed with ALS in 2003, a disease which has left him almost completely physically paralyzed… except for his eyes. This international team is working together to create a low-cost, open source eye-tracking system that will allow ALS patients to draw using just their eyes. The long-term goal is to create a professional/social network of software developers, hardware hackers, urban projection artists and ALS patients from around the world who are using local materials and open source research to creatively connect and make eye art.



Software Development

The EyeWriter software is two parts — an eye-tracking software designed for use with our low-cost glasses, and a drawing software designed for drawing with eye movements. The source code for the project is currently being hosted at: http://code.google.com/p/eyewriter.

The software for both parts has been developed using openframeworks, a cross platform c++ library for creative development. In order to compile and develop the EyeWriter source code, you will need to download openframeworks (pre release v0.06). Documentation, setup guides and more information can be found at http://openframeworks.cc.

Eye-Tracking Software

The eye-tracking software detects and tracks the position of a pupil from an incoming camera or video image, and uses a calibration sequence to map the tracked eye/pupil coordinates to positions on a computer screen or projection. Note that we use the GSL (gnu scientific library) for calibration, which is GPL, thus the eye tracking source code is GPL.

The pupil tracking relies upon a clear and dark image of the pupil. The diy glasses we designed use near-infrared leds to illuminate the eye and create a dark pupil effect. This makes the pupil much more distinguishable and, thus, easier to track. The camera setting part of the software is designed so the image can be adjusted with brightness and contrast to get an optimal image of the eye.

The calibration part of the software displays a sequence of points on the screen and records the position of the pupil at each point. It is designed so that a person wearing the glasses should focus on each point as it is displayed. When the sequence is finished, the two sets of data are used to interpolate where subsequent eye positions are located in relation to the screen.

Eye-Drawing Software

The eye-drawing software is designed to work with the EyeWriter tracking software as well as commercial eye-trackers such as the MyTobii. It is currently a separate application from the EyeTracker, but we will also post a combined version that shows the two working together.

The tool allows you to draw, manipulate and style a tag using a time-based interface so that triggering buttons or creating points for drawing is achieved by focusing on the position for a given amount of time. Tags and tag data can also be uploaded via FTP and HTTP Post.

More info: http://www.eyewriter.org/
___________________________________
DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

Presentation on "PowerPoint" accessible

Programs such as PowerPoint are very useful tools in the presentations, conferences or workshops. However, not all presentations are effective. It is important to develop a simple design with typography and clear information, so that is perceived by everyone, including those with impaired vision or for listening.


The CEAPAT has developed these guidelines in style, with some tips for creating presentations that facilitate asimiliación the message we want to.

Downloads
Accessibility Guidelines for presentations Power-Point.doc (Spanish)

Source: Centro Estatal de Autonomía Personal y Ayudas Técnicas - CEAPAT
___________________________________
DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

A PDA replacement of the pancreas

The project called 'tele-Artificial Pancreas' investigates the possibility of achieving metabolic control in diabetic patients at any time and place, as presented at the symposium 'New Technologies, Communication and Diabetes', organized by the Foundation for Diabetes. As explained by the experts who participated in the meeting, tele-artificial pancreas is the most advanced technology for the control of diabetes. Through a personal assistant (PDA) which is available to the patient, a glucose sensor that continuously measures blood sugar level passes the information to an infusion pump insulin continuously, in real time automatically programmed with algorithms, answers depending on glucose levels detected by the sensor.

The foundation's executive director, Maria del Carmen Marín, noted that "without doubt, know the latest advances and research in technological solutions, such as tele-artificial pancreas, which provide the one hand, better quality of life for the person with diabetes and another, better control, and therefore less likely to develop other diseases, are of great interest. "

Although the ultimate aim of the research is to replace the functions of measurement and control deteriorated in the pancreas of a person with diabetes, there are currently a number of scientific-technological challenges to achieve an artificial pancreas for non-hospital use, among which adjust the algorithms to cope with the increases of glucose derived from food intake and delays to the extent of absorption of glucose and insulin, as indicated by the specialists.

Therefore, experts are currently working on moving to a semi-automatic control, so called because the control algorithms do not work automatically but use information from ingestions of the patient in a process carried out under medical supervision, thanks to telemedicine and Thus, little by little, progress in the "tele-artificial pancreas.

Glucose sensors

Other challenges are the achievement of continuous glucose sensors for improved reliability and usability, automatic programming of the insulin pump or the demonstration of the use of certain control algorithms that can run on an outpatient basis. During this symposium also addressed the presence of diabetes on the Internet and forums were highlighted as a possible substitute "virtual" self-help groups, as the anonymity provided by the network allows greater freedom to express feelings.

