Guest blog: How Technology Is Helping People With Disabilities Advance Their Careers
The evolution of technology is helping people find ways to accomplish many different tasks. The development of the tech world is also creating new assistive technologies for people living with disabilities. Whether it’s applications on a phone or upgraded versions of older technologies, people with disabilities are contributing to the workforce more than ever.
Technology for Visually Impaired Employees
Screen readers such as JAWS, Non-Visual Desktop Access, COBRA, Cake Talking, and BRLTTY are making it possible for people with vision loss to absorb information from computers. These programs read the output on computer screens and also provide Braille output. Thanks to these programs, people with visual disabilities can take online classes and improve their skills and also hunt for jobs on the internet.
Other software such as Zoom and Magic support magnification of text and images for more comfortable viewing. Orcam has also produced one of the most advanced AI technologies for people with visual disabilities. The device features a set of glasses with a small camera that can read text, identify people, identify products, and connect to Bluetooth devices. There is also a bevy of color identification apps available online for both Android and iOS devices for color-blind individuals.
Technology for People with Hearing Impairments
Employees with hearing impairments also benefit from assistive technologies. For example, Ava is a software that converts audio into text for people with hearing impairments. The software picks words through the phone’s microphone and then turns them into text available on the listener’s phone or tablet. With this technology, you can share a live conversation even without sign language. A simple upgrade to the latest smartphones, you can enjoy access to conversations in real time. As people speak, you can also respond through text that can be projected through speakers for everyone to hear.
Video relay services (VRS) in workplaces are also on the rise. With VRS, people with hearing disabilities can communicate with sign language with hearing individuals through video equipment rather than text. This type of communication is faster than text-based communication and is especially ideal for conference calls, interviews, and online classes.
Thanks to improved cameras on mobile phones such as the iPhone 11, using sign language during calls is now more accessible than ever before. This phone features a triple-camera system and has a fast operating system to handle video.
Technology for Employees With Motor Skills Impairment
Assistive technologies for people with temporary or permanent motor skills impairment are also necessary. For example, Dragon Naturally Speaking is software that translates voice commands into actions. If you cannot type on a keyboard or use a mouse, this software listens to your voice commands and can do anything, including developing spreadsheets and reports. In cases where a person has no control over their hand movements, adaptive keyboards come in handy. These keyboards have raised areas between keys to allow users to slide their hand to the correct keys. There are also keyboard overlays on the market to adapt conventional keyboards.
Expanding Your Knowledge Base
It’s worth noting that while these are all great methods for helping people with disabilities succeed, all the technology in the world isn’t going to help if you feel stalled in your career. If your ultimate goal is a management position or a higher-paying job, it’s important to help yourself stand out from the competition. Put that technology you’ve harnessed to work for you by boosting your skill set or knowledge to make yourself a more attractive candidate. You can achieve this through additional certifications, returning to school for a master’s program or even training courses on leadership. Having those extra credentials on your resume will go a long way when it comes to moving up.
The creation of technologies to assist people with disabilities will provide an equal chance for employment and contribution to the workforce. There are numerous technologies for different disabilities. By finding the right fit and improving your credentials when necessary, any person with a disability can land the job of their dreams.
Thanks for Patrick Young @ https://ableusa.info/