Nonvisual Alternative Display Techniques for Output from Graphics-Based Computers

In the past, computer displays consisted mostly of unformatted text or simple row-column displays of information. This made providing access for persons who were blind a relatively straightforward task. As computers become more visually complex, however, new strategies are needed to augment the standard approaches to provide access. This article reviews the different types of information that are currently presented visually on computer systems and then discusses possible alternative display mechanisms for each that would be usable by blind persons. Some of the techniques described are commercially available; some exist as research prototypes; others, however, are still conceptual in nature. This article provides an overview and a summary of techniques identified as a result of the planning conference. The information present was compiled as a part of a state-of-the-art session, held in Madison, Wisconsin, on access to visual graphic computer interfaces by blind persons; the session was cosponsored by the Trace R&D Center, the Veterans Administration, the National Federation of the Blind, the American Foundation for the Blind, and Smith-Kettlewell Institute.