Finally, the symposium was also presented 'Carol has diabetes', an educational project that aims to inform teachers and classmates of children with diabetes in primary education about the disease and its treatment, and thereby encourage the full integration of children at school.

This initiative of the Diabetes Foundation, whose main character is based on a real life girl with diabetes, consists of various educational materials, among which an animated movie, and flashcards. All this, in language that fits the chronological age of children in the classroom where it will develop, using as reference the cycles in which primary education is divided in Spain.

Fuente de la noticia

Hoy Tecnología, 29 October 2009.
Link to the news.
___________________________________
DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

OOo4Kids: a children's OpenOffice.org

Based on the source code for openoffice.org, OOo4Kids is an office suite designed for children between 7 and 12. This suite is designed to accustom their users, in this case children, the use of office applications on your PC. In short, there is more than openoffice.org simplified for children to use it without problems, but with the intention of collaborating with the Project openoffice.org is licensed under GPL V3. No doubt that OpenOffice.org is the best free office suite. But when we speak of an educational environment for children is the best alternative OOo4Kids.

Although still in the middle stage of improvements, there is still no. Deb or. Rpm for download, the application runs smoothly, the eye is very nice, and it shows the use of fewer buttons and removing Java. A very interesting tool that teachers can begin to adopt computing and collaborate with the project.

With Ooo4 Kids can create text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, drawings and more. OOo4Kids To use, first of all we have to download the. Tar.gz from their official website, unzip the following way

tar-zxf Ooo4Kids_0.5.1_Linux_Intel_X86-32_es_benb.tar.gz

Having done this, navigate to the folder where the executable:

cd es/ooo4Kids0.5.1/program

And from here we run the soffice file:

sh soffice

And ready, if OOo4Kids runs smoothly, can setup a link and run it from there without problems.

Importantly OOo4Kids is in its version 0.5.1, available in Spanish and many languages and for Windows and Mac, GNU / Linux course.

More

The official OOo4Kids Wiki.

Source
Fundación Tecnologia Social
___________________________________
DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

New web of Spanish Federation of Stroke

Taking advantage of today, 29 October, marks the international day of stroke, we will report the website of the Spanish Federation of Stroke (http://www.ictusfederacion.org/).

The Federation brings together 6 associations of patients nationwide who work for more and better dissemination of the disease and the consequences it entails for those who suffer and their environment.

With the aim of having a wider dissemination of their activities, we offer you this website where you will find information about the daily life of the Federation and some resources to help individuals and families living close stroke.

As you know the consequences of having a stroke may affect cognitive and physical capacities of individuals, assuming, in many cases, a major cause for the functional diversity of people.

ICTs are, as in other cases of disability, an important tool in cognitive rehabilitation of these patients and also a great tool to overcome utlilidad mobility and communication problems that accompany the disease.

I invite you to visit the page and hope you find it useful.

Gabriel Gonzalez.

___________________________________

DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal

http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/

Blog ICT AND DISABILITY

http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

AZAHAR Project: free applications for mobile communication to improve autism.

Azahar Project, developed by the Group for Autism and Learning Disabilities at the Robotics Institute at the University of Valencia, with the momentum of the Orange Foundation, aims to develop a set of communication applications, leisure and planning, implemented at mobile phone, help improve the quality of life and independence of people with autism. The applications contain pictograms, images and sounds completely adaptable to each user, having used photos of people themselves and their families, and their voices.

All applications, as well as teaching guides that offer guidance to use them are available free on the project website: www.proyectoazahar.org.

Azahar is one of the first approaches to use of applications based on mobile telephony developed specifically for people with autism or other pervasive developmental disorders. And is that mobile phone use as a tool of communication and planning was considered to be optimal for today, an object of widespread deployment.

Azahar is based on Java technology, specifically on J2ME, providing a platform regardless of operating system they run on. For now, it has done for computers running Windows XP and Windows Vista, and for mobile devices that implement Windows Mobile 5.0 or higher, such as PDA's, mobile phones, etc..

During the development phase have followed the trials and user tests in collaboration with associations and Autism Autism Ávila Burgos. The project was also supported by the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade through its Plan Avanza, and for free distribution on the Internet adds to the same participation Adapt Foundation.

In the first phase of Azahar have seen the light, in autumn 2009, the first five applications.

