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High-tech items giving deaf-blind online access(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) SANDS POINT, N.Y. (AP) — New technology and a federally funded program are helping low-income individuals who can't see and hear access the Internet. Through a three-year pilot program called iCanConnect, the Helen Keller National Center in suburban New York and the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston are helping distribute high-tech devices and offer training. One device uses a network of tiny pins that pop up and down through holes, scrolling letters that a blind person can read. It can connect to a smartphone or iPad. Other available items include amplified telephones and computer programs that allow for large print displays for those who may be vision-impaired, but not entirely blind. Experts say that without financial help from the FCC-sponsored program, many deaf-blind people would be unable to acquire the devices. Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] |