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                            THE BLIND NEWS DIGEST

                                 Issue # 919

                            Monday, May 24, 1993

Today's Topics:


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                           midy  music  and speech
                    Modified Tape Recorder for Blind User
                                   CD-ROM
         How to get the fund for purchasing an essential equipment:
                      Re: My first append - MS-DOS 6.0
                              Two RRS Questions
                              Federal Register
                           NEWSPAPERS ON INTERNET
                        Re: CD-Rom and Screen Readers
             Re: Blind student needs French > English dictionary


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Subject: midy  music  and speech
From: dperez@eis.calstate.edu (Rusty Perez)
Organization: Calif State Univ/Electronic Information Services

Hi! I have a friend who is extremely interested in creating music
using his keyboard, computer, and combinations of the two. He
recently purchased a midy interface for his PC. he can make it talk
but he needs to perform certain functions on his keyboard and since
that doesn't talk . . . well, you've probably figured it out. Has
anybody figured out a way to get such equipment to be speech
friendly? Any ideas are welcomed. Please email me because I'm lazy
and it's a pain to check for followups on my own poasts.

Thanks
Rusty


--
I refuse to disclaim anything!
Anything and everything I say is a product of  everything and everyone I
have ever been  associated with
David (Rusty) Perez (dperez@eis.calstate.edu)
. "Oh wind, if winter comes, can spring be far
behind?" -- Shelley




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Subject: Modified Tape Recorder for Blind User
From: werner@world.std.com (Craig Werner)
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA


Hello, everyone.

A blind friend is interested in buying a new tape machine with
built-in tone indexing and a variable-frequency power supply.  She is
considering the $200 machines from APH and RFB.  She is leaning
towards the APH product since its nicad battery charger is built in,
but she actively seeks advice and opinions.  Does anyone have any
experience with either or both of these machines?

Thank you for any and all help.

Craig Werner <werner@world.std.com>




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Subject: CD-ROM
From: DFKDSAS@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU (Mike Wardin)
Organization: Central Michigan University

Can anyone tell me if Artic Business Vision will work with a CD-Rom player?
If not what is needed? and If so what does it read ie text etc.

Thank You

Mike Wardin
Central Michigan University




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Subject: How to get the fund for purchasing an essential equipment:
From: bunt0003@student.tc.umn.edu (Monthian Buntan)

Dear netters,

I'm an international student from Thailand, currently working towards a
masters degree in music theory/composition at the U of Minnesota.  After
graduating next month, I'm planning on going back to work at a new college
ablish to be more friendly to blind people and others with disabilities.
My job is to start the whole curriculum and teach music in addition to
helping the administrations establish connections with other institutions
abroad.  Since everything has to start from scratch, I realize that
there're so many things to do.  For example, people who are in charge of
this college, do not quite understand the issues of blindness and what
really needs to be done because they themselves are not blind.  Therefore,
there isn't any specific funding for purchasing necessary equipment to be
used.  Even for myself, who will have to carry several big tasks, there is
no sign of any accomodation like a personal computer in the office.
Here in the U.S., I've been enjoying the use of a Macintosh computer to do
the tasks, such as writing paper, composing my music (using Finale), and
typing this message, etc.
Here are my questions:

1.  Is there any organization and/or institution where I can contact and
ask  ask if they could help fund the purchase of a computer, say a
Macintosh Powerbook?
2.  If there's any place I can contact, what would usually be required for
me to do?
Note that I'm not an American citizen.

If any of you could kindly provide me some info on this matter, I'd
greatly appreciate.
Any answers may be directed to me via email or this list.

Thanks very much in advance.

Regards,

Thian.
in Thailand which is
est



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Subject: Re: My first append - MS-DOS 6.0
From: greglo@MICROSOFT.COM (Greg Lowney)

[Note from Bill McGarry: This is from the Blind-L mailing list]

Three different answers below...

