SBIR-STTR Award

This is a proposal for the development of an inexpensive software accessory which enhances microcomputer access for the partially sighted. The software magnifies selected portions of a computer screen, enabling a person with low visual acuity to use standard personal computers and software packages without special equipment or modifications. By making standard products available, this approach creates an unprecedented potential to open the doors for the partially sighted to the mainstream of personal, educational, and employment opportunities.The primary objective of Phase I is to design and develop, in a laboratory setting, a working model embodying these concepts. Subjects representative of various partially sighted populations play a major role in testing and refining this prototype through systematic trial, observation, and feedback. Phase I also includes a preliminary assessment of the concept's usability and potential.National Eye Institute (NEI)

A prototype for an inexpensive, software-based display magnification system for the Apple Macintosh was developed in Phase I of this project. It was subsequently completed, tested, and commercially packaged under the name inLARGE(, and is now available to institutions and individuals. Its unique approach to display magnification, based on pixel enlargement instead of character enlargement, distinguishes it from other existing devices. This approach gives inLARGE the capability to magnify anything on the normal display of any off-the-shelf application, including graphics. Its strong market potential stems from its ease of use, versatility, and low price, compared to other devices.The current practical limitation is that it is available only on the Apple Macintosh. The objective of this project is to reach significantly larger populations of low-vision users by developing inLARGE for the IBM PC and IBM PC/AT.National Eye Institute (NEI)