Visual Impairment is a major setback, but things are getting a bit easier for these folks. Apparently a blend of technology and need has led to the development of software that can be loaded onto a cell phone and thus help the blind "read" the document it scans. To elaborate: Chris Danielsen fidgets with the cellphone, holding it over a $20 bill. "Detecting orientation, processing U.S. currency image," the phone says in a flat monotone before Danielsen snaps a photo. A few seconds later, the phone says, "Twenty dollars." The Nokia cellphone is loaded with software that turns text on photographed documents into speech. In addition to telling whether a bill is worth $1, $5, $10 or $20, it also allows users to read anything that is photographed, whether it's a restaurant menu, a phone book or a fax. The technology used is not new but the NFB and the software's developer say the cell phone is the first to incorporate the text-to-speech ability. Related software is already available in a larger handheld reader housed in a PDA. Companies such as Code Factory SL, Dolphin Computer Access Ltd. and Nuance Communications Inc. also provide software that allows the blind to use cellphones and PDAs. There are some readers that translate into various documents also available. But what makes this initiative stand out is the combining of all the said functions into one smartphone.

The $2,100 NFB device is being marketed by K-NFB Reading Technology Inc.
The cell phone will be out in February and the software will cost $1,595 and the cell phone is expected to cost about $500.

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