-The Communicator HOLA offers pictograms to people with autism may point to communicate something. So, when you click on them also heard pre-recorded words or phrases. To design the software interface has been taken into account current knowledge about the communication in autism intervention, especially systems using alternative communication such as communication system Picture Exchange through which children learn to develop the communicative intention to communicate through a series of strategies and teaching methods with which the communicator is compatible HOLA.

-The Messaging application is closely related with HI, since it allows the same functionality (communication) but this time by sending messages between phones with pictograms. On this occasion the user with autism (and / or intellectual disabilities), and choose the glyph or sequence, you must also choose who you want to send it, counting with a list of photographs of their loved ones.

-The mp3 player called Music enables people who have been unable to learn to drive a conventional mp3 player will also have opportunity to hear music in an accessible format. This application offers the possibility of introducing songs accompanied by images that appear on the screen of the user with autism and those with only a finger touch, serve to start listening to their favorite songs.

- PERSONAL GUIDE- The application aims to facilitate the communication of people with autism, this time facilitating their presentation to others. This pictogram can be introduced for important aspects for the person, as their tastes and preferences and any other specific information about themselves that helps them to appear before those who know them first.

- "TIC-TAC watches help much for those who have not been able to learn the concept of time and use timekeepers, who often have great difficulty in waiting situations or in any activity that does not know how long you have. This is a set of clocks (of stick downward, circular or sand) that can be tailored to each person and situation, being fully programmable.

info: Fundación Orange
___________________________________
DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

Blog the Discapacitat Visual: bank of resources for the visually impaired.

Today we'll blog of the Visual Impairment Bernat Orellana López, whom is in his first news program speaks LupaMaticus, a free software that increase the text .

Then I detail this information, and I encourage you to followers of this blog, because it will make great contributions to visual functional diversity.

Much of the contributions in relation to visual impairment are conducted by private American companies. As a result of this, these programs are very expensive-programs like Zoomtext range between 600 and 750 U.S. dollars -

A visually impaired student is to remain relevant without the tool for you because the process to get the program involves a great deal of time and patience. It may take courses ...

The inclusion of students with visual impairments is complicated because the lack of resources is a reality. It is the purpose of this Bloc create a bank of resources, experience and research of filling, as far as possible this need. You can download the program (occupies 0.8K) and is in a Portable Pendrive (this Beta is for two months ... Remember to leave F7). In later versions will implement speech engines.

In the folder you will find an executable named configuration. When you run you can choose between:

* Different Zommer 1,2,4,6 ...
* Different Pointers
* Different Contrast funds.

The executable program is in the lupamaticus. The operation is simple:

* F2 to enter the browser
* F7 to exit

Works well in: "OpenOficce, Explorer, Mozilla, Notes Paint ...". I am working to improve performance in Word for a second version ...

You can leave messages explaining your experiences, ideas for improvements, questions ...

Source: Blog Discapacidad Visual
___________________________________
DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

Create software that will help people with speech problems

The computer program translates your voice messages and allow communication of desires or needs, the researcher notes Andres Martinez

Researchers at the Universidad Iberoamericana (UIA) develop a "augmentative communication system" that would allow people with speech problems to communicate through a computer would interpret their messages and transform them into speech. "The intention is to create a system designed for people who have the ability to structure a message in your brain and your disability is muscular in nature," said project coordinator, Jorge Andres Martinez Alarcon.

The academic, who is also director of engineering, explained that he believes that people with disabilities in Mexico are about 0.5 percent of its total population, and those who can not speak are the most neglected sector and hence the importance to develop a "augmentative communication system.

"People with disabilities face the harsh conditions in their quality of life, hardly can express their needs." For instance, he said, various statistics reveal that while a person with a disability differently on average reached the third grade, in terms of education is concerned, who can not speak hardly reach the first grade.

In that sense, explained that the software they are doing and which already have five versions-at-will prototype a system with lots of variants and the goal of this is to meet the needs of each user, who, despite suffer the same malaise (speech disability), sometimes face different constraints according to the disease that could have caused the disability, such as multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral ameotrófica, cerebral palsy, stroke or congenital conditions, among others.

"In many cases we find patients with a speech disability and that only control movement throughout his body, and to this we have to consider all possible variants to control the software, such as hand or finger, the eye, a foot, head, etc. "he said.

"To address these needs we are developing software that is compatible with Windows and Linux platform which allows the user to use a virtual keyboard that can be programmed the same as that of a conventional computer to write like anyone else or have an so short of words and even sentences.

It will also have a version iconographic and each key can contain several meanings, which would access through different sequences. For example, a key with an apple could mean "apple" and "red" would be "hungry" and to use it, just change the position in which press the apple during the sequence.

