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                            THE BLIND NEWS DIGEST

                                 Issue # 1083

                        Wednesday, September 28, 1994

Today's Topics:


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                     Recommended large print size & font
                   Advice for a partially sighted collegue
                                Re: blindness
                    Re: Computerized Books For the Blind.
              Wordperfect Access Products; Descriptions; Prices
                         braille libraries in London
                       Low vision fonts and can't read


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                              Bill McGarry (Moderator)
                              (203) 926-6187



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Subject: Recommended large print size & font
From: ncrabb@access.digex.net (Nolan Crabb)

Regarding the pastor interested in providing large print to his
membership, I don't profess to be an expert, but I would recommend a
reasonably good quality paper--perhaps something not glossy so as to avoid
glare.  Regular copy paper is fine.  Any laser printer can produce very
readable large print for low vision users.  We generally use a 16-point
Roman font, and you might try bolding it if people express concerns about
it being too thin.  We also have a Swiss or Helvetica font that some
people like.

Don't get too hung up about the layout of your bulletin.  If it's a
simple few pages, either straight across or double columns will be fine.
If you're using a table of contents that includes names and numbers, you
might drop in dots between the name and number in the event that you have
some low vision people who might have difficulty tracking.

Finally, use a relatively fresh ribbon. What looks like an ok ribbon to
you might in fact be a problem to a low vision person.  Obviously, you
don't have to change ribbons each time you run a hymn or bulletin, but
don't let it get too light.  Contrast can make a great deal of difference
in your document's readability.



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Subject: Advice for a partially sighted collegue
From: kevin@geospiza.demon.co.uk (Kevin Hodgkinson)


Enclosed is a query from a partially sighted work collegue of mine,
here in the UK, He has some equipment provided by the DHSS (Dept
Health & Social Sercurity) which is becoming unreliable and is to be
upgraded. If you can provide any advice or suggest someone else who
might to able to help please e-mail me, Kevin Hodgkinson, at the
following address.

kevin@geospiza.demon.co.uk

Thanks in Advance

Kevin

=== enclosed message from Mr. Tony Morgan ===

I am partially sighted and use a PC at work. For about 5 years now, I
have been using a text only EGA compatible, H/W based text enlarger,
called DP11. This provides me magnification to 14X on a 20" monochrome
monitor. I tend to use it on 8X which gives me a physical character
height of about 6cm. In conjunction with this I use a Voyager CCTV
camera and flat bed. This allows split screen working on the 20" monitor
(part PC output, part magnified CCTV output eg written material).

My current system restricts me to DOS, text based applications. I mainly
use

        Wordperfect 5.1
        Lotus 123
        Kermit Terminal Emulation to a VAX
        Pegasus Mail

I have recently persuaded the DHSS (PACT team) to provide me with
upgraded equipment and S/W. What I am being offered is

        A 486 PC with a 20" colour monitor

        Lunar DOS/Windows text/graphics enlargement S/W

        HAL DOS text to Speech S/W

        Apollo Speech H/W (External/Portable)

It is planned that I retain the 20" monochrome monitor for use purely
with the CCTV. I will therefore have two large monitors on my desk,
which I would preferably avoid.


I read a large amount of documents in the course of my work. I can
fortunately get access to most documents in electronic format written
material I read via magnification of various sorts. The company is
transferring over to mostly Windows based packages probably

                Microsoft Works
                Lotus for Windows
                Wordperfect for Windows
                PMW (Project Manager Workbench) for windows

I must obviously keep my capability current, and the above items are
being offered as a means of achieving this. A secondary benefit should
be the ability to read large documents more efficiently with the Hal
text to speech system. I appreciate it is restricted to DOS
applications.

Okay so having drivelled on about the background what I am interested in
is

1) Any ones experience, knowledge or opinion on whether what I am being
offered is a good and practical system

2) What restrictions/problems am I likely to encounter using it.

3) What other products are about that might be better or provide
supplementary capability eg I understand that there is a speech
extension for interacting with the Windows environment, but not for
general text reading in word-processors etc.

4) A specific question - is there any way I can mix the CCTV output to
the Colour SVGA display on the PC to get rid of the second monitor, as
per my previous DP11 system.

=== end of Tony's message ===
--
Kevin Hodgkinson
kevin@geospiza.demon.co.uk




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Subject: Re: blindness
From: Bill@blondie.demon.co.uk (Bill Casey)

> From: malleck@netcom.com (George S Malleck)
>
> My father, who is 72, was just told by his doctor that there is
> nothing to be done about his failing vision, due, I'm told, to hardening
> of the blood vessels in the eye.  He can now read only outside in the
> bright sunlight.  Needless to say, he is quite upset, and we in the
> family feel quite helpless about what to do.  I am looking for advise.
> Thanks.  George

Have you be in touch with your local or national blind Society?  As they
may have a low vision clinic, where they will assess your fathers needs.
They will give him advice on such things as improving indoor lighting, light
magnifiers, and adjustable reading lamps with high wattage flurescent bulbs
ect.
I hope that this will be of some help.

