🚀 go-pugleaf

                            THE BLIND NEWS DIGEST

                                 Issue # 1071

                           Monday, August 08, 1994

Today's Topics:


                                ******


                     Blindness and Radio and Audio Media
                     Re: identify dollars for the blind
                         Re: Arkenstone Map Projects
                  blind person - hardware/software support
                     Re: identify dollars for the blind
                             newly blind doctor
                        Online AsTeR Demo on the WWW:


                                ******


To subscribe to the Blind News Digest mailing list or have your
thoughts in the next issue, please send electronic mail to
Bill McGarry at any of the following addresses:


UUCP:       uunet!bunker!wtm
INTERNET:   wtm@bunker.afd.olivetti.com
BITNET:     blindnws@ndsuvm1.bitnet
Fidonet:    The Handicap News BBS (141/420)   1-203-926-6168
            (300 - 14,400 baud, 24 hours)

                              Bill McGarry (Moderator)
                              (203) 926-6187



------



Subject: Blindness and Radio and Audio Media
From: GARY_FERRINGTON@ccmail.uoregon.edu (GARY FERRINGTON)

I am interested in the area of aural perception and teach courses in audio
design and production here at the University of Oregon. I am particularly
interested in how people make sense of the acoustical world in which they
live. My understanding of this will help me provide better instruction in
the design and development of radio and audio media.

In his book, Radio: An Art of Sound, Rudolf Arnheim describes radio as a
"blind" medium in that there are no sets, costumes, scenery, or other
supportive visual material. It is suggested that audio media use an auditory
language consisting of spoken words, human expressive sounds, music, audio
effects, and natural ambient acoustical fields.

Many authors have suggested that listeners create imagery within the mind in
response to audio stimuli. For example, the sound of approaching footsteps
echoing down a long hallway, followed by the opening of a creaking door, gun
shots and scream, will stimulate within the mind of individual listeners
their own imagined scene. Each person would "see" within their mind's eye
what the hallway might look like, the physical characteristics of the person
walking, and the events after the door is opened.

This concept, which is called "Theater of the Mind", has bothered me when I
have thought about blindness. In his book, Touching The Rock, John M. Hull
notes that as he made the transition from sightedness to blindness he
eventually lost the ability to imagine the faces of people he once knew -
that eventually there were no longer visual memories and that his world
become one of acoustical space. If this is so, it would seem that the idea
that audio media can stimulate mental imagery within the mind of the
listener would relate only to sighted individuals and that those who are
blind, especially individuals with congenital blindness, must have an
entirely different experience when listening to a broadcast of a sporting
event, story, or radio drama.

I would like to engage in some discussion about the experience a blind
individual has in listening to a radio documentary, drama, or other non-
musical event, compared to that of a sighted individual. Since most audio
media is designed and produced by sighted individuals - what might such
producers be missing as critical design elements that would enhance the
listening experience for both the blind and sighted listener?







------



Subject: Re: identify dollars for the blind
From: mikef@pacifier.com (Mike Freeman)
Organization: Pacifier BBS, Vancouver, Wa.  USA ((206) 693-0325)

In article <33303@handicap.news>,
William A. Kennedy <PITCCN4.KENNED09@SSW.ALCOA.COM> wrote:
>Index Number: 33303
>
>keep track of them just the way you do now.  When I am by myself
>and I am handed change which should contain multiple
>denominations of bills, I put them in my pocket until I see
>someone I trust to tell me what they are.  Most people are honest
>but I think some of the honesty is driven by the fact that clerks
>working behind counters in stores are not sure whether or not we
>can tell the difference so they are not willing to take any
>chances.
>
I think there's more to it than that.  When I get multiple
denominations of bills in change, I specifically ask the person
giving me the bills to separate them by denomination and give
them to me by denomination.  That way, they must actually plan
to cheat me and are directly confronted with the act should they do so.
IMHO most people from whom I am likely to get change are sufficiently
honest (or, perhaps, chicken) that they won't cheat me if they must
directly contemplate their actions without the possibility of
euphemizing or excusing it.  I've had my wallet stolen a couple of
times but have *never* been cheated on change.

It also strikes me that a money identifier would be only marginally
effective at preventing cheating when making change as one still
would find out about the discrepancy only after the fact.
However, were such an identifier available for $25 or $50, I, too,
would probably buy one, if only for the novelty.
--
Mike Freeman            |       Internet: mikef@pacifier.com
GEnie: M.FREEMAN11      |       Amateur Radio Callsign: K7UIJ
... Ask not for whom the <^G> tolls.




------



Subject: Re: Arkenstone Map Projects
From: mattioli@panix.com (John Mattioli)
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC


Kelly,

        I can update you on the status of the map software from the
perspective of someone who was pretty impressed with it at the ACB
convention.  Software development being what it is, things may well have
changed since then.

        The Arkenstone map project is actually one program with a couple
of different "pointing devices" attached.  The program is a "mostly"
commercial application in that it's a windows application based on a
commercial database.  The database is a road atlis of the entire
country.  You have several different ways of positioning yourself on the
map.  You can enter an address, point with a mouse (assuming you can see)
or use a GPS to position yourself.  The map of the entire country is
quite large (much larger than a CD-ROM) so exactly how it will be
distributed and what it will cost is somewhat unclear.  Give them a call
and let us know if things have changed :-).

        I used the software to "walk" from my parent's house to the
mall.  It was very nifty!  I then proceeded to hitch hike down the
highway.  This was somewhat surprising to the woman in the booth.  It
would be somewhat unwise to do as a pedestrian.  It was kind of neat in
that one was able to sort of get a feel for where things were in relation
to each other on a larger scale then street by street.

