rose@uw-june (Scott Rose) (10/05/84)
Work is just beginning at the University of Washington on a project to develope computer network software to serve the Deaf-Blind Community. The system, dubbed DBNet will be based upon IBM personal computers, with a minicomputer central server providing news and mail services, for example, over telephone lines. A tactile braille display is to serve as the primary output device. We are in the very earliest stages of system definition right now. I am posting this in the hopes of identifying other workers in this or related fields, and perhaps generating some contacts with others in the UseNet community who have ideas or expertise upon which we may draw in putting together a useful package. Issues of interest to us right now are identifying a source of inexpensive modem equipment that will have compatibility with Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDDs), determining an appropriate (standard) protocol to use, minimization of hardware costs, user interface design, and suitable application programs to include. I chose this group to which to post because my failing memory is that it was here that I heard some discussion this summer of the availability of a dual-mode modem that might meet our special needs; none of which we know are commercially available. I am Scott Rose, a graduate student at the University of Washington and one of the two assigned to the project. I am reachable as rose@washington.arpa, ..uw-beaver!uw-larry!rose, (206)-543-7798.