Another way in which software is encoded morse code, and although the difficulty here is having to learn the language, the advantage is that the number of elements to learn is reduced and this would facilitate users to engage in conversation via the software.

The researcher said that software development so far has taken them four and a half, and this is because prior to development was also conducted research on the construction of language in human beings which laid the foundation for generating a program easy to understand for users.

Currently, he said, the research includes a new version (prototype level) of the program and which provides for the integration of artificial neural networks-system interconnection of neurons in a network that collaborates to produce a stimulus output, and optimize the structuring of the conversation to engage the user.

Finally, he stated that in the first instance the project includes the implementation of the software at the Center for Rehabilitation Engineering and Technology in the area of Biomedical Engineering UIA itself, besides its use for training physical therapists, and even did not rule out in the future be sold or donated to poor people.

Source: Wawis
___________________________________
FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITAT Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

Sony Ericsson Barone Urban mobile elderly

On very few occasions we have seen that the mobile companies to design equipment for the elderly, so Sony Ericsson has decided to take on such work announced the Urban Barone, a mobile phone designed specifically for older people who like to get involved in the best way possible with the world of technology. But it offers Barone Urban? Well to start should be mentioned that carried with it of 5.14 megapixel camera, WiFi connectivity, Bluetooth connectivity, VGA LCD 3-inch slot so that the user log on microSD memory cards up to 16GB and global positioning system (GPS ).


The phone is perfectly suited to the needs of the elderly, also very well detailed that if your keys we will realize that their size is fairly proportional because most of our friends have a hard look these numbers.

So far there has uttered a word about their availability date in the market, nor has heard from its unit cost.

We closely follow the news that's generated on this new phone.

Source: Fundación Tecnologia Social
___________________________________
Portal web DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog LAS TIC Y LA DISCAPACIDAD
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

Panasonic Has Big Plans for Robots. For the kitchen, the company has developed a robot that can assist with serving food and washing dishes.

Panasonic is getting serious about robotics and has begun a push to commercialize a series of robots over the next few years.

The company formed a robotics unit last year and has its sights set on sales of panasonic robot¥100 billion (US$1.1 billion) in 2015. Panasonic achieved total sales of ¥7.8 trillion in the financial year to March so such sales would have represented a little over 1 percent of the company's overall business last year.

Panasonic hopes to reach this goal through sales of home and industrial robots and presented some of its latest research and development on Thursday at its robotics laboratory in Osaka.

For hospital and industrial use the company has developed a porter robot that can be used to assist workers in pulling heavy objects like medical carts. The robot is based on the same motor and parts used in Panasonic's electrical bicycles so is cheaper and easier to produce that something based on proprietary components. It can pull up to 200 kilograms.

Panasonic also envisages it being used for applications such as helping staff pull beds or wheelchairs. It is also possible to have the robot hook up to a wheelchair and turn the control column around so the wheelchair's occupant can move around a building without effort.

For the kitchen, the company has developed a robot that can assist with serving food and washing dishes.

It's a large robot arm with a four-fingered hand that can grip and manipulate objects such as glasses, plates and cooking utensils. In a demonstration the robot took a plate from a dishwasher and set it down on the counter, picked up a spoon and scooped some food from a pan and then dropped the food into a waiting bowl. It also took a glass from the kitchen counter and emptied it into a sink before placing it in the dishwasher for cleaning.

The robot has sensors in its fingers to make sure it doesn't grip too tightly and a camera overhead provides a view of where things are so it doesn't get confused.



At the beginning of October Panasonic demonstrated a robotic bed that can transform into a wheelchair on command from the user. It's designed for people who have limited mobility and is intended to provide an extra level of independence as it enables them to get out of bed and move around the house without assistance from others.

That bed is also something Panasonic wants to put on the market, but its launch could be held up by the lack of safety standards and liability laws concerning robots that interact with humans. Guidelines could be out as soon as 2012 paving the way for its commercialization, Panasonic said.

Source: PCWorld
___________________________________
FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITAT Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

Climate change and women with disabilities

We join today to the "Blog Action Day 2009" which is an annual event that unites the world's bloggers to talk about the same problem on the same day on their blogs with the aim of provoking discussion on a topic of global importance . Blog Action Day 2009 event will be the biggest social change that has been done so far on the Web. A single day, a single subject. Thousands of voices.
For this reason we decided to publish a text on climate change and its impact on disability in our blog.


First International Meeting of Women with Disabilities .- ACLIFIM, Cuba
Climate change and women with disabilities
authors. MsC Susana Sandra Oliver Juárez. Mexico

The environment and climate change have a disability in relation either to worsen the living conditions and survival to those who already have a disability or disability resulting in people survivors.