                                        John




------



Subject: blind person - hardware/software support
From: dinzey@silver.cs.umanitoba.ca (Wayne Dinzey)
Organization: Computer Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada

Hello Folks out there in NetLANd,

I need your help on somee very dedicated hardware and software.
A friend of mine has a daughter who has been deemed legally blind.
My friend is now in the market for a computer for his kid.  he is interested
in anything that will make life a little easier for her.  I know that there
are special keyboards and software that send some type of indicator of what
was entered.  At this time cost is not an issue, we would like to know what
is available for this type of handicap.  Can ANYONE help me.
Please E-mail me as this will save bandwidth. I can summarize if I receive
sufficient requests.  Otherwise, I will e-mail in responce to any requests.

We prefer an IBM compatible but even MAC stuff is welcome.


Sincerely,
Wayne.

--
Wayne Dinzey                       dinzey@cs.umanitoba.ca
Dept. of Computer Science
University of Manitoba




------



Subject: Re: identify dollars for the blind
From: C.M.Law@student.lut.ac.uk
Organization: Loughborough University, UK.


Could anybody tell me why the USA has persisted in using dollar bills of
the same colour and size for so long?

Is this something that has been lobbied about?

In the UK the bills are all different sizes, and have different colours (as do
most countries!), which makes recognition easier.

I have recently analysed a survey on Autometed Teller Machines.  In it, some
visually impaired people noted that when the cash is dispensed they don't
know the denominations in advance, and how they're presented - e.g. you could
have the lower denominations on the bottom of the pile, but that's not the
case - I think it's random per machine.  Anyway, what this means in
practical terms is that Yes, they can identify the notes, but the dispensing
system is too fast for them to sort the money and put it into the appropriate
section of the wallet before leaving the machine.

This is just one problem out of many, but I'm wondering how people in th USA
cope with this.  Do you just avoid ATMs altogether?

With Thanks,


Chris M. Law
Member, UK Working Party on Access to ATMs,
Centre for Accessible Environments, London.

Consultant Ergonomist, Robert Feeney Associates, Loughborough, England





------



Subject: newly blind doctor
From: brill@ds5500.cc.boun.edu.tr (Arlene Brill)


I was contacted this week by the brother of a newly blind medical school
graduate here in Turkey.  He is a research scientist and  seems to be in
need of some assistance\encouragement.  I believe that this brother is
more problematic than the doctor.  His attitude is one
many of us have seen before but here in Turkey it is especially severe
due to the lack of information getting to the public about blindness.

He (we'll call him 'M') feels that his brother is now completely helpless
and hopeless.  The young doctor ('A') has developed psychosomatic
illnesses because he cannot cope with his condition (retinitis pigmentosa).
M has asked me to help.  He and A will be coming to my class next
Thursday to meet my students (I teach ESL to non-blind kids).  The
students get more than they bargain for when they come to my class.  I
also teach about blindness!  I have two physicians-to-be in my class this
summer and they have both learned that blindness isn't the end of the
world but it IS a major inconvienence.  I am hoping that they will be
able to encourage both M and A.  But in reality, more is needed.  Will
some of you with concrete facts\figures\ and ideas please send some info
to me ASAP so that I can tell M that indeed: A is in for a difficult time
of it because he doesn't know Braille nor is he fluent in English, but
these difficulties can be overcome with effort.  M seems to feel that his
brother cannot realize his goal of becoming a research physician.  I am
sure that WE know that it can be done.  Help me to help them please.

Keep in mind that Turkey is about 50 years behind the "real" world and
there is minimal technology here for persons with disabilities.  What we
can provide from the States, like Braille n' Speak is approximately the
wages of a working class person for about ten months!  Inflation is over
100% a year.  I am working at the best university in the country for less
than $450\month.  We need encouragement and suggestions\facts.  I know
that technology exists, but for most of us here in Turkey, it is totally
out of reach.

For your information, we have 20 blind students at this university. Most
of these kids don't even have HandiRecorders.  I don't know how they do
it. Sheer determination, I guess.  Since I arrived in Turkey, the B n' S
population has risen from zero to about 10!  We have an Arkenstone here
at the library, but due to some major mismanagement, it doesn't function
properly.  Having the technology isn't the end of the problems.  We have
15 MACs (color classics) in the computer lab and no outSpoken program to
make them accessible for the blind.  (all courses are in English, by the
way)

I want to help these people (all the educated blind) but when faced with
the above facts, I get discouraged too.   Hope some of you
"professionals" will be able to respond before they visit us.  M speaks
English very well.  He can absorb the printed word and pass it on to A.
Some good contacts in the states would be enormously helpful.  Thanks in
advance.


Arlene C. BRILL
School of Foreign Languages
Bogazici University






------



Subject: Online AsTeR Demo on the WWW:
From: raman@crl.dec.com (TV Raman)
Organization: Digital Cambridge Research Laboratory

AsTeR --Audio System For Technical Readings-- is a computing system that
exploits the display-independent nature of electronic information to orally
render technical documents marked up in La)TeX.


You can experience an interactive  demo of AsTeR on the World Wide Web at
http://www.cs.cornell.edu/Info/People/raman/aster/demo.html

This hypertext document presents a collection of math examples rendered in
audio by AsTeR and in Postscript by LaTeX/DVIPS.

It aptly brings out the power of the Web in publishing multimedia documents:
none of my journal publications come with online demos.

It also emphasizes the display-independent nature of electronic markup
documents; both the audio formatted version and the visually laid out
Postscript were generated from the same LaTeX source.

--Raman
email: <raman@crl.dec.com>
http://www.cs.cornell.edu/Info/People/raman/raman.html




------






                                ******

                 End of Issue # 1071 of the Blind News Digest

                                ******