Kevin Russel said:
|
| My question concerns MS-DOS 6.0.  Is the manual available yet from RFB and
| can people who upgraded to DOS 6 through Microsoft get the diskette version
| of the manual free.  I've paid for my upgrade and so it should include a
| copy of the manual that is accessible to me.
|

Mike Freeman's answer is basically correct.  Microsoft provides Recording
for the Blind with source files for all of our product documentation.
We try to get it to them before the products are released.  In the case
of MS-DOS 6, we got them the source files quite a while ago, but RFB has
been delayed because these files are in a different format from any that
RFB has translated in the past.  Luckily, this is the new standard format
for all future Microsoft documentation, so once we have worked through
the problems on this product subsequent ones should go much more quickly.

In fact, we are working with RFB to try to automate the translation
process, which should allow us to significantly increase the number of
titles that become available and decrease the delay to market.

As for cost, right now RFB puts in a lot of work and expertise in
reformatting the documentation for on-line usage, and therefore we allow
them to recoup their costs through a fee based system.  In the future
the cost and distribution mechanism might change, but I can't make any
committment at this time.

Also note that all of the MS-DOS 6 command reference material is already
provided on-line through the MS-DOS Help command.  However, this is a
full-screen, hypertext interface so screen readers need to be trained to
read its fields to be maximally useful.

Mike Freemans said:

|
|As to its availability for free, although that might be a good
|idea, I've never seen this be the case before and I doubt it's
|the case now.  Perhaps if Mr. Loney from MicroSoft reads this
|list (he reads the "misc.handicap" Usenet newsgroup), he'd
|care to comment.

Close...I don't use Usenet newsgroups: I see and respond to mail such
as this via the blind-l@uafsysb.uark.edu internet emailing list.  I'm
also on CompuServe's Disabilities forum.  I'm sure there are many more
places I should be...looks like I might get a BlinkLink account soon.
Anyone have other advice?

BTW it's L o w n e y, pronounced "lau-nee".


Steve Cutway said:

| Having said that, I have a related MS-DOS 6 question. I've heard talk on the
| amateur radio bands about some additional utilities being available from
| Microsoft that improve the use of DOS 6 with screen reading programs. I was
| told by some American hams that a coupon is included in MS-DOS packages sold
| in the U.S. Can someone verify the veracity of this information? I hesitate to
| contact Microsoft Canada about it until I have more specific information.
|

The only thing in MS-DOS 6 that is specifically designed to let screen
readers work better is the new /R switch supported by ANSI.SYS.  This
switch causes ANSI.SYS to revert to MS-DOS 4 scrolling behavior, which works
better with screen readers than the default behavior (but can cause
compatibility problems with some third-party applications).

The MS-DOS 6 Supplemental Kit contains the following:
    - Microsoft QuickBasic games and programs
    - Files for use with IBM(R) ProPrinter(R) or IBM PC Convertible
    - The AccessDOS utility to make the computer more accessible to people
        with motion or hearing disabilities
    - The Dvorak keyboard layouts for two hands, left hand and right hand
    - Batch files for creating a bootable DoubleSpace floppy disk
    - a bunch of MS-DOS 5 commands which were dropped from the MS-DOS 6
        disk to save space (edlin, join, etc.)

The MS-DOS 6 Supplemental disk costs $5 shipping when you send in the
coupon in the MS-DOS 6 package.  It can also be downloaded from a number
of different places at no charge, such as CompuServe's MSL forum or the
Microsoft Download Service BBS (206-936-6735).

There is also the MS-DOS 6 Resource Kit, which contains a printed copy of
the MS-DOS 6 Technical Reference as well as the Supplemental Disk.




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Subject: Two RRS Questions
From: VCOOK%VTVM1.BITNET@VM1.NoDak.EDU (Virgil Cook)


I'm on the board of directors of a support group for our area
radio reading service.  Has anyone on this echo had any
experience with equipment for broadcasting the service over a
building's electrical wiring in the same way that campus A.M.
radio stations broadcast their signals?  The radio station has
indicated that it knows of only one manufacturer of such
equipment.  We want to set up this type of system in several area
retirement communities and nursing homes as a more efficient way
of reaching large groups of listeners.

