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                            THE BLIND NEWS DIGEST

                                 Issue # 1043

                           Thursday, May 26, 1994

Today's Topics:


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                               APOLO 2 SYSTEM
                      Large B&W VGA ando/or TV monitor?
                                 Majuscules
                         visually impaired unix user
                             MICROBRAILLE SLATE
                     Please include your e-mail address!
                               Reading Machine
                      Re: Books/Novels on disc or CD ?
                             Re: Large monitors
                           Reading Machine Wanted
                  low vision resources: macula degeneration


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                              Bill McGarry (Moderator)
                              (203) 926-6187



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Subject: APOLO 2 SYSTEM
From: icunha@iim.csic.es (icunha)


Hello everybody!

        I would like to know if any of you has information about an IBM
machine model APOLO 2. This machine was announced about one year ago in a
Portuguese newspaper (I'm portuguese). As far as I understood it is
sort of scanner able to read and vocalize text in printed sheets. By the
time APOLO 1 was already developed. The problem was that this machine is
big and quit expensive. APOLO 2 is supposed to be smaller and cheaper.
Could you please give me any information about the performace of this
machine (if it exists): how reazonably it reads, if it reads things in
other languages, the price, the size, the size of the sheets to be read...
I would apreciate your information, in my country I couldn't get any.


                Thanx,
                                Isabel


-------------------------
Isabel Cunha
Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas
Eduardo Cabello, 6
36208 VIGO
SPAIN

E-mail:icunha@iim.csic.es
--------------------------




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Subject: Large B&W VGA ando/or TV monitor?
From: gmpicher@pilot.njin.net (Glenn Picher)
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.


I have a friend with macular degeneracy who is quickly losing his
ability to read his standard-size VGA monitor.  He doesn't have
much money, so can't afford a huge color monitor. Does anyone know
of a source for large monochrome VGA monitors? Or, possibly, a
large B&W tv monitor that could connect to a "video vga" card
(that would be nice because it could also connect o a video camera
to assist in seeing things).

--
--Glenn M. Picher, gmpicher@pilot.njin.net (formerly misspelled as gmpicker)
--Vox (609)683-7553     Fax (609)497-7326 (not always turned on)
--Alternate: Glenn_M._Picher@walnut.prs.k12.nj.us (checked infrequently)




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Subject: Majuscules
From: joeclark@scilink.org (Joe Clark)

> I have gotten a request from someone who is visually impaired
> and who cannot read notes written in lower case letters and
> is looking for a program that will convert a file into
> all uppper case letters (a DOS program).
>
> Any ideas?
Forgive me if this sounds impertinent, but scientists researching the
psychology of human reading would find this hard to believe. ALL-CAPS
CHARACTERS ARE IN FACT HARDER TO READ FOR EXTENDED PERIODS BECAUSE THERE IS
RELATIVELY LITTLE DIFFERENCE IN COUNTOUR AMONG THEM, although there is
quite a range of difference in coutour in Upper- and Lower-Case Characters.

Are you sure this person doesn't really just need BIG, BIG upper- and
lower-case characters, and doesn't know it? (I mean, some blind people
choose somewhat ineffective means to an end-- e.g., I knew a blind person
who blamed the fact that she did not know what the Save key was in
WordPerfect on the fact that she could see only a single magnified line of
text. Do not overreact: I am not saying this is common or the case with
your friend. I'm just saying that what the person may need is simply
magnified conventional type.)
--
                                           Joe Clark
                                        joec@hookup.net
                                     joeclark@scilink.org
                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




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Subject: visually impaired unix user
From: lawton@iuesn1.gsfc.nasa.gov (Patricia Lawton)

Hello,

I am the system manager of a Sun 4/280.  One of the newest users is
a visually impaired gentleman who has been working on Vax and IBM
systems for over 20 years.  I found your email address via the
WWW.  I am in search of anything that can help this user with the
differences that exist in Unix - like case sensativity.  I am also
trying to find a termcap entry that will work with his braille
terminal/printer.  There is some Sun documentation that is
available in hardcopy and online postscript files that I thought
the user would find useful in addition to the man pages.  My boss
has called Sun about our need of ascii files.  Would you know of
any other documentation that could be useful, please?

        Any assistance with this would be appreciated.

Thank you,
Pat Lawton
lawton@iuesn1.gsfc.nasa.gov
iuesn1 System Manager
IUE Data Analysis Center/IUE Observatory





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Subject: MICROBRAILLE SLATE
From: PITCCN4.KENNED09@SSW.ALCOA.COM (William A. Kennedy)

                         Bud Kennedy

                         INTERNET: KENNED09@SSW.ALCOA.COM
                         Netmail 1:129/89
                         Compuserve: 71404,1377
                         PHONE (412) 553-2849
                         FAX (412) 553-2484


I would like to be able to find a slate and stylus that will write the
small Braille that is on the Library of Congress cassettes.  If anyone
knows where I can find one, please let me know.






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Subject: Please include your e-mail address!
From: PITCCN4.KENNED09@SSW.ALCOA.COM (William A. Kennedy)

                         Bud Kennedy

                         INTERNET: KENNED09@SSW.ALCOA.COM
                         Netmail 1:129/89
                         Compuserve: 71404,1377
                         PHONE (412) 553-2849
                         FAX (412) 553-2484
                         May 23, 1994

[I've edited Bud's letter to me to clarify as to what he is looking
for, that is, for people to include their e-mail addresses at
the end of their message.]

