by Joe Lonergan
It has been reported that computer tech giant Lenovo is making accessibility
improvements to the keyboards on their new laptops.
Lenovo has worked with students with vision impairments from the Governor
Moorhead School in America to discover what changes they can make to laptop
keyboards to make them easier to use. Their Accessibility Team also worked
recently with Vision Ireland staff and service users to discuss how their
products could be made more accessible.
Lenovo refers to their minor enhancements as tactile representations. They
plan to incorporate tactile representations onto the Insert key, typically
located adjacent to the Delete key. The Insert key serves as a modifier key
for numerous screen reader users, facilitating various common keystrokes
with screen reading software.
Tactile representations will be added to the Function key beside the Windows
key, and on the Enter key.
They will be also added to the volume up and down keys. So, as you can see,
these tactile markings are put on many of the keys that we would have
commonly put bump-ons on over the years.
This is a welcome initiative from Lenovo who have had some input on this
from the Microsoft accessibility team. Microsoft themselves have done some
great work in this area, recently providing an adaptive kit for some of
their laptops which includes stickers and a stand to make them easier to use
for different disabilities.
Lenovo is also getting ready to make big announcements about AI in the
coming year. They announced several connections at the CES electronics show
such as a partnership with the Scott Morgan Foundation and Deep Brain AI
which will improve the lives of those with severe disabilities. They
demonstrated the hyper-realistic avatar which optimises text prediction and
output and helps preserve the voice, personality, and physical mannerisms of
someone with a degenerative disease.
2024 could be a big year for Lenovo in the lives of people with
disabilities.
Even small changes such as tactile representations will make a big
difference to the life of a vision-impaired or blind computer user.
Vision Ireland Technology News.
