ACSJNF@DEPAUL.BITNET (Joel N. Fischoff) (01/18/90)
Index Number: 6316 [This is from the BLIND-L mailing list on Bitnet. Bill McGarry] Hello everyone from the Windy City, I am just beginning to work on setting up a system for people within the university who are visually impaired or legally blind. I realize that this will be quite a few things, but here is what I've got so far: Computer (preferably a 286 or 386) with a lot of expandability [we will be linking this to a StarLAN Network TSR: Text to Braille - For output to a Braille printer. A braille printer compatible with IBM-type machines that can handle a StarLAN network. Speech synthesizer for the student using the computer. Personal reader (Like the Kurzweil Reader) that can be set up in the same area. The computer network we use allows us to connect to WordPerfect 5.0, Lotus 1-2-3, dBase III+, and miscellaneous other packages submitted by instructors. It also links us to our mainframe computers (hence the reason for needing a computer with a lot of expandability). We want to be able to set this system up in the middle of a open-access lab, so it has to be as small a setup as possible, within reasonable conditions. We are also trying to figure out a system to be compatible with our Macintosh computers. If anyone has any ideas towards that, please let me know. Right now, I'm looking for the best prices on the best equipment I can get. If you have any further suggestions for setting up such a system, don't hesitate to mail me.... I'm anxious to get going with this thing (my business is service, and right now, we are not really servicing our clients who need this type of special system. I want to remedy that situation.) Thanks, Joel N. Fischoff ACSJNF@DEPAUL.BITNET @DEPAULO.BITNET @DEPAULC.BITNET Academic Computer Services DePaul University Chicago, IL P.S.: My personal opinions do not necessarily reflect those of my employer. P.P.S: For those companies that carry these type of materials, please address written correspondance to: Joel Fischoff Academic Computer Services DePaul University 243 S. Wabash, Room 351 Chicago, IL 60604-2302
MAINT@UQAM.BITNET (Peter Jones) (01/18/90)
Index Number: 6320 [This is from the BLIND-L mailing list on Bitnet. Bill McGarry] On Fri, 12 Jan 90 10:41:00 CDT <ACSJNF@DEPAUL> said: > I am just beginning to work on setting up a system for people > within the university who are visually impaired or legally > blind. There are three ways that I know of that would allow a visually impaired person to use a computer: enlarged text on the screen, braille (paper and electronic using movable dots) and speech synthesis. > > Computer (preferably a 286 or 386) with a lot of > expandability [we will be linking this to > a StarLAN Network > I suggest a 386 because it has the capability of running virtual machines. Thus an adaptation program running in real supervisor mode and communicating with the user's terminal can retain control over ANY software running in the virtual machine. The 386 can run time-shared, allowing use by several people, and giving security against unavailability resulting from inability to read error messages on the screen. A time-sharing user can always regain control over his session. When using TSR's to communicate with the user, it will be necessary to check for conflicts with the TSR's associated with the LAN. Have fun! > TSR: Text to Braille - For output to a Braille printer. In passing, KERMIT 3.0 is to have drivers for a large number of types of printers. Columbia University is looking for freely-copyable printer drivers. A braille printer driver would be nice. > > A braille printer compatible with IBM-type machines > that can handle a StarLAN network. There are some on the market with IBMPC parallel interfaces. TSI makes one, for example. Note that braille printers are intrinsically noisy, because of the mechanical effort in punching out the dots. > > Speech synthesizer for the student using the computer. > For English, there are quite a few to choose from. DEC has or had an educational price on its DECtalk (max 5 units per institution). The choices are much more limited in other languages. > Personal reader (Like the Kurzweil Reader) that can > be set up in the same area. > At UQAM, we feel it is important that a student should not be at a disadvantage solely because of an impairment. Hence, we are leery of systems that require the student to spend a lot of his own time translating text before he can read it. Our experience with the Kurzweil was that it was more efficient to have a sighted operator operate the Kurzweil to read in a book chapter for the student. > The computer network we use allows us to connect to WordPerfect 5.0, > Lotus 1-2-3, dBase III+, and miscellaneous other packages submitted > by instructors. We had a problem with WP4.2 and speech synthesis. Messages, such as File Not Found appear briefly and disappear. So, if the user doesn't explore that area of the screen, or set up windows to be sensitive to that area, he'll be unaware of the error. I hope there's a hook in WP that would allow error messages to be spoken, unbidden by the user. > > We want to be able to set this system up in the middle of a > open-access lab, so it has to be as small a setup as possible, > within reasonable conditions. Be careful with this. Braille printers take up space, and make noise. This noise, plus the noise of other students, can mask subtle auditory cues, like disk activity. Electronic braille systems need a table-top. Also, paper braile is bulky. A 100-page print paperback translates into 3 8-1/2 X 11 inch 3-ring binders of braille. Remember, braille must be pressed against a firm surface to be felt. The user may need other equipment, such as an enlarging CCTV. There's a couple on the market that can do a split screen with a computer and a camera viewing a paper document. > > We are also trying to figure out a system to be compatible with our > Macintosh computers. If anyone has any ideas towards that, please > let me know. > I understand the standard software on the MAC now allows enlarging a section of the screen. Don't know about braille. For speech, I'm currently looking at the Soundtrack 2 program, by Alistair Edwards, for the MAC, which also requires Macintalk, a commercial software product. > Right now, I'm looking for the best prices on the best equipment I > can get. I wonder if you have the problem we have in the Province of Quebec. What happens here is that aids are allotted to a person, not an institution. This results in a person having to bring his equipment to and from home, unless the institution can provide the same type of equipment. Best of luck! Peter Jones MAINT@UQAM (514)-987-3542 "Life's too short to try and fill up every minute of it" :-)
Ann.Parsons@f204.n260.z1.fidonet.org (Ann Parsons) (02/04/90)
Index Number: 6600 Hi Anthony, No, what I was refering to was the gentleman who said something like this, "having a sighted person run off chapters has been found to be effecacious". Iffecacious means effective, or well done, effecient, etc. Try World book dictiojnary, webster's etc. I questioned his use of a sighted person to use the Kurzweil Machine, meant for the blind, in order to read and copy material for a blind person. I felt that if they had such a machine, then the blind people for whom it was designed ought to be using it. Dat's all folks! babadee-babadah-badadee!!!! <grin> See you on-line. Ann P. -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!260!204!Ann.Parsons Internet: Ann.Parsons@f204.n260.z1.fidonet.org
Anthony.Casey@hnews.fidonet.org (Anthony Casey) (02/13/90)
Index Number: 6757 >No, what I was refering to was the gentleman who said something like >this, "having a sighted person run off chapters has been found to be >effecacious". Iffecacious means effective, or well done, effecient, etc. >Try World book dictiojnary, webster's etc. Ah, thanks. Another year, another word added to my ... um ... oh, what's a good word? ... a list of words I have in my memory. >I questioned his use of a sighted person to use the Kurzweil Machine, >meant for the blind, in order to read and copy material for a blind >person. I felt that if they had such a machine, then the blind people for >whom it was designed ought to be using it. But surely (just to be argumentative), a device is a device is a device. And, if it's useful to those who can see, why shouldn't they use it? Did you mean blind people should exclusively use it? Anthony -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!Anthony.Casey Internet: Anthony.Casey@hnews.fidonet.org