Bill



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Subject: Re: Computerized Books For the Blind.
From: Bill@blondie.demon.co.uk (Bill Casey)

> From: C9303058@cc.newcastle.edu.au
>
>
> I have been given a 1991 application form.  As a student, I am very
> interested in joining CBFB.  Could somebody please tell me if the 1991
> application form is still valid.  Also, could someone please advise me
> about current fees and how payment details are handled.

I understand that CBFB as now be taken over by RFB.

Recording for the Blind Inc.
20 Roszel Road
New Jersey 08540
PHONE +1 609 452 0606

As far as I know they do not have an internet address yet.

> One more thing!  Could anyone please help me with a mailing address or
> internet address to the National Braille Association in Rodchester New York,
> and/or, the Royal National Institute for the Blind in London.

The Royal National Institute for the Blind
224 Great Portland Street
London
W1N 6AA
PHONE +44 071 388 1266

They do not have an internet address yet.

Bill



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Subject: Wordperfect Access Products; Descriptions; Prices
From: pduran@world.std.com (Peter Duran)

                   WORDPERFECT ACCESS PRODUCTS

                      WordPerfect Tutorials

The Perfect Scribe tutorials for WordPerfect 5.1 and 6.0 were
written for disabled users and are available on audio 2-track
cassette, on disk, in Grade 2 braille, in large print (14 point),
and in regular print.  These tutorials contain years of accumulated
hints and insider information gathered from many disabled
WordPerfect users.

Short and simple lessons in these tutorials always present
information in formats convenient to study in audio and
braille/print media by disabled users.  All displays are given
careful and complete verbal descriptions.

The Perfect Scribe tutorial for WordPerfect 5.1, in use for three
years, is user tested and user approved.  It covers material and
techniques commonly used by beginners.  Topics of interest to
disabled users are emphasized and irrelevant material (graphics
unaccessible to most disabled users) is omitted for the sake of
brevity.

The Perfect Scribe tutorial for WordPerfect 6.0, written in the
same easy-to-read style, describes the menu/window aspects of
WordPerfect 6.0 and emphasizes the enhancements to WordPerfect 5.1
of interest to disabled users.

Access Notes are included in both Perfect Scribe tutorials that
guide the disabled user in the proper setup and use of voice
programs.  They explain which keys to assign to voice functions
like Speak Character and Speak Word.  They explain display layouts
like the location of the Cursor and the Status Line on the Edit
screen and how to hear this information.

              WordPerfect Manuals and Help Screens

The reference manuals for WordPerfect 5.1 and 6.0 are provided in
edited form and are available on disk.  The manuals are saved on
disk in WordPerfect 5.1 format.

WordPerfect 5.1 and 6.0 offer extensive online help.  This help
information is saved to disk, edited and reformatted, and made
available in alternative accessible media.  This help information
is provided on disk, in Grade 2 braille, in large print (14 point),
and in regular print.

                  Braille Translator/Formatter

PC BRAILLE, and all other similar programs, only convert text
documents into braille documents.  The text is typically translated
into Grade 2 braille and reformatted to fit on a standard braille
page.  PC BRAILLE, and most other similar quality programs, create
certifiable English braille.  PC BRAILLE, however, excels in
braille format because it is derived from the renowned line-
oriented formatter NROFF found on classic UNIX systems.

The American Foundation for the Blind found, in a study conducted
several years ago by its Technology Center, that PC BRAILLE exceeds
braille certification standards set by the National Library Service
of the Library of Congress!  PC BRAILLE is user tested for fourteen
years and user approved.

PC BRAILLE can be used in many ways: as a means for a sighted
teacher or business professional to communicate in writing with a
blind student or colleague, as a means for a blind student to
produce his or her own braille documents for schoolwork (e.g.=20
study sheets), and as a means for a blind business professional to
generate his or her own braille documents for work-related
activities (e.g. conference schedules).

PC BRAILLE translates via flexible rule tables and formats via
powerful predefined macros.  These rules and macros permit,
respectively, customized translation and format capabilities.  The
contraction table, exception table, and braille symbol table--all
of which are part of the PC BRAILLE program--may be confidently and
easily altered by the user.  PC BRAILLE possesses numerous elegant
features:

     =FE    runs on DOS and UNIX systems
     =FE    supports all braille devices
     =FE    produces 3 grades of braille
     =FE    command driven
     =FE    designed with WordPerfect documents in mind

            Document Types and Braille preprocessors

You can create a document in a text editor which usually permits
minimal format control or in a word processor that possesses
extensive format controls.  You must preprocess a text document or
a word processor document in order to achieve the best possible
braille format.  PC SIFT and WP SIFT preprocess, respectively, text
documents and word processor documents.

