New Vision Concepts
EZReader

 Table of Contents

 EZReader Camera and Software

With the camera and the EZReader camera software, the user can display printed materials on the computer screen, magnified at up to 10X to make it easier to see and read the materials. The camera can be accessed by other software, such as Zoom conferencing software.

The EZReader camera software can access any camera attached to the computer, such as a USB webcam. The user can switch back and forth between all available cameras.

Functions supported by the web camera software include:

• Zoom In/Out up to 10X
• Freeze the Video
• Copy the Full Video Frame to the Clipboard
• Copy Selected Area of a Video Frame to the Clipboard
• Save Captured Areas to Files (SnapShots)
• View Snapshot History
• Display Video in High Contrast 2-Color Mode
• Extract Text from Images (OCR)
• Speak the Extracted Text
• Copy an Image
• Print an Image

EZReader emphasizes the display of text. That is, the content of source materials (books, emails, newspapers, etc.) are stripped of images and only the text is displayed. This allows EZReader to carefully control the way in which information is presented to users, including the use of unlimited font sizes and unlimited color combinations.

All text is displayed using a pair of colors, one for the text and one for the background. Four pre-selected high-contrast color pairs are available, one of which can be modified by the user.

Text in all applications is displayed using the same font and font size, as specified by the user. In some cases, such as where a message is displayed, EZReader automatically selects the largest font size that will fit on the screen.

All text properties, such as color and font size, can be quickly changed by pressing the appropriate toolbar icons or by using keyboard shortcuts.

The user selects the font colors and font attributes (font family, font size, and font boldness) to be used.

For easier viewing, a fixed width font may be used. Low vision users sometimes find that fixed width spacing makes it easier to see narrow letters such as an "i".

Typically, whenever text content is displayed, EZReader provides a Search feature, which can scroll to the next line containing the search term.

In some cases, such as email that contains non-text attachments, EZReader can display the attachments in a separate window. If such attachments are images, they can be zoomed to a convenient viewing size. Viewing other attachment file types is also supported.

EZReader can be operated using the touch screen, keyboard or mouse.

For those occasions where a keyboard is needed to enter text, EZReader is delivered with a keyboard that provides high contrast colors, making it easier for the user to see and use the keyboard.

A second keyboard with high contrast colors and larger keys is also available for purchase.

In this image, the optional keyboard is shown to the left. It has keys that are about twice the size of standard keys. While much easier to see and use, the keys are necessarily placed farther apart. Users with previous touch typing skills will find it necessary to make some finger-positioning adjustments. This keyboard is not included with EZReader but may be purchased separately.

The keyboard on the right is a standard size keyboard but provides high contrast keyboard colors, either black and white or yellow and black. The letters on the keyds are also a larger font than on a normal keyboard. This keyboard is suitable for touch typing. This keyboard is included with EZReader at no extra charge.

Icons

EZReader requires very minimal computer skills. Navigation between EZReader features or taking actions on displayed content is done by selecting one of the icons in the toolbar found at the top of each screens.

To minimize complexity, the toolbar typically contains only 5-7 navigation/action icons. Just touch or click an icon to perform the action. Right mouse click, or press and hold, an icon to see a description of what action will be taken.

There are also 2 additional icons on the toolbar. The first icon exits from the current application and the right-most icon is used to change which row of navigation/action icons are displayed. Some applications have several rows of icons and some applications have only one.

If an EZReader application has enough features, additional rows of navigation/action icons are provided and can be reached by pressing the rightmost, "Menu" icon found on all pages. The icon displays a dot for each available row of icons. The dot with a black center indicates which row of icons is being displayed. This multi-row menu approach gives the user full access to an application's capabilities without increasing the visual complexity of the screens.

In some cases, such as where the user has an especially large monitor, it may be preferable to display more than the 5 standard icons in the toolbar. For such cases, EZReader provides a means of displaying a "wide" toolbar, where a single row of icons is available which displays up to 15 icons on the toolbar, depending on the application. The "wide" toolbar can significantly simplify navigation, but at the expense of increasing how visually "busy" the screen appears and at the expense of hiding less used commands.

Gestures

EZReader also supports "gestures", where scrolling of a document or list is achieved by dragging the screen up or down, exactly as is done on cell phones. Font size can likewise be changed by pulling thumb and forefinger together, or moving them apart, for zooming in and out on a document. A touch screen monitor is required to use gestures.

When scrolling text content, by gestures, mouse or keyboard, the rate of scrolling can be set to single line or multi-line scrolling.