Bill,

I'm not sure if this is only a problem here but let me explain what
happens.  The problem I have is that,
when people respond directly to me, I can not get a valid representation
of their Internet address for later correspondence.

I would like to ask that correspondents put their Internet addresses in
the message as mine is above.

Let me know your thoughts on this matter.



          Sincerely,

          bud Kennedy






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Subject: Reading Machine
From: triqua@telerama.lm.com (True Heart)
Organization: Telerama Public Access Internet, Pittsburgh, PA


     I have for sale a Kurzweil Personal Reader.  This is a machine which
scans printed material and reads it aloud.  It can also be connected to a
PC, but this is not necessary.

     The Kurzweil can read at any pace and in any of nine clear voices.
It is user friendly for the blind, both adults and children.  It consists
of two parts: the main unit, which contains all the "brains" and the hand
scanner, a small, hand-held unit for scanning small areas of text or
determining page layout; the automatic scanner, which is a book-edge
scanner, capable of scanning large amounts of text into the Kurzweil's
memory in a fairly short period of time.

     This system is ideal for students, homemakers, or anyone who wishes
access to books, mail, and other print materials without depending on a
sighted person.  The main unit is portable and can be taken to a
classroom, library, etc.

     My KPR is in excellent condition and comes with a padded carrying
case, manuals in braille, cassette, and print.  I purchased it for
$11,995.00.  I'm asking $2800.00 or best offer.  Please contact me by
personal e-mail.

Triqua@Telerama.LM.Com  (My name is Becky.)  Thank you.

--
"What else could I write?
I don't have the right..."





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Subject: Re: Books/Novels on disc or CD ?
From: asmiller@umich.edu (Adam S. Miller)
Organization: University of Michigan

In article <32254@handicap.news>, jhusvar@Nimitz.mcs.kent.edu (John Husvar)
wrote:

> It might be worth noting that there are increasing numbers of books being
> published on CD-ROM media also. I just finished reviewing two very nice
> ones by Ebook, Inc. These have a Windows Multimedia Viewer interface and
> incorporate full sound reading with pictures and some little animations.
> They use a hypertext format with the general appearance and function of
> Windows Help Files.

> Pres. ICBAGWA (Int'l Confraternity of Bad-Ass Gimps With Attitudes)

First, I love the acronym...

Second, there's tons of this stuff on both disk and CD available for
Macintosh users. Check a mail-order catalogue and you'll find several
companies hawking these things. To get it read, use outSPOKEN software by
Berkeley Systems.

-- Adam
SYSOP SSD:Issues electronic support group at U-Michigan
(sorry, SSD just stands for Services for Students with Disabilities, our
campus office, nothing wild like your acronym).




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Subject: Re: Large monitors
From: gmpicher@pilot.njin.net (Glenn Picher)

Do you know of any two-screen enlarger software? E.G. main DOS screen
on one monitor, blowup on the other?

--Glenn M. Picher, gmpicher@pilot.njin.net (formerly misspelled as gmpicker)
--Vox (609)683-7553     Fax (609)497-7326 (not always turned on)
--Alternate: Glenn_M._Picher@walnut.prs.k12.nj.us (checked infrequently)




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Subject: Reading Machine Wanted
From: gomez@onramp.net (gomez)
Organization: On-Ramp Technologies, Inc.

I'm not sure where to start but I hope someone in this group can help.
My mother has macular degeneration and is looking for a reading
machine. I was wondering if someone might be able to suggest where to
buy or have any opinions on them.
Please email any info.
     Thanks in advance




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Subject: low vision resources: macula degeneration
From: patt@squid.tram.com (Patt Bromberger)


Francis,

Your relative might be able to use the "Optalec" closed circuit
television (magnifier) reading machine - just got mine from
Cohen Technology (they distribute in the NY/NJ/Conn area) and
they have an 800 number.

You or your relative should contact your state commission for the
blind or your state commission for vocational rehabilitation.

Please call  (800) 683-5555 RP Foundation Fighting Blindness
-- they have a regular newsletter and a list of aids people with
macula degeneration can use.


Also call

American Printing House for the Blind (800) 223-1839
ask for their catalog of computer hardware, software and related
products for the visually impaired.

American Foundation for the Blind (800) 232-5463 (they also have
regional centers; national clearinghouse for info about blindness
and visual impairment.  Provides referrals to low vision centers and
publshes a catalog of low vision aids.


Council of Citizens with Low Vision International (800) 733-2258
for their catalog on low vision technology and their newsletter.

National Association for the Visually Handicapped (212) 889-3141
clearinghouse for info about all services available to the partially
sighted from public and private sources; provides info on large print
books, textbooks and educational tools.

National Center for Vision and Aging
The Lighthouse, Inc.
(800) 334-5497
national clearinghouse for info on vision and againg

National Federation of the Blind
(800) 638-7518
provides catalog of publications available in large print, braille or
on audiocassette and catalog of aids and appliances; publishes Braille
Monitor and Future Reflections; provides variety of services.

Independent Living Aids (800) 537-2118
publishes catalog of household, medical, communication and
recreation aids.

Visions
(212) 477-3800
Offers free services to anyone over age 55 with vision problems.
Services: self help study kits, counseling, professional support
systems, consumer workshops and an info center.

National Library Service for Blind and Physically Handicapped
(800) 424-8567
free library service to individuals with visual impairments; offers
braille and large print materials and recorded books and periodicals.







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                 End of Issue # 1043 of the Blind News Digest

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