July 01: Business software maker Actuate Corp. said Monday that it has launched a product to enable visually impaired people to access online documents.

Xenos Axess converts standard PDF files and converts them into documents usable with screen readers.

The product comes from Xenos Group Inc., which Actuate bought in December.

Actuate said Xenos Axess has been tested and evaluated by the American Foundation for the Blind, the Royal National Institute for the Blind and CNIB, a Canadian organization that seeks to promote a better quality of life for the visually impaired.

Actuate, based in San Mateo, Calif., said a percentage of license sales from Xenos Axess will be donated to organizations for the visually impaired.

Source: http://www.businessweek.com