For those expecting me to write a detail report on web usability for visually impaired are mistaken!

This document was lying in a small cluster of my Hard disk for last 3 years and I decided to revive it.

What do I want to do?/ What am I trying to achieve?

Ans. I want to work on a research based project where I can understand usability working with Visually Impaired people.

Key Questions we need to ask:

What are their needs?
How important role does sound play in this study?
Can visually impaired people create sound based blogs and also share them?
Can visually impaired people create a wikipedia using Flash based application?
Can we create a facebook/ orkut for the visually impaired?

BLACK BOX – KEY, CREATE & SHARE: Empowering the visually impaired with the help of technology.

BLACK BOX is a dream idea to create a software for the visually impaired, which will empower them to create their own projects/web pages. This will enable them to share these with their friends, colleagues and other visually impaired people in the world.

This will involve 2 phases. The first phase will include a research project for about 12 to 14 months.

Based on the results of the research, we will create the software. The final output of the project will be one of the most popular and powerful Web formats i.e. swf (Flash format). This format is extensively used the world over with 98% of Web browsers using it.

The software will allow visually impaired people to record their voice into project chapters or input their project using a keyboard. The result will be a very user-friendly and intuitive program, which will give the visually impaired the opportunity to avail of technology.

As the users will be able to record their own voice, any language of communication can be used. Currently, visually impaired people have to use screen reader software like JAWS which reads all the software installed on the operating system. This cost of the software ranges from US$895 to US$1095.

Our software will allow a final output of ‘swf’ (for the Web), which will have in-built screen reading features. This will allow a visually impaired individual to walk into a cyber café and browse Web sites which are created using our software.

The project will have an open source model so developers from around the world can contribute in making a powerful web based tool.

For now this is just an idea and I would need the help of any developers, programmers and companies who are willing to fund this research based project

more to come…