Blind Assistive Technology
Technology and its many uses, play a large role for students as well as staff at the Tennessee School for the Blind. The school has various kinds of electronic notetakers that are available to our students for use during the school year. The students are introduced to and use the PACmate BX400 (www.freedomscientific.com) and the BrailleNote from (www.humanware.com). They have access to Braille embossers and laser printers throughout the school day. As well as using the notetakers as stand alone units, they are also taught to use the notetakers as Braille displays for the computer. Each high school classroom is equipped with several electronic Braille notetakers. The students are given Compact Flash cards or Flash Drives to carry from class to class, so their work is with them at all times.
TSB also has several Tiger Braille embossers that are capable of embossing graphic material. Along with the Tiger Braille embossers, we also use Juliet Pro 60’s (www.brailler.com), and Versapoints (www.freedomscientific.com).
TSB has several Braille displays called Alva Satellites, which can be used for Braille output by the computer.
Large print output is controlled by Zoomtext software (www.aisquared.com), and by the Optilek and Merlin screen enlargement systems. We also have several smaller portable enlarging devices, the PICO and the Olympia.
Speech software used at TSB consists of Jaws for Windows (www.freedomscientific.com) , and Window Eyes (www.gwmicro.com).
The school also has portable listening devices from APH called BookPorts. These devices can read files created in MicroSoft Word, Audible Book Files, RFB&D textbooks, as well as MP3 files. Our English department and library have many of the required novels and books for our high school students.
Braille translation software used is MegaDots and Duxbury (www.duxburysystems.com).
All academic students have a personal email account through (gaggletn.com). This email account is filtered and scanned for abusive and threatening content, as well as adult or other questionable content. It works very well will all our access technology.
The students also have access to Grolier Online, which contains several online encyclopedias, thesaurus, and dictionary.
The entire campus is networked, with the outer buildings using a wireless system. All classrooms and cottages are equipped with computers with large print and speech capabilities.
Please contact Mr. Bill Schenk for more information.