Warren.King@f429.n275.z1.fidonet.org (Warren King) (09/14/90)
Index Number: 10370
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
Donald,
Thought that I would give you a shout. I have a user who is
looking for a typing tutor for his blind daughter. He would like to
have one that will echo back each letter as it is struck via speech.
Have you ever heard of such an animal? At this point, he does not want
to get into full fledged programs and special devices, just something
simple.
Warren King
'HandiNet BBS'
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Internet: Warren.King@f429.n275.z1.fidonet.orgDonald.Breda@f460.n101.z1.fidonet.org (Donald Breda) (09/19/90)
Index Number: 10456
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
WK> Donald,
WK> Thought that I would give you a shout. I have a user
WK> who is looking for a typing tutor for his blind daughter.
WK> He would like to have one that will echo back each letter as
WK> it is struck via speech. Have you ever heard of such an
WK> animal? At this point, he does not want to get into full
WK> fledged programs and special devices, just something simple.
WK> Warren King
Hi Warren; Any computer with speech can echo back what a person types. I think
that the best way to each typeing is to give no feedback since it is the same as
lookng at the keyboard when you type and we all know what a bad habit that is.
... Abled, Blinktalk and silver in boston
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Internet: Donald.Breda@f460.n101.z1.fidonet.orgHenry.Kasten@f10.n130.z1.fidonet.org (Henry Kasten) (09/20/90)
Index Number: 10464
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
:Hi Warren, I understand you are looking for a typing tutor. Does your
friend's daughter have a computer with speech? If she does, the speech
software should allow her to hear the key she strikes. You did not say
anything about the disabilities of your friends daughter. Is she
mentally retarded or Learning Disabled? If her only disability is her
loss of sight, i am wondering why she needs to hear which key she
strikes. If I remember correctly, the typewriters we used in school had
the letters on the keys covered so we couldn't see what key struck untill
the damage was done.
The Hadely School has an excellent typing tutorial for anybody who would
like to learn to type. I strongly recommend it and also recommend that
the father have his daughter learn to touch type the good old fashioned
way, by making mistakes and then learning how to avoid them later. For
what it's worth, a large number of blind computer users I know either
turn off the sound when typing or listen softly to the words as they are
typed, not the individual letters.
unless there are some other problems besides her not being able to see,
Hadley's course should do the trick whether she uses a plane old
typewriter or a computer with speech.
I wish them luck,
Henry
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Internet: Henry.Kasten@f10.n130.z1.fidonet.orgWalter.Siren.@p1.f8.n396.z1.fidonet.org (Walter Siren ) (09/20/90)
Index Number: 10480
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
DB> Hi Warren; Any computer with speech can echo back what a person
DB> types. I think
DB> that the best way to each typeing is to give no feedback since it is
DB> the same as
DB> lookng at the keyboard when you type and we all know what a bad habit
DB> that is.
You might be right, but I think for a new person to typing, it
would not hurt for them to hear the echo back, that will help them
to learn their mistakes. That I think is not quite the same as
looking at the keyboard, but more like looking at your work you are
typing.
Walter
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Internet: Walter.Siren.@p1.f8.n396.z1.fidonet.orgJohn.Sanfilippo@f608.n107.z1.fidonet.org (John Sanfilippo) (09/21/90)
Index Number: 10579
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
HK> :Hi Warren, I understand you are looking for a typing tutor.
I downloaded a program called "letter falls" which is intended
to teach beginning typing and then increase speed for touch
typing. It is nice, but a bit of a bear to use with speech.
I'm wondering myself if there are any better blind-user-friendly
software programs for teaching good typing skills
HK> If her only disability is her loss of sight, i am
wondering why she needs to hear which key she strikes. If I HK>
remember correctly, the typewriters we used in school had the
HK> letters on the keys covered so we couldn't see what key
struck HK> untill the damage was done.
Yup, that's the way we learned in my classes too. I think it's
probably good practice, it certainly didn't hurt me any!
Personally, I use key strokes sounding so that I know my
computer is alive. But there times when I just wanna GO! And
at these times, my speech is OFF.
Again, personally, I can't stand words trailing my typing, but
that's the sort of thing that makes the world spin: different
strokes ...
jjcs
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