DTvip is the strand of DIGITAL TUESDAYS which is designed specifically for VIPs (visually impaired people).
How do you use the free computers in public libraries if you are visually impaired? DTvip aims to make it easier for people with sight loss to use the library computers and access the internet. We show people how to use screenreader and magnifier programmes like the THUNDER free screenreading software, which reads aloud what is written on the screen. Thunder is now installed on all public library computers in Lambeth alongside the commercial screenreader SuperNova. In future we may change from Thunder to another free programme, NVDA, which we will hope to trial in the next few months.
We are now raising funds to buy easy-to-use digital equipment like text to speech readers and large screen CCTV magnifiers so that people with low vision or other print impairments can read books, newspapers and documents in the library as well as use the computers. We are working with RNIB to promote the Talking Books and Talking Newspaper services and by May 2013 we will have an RNIB Daisy and CD player available for people to use in Tate South Lambeth Library (TSL)
DTvip sessions started at TSL in 2011. The weekly sessions run on Tuesday mornings from 10 to 12. TSL is at 180 South Lambeth Road, London SW8 1QP, halfway between Vauxhall and Stockwell tube stations Tel: 0207 926 0705 More Information on the library is here: Tate South Lambeth Library
For those who already have a computer at home, the Thunder software can be downloaded at no cost from www.screenreader.net. Thunder can be copied to a USB stick, so once you have learned to use it you can carry it with you and and run it on any computer. You can use Thunder with the free text only web browser WebbIE, which converts web pages into text so they can be easily read by the screenreader. Here is the site to download WebbIE, www.webbie.org.uk. WebbIE has an inbuilt magnifier.
Read more on the DTvip blog or read this article about the DTvip project by Peter Abrahams of Bloor Research, published 21st August 2011. For the DTVIP links page click here