Adapting PCs for Disabilities

The Americans with Disabilities Act prevents discrimination against disabled persons on the job, stating that employers must provide "reasonable accommodation" to all qualified applicants. This book tells how to configure PCs to meet those requirements reasonably and inexpensively and provides detailed descriptions of hundreds of adaptive products. Adapting PCs for Disabilities is a complete guide to assessing an individual's needs and outfitting a PC with the appropriate assistive hardware and software. Any government, educational, or commercial employer will need a copy of this book - it's a complete guide not only to what's possible with a PC, but what's affordable, practical, and, readily available.
The full text of this book is included on the CD-ROM, providing access to people with sight disabilities. The book files can be read using any word processor or the provided ReadIt program, or can be translated into large print or Braille. In addition, the CD contains dozens of adaptive software programs for almost every disability, including software to: make computers talk with an unlimited vocabulary, show enlarged text or graphics, print hard copy Braille, respond to Morse code commands, hold and lock shift keys, type hundreds of characters from a single key stroke, speak long or short text messages aloud, control home or office equipment with wireless remotes, and much more.
The book's appendices contain a wealth of information on additional resources for adaptive technology, including a compendium of Internet newsgroups, forums, and mailing lists.

Joseph J. Lazzaro is Director of the Adaptive Technology Program at the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind.