ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY BLOG | INVENTIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Kurzweil 3000 is a great tool to get print material in an accessible format. Kurzweil has OCR functionality that allows printed papers to be scanned and read aloud. With the scanned documents there are features to insert text boxes, highlight and circle text. The text box feature is great for completing worksheets. Unfortunately, printing the text boxes in version 12 is very difficult because many text boxes are cut off in the printed document. Fortunately there is a simple fix that will allow you to print text boxes with ease. The fix only takes minutes to download. By clicking on this link you will be able to download the patch. This Link. When downloading the patch make sure Kurzweil is closed. I hope this helps you to print text boxes in Kurzweil 3000 version 12.

One of the really nice features of iOS 4.2 is the ability to print from the iPad to certain select printers. At this time there are several HP printers that support wireless printing using Apple's AirPrint technology. I had the opportunity today to set up the HP 6500A printer which supports the AirPrint capabilities for one of my clients who needs this capability at school, so that she can print out the written work she does in Pages from her iPad. HP provides very clear directions on how to set up the printer and configuring the wireless component was very easy and straightforward using the built-in touch screen. However, when I attempted to print from my iPad, for some reason it did not see the printer and I received feedback on my iPad that "No printers were found." I scratched my head and tried reconfiguring the wireless connection when I realized that there was a Menu item called Web services. When I selected this feature the HP 6500A asked me if  I wanted to check for updates and I pressed "Yes."  Once the printer had downloaded the updates I was now able to see the printer from within Pages and I was off and running. So if you get stuck remember to check for Updates on your HP Printer.

As I rely more and more on my BlackBerry Curve for the work that I do when I am not in my office I have found the need to be able to print my emails or attachments when they come in. When I heard about a new solution for printing on the BlackBerry I had to give it a try. BreezyPrint offers a unique and simple solution to printing from your BlackBerry to any printers that are connected to your computers. To get started you need to install the BreezyPrint application on your Windows based computer as well as the BreezyPrint application on your BlackBerry. After you have installed BreezyPrint to your computer you can select which printers you would like to give BrezzyPrint access to when printing from your BlackBerry. The set up was easy and intuitive. With the printer configured I turned to an email on my BlackBerry and pressed the Menu key to find the Print option. BreezyPrint will give you the option to print the body of the email or any attachments- select the option you want and then within seconds the list of installed printers pops up for you to choose. Since I configured my HP wireless printer I selected this as my option. BreezyPoint let me know that the attachment would be printed and within a minute my printer was printing the attachment. BreezyPrint sends your encrypted documents to the cloud where it gets processed and then gets sent back to your computer for printing the job.

I have found BreezyPoint a real time saver and great for remote printing documents that I receive on my BlackBerry. I often get emails from my students with attachments that need to be printed and with BreezyPrint I can direct them to print in my college office so that when I arrive I simply can pick them up. The remote printing option is a real time saver and one that has worked well for me. As long as you have the BreezyPrint software on your computer you can direct the print job to any of your configured printers that you have installed. Personal accounts start at $24.95 a year for access to the BreezyPrint service. So if you have a need for printing from your BlackBerry, BreezyPrint is a solid, reliable and easy to use solution. For more information go to BreezyPrint.