The WHO says climate change impacts on health are adverse. By 2000 climate change was responsible for 2.4% of cases of diarrhea worldwide. (Resource guide on gender and climate change of UNDP Mexico p.14). Turn causes diarrhea in some cases blindness and affects more sensitive to expectant mothers.

Meanwhile according to the IUCN (World Conservation Union) "women are less likely to have access to information on help than men. In Bangladesh, women were more affected by the cyclone and flood of 1991. "

With respect to the misnamed "natural" disasters disabled people are vulnerable, including women and girls with disabilities as they are not prepared to know what to do, and some of them fail to grasp the scope the disaster, are invisible in the community, there is an absence of social interaction and communication with them and this complicates the event.

What is the role of women with disabilities? How they can make their own health services are organized rather than disorganized versus "natural" disasters? Will their role merely to "assess the accessibility of shelters? Or could have a much more proactive management, global custody and arbitration at the level of indigenous peoples?

Source: Latinoamérica en el centro
http://www.latice.org/funk/es/acli0901-2es.html

_________________________________________
DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-es.diversitatfuncional.org/

Inteco creates a DTT decoder that recognizes the voice accessible

DTT to everyone. This is the aim of IT development that the National Insitute of Communication Technologies (Intec), based in Leon, is nearly complete. An application that is integrated into the decoder will allow the blind, deaf or physically disabled can be more independent when using the remote television.

The project was initiated by the Secretary of State for Telecommunications due to a request from ONCE. The organization felt that there were no products on the market that one hundred percent satisfied with the legislation regarding disability support. "Blindness is the origin of the project, but the initiative aims to cover other types of disabilities such as deafness or physical," said Raul Riesco, Project Manager at the National Institute.

Then the Inteco, government corporation, was in charge of R & D project, by Avanza2 Plan funds. First, the institute conducted a survey on international markets to see whether there was a similar product. Not find anything concrete, although similar projects "that we believe are not appropriate." For example, run by the RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People). In this case, speech synthesis operated but should be integrated into half of the production chain of a large manufacturing a tool of others, which made it economically unfeasible.

The Inteco, noting the international scene, decided to tackle the project from the viewpoint of an application. The program is introduced into a commercial decoder performs a flash internal memory and changes the menu. Being a free software project, the entire project will be released with the idea that the user end of the year, it can enter the program as a decoder. This solution is now available in beta later this year and will be available to users.

Have already started the first meetings with manufacturers nationwide with the aim that the product can be integrated or modified in future decoders. The aim is that the industry itself to make available their products on the market. Thus, there would be more variety for users.

This action covers an important milestone, bringing together technologies available to all users who need this kind of application. The benefits to a visually impaired person is that all parts of the menu (such as programming tables, for example) are available. In addition, navigation will be completely seamless to obtain feedback from each action. It also includes parental control and recording, hitherto inaccessible for this group. In the case of physical disability, speech recognition can give instructions without the need of command. In the part of the hearing impaired subtitles are implemented. Even for deafblind people incorporate accessibility features, such as broadening the subtitles in a larger size.

Source:
Platformas Sinc http://www.plataformasinc.es/index.php/esl/Noticias/El-Inteco-crea-un-decodificador-accesible-que-reconoce-la-voz
___________________________________
FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITAT Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

Create a free software program that allows voice reading the computer screen

Compared to other high-cost applications, the researcher at the University of Extremadura has created VITIS Jesus Merino (Visualize Sound Trough Interface), a free tool aimed at people who are blind or visually impaired.

Jesus Merino Carter, a member of the research team at the University of Extremadura Group Neural Networks and Signal Processing (GRNPS) has devised a computer application VITIS (Visualize Sound Trough Interface), from the development of the degree thesis "Design and construction of a speech synthesis tool for conducting examinations. The work has been directed by professors UEx Utrero Rosa Maria Perez and David Valencia Corrales.

VITIS allows a reading of the screen so that a computer can be used by blind or visually impaired. It's compatible with at least a word processor that allows the user to read and write documents in order to prepare notes, to do work or perform tests. "All the information that's on the screen is analyzed, processed and sent to a speech synthesis engine that allows users to listen to the information screen at any time" explains Jesus Merino.

The project uses technology based on free software components for the speech of the user messages.

Social Project

The creator of the program emphasizes the social nature of the application, "is free, which cost over other stands at 1,000 euros."