Icon Text and Icon Sizes

The icons on the EZTaskBar and EZCenterBar may be resized by the user.

Toolbar text may be hidden.

EZReader can speak displayed text content. Play, stop, volume and speaking speed options are provided. Also, the user may select between male and female voices.

Applications which support speech will have one or more of these icons available on the toolbar.

To speak text, click on the position in the displayed text where speaking should start and press the Play button. Displayed text will be spoken and highlighted to show the user which text is being spoken.

Other speech options are available. For example, when right mouse clicking on an icon (context help) to see a system message on what the icon does, EZReader may also be set to speak the system message.

EZReader taps in to the Internet-based voice dictation capabilities of Windows. In EZReader applications where text must be entered, the user can speak the text instead of typing.

A toolbar icon is provided to activate voice dictation an apps that require text entry.

For users who have difficulty using the keyboard, EZReader provides an on-screen keyboard (OSK). Where text must be entered, the user can use the OSK to enter letters by clicking on the screen.

Right-mouse clicking on toolbar icons will generate a popup message that identifies the action that will be taken when the toolbar button is pressed, such as this message that is displayed when the Save icon on the toolbar is right-clicked.

Across the 75+ EZReader apps there are approximately 750 shortcuts. That's a large number but most users will find themselves using only a dozen or so of the shortcuts - corresponding to the EZReader features they choose to use.

In each application, right-mouse clicking on the application Exit button will display a list of the shortcuts for that application.

For a shortcut to work in an application, the application must have "focus", meaning simply that the application will receive the output of the keyboard. EZReader applications that fill the screen will normally have focus. But for the EZTaskBar and EZCenterBar, the user must click on an empty space to give those windows focus.

As an aid to knowing if those two windows have focus, the Exit buttons for each will look like one of these two icons:

The icon on the left means "no focus". The icon on the right means that the application has "focus". Once given focus, the EZTaskBar and EZCenterbar will respond to keyboard shortcuts.

However, an option is available which allows resizing of the EZReader application windows.

A full screen windows can always be dragged to a new location by dragging on an empty area of the toolbar. This is useful for uncovering any underlying application windows that the user may have open.

As part of executing a user command, EZReader may display a temporary popup message indicating the action taken and/or the results of the action, such as this message which indicates that wide-spacing of text was turned off.

EZReader uses the largest possible font to display the popup messages.

Messages are typically displayed for 2 seconds.

EZReader provides several text printing options, including protection against accidentally printing a large number of pages.

EZReader can print most displayed text content. For example, if you create a file in the File Editor, you can print the content of the file.

Applications that support printing typically have a toolbar icon to initiate printing. Also, printing keyboard shortcuts are available in most applications that have a printing option.

Some applications, such as Editor and Editor-Lite, have 2 print icons on the toolbar, one larger than the other. The large print icon will print text using the user's large font. The small print icon will print the text in a smaller font, suitable for giving to someone without low vision issues.

Printing is not available in the Book Reader to avoid having the user accidentally print hundreds of pages.

Before printing text, EZReader displays the number of pages about to print, allowing the user to cancel printing if appropriate.

Even in cases where a valid print command is issued, EZReader can protects the user in two ways.

• 1. Word wrapping is always used to prevent printed text from going off the edge of the page.

• 2. An optional font adjustment setting can adjust the font size to the maximum value that will fit the longest line of text to the width of the printed page.

EZReader provides the ability to copy and print any screen. Additionally, if an application displays a graphical image, the user may copy or print just the image by itself. Typically, the CS-G keyboard shortcut key will print the full application window and the CS-W keyboard shortcut key will print just the graphic portion of the application window.

Both keyboard shortcuts and toolbar buttons are available to perform copy and printing actions.

At any time, users can copy the current EZReader window to the clipboard by pressing Alt-PrtScn on the keyboard. This is a feature provided by Windows (not EZReader).

Users who purchase EZReader get free, online software updates.

Updates are available from the EZTaskBar or the EZCenterBar simply by pressing the keyboard "U" key or by pressing the Update icon.

Users may also add to the various file libraries that are installed with EZReader. Books, newspapers, text documents, images, grids and music files may all be imported from flash drives using EZReader's import application.

Files received as attachments to an email are automatically moved to the appropriate application folder.

At the time of delivery, users receive a two-hour tutorial on how to use EZReader. Additional tutorials are provided as needed by the user.

EZReader tech support is available 7 days a week by phone or email.

