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                            THE BLIND NEWS DIGEST

                                 Issue # 1063

                            Friday, July 22, 1994

Today's Topics:


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                        Re: Seeing Eye BBS Available
                           Apartment Hunting in SF
                            Re: Blind Web Access
                                    "LRS"
                      Windows interfaces for the blind
                     Re: what's wrong with this picture?
                Re: need speech recognition software for mac
                          Computer Shopping Service
                            Synthesiser for sale.
                            Re: Blind Web Access
                         needing connection*********


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                              (203) 926-6187



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Subject: Re: Seeing Eye BBS Available
From: sinha@lobby.ti.com (Arun Sinha)
Organization: Texas Instruments

In article <32984@handicap.news>, poehlman@clark.net (David Poehlman) says:
>
>Index Number: 32984
>
>I wanted to let everyone know that the Seeing Eye now has a BBS
>available.  The phone number is (800) 449-2252.
>

What is the Seeing Eye BBS? Is there a charge for it. What does Seeing Eye
Do. Could you please post some information about it.

Thanks in advance.

Arun Sinha







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Subject: Apartment Hunting in SF
From: kford@netcom.com (Kelly Ford)
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)

A recent apartment rental difficulty has caused me too search for a new
apartment from the one I'd previously rented in the San Francisco area.
Regretably none of my friends will be available to help me in this search.

I'm interested in locating someone who might be interested in some temp
employment around August 10-20 to search around the SF area and do some
apartment hunting.

I'd pay $10.00 an hour plus expenses.

If anyone knows of a community resource I might tap into for some
assistance or is interested in this pleasw write me at this e-mail
address or call (608) 263-0804.

Kelly Ford

--
                                             kford@netcom.com




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Subject: Re: Blind Web Access
From: mortent@ifi.uio.no (Morten Tollefsen)
Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway

In article <33016@handicap.news> robocop@clark.net (matt roberts) writes:

> Index Number: 33016
>
> In article <32931@handicap.news>,
> Tara Kent-Holton <tholton@cabell.vcu.edu> wrote:
> >Index Number: 32931
> >
> >Most of what I've heard about WWW seems to imply that you need a mac
> >or windows to access it.  But I have also heard that there are sites
> >where line editor access is available.  Can anyone give me
> >information on such access?  Thanks.
>
> You just need a computer and an Internet site that has WWW.  Here on
> Clark.net, I used WWW and I had no problems.  I have never found any
> Internet feature that I couldn't use with speech.


That's right, www is a terminal based Unix program which may be used by
blind. The same is true for a program called lynx. Lynx has a different user
interface (you use the arrow keys in menues), and speech or braille displays
should be able to follow the highlighted bar. WWW use numbers for the links.

These terminal based web klients are not able to display images, animations
etc (but that is not very important, is it:-).

*M-T*




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Subject: "LRS"
From: pbracke@welchlink.welch.jhu.edu (PATRICIA A. BRACKEN)
Organization: Johns Hopkins University, Welch Medical Library


Does any one know what the "LRS" Advisory Council is/does? I think
the L stands for Louisiana.




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Subject: Windows interfaces for the blind
From: Morten Tollefsen <mortent@ifi.uio.no>
Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway


Are some of you using speech or braille interfaces to MS Windows?
A friend of mine wants to get some user experiences, and I'm also interested
in getting them.
*M-T*




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Subject: Re: what's wrong with this picture?
From: LyndaS@edc.org

mgflax@panix.com (Marshall G. Flax) writes:

>>In article <32973@handicap.news>,  <LyndaS@edc.org> wrote:
>>Index Number: 32973
>>  recently my brother sent for some info on speech scanners. --deleted--

>(deleted) The message can be taken several ways, but it immediatly does sound
>condescending and infers people with visual imapairment are not well
>read.(deleted)

>Ian Gregson
>Chair BC Sport & Fitness Council for the disabled

hi everyone,

    well, i got some interesting replies regarding my posting. i just wanted to
add that i am not blind, i am sighted. i joined blind news for my mother who is
suffering the torment of macula degeneration and have been actively searching
ways to help her keep reading, a passion she has had for 80 years.