One line of research of the Neural Networks group is aimed at developing computer applications that facilitate the use of computer as a means to save, as far as possible, barriers to accessibility for people with disabilities. The director of the Care Unit for Students with Disabilities at the University of Extremadura, Alberto Hernandez, who knows the interest of the student group and its project to develop in order to run an application for social, proposed the idea.

The project, after a long process of documenting the current possibilities of assistive technology tools, has completed the acquisition of VITIS tool.

"The application, arriving to meet the higher expectations that were introduced in their planning, can be used with the word processor most commonly used (Word), is compatible with Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer, having better results with the latter and with all applications written using an interface common controls under Win32, WPF or Silverlight future, "stated Rosa Maria Perez.

The application will be available within a couple of weeks on the web www.micromer.es. Jesus Merino affects "the software is free and free copy. Also is open to all requests from users who request and are currently seeking the assistance of an institution to improve it as far as possible".

Source: SINC
___________________________________
FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITAT Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

People with limited access to communication systems and Augmentative / Alternative Communication (SAAC)

Today devote this article to people with limited access to communication systems and augmentative / Alternative Communication. Every time you inside me, I have more desire to be inside.

The alternative systems are instruments of communication intervention Speech therapy/education aimed at people with various disorders of communication and/or language, and the goal is education through specific procedures of instruction, a structured set of codes not vocal, or do not support physical needs, which, using the same instructional or other specific procedures, allow functions of representation and service to carry out acts of communication (functional, spontaneous and generalizable), alone or codes in conjunction with vowels, or as partial support to them, or in conjunction with other non-vocal codes. (Tamarit, 1989)

SAAC field that, therefore, is wide and with a large space for research and innovation, but especially for the technological application of technical advances that facilitate the life of their users, these being:

"Individuals with severe communication disorders (those gestural communication, oral or written, is temporarily or permanently inadequate to meet their communication needs.) For these individuals, hearing impairment is not the main cause of dysfunction of communication. Although some individuals may have a limited production of the mouth, this is inadequate to meet the variety of communication needs. Many terms that were initially used to refer to this group, are now little used, including, dumb not oral, non-vocal, non-verbal and lost my voice. (Asha, 1991: 10) "

Pictograms

Noting the net, I included some links that can help us learn the different systems complement or augmentative / Alternative Communication, through endless pictograms catalog of hardware and software technical assistance and access to ICT:

1. La Unitat de Tècniques Augmentatives de Comunicació UTAC: which have a channel on YouTube, Which will show and we enter into real lessons of SAAC. (In catalan)



2. Informatics for Special Education: blog specializes in the SAAC, with high quality and diversity of resources JM Marcos's speech CPEE Alborada.

3. Learning support material based communications to the SPC (pictographic Communication System): material prepared by a group of professional public school Special Education Joan Miro.

4. ARASAAC: The site of the Aragonese augmentative and alternative communication which brings together in one place, all materials, software, images and lettering that facilitate communication with students need some type of educational media. At the same time tries to be a useful resource for all teachers, offering a series of tools that facilitate the preparation of their materials.

5. Dysphasia Zaragoza: Web information about language disorders, which has material. El que més m'ha cridat l'atenció són una sèrie de contes adaptats a través d'imatges i pictogrames. What struck me most are adapted to a series of stories through pictures and pictograms. Molt recomenables. Very recomenables.

6. CEAPAT: The National Reference Center for Personal Autonomy and Job Techniques. In its product support, we can see the different technology-based communicators today we find in the market.

7. And of course, name the project Fressa, Jordi Lagares, where we offered to free software for people with functional diversity, whether Plaphoons known as SAAC software or automatically swept to working with switches.

8. I must mention old news blog, to mention access to computer software, we will complement the use of SAAC, such as the Virtual Keyboard 1.0, Enable Viacam, compilation Emulator keyboard and mouse, which are available on the blog.

Actually implementing ICT has influenced the SAAC maintain a steady pace of evolution.
_________________________________
DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

"ICT and Disability" Functional Diversity, awarded as best in the TIC blog II Premis Blocs Catalunya 2009

Blog Ebrenc ICT and Disability Carlos Bueno and Pedro Garcia Cabanes Altadill, has been awarded as "Best ICT blog" in the II Premis Blogs Catalunya 2009.

The awards ceremony was held Blocs Catalunya 2009 on Friday 2 October at the Vic. A total of 600 units were eligible for these awards and on September 10 passed a popular vote that he received 20,000 votes chose the finalists from the ten categories.

The blog is part of Ebresfera, territorial community of bloggers and social network built around all the blogs in Terres de l'Ebre, shows the high level production of digital content Ebrencs, and more than a blog, is an information specialist and international transfer of knowledge and helps to disseminate new technologies of information and communication technologies (ICT) for people with disabilities and / or special educational needs in three languages: Catalan, Spanish and English.

That same year, 2009, has been ranked second in the Digital Content Awards II Sant Feliu Online and finalist in Premio Espiral Edublogs 2009.

This blog was born from the concern of the authors, coming from two very different professions, such as Engineering and Occupational Therapy. From the beginning, it was believed the potential ICTs as a tool applicable to functional Diverso people (with disabilities) so that these may be endowed with greater autonomy, enhancing the quality of life of people and not their dependency, creating the blog "ICT and Disability" and later, the company Ebrencs functional diversity, to support this initiative and to help the greatest number of people with dysfunctional situations.

Other blogs were also awarded in various categories: Best Corporate Blog: Gestió del coneixement, Best Personal Blog: La volta dels 25, Best Culture Blog: Altres Barcelones, Best Education Blog: Educació emocional, una filosofia de vida, Best audiovisual format: UMTSForum.net, Prize Lyrics - Literature: Tens un racó dalt del mónthe Ebrenc JMTibau), Best Political Blog: Construïnt sinergies, especially STIC.cat 1st prize: Jil Van Eyle-Teaming, 2nd prize special STIC.cat: Somriures de Bombai

We would like to take to thank those who helped us achieve this award through his vote, support or collaboration. Thank you very much!

_________________________________
DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

Develop the first voice translation system for Spanish Sign Language

Example use of the system and interface of the program developed. UPM

- The system is able to translate expressions of officials

- It provides formalities such as renewal of driving license or ID card

- It is a very important step to eliminate communication barriers

Researchers at the University of Madrid and the Fundación CNSE (National Confederation of Deaf People) have developed the first automatic system for speech translation to the Spanish Sign Language (LSE) will facilitate deaf persons conducting business with Administration.

The system is capable of translating the expressions uttered by the staff when caring for a deaf person, for example, want to renew driver's license or ID card. A very important step to eliminate communication barriers faced by deaf people.

The system translates into three phases. Initially recognized the voice of the official and obtain the sequence of words uttered. It then translates the sequence of words in annotations (written representation of signs) and finally, the signs are represented by an animated agent. This animated agent used was developed by eSign.




Phases of the translation process. UPM

With this project, funded by the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade and the ONCE Foundation, is the culmination of a research work for years, has been developed in the Speech Technology Group of the Polytechnic University of Madrid.

Previously, this group also developed a speech translation system to LSE for the renewal of national ID and the design of a tool for learning sign language, which allowed for a system to recognize the signs and assess the correct implementation thereof.

Source: El Mundo
___________________________________
DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

Audio games - Games for visual functional diversity

Javier Mairena (http://www.javiermairena.net/) has done an excellent collection com over 30 games without pictures for the blind.

There you can find games like "cars" in Audible format where a voice tells us that a car is the right / left / center and we're going to crash if we do not move our position via the arrow cursor. If we do well, the voice tells us that we have not hit and hope the next car. These are games without images based entirely on audio.

The list is sorted by indicating for each game: Name. Game Type. Description. License. Recommended minimum age. Number of players maximum. Whether any screen reader. Languages. Operating System.

Author. The games can be downloaded from the address: http://www.audiojuegos.net/index.html
___________________________________
DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

The University of Alicante outlined in Elche current trends in new technologies for assistance: ETTICCASS'09

Delve into the possibilities offered by new technologies to aid and assist people with disabilities or functional limitations by age or health reasons is the purpose of the meeting that, under the name ETTICCASS'09, will be held hosted by University of Alicante, starting next Wednesday in Elche.

Defined as "interdisciplinary Meeting on Information Technology, Communications and Control torque Social and Health Assistance," will provide an overview of the progress that provides information technology to contribute to improving the quality of life and increase personal autonomy dependent, both in prevention and diagnosis and treatment, care, administration and daily help.

These days, to be held between 23 and 25 September at the Congress Center, Elche, are organized by the Task Environments and Smart Home Automation and Computing Research Institute of the AU. With the collaboration of the Municipality of Elche and are sponsored by Vodafone Foundation.

During this meeting, led aa university professionals and students of engineering and technical engineering, nursing, social work, occupational therapy, medicine, sociology and pedagogy, we held an exhibition and demonstration of technologies related to its content.

The the conference program are grouped in three areas: information technology, communications and control to people with functional diversity, nursing and social care and health and government.

