The article examines the concept of accessible environments for the visually impaired and describes the role of the federal government in encouraging local transit authorities to comply with Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that requires barrier-free access to all users. (Author/CL)

The article discusses uses of microcomputers by sighted, blind, and visually impaired users; strengths and weaknesses of adaptive aids; and their specific applications. The author cites the need for additional resources for training and equipping visually impaired computer users and calls for efforts to ensure equal computer access. (Author/CL)

Despite advances in custom hardware and software which make computers accessible to visually impaired individuals, service delivery systems have not kept pace with the technology. A range of new services needs to be established through computer-access centers if visually impaired individuals are to realize full benefits of the new technologies.…

Information from three directories of U.S. postsecondary institutions was analyzed and estimates were made of the percentage of blind and visually handicapped college students, and settings in which they were enrolled special services (such as readers and brailling services) were identified as well as scholarship sources. (CL)

Six constraints on equal opportunity for visually impaired persons to access microcomputers include abscence of (1) standard computer braille code, (2) a standard system for the audio encoding of braille, (3) a means for accessing unique disk-operating system copy-protected programs, (4) reasonably priced equipment, (5) an interactive tactile…

The article discusses braille instruction for blind persons from the perspective of the National Federation of the Blind. A case study of a child whose parents have struggled to obtain braille instruction is examined. Negative attitudes about blindness and inadequate training of teachers are linked to decreased braille literacy. (Author/DB)

The University of Texas at Austin has developed a modular tactual map of the campus and outlying areas to aid visually impaired students. Construction information is summarized. (CL)

A study of self-perceptions of 41 working-age visually impaired women found that they perceived themselves as having substantially more barriers to employment than their sighted counterparts, and that this could have a critical impact on their pursuit of work. (Author/CL)

A general description of the history, contributors, and functions of computers. The paper touches on innovations for operations by visually impaired users and the overall relationship between people and machines. (Author)

The article discusses the importance of instruments in science and technology and describes the development, operations, uses, and software of the Universal Laboratory Training and Research Aid (ULTRA), a portable talking laboratory computer that will enable visually impaired students to perform independently important instrumental measurements…

Point and linear symbols that represent certain areas of building interiors are discussed in light of their reliability and discriminability if used on tactual maps. A set of "optimally sized" symbols were evaluated with 21 blind observers. (Author/DB)

This study investigated the language used in a selection of films containing audio description and developed a set of definitions that allow productions containing it to be more fully defined, measured, and compared. It also highlights some challenging questions related to audio description as a discursive practice and provides a basis for future…

The requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) concerning public school building accessibility are summarized. Requirements discussed include facility design and braille and raised letter signs. (DB)

This article reports on a survey of the opinions of employment networks (ENs) about serving social security beneficiaries who are blind or visually impaired under the Ticket to Work program. Although most of the 267 ENs who participated in the survey expressed concerns about working with those who are blind or visually impaired, they did not seem…

The article analyzes issues involved in establishing and maintaining a mainframe computer system accessible for visually impaired students and describes how one university did so using available adaptive components. A listing of universities and colleges possessing such systems is presented. (Author/CL)