Also, I understand that some reading services are available on
cable.  Has anyone had experience with this medium?  again, we
would like to know of vendors of needed equipment so that we can
get the best prices on such equipment if we decide to expand our
coverage by these methods.


                                ******
***
| Virgil A. Cook                   VOICE  703-231-6568                  |
| DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH            FAX    703-231-5692                  |
| Virginia Tech                     E-MAIL-                             |
| WILLIAMS HALL                        INTERNET: VCOOK@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU  |
| BLACKSBURG, VA  24061-0112           BITNET: VCOOK@VTVM1.BITNET       |

                                ******
***




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Subject: Federal Register
From: EHERSH@MU2.MILLERSV.EDU (Ed Hersh)

A number of months ago a note was posted regarding free gopher
access to the Federal Register by a company called CounterPoint
Publishing.

I tried accessing it today and discovered they are now charging.
Does anyone know what their policy is for the access needs of the
blind and disabled persons?    Do they, or have they considered,
continuing the free access for these individuals?

I would appreciate any information you have available on this.
Thanks

Ed Hersh
Internet email:  EHersh@MU2.Millersv.Edu




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Subject: NEWSPAPERS ON INTERNET
From: dsfs_jpm@LEWIS.UMT.EDU (Jim Marks)

[This is from the Blind-L mailing list]

To Blind List Members:

A couple of weeks ago, I asked others on this list
for information on newspapers on InterNet.  I
received only one reply, and it was from a person
who said, "Hey, I want to know about that too!"  So
I thought I would try once more.

Does anyone out there know of a newspaper or news
service accessible via InterNet?  I've heard rumors
of this being possible, but I never been able to
find out if the rumors are true.  I would
appreciate very much any information about
newspapers on InterNet or any information which can
get me started on researching the subject.  Thank
you very much in advance for this information.

Jim Marks
InterNet  DSFS_JPM@LEWIS.UMT.EDU
(406) 243-2243 (Voice/Text)




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Subject: Re: CD-Rom and Screen Readers
From: lazzaro@world.std.com (Joe Lazzaro)
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA


I have used several screen readers very effectively with various CDROM
drives and disks. So far, I have had success with soft-Vert
(Telesensory) and vocal-Eyes (GW Micro).

I'd be happy to chat with you about this.
Give me a call at work at 617-727-5550 x4305.

PS memory i often a premium in CDROM installls so you want a reader
that can take advantage of expanded/extended memory like Vocal-Eyes.






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Subject: Re: Blind student needs French > English dictionary
From: jason@merlin.demon.co.uk (Jason Arthurs)
Organization: QED

In article <29149@handicap.news> philipf@ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU writes:

>I am posting this message for a totally blind Arts/Law student at
>The University of Melbourne who is studying French and needs help on
>a number of questions:

>1.    Does anyone know a decent French - English dictionary program
>      with lots of usage examples. It would be nice if it is public
>      domain/ shareware but all advice would be welcome. Something
>      of this sort MUST be available from Canada or France.

If you have access to a CD-ROM then I have a disc which contains the Collins
French - English, English - German dictionary. The cost of this disc is 30UKP
(approx $65 Aus).

>2.    I know he has another hurdle in getting a voice synthesiser
>      hardware and program that can handle French as well as English
>      accents; but I am dealing with that as a separate question
>      addressed to other groups. But if you have an answer to the
>      synthesiser problem that would be great.

The Dolphin Apollo (a synthesizer which appears to be virtually a UK only used
product) has the facility to support ROMs for several languages including
French, German, Spanish and Welsh. Quite how it copes with pronounciation I
can't say, I have heard Apollo's but not with the additional ROMs.

If you need any more information just mail me.
--
Regards,
Jason Arthurs,

"CAT (noun). A soft indestructible automaton provided by nature to be kicked
             when things go wrong in the domestic circle".




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                 End of Issue # 919 of the Blind News Digest

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