These programs work automatically!  You only need to issue the
appropriate "sift" command and specify the document name.  Then,
the SIFT program does the rest.  All the basic format features are
replicated in the braille document!  Some of the most common and
useful format features are:

     =FE    line breaks -- soft/hard
     =FE    line alignments -- left/center/right
     =FE    indents -- left/right
     =FE    paragraphs -- block/hang/indent
     =FE    page breaks -- soft/hard
     =FE    attributes -- bold/underline
     =FE    braille grade -- 2/1/0

Text Documents
You may wish to braille email messages or ondisk documentation. =20
You quickly discover that these text documents are often formatted
poorly when brailled because text documents often contain multiple
blank spaces/lines, text centered via initial spaces, or whole
lines filled with dashes or stars.  Paragraphs are usually indented
5 or 8 spaces instead of 2 as required in proper braille format.=20
All this makes your braille documents needlessly long and poorly
formatted.

You can braille a virgin text document in two steps and a word
processor document (as a text document) in three steps.  Step 1.=20
Convert, if necessary, the document into a text document.  The
typical word processor (WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, Ami Pro, etc)
can convert its document type into a text document.  Step 2.  Use
the PC SIFT preprocessor to convert the text document into a
document that contains the original text and includes added braille
format commands.  Step 3.  Then, use PC BRAILLE to translate/format
this text document into a braille document; PC BRAILLE translates
the document text and obeys the embedded braille format commands.


Word Processor Documents
A word processor lets you type text into a document and lets you
insert hidden format and other codes into a document.  These hidden
codes prescribe the document's layout and appearance.  Often, a
complex document may contain more hidden codes than characters.  A
word processor document, when exported to a text document, looses
most of its format and all of its appearance; so, it is best to
convert the document directly.

You can braille a WordPerfect document in two steps and a foreign
word processor document in three steps.  Step 1.  Convert, if
necessary, the document into a WordPerfect document.  The typical
word processor (Microsoft Word, Ami Pro, etc) can convert its
document type into a WordPerfect document.  Also, WordPerfect 5.1
can, for example, convert a document created via Microsoft Word or
WordStar into a WordPerfect document; WordPerfect 6.0 can convert
most popular document types.  Step 2.  Use WP SIFT to convert the
WordPerfect document into a text document that contains the text of
the WordPerfect document and contains braille format commands that
mirror those in the WordPerfect document.  Step 3.  Then, use PC
BRAILLE to convert this text document into a quality braille
document; PC BRAILLE translates the document text and obeys the
embedded braille format commands.

                            Pricelist

WordPerfect 5.1 & 6.0 Tutorials "Perfect Scribe"=20
          Cassette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55.00
          Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40.00
          Braille. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75.00
          Print. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45.00
          Large Print. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55.00

WordPerfect 5.1 & 6.0 Reference Manuals on Disk. . . . . . .40.00

WordPerfect 5.1 & 6.0 Help Screens
          Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25.00
          Braille. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75.00
          Large Print. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55.00

BRAILLE Software

PC Braille . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250.00
PC Sift  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145.00
WP Sift 5.1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145.00
WP Sift 6.0. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195.00
PC Braille Pro 5.1 (PC Braille, PC Sift & WP Sift 5.1) . . 495.00
PC Braille Pro 6.0 (PC Braille, PC Sift & WP Sift 6.0) . . 545.00

Braille Software Upgrades

PC Braille . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85.00
PC Sift. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50.00
WP Sift. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50.00
PC BRAILLE PRO 5.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165.00
PC BRAILLE PRO 6.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180.00

PLEASE SPECIFY DISK SIZE (5.25 OR 3.5) WHEN ORDERING SOFTWARE

PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE

Ordering Information
ALL ORDERS MUST BE PAID IN US DOLLARS.  Massachusetts residents
must add 5% sales tax to the product amount. Prices do not include
shipping.  When you place an order, your shipping price will be
quoted.  Orders from individuals are accepted prepaid.  Orders from
businesses and organizations are accepted with a purchase order and
are shipped net 30 days.  A finance charge of 1.8% per month is
added to the order when payments are past 30 days.  Orders filled
within 30 days.

ARTS Computer Products, Inc.
33 Richdale Ave.
Suite 228
Cambridge MA 02140
(800) 343-0095

You may fax orders to (617) 547-5597



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Subject: braille libraries in London
From: altug@boun.edu.tr (E.Altug/Kutuphane)

Hi, My name is Figen Isci. I am an assistant library director of Bogazici
University Library. I will be in London to attend the Online Information
Conference on 6th - 8th of December. I would like to visit some of
Braille Libraries while I am there. If anyone is in a position to show me
around I would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance.



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Subject: Low vision fonts and can't read
From: HUDSON@msu.edu (Michael.Hudson)

Hello,

My response is to two recent items seen in Blind-news.  First, someone
inquired about the best size and style fonts for low-vision readers in a
church. My experience tells me that one of the favorite fonts for low-vision
persons is Helvettica (14 to 20 point size).  Selecting bold as the typeface
may also help many.

Second, someone wrote about a 72 year-old parent who is no longer able to read
except in bright sunlight.  I suggest he become familiar with the National
Library Service for the Blind in Washington D.C.  As many already know, this
is a free service for those unable to read printed materials.  The library has
an imense collection of recorded best sellers and novels.  For educational
materials, try Recording for the Blind in Princeton New Jersey (800) 221-4792.

Hope this helps both of you!

Sincerely,
Michael Hudson



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                 End of Issue # 1083 of the Blind News Digest

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