Technology, or what we often refer to as "high tech," has significantly changed the way we learn, work, play and just simply live. But while computers have had a tremendous influence in everyone's life, they can have an even more profound and critical impact on those who are blind or have low vision.

Perhaps the most significant element of this technology revolution for persons who are blind is the ability to access a vast range of printed material. Until just a few years ago, the only way persons with severe vision loss could access such material was by using a sighted reader. Today, using computers equipped with specialized software, blind persons can

• read electronic books
• access daily newspapers on line
• pay bills
• keep track of their bank and other accounts
• maintain their appointment calendar and address book
• communicate via email
• do research
• shop
• or simply "play" on the internet

— just like their sighted counterparts.