    anyway, i guess what got me about this ad is the insensitivity of it.
first, it's geared directly toward a non-sighted person. i found that insulting
as the nonsighted (w/o visual aids) is not going to be able to read it. i felt
it was blundering and just insensitive. altho the personal approach in
advertising often works well, i guess i thought this was just dumb.

    so, you're the ones who can comment on this. am i wrong? am i being overly
sensitive? i've worked in advertising and i am always amazed at how stupid
advertisers can show themselves to be. i thought this was a case in point...

    comments? thanx!!

st.j
lyndas@edc.org (lynda st.james)




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Subject: Re: need speech recognition software for mac
From: ebohlman@netcom.com (Eric Bohlman)
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)

mike begley (spam@iastate.edu) wrote:
: Index Number: 33035

: We're looking for speech-recognition software for macintosh computers.  We're
: going to have a blind student working in the office this fall, and we need him
: to be able to make use of the computer.

Why would a blind user need speech *recognition* software if he doesn't
have some unrelated physical problem that keeps him from using a
keyboard?  I'm sighted and I don't need to look at my keyboard to type :-).

Is it possible that you're thinking of speech *output* software that
reads material on the screen?  If that's the case, the only screen-reader
program available for the Macintosh is Outspoken from Berkeley Systems
(the same people who make the After Dark screen savers).




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Subject: Computer Shopping Service
From: kford@netcom.com (Kelly Ford)
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)

I wonder if anyone has experience with a computerized shopping service
called Peapod.  They offer service in the San Francisco area for certain
with the Safeway stores.

In talking with the company they tell me that they currently have a
dos-based software program but are switching to a Windows version soon.

I wonder if anyone has experience with this software and screen access
software.

The service also allows shopping by phone but you have to use a printed
list.  Peapod generates this list from a computer file but my initial
inquiry was negative when I asked about obtaining the computer file from
which the list is created.

Anyone else talked to this company?  If so did you get different results?



--
                                             kford@netcom.com




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Subject: Synthesiser for sale.
From: SBILBREY@IDICL1.IDI.OCLC.ORG (Sam Bilbrey)

[This is from the BLIND-L list]

I recently purchased a computer at a garage sale and found two boards inside
I had never seen before. Someone told me they are voice synthesizers. One is
a Prose 4000, it has a RCA jack and a 25-Pin female connector. The other is a
Accent PC, it has a speaker jack, a 25-Pin female connector, and a volume
control.

I am interested in selling these boards. I have no documentation or software
for them. I also have no idea what these boards are worth. If you are interested
in either or both of these boards please mail me.

All offers considered. You mat certainly call if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Sam Bilbrey
sbilbrey@idi.oclc.org
Work: (614) 761-7311
Home: (614) 898-7399




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Subject: Re: Blind Web Access
From: kford@netcom.com (Kelly Ford)
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)

You can also use a program called DOSLYNX if you have some kind of
internet feed available i.e. a slip access or some kind of connection
where you can run software on your computer to access the internet.

DOSLYNX is also available from the University of Kansas and from my
experiences works great with screen reading software.

Kelly Ford

--
                                             kford@netcom.com




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Subject: needing connection*********
From: as223@freenet.carleton.ca (Peter Field)
Organization: The National Capital FreeNet, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada


I am a Freenet user in Ottawa Canada.
On Sun. July 24 I leave for 4 weeks
training for a new guide dog in St. Raffell CA. I am looking
for a way that I may connect from St. Rafell
to Freenet Ottawa. Any ideas? How about an Internet account?
Is there enough time for that?

I have use of a computer at the school in St. Rafell.
I can also to provided with lap top, modem etc. so the
hardware will not be a problem. If any ideas on this,
please get back to me ASAP. Thanks.
--





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                 End of Issue # 1063 of the Blind News Digest

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