Unless one is competing in a tournament or playing at a raucous pub, there are limits to how exciting throwing darts at a circle of cork can be, and many who play are oblivious to the game’s rules and variations.
Audio Dart Master, a talking dartboard, speaks every action, stores up to 20 players’ names, and provides instruction at the press of a Help key to make the game more interactive and accessible.
Audio Dart Master Makes Darts Accessible to Blind and Visually Impaired
Audio Dart Master was designed to make darts accessible to the blind and visually impaired, though its interactivity, including customizable audio greetings and a spoken instruction manual covering rules and scoring of nine different games, can enhance all players’ enjoyment and make dart leagues more lively. Target markets include schools for the blind and dart leagues that may have disabled members.
A four-key menu makes the board easy to use. Everything the board displays and every action taken (e.g. announcing players by name, scoring updates) are made audible through a built-in speech synthesizer.
Audio Dart Master Features
- Calls “inside” and “outside” for hits to the two singles rings
- 25- or 50-point double bull's eye option
- Optional “clock position” called for those who don't know board number positions
- Optional stereo “ping” or “click” to help blind players aim
- Ten-level volume and external jack for loudspeakers or communication aids
- Training mode and game options, including: Cricket, Around the Clock, and Five-Dart Golf.
The 29” by 21” board is two inches thick, weighs 14 pounds, and comes with wall mounting screws on a pre-measured string, a power transformer for a 110-volt outlet, and a shock-cord plastic pipe toe board that reaches to the wall.
The Audio Dart Master Dartboard costs $499.00 and comes with a power supply, two sets of darts, and a printed installation guide that is also available online and in the dartboard. A portable wall stand (a frame that allows use of the dartboard without putting screws in the wall) costs $40.
For an additional $200, the board can be customized to store up to eight names (in a human voice, rather than computer-generated) and play messages when the power is on.
Audio Dart Master
13005 34th Avenue North
Minneapolis MN 55441
763.383.0077
Audio Dart Master is a prime example of accessible recreational with mainstream appeal. Audio technology employed for the blind delivers interactivity and a new knowledge of rules and options that can heighten everyone’s appreciation of the game.
Andrew Leibs - Andrew Leibs is Suite101’s Feature Writer for Accessible Recreation. He is a longtime chronicler of the disability movement with ...
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