The expectations of the digital home and smart, the experiences of the value of technology institutions like Red Cross or innovations in clinical practice will be one of the topics to be addressed over the three day meeting, coordinated, coordinated by Francisco Flórez Revuelta, professor in the Department of Information Technology and Computing.

This is the third consecutive year that this meeting is held, organized by the University of Alicante since 2007.

Your conference's closing act Sept. 25 Juan Carlos Ramiro Iglesias, general director of Coordination of sectoral policies on Disability of the Ministry of Education, Social Policy and Sport.

Source SID

http://sid.usal.es/noticias/discapacidad/34786/1-1/la-universidad-de-alicante-expone-en-elche-las-tendencias-actuales-en-nuevas-tecnologias-para-la-asistencia.aspx

___________________________________

DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal

http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/

Blog ICT AND DISABILITY

http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

Eina project (University of Valencia)

Scientists at the Robotics Institute of the University of Valencia in Spain (UV) have created a software tool for helping people with autism to control their environment and achieve higher levels of autonomy, according to sources with the academic institution in a statement .

This tool is integrated into the project EINA, which consists of an application, still in prototype sentence, which can be installed in mobile phones, laptops, etc.. Through a customizable graphical user menu, people with disabilities, both physical and intellectual, can communicate with the elements around to knowledge and control. This communication is made possible by some devices called motes, which allow the installation and maintenance of a wireless network easily.

The first version of the project, funded by the Institute for the Elderly and Social Services (Imserso), Ministry of Health and Social Policy, has allowed the development of a prototype that allowed people with disabilities know the devices available in your area daily, as on and off all sorts of appliances and switches through the new mobile device.

The Unit investigator for Autism and Learning Difficulties UV, Javier Sevilla, said today, "has developed the most complex part of the project but still needs more funding for its completion.

On the one hand, he added, "to further develop more features and, secondly," to offer the project in an easily installable and with appropriate guarantees of stability. " In this way 'would not be a prototype and a product could happen very beneficial for people with disabilities, "he said.

The aim of EINA, who has enjoyed the cooperation of the Valencian Association of Cerebral Palsy (Avapace), is to allow the control and knowledge of the environment to people with disabilities. Situations as usual for most people such as turning on the light in a room, turn off the radio or catch a lift are inaccessible to many groups with limited mobility.

Generally, the problem of many people with cognitive impairment is not so much control around him but know him. There are many people with autism who need to know what's in their environment and how they can use, the sources explained.

For example, a person with autism to get home, and likes music though, may need to indicate a way to turn on the radio, since it is in their free time, and how. "This is possible because many of them need help to know what activities they can do at any given time, as also choose them. This type of support would be provided by EINA within its line of Knowledge of the environment, "said Sevilla.

___________________________________

DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal

http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/

Blog ICT AND DISABILITY

http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

Nokia Braille tactile SMS ago

Nokia Labs has released version trial of this application for blind and visually impaired that reproduces the text messages on the touch screen terminals through haptic feedbakc, a system that interacts with the user through the sense of touch by applying forces, vibrations, or movement to the mobile phone.

Nokia Braille Reader, which opens automatically whenever a message is received, has been developed by the laboratories of Nokia, in conjunction with the University of Tampere and the Finnish Federation of the Disabled Visuales.De currently in beta testing this application is for AVAILABLE all touchscreen phones that run Nokia's Symbian S60 and Nokia N97, 5800 XpressMusic, N97 mini, 5530, 5230 and X6.

Source: Hoy Tecnología
___________________________________
DIVERSITAT FUNCIONAL Web Portal
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/

The Blog THE ICT AND DISABILITY is finalist in Award Blogs Catalunya

The Blog THE ICT AND DISABILITY is finalist in Award Blogs Catalunya in the category ICT Blogs. The complete list of finalists which are in http://www.premisblocs.cat/finalistes

We want to thank all the followers of the blog, since your votes and support has led us to be finalists again.

In this second edition of the awards, has been a total of 603 blogs listed in the various categories. The finalists have been chosen by popular election and a second phase, a jury of experts will select winners in each category, which will be announced during a gala next October 2th in Vic (Catalunya, Spain)

The blog THE ICT AND DISABILITY won second prize in 2009 for the convening Awards Online Digital Contents Sant Feliu and was a finalist at the III Premio Espiral Edublogs 2009.

The blog is part of l'Ebresfera, group of blogs in Terres de l'Ebre and their authors are Carlos Garcia Bueno and Pedro Cabanes Altadill.

__________________________________
Web Portal FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY
http://www.diversitatfuncional.org/
Blog THE ICT AND DISABILITY
http://discapacitat-en.diversitatfuncional.org/