Users must initiate the remote control session and can end it at any time.

Here's a link to the TeamViewer utility used by New Vision Concepts to provide remote tech support:

Once turned on, EZHelp automatically opens the phone camera. Then, when the user presses SEND, the camera image is sent immediately to EZReader tech support.

All the user does is point and click. It does not get any easier than that!

The EZHelp app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.

 EZReader - Help With Vision at Any Age!

EZReader users range from 12 to 96 years old, showing that while vision issues may center on seniors, low vision can affect anyone at any age. Whether you need your eyes for school, work or play, EZReader can help!

Here are several of the ways that EZReader helps users at any age and in any life situation:

Games
EZReader comes with over a dozen fun and educational games, addressing both memory and motor skills. While fun to play, games provide both physical and intellectual stimulation. EZReader games also make it fun to learn to use the computer.

Office Tools
The EZReader suite of software provides support for working users in several ways:

• Alternate Software
  Conventional software is simply not written for low vision users. The EZReader suite of software replaces hard-to-see applications with easy-to-see and easy-to-use software written specifically for low vision users. Microsoft Office tools, such as a document viewer, file editor, spreadsheet, email client, and calendar are examples where EZReader offers similar low-vision-friendly replacement applications.

• Screen Magnification and Contrast
  For users who are limited to using company software, EZReader provides screen magnification and high contrast color modes, allowing users to more easily see and navigate the screens of existing software.

• Productivity Enhancements
  Many of the EZReader utilities provide simplified ways to complete Windows tasks. For example the difficult (for low vision users) 3 step procedure to restart the computer takes only one step in EZReader. With ways to more quickly execute a Google search to more easily navigate inside a browser, EZReader enables a low vision user to complete their tasks more quickly and more efficiently!

Independent Life Skills
At any age, people with low vision want to maintain their independence - to be able to perform many of their daily activities, drawing on family or friends as little as possible. EZReader users find themselves able to perform many tasks on their own, tasks which were once out of their reach:

• Ordering Foods
• Writing Checks
• Paying Bills Online
• Keeping Financial Records
• Using Email and Text Messages to Keep in Touch With Friends and Family

If you have a task that your vision makes difficult to complete, then EZReader can help!

 How it started!

As my 95-year-old mother-in-law's macular degeneration progressed, she was no longer able to read even the largest text in her Kindle tablet. After her doctors advised her that her condition could not be improved further with medical treatments, I came up with the idea of the EZReader. With the large viewing size of EZReader, its large fonts and images, and its extremely easy-to-use touch navigation she was able to read books again. The same solution is now available, with expanded capabilities, to others with visual impairments. Gary Beene gbeene@airmail.net Inventor of the EZReader System

 Locations

Low Vision Clinic lowvisiondallas.com/ Greenville Medical Tower Greenville Ave - Suite 250 Dallas, TX 75231 214-265-1111

Dr. Brian Celico, OD PA, has provided care for low vision patients for over 20 years, offering low vision exams and a wide selection of devices to aid patients in reading and performing day-to-day tasks. Viewings are by appointment on Wednesdays. If your schedule is not open on those days, please contact the office to make other arrangements for viewing EZReader.

Complete Low Vision Care completelowvision.com/ 1545 Round Rock Ave #100A Round Rock, TX 78761 512-641-4449

Dr. Laura Miller completed her degree, with additional concentrated glaucoma training, at the University of Houston. She performed her externship at the Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio. Dr. Miller actively participates in professional organizations, including roles as President in both the Central Texas Optometric Society and Prevent Blindness Texas organization. Dr. Miller was cited as the Young Optometrist of the Year and earned the President's Award, both by the Texas Optometric Association. She has also been recognized as the Young Alumni of the Year and received the Corning Low Vision Award, both through the University of Houston. I absolutely love being an optometrist and getting to know my patients personally!"

Lumino Vision luminovision.com/ 1500 Rivery Blvd, Suite 2005 Georgetown, TX 78628 512-6868-3424

Dr. Jennifer Wood has been practicing optometry for over twenty years. She has extensive experience in multiple settings and is residency and fellowship trained in low vision rehabilitation. She holds accreditation as a certified low vision therapist (CLVT). Her commitment to both her profession and her community led her to the decision to open a private practice. Dr. Wood finds it both humbling and restorative to help her patients maximize their vision to live their best lives. She is dedicated to forming lasting and meaningful relationships with her patients through uncompromising high quality care.

 Remote Installation