Case Study: HumanWare
The objective
Enhancing lexical comprehension for learners and professionals with visual impairments.
The company and the product
HumanWare provides assistive technology for people living with vision loss or impairment.
The company was established in 1988 and is part of the Essilor Luxottica group. It develops tools such as video magnifiers, braille devices, and GPS assistants. HumanWare products empower students and professionals with visual impairment to overcome obstacles in their learning and work environments. By addressing low vision needs and accommodating visual, or other disabilities, the company promotes inclusive and accessible experiences. HumanWare uses Oxford Languages dictionary data for two of its technologies – Prodigi, and BrailleNote.
Prodigi is a low vision software that comes pre-installed on HumanWare devices such as the Connect 12 and MATT Connect tablets. These are Android-based products, designed for people with low vision, and are primarily used in the education sector as magnifiers. BrailleNote Touch Plus is the world’s first certified braille tablet. It uses Oxford Languages datasets to provide users with lexical definitions. As a smart Android tablet, the product increases user productivity by providing quick access to lexical definitions alongside several other applications.
“As a product manager, I have been aware of Oxford University Press’s dictionary offerings for over 20 years. They have been integrated into other assistive technology products that I have helped develop throughout my career.”
Roger Steinberg | Product Manager, Low Vision Solutions, HumanWare
The problem
After gathering customer feedback, HumanWare identified the need for a new feature to be integrated into its Prodigi software and BrailleNote devices. The feature had to allow people with a visual impairment to access lexical definitions quickly.
Historically, many users resorted to using an online dictionary when access to Prodigi or BrailleNote was unavailable. However, it become evident that the time constraints associated with online research needed to be addressed.
HumanWare, therefore, decided that an integrated, onboard dictionary was required to provide more accessibility for braille usage.
The Solution
HumanWare chose us as their dictionary data provider because of our reputation and history of providing high-quality data in several languages.
Having datasets in multiple languages was crucial for HumanWare, as the company wanted to ensure that its dictionary features would be compatible with users who communicate in Arabic. Likewise, HumanWare required access to French, British, and American English datasets, as these territories comprise a significant portion of the company’s customer base.
The integration of our data into the Prodigi software and BrailleNote devices was implemented through a partnership with Accessibyte, a technology company that developed a dictionary application. The collaboration was essential to ensuring the accessibility of both the dictionary’s data and its resulting definitions for users.
To date, HumanWare has delivered its updated Prodigi software to nearly 1,500 users of Connect 12 and MATT Connect magnifiers. Feedback on the feature in both tools has been resoundingly positive.
As a result of HumanWare’s collaboration with us, users of the Connect 12, MATT Connect magnifiers, and BrailleNote, now have access to user-friendly tools that support their lexical comprehension needs. HumanWare has been particularly impressed with the depth and quality of our dictionary definitions.
For more information about HumanWare, powered by Oxford Languages data, click here.
Additional information
A recent webinar called Lunch-and-Learn: New Dictionary Powered by Oxford Languages attracted a significant audience of low vision assistive technology users and stakeholders. The webinar recording has since garnered many more views. Likewise, supplementary support videos on the new feature continue to be studied.
Find HumanWare online
If you’d like to learn more about HumanWare you can visit them here:
Images courtesy of HumanWare