A free, open-source online screen-reading program that gives visually impaired students the ability to surf the web from any internet-connected device, and a system that enables students with severe physical handicaps to control computers or wheelchairs with only their tongues, are among the latest developments in assistive technology (AT) that aim to lessen--if not completely obliterate--the gap between the able and the disabled.

"We are seeing exciting trends that open the door to increased access with greater simplicity for less cost. The emergence of open-source tools and hardware that is easy to use will enable more people with special needs to have access to technology that will improve their quality of life," said Tracy Gray, director of the National Center for Technology Innovation, which advances learning opportunities for persons with disabilities.

New AT developments are giving disabled students anytime, anywhere access to tools that can help them learn from wherever they are, freeing them from having to sit at a particular computer workstation.

Earlier this year year, eSchool News reported on software from Kurzweil Technologies and the National Federation of the Blind that turns a multifunctional cell phone into a portable reading machine. (See "Cell phones tackle reading, language barriers.") AbleNet Inc., a company that delivers a wide spectrum of AT solutions, also plans to harness handheld technologies--such as Apple's iPhone--to create anytime, anywhere AT devices.

"We're examining the possibility of integrating multiple functions into a single device--much like today's cell phones are also portable media players and cameras," says Mary Kay Walch, marketing associate for AbleNet.

But for users who can't afford expensive software or a phone upgrade, a new online service is opening the internet to the visually impaired anytime, anywhere--and it's free.

Called WebAnywhere, this new web-based tool is "self-voicing," a term indicating that an audio file begins to play on a web browser automatically, letting someone who is blind or visually impaired surf the web from any computer with speakers or headphone connections. Taking advantage of the phenomenon known as "cloud computing," the software processes the text of a web page on an external server (currently housed at the University of Washington [UW] campus) and then sends the audio file to play in the user's web browser.

WebAnywhere requires only minimal permissions on the client computer, and it starts up quickly without requiring a large download before becoming functional. WebAnywhere can run on many mobile devices as well, regardless of the underlying platform.

Developed by Jeffrey Bigham, a UW doctoral student in computer science and engineering, and funded by the National Science Foundation, the system could serve as a convenient, low-cost solution for visually impaired users on the go, for users unable to afford a full screen reader, and for web developers targeting accessible design.