clive@druhi.UUCP (02/21/87)
I think this is really interesting. Hope you Mac'ers do. Maybe something to get involved with? Your choice. in article <1517@bunker.UUCP>, wtm@bunker.UUCP says: > Approved: wtm@bunker.UUCP > > Index Number: 0060 > Written-by: <ihnp4!DAVR_IENGL@UORDBV> 08/21/86 > > [This is the first of three articles by Harvey Lauer and > Leonard Mowinski.] > > > > RECOMMENDING COMPUTERS FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED > > A MOVING TARGET OR A LOSING WAR? > > > By Harvey Lauer and Leonard Mowinski > > Blind Rehabilitation Technology Specialists > > September, 1985 > > "We find that professionals can no longer advance without > computers. What computers do you recommend for our blind workers?" "I > need to use a computer to keep my job. How can I find out which one is > needed?" "Which of our clients need computers, and how can we keep up > with the technology?" Those questions keep coming. So we keep revising > our articles and resource lists. The resource lists include the sources > of everything discussed herein and much more. We also recommend the > publications of the Sensory Aids Foundation of Palo Alto, California > especially for IBM resources. > > This paper is directed to users, providers, developers and > researchers because two issues are addressed: recommendations of > computer aids and five strategies for improving and evaluating them. > > IS THE APPLE EMPHASIS CHANGING? > > We have used and taught many computer aids for the blind and have > studied all of them. Here is a summary of our findings to date. > > 1. Due primarily to the software available, the Apple II series > computers with selected peripherals and software offer the most powerful > and "friendly" low-cost tool for blind people so far. > > 2. Those who must use a computer most of the day may best be > served by having one of the more costly special devices. This could be > a full-featured personal computer with special output, or it could be a > regular computer with an added special terminal. > > 3. The IBM PC is heavily used in business, and there is now useful > software for us, so for some applications, the emphasis is shifting. > > Making the appropriate choice and applying it is probably the > toughest job in rehabilitation. Few counselors are equipped to make it > without help. The prevailing opinion among blind people is that almost > the only ones of us who use a computer at work first bought one and > learned to use it at home. We believe the causes are the instability, > complexity and nastiness of the computer field. The computer business > is engulfed in an aura of mystique, an atmosphere of ignorance and a > vacuum of trust. All too often, we follow the same pattern in adapting > and developing computer aids for the disabled. The first of five > strategies we recommend is that the developers and providers stop > imitating the worst attributes of industry and build a foundation of > trust and respect. > > WHAT ABOUT THE APPLE > > In this article, we will discuss the Apple in some detail because > it is the pace setter. We think that Raised Dot Computing (RDC) in > Madison, Wisconsin is one of the most pace setting companies of all. > Its newsletter is especially valuable for Apple resources, and its > program system called Braille-Edit offers powerful word processing in > speech, braille, regular screen and large-print screen. It also has > professional-quality braille Grade Two translation and reverse Grade Two > translation. Its global replace options, cut-and-paste features and > input/output file transfer utilities are powerful. There are special > advantages for braille transcribers and additional software for > formatting textbooks. Braille-Edit runs in the Apple II machines > including the portable Apple IIc. A much more powerful version is in > the works. > > We know of three more good word processors written for speech > alone: Word-Talk, TWP and Words. A spell-checking program works well > for us though it is not convenient to use. There are two talking > terminal programs: Talking Transend and Talking TermExec (and several > other useful terminal programs). There are two talking databases: Info > and Lister Talker and other accessible databases. There are at least > two check-writing and budget-management programs written for speech and > many supporting utilities. > > Much educational software runs with speech as is, and some has been > modified to take advantage of speech. Much public domain and some > commercial business software works with speech including hundreds of > games and utilities. We have talking programs for the CP/M operating > system available for the Apple. Braille output is easy to add both in > CP/M and in Apple DOS. We can access the data files generated by those > popular programs which we cannot use. > > The Echo II is a low-cost speech device made by Street Electronics. > It makes the system transparent in utilities and unprotected software. > It is favored by most blind users because of its screen review features, > punctuation options, speed of speaking and instant response to commands. > The Cricket, sister to the Echo, does the same for the IIc. > > The Print-it Card and the Apple Cyber Card make the II plus and the > IIe models transparent to an outside device even in protected software. > The Apple is compatible with all braille and speech devices. > > Vtek, Inc., formerly Visualtek, makes a large-print add-on, the > DP-10, with variable magnification that is valuable for those with low > vision. It makes the text screen completely accessible even in > copy-protected software. They make a similar device called the DB-20 > with refreshable braille output. They have versions of both for the IBM > PC--the DB-11 and DB-21 respectively. For some low-vision users, the > combination of a large monitor and a standard word processor that > displays 40 columns is all that's needed. > > Multiple ports and a wide variety of interfacing hardware are > available. The file transfer and interface features of Braille-Edit > make it a terminal for the functions of uploading, downloading and > logging onto local and remote systems. We have interfaced the Apple > with several commercial word processors including Wang, Lanier and IBM > Display Writer. The blind user can efficiently generate and manipulate > text in his "friendly environment" leaving the commercial word > processing machine or terminal of a main frame free for sighted users. > Then he can transfer blocks of text back and forth to those other > systems at will. This is an efficient way to work with many office > network systems using asynchronous protocols. The user merely needs a > routine or protocol to follow. As with the sighted user, he or she > needs technical help in interfacing equipment, and that is hard to get. > > The pace of software development for the Apple has not slowed. > Ironically, most teachers and users have not used much of the power they > have. Unfortunately, most of our counselors and vendors do not even > know what is possible by way of adapting and interfacing. This > situation is discussed in our companion article "Selecting Computer Aids > For the Visually Impaired, A Troubling Quandary." > > TWO WARNINGS > > There are, however, two warnings or catches. First, we must point > out that having access may not bring utility. For instance, you can use > a Zero Card or a Print-it Card to send textual screen information to a > cheap speech device. For some uses, that works, but you could not > review your data. So, if you must access standard, unmodified software, > you are likely to need either a braille device, a talking terminal or > another computer out there connected to your access port. That other > computer could be another Apple running a Street Electronics talking > terminal program, for example. The likely need for two machines is one > reason why it is usually cheaper and less complicated to use > specially-written applications software in a single computer to which > speech has been added. > > Another factor that makes access to standard unmodified software > problematic is that its authors increasingly use what is called bit > mapping. Instead of using the text screen for display to sighted > people, they use the graphics mode to display textual information. So > far, none of our special access devices work with such semi-pictorial > displays in any computer. It will take a device as "smart" as the > Kurzweil Reading Machine to decode such information for us. > > The second catch is that all the accessories listed above have > different values for the various tasks and the differing abilities of > people. These articles and resource lists alone are not enough. They > should be the embryo of a set of manuals. One should be: "Outfitting > the Apple as a Tool for the Visually Impaired." Another should be: > "Outfitting the IBM PC ...", and so on. The interface manual sold with > Braille-Edit and the Crosstalk Series from TSI are good starts in this > direction. > > Various developers have invested several hundred thousand dollars > in access technology for Apple and IBM computers alone, but > accessibility and interfacing are a big bottleneck. Writing and > circulating such manuals is the second of our five recommended > strategies to developers and the rehabilitation field. > > > Harvey Lauer and Leonard Mowinski > Blind Center (124) > Veterans Hospitatl > Hines, Illinois 60141 > (312) 343-7959 > > [From the L-HCAP mailing list] > > > ********************************************************************** > This is a moderated news group. To submit an article, send e-mail to: > {decvax, philabs, ittatc}!bunker!handicap > **********************************************************************