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                            THE BLIND NEWS DIGEST

                                 Issue # 922

                           Tuesday, June 01, 1993

Today's Topics:


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                     Software for Braille Conversion...
                         follow up on lost in space
                Re: Windows-Driver for Braille-Reader wanted
                             Braille and Windows
                Is Windows alienating special-needs persons ?
                         ASAP and Procomm Pluss 2.0


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Subject: Software for Braille Conversion...
From: tj@acpub.duke.edu (Thomas Jones)


I understand that there is a special braille-abreviation system used by
most blind people, where simple character short-hand is used for common
words or phrases.  I know there are a few commercial software products
which translate english text to this short-hand, before encoding into
Braille, but the only one I've seen is terribly difficult to use, and
very restricted (expensive, copy protected via hardware key, etc.)

I was hoping there was a public domain program to do such a translation.
I've looked through many archives with no success.  Is there a name for
this type of translation?  Is where can I find out about it?  If there
is no public domain software to facilitate the conversion, I am willing
to offer the time to make one if I can be pointed to details about how
the system works, and how to do the conversion.

My interest is to facilitate easy conversion to braille for the americans
with disabilities act, which seeks to increase the use of braille in public
signs and information.  Any pointers towards information, or towards the
name of current blind-communication-standards would be greatly
appreciated.

                                - Thomas E. Jones
                                  tj@acpub.duke.edu





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Subject: follow up on lost in space
From: dashiell@nadc.nadc.navy.mil (Jude DaShiell)


I've learned that a.m.i. shipped some bad motherboards.
These motherboards have the problem I described earlier.
I have to get some help opening up the computer since it's a tower case
and have the serial number copied off the motherboard to find out if I
got lucky and got one of these bad boards.

I have gotten some ideas for bios manufacturers.
(1) allow access to the bios from the dos level not just at boot up
and use bios screen writing,
(2) If you're going to operate a bbs, have a certain set of
assembly instructions that can be sent from your modem to computers
that use your bios to cause the bios to give back its information like
version number and release date and identification that it is one of your
bioses.  The serial number on the motherboard should also be part of this
information.
(3)  If the bios is up for a recall that just called into the bbs, let
the user know and set up arrangements to replace either the bios or
motherboard if the motherboard is on recall.

<dashiell@nadc.nadc.navy.mil>
j. DaShiell
Naval Air Warfare Center
Aircraft Division Warminster
Street and Jacksonville Roads
Warminster, PA   18974-5000
(215)-441-2229




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Subject: Re: Windows-Driver for Braille-Reader wanted
From: janina@netcom.com (Janina Sajka)
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)

In article <29254@handicap.news> drollinger@elde1.epfl.ch (Adrian Drollinger)
writes:
>Index Number: 29254
>
>Does anybody know of the existence/availability of a Windows-
>Driver for a Braille-Reader?

Humanware representative Jerry Kuns demonstrated such a system at our
last BayTalk meeting.  Actually, I should say tried to demonstrate it,
because they weren't actually able to get the braille display working
during the meeting.  They assured us, however, that it usually works
just fine.
Indeed, I saw it working at CSUN, so I have no problem.

 It consists of Windows Bridge from Syntha Voice, the Alva refreshable
 braille display, and Berkeley speech which is customary on Humanware
 products.

  You can call Jerry Kuns at Talk of the Town, (415) 863-TALK.





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Subject: Braille and Windows
From: HUDSON@msu.edu (Michael.Hudson)

In response to the question of Braille access to Windows as posed
by Adrian Drollinger.  I know that Humanware Inc. is working with a
company to bring this option to market.  I'm not sure whether or
not it's a product yet but give Humanware a call at 800 722-3393 or
(708) 620-0722.




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Subject: Is Windows alienating special-needs persons ?
From: advax@reg.triumf.ca (Andrew Daviel)
Organization: TRIUMF: Tri-University Meson Facility

Prompted by a recent article in New Scientist, I was wondering whether the
current trend in graphical user interfaces in computers (and household
appliances) was a good thing or a bad thing from the point of view of those
with special needs (blind persons, paraplegics, those with arthritis, etc.)
The article told of a blind professor who had to have assistance to operate
a bank ATM machine, since it did not provide enough audible or tactile
feedback.

Blind users:
In the recent past, it was fairly simple to modify a computer to generate
spoken output. Blind persons who could touch type could use regular software
if the screen output was diverted to a speech synthesis module or Braille
printer. It seems to me that a modern GUI-based program would be totally
inaccessible to such a person. Multi-font based graphic output from a modern
document processing programs is probably incompatible with Braille printers.

Motion disabilities:
I suspect that for those with motion disabilities, a graphical interface
might be easier to operate than a keyboard. Different varieties of
mouse-compatible input devices could be connected with an appropriate driver
(does anyone know of a sip-and-puff mouse substitute?)

In the spirit of the legislation in the USA to force TV manufacturers to
incorporate closed-caption decoders into larger TV sets, I wondered if there
was a need for some means of persuading software manufacturers to include
some command-line and ASCII output capability in their products, or provide
some kind of standardised message-passing interface whereby special-needs
equipment such as voice recognition and speech synthesis modules could be
connected. Some of this functionality might be useful for saving and
executing macros in any case.

As software becomes more complex and mass-produced, it is progressively more
expensive for custom programs written for special-needs persons to offer the
same functionality as generally available programs. It would be much more
effective to be able to interface to regular software packages.

With medical advances in the last century, and demographic changes in the
West, it is likely that a very large number of us will find ourselves living
alone as we grow older, having to cope with an increasing amount of equipment
and software not designed for our failing eyesight and arthritic fingers. It
is in our own interest to address these problems.


--  Andrew Daviel, Vancouver, Canada <advax@triumf.ca>   finger
advax@reg.triumf.ca for PGP key





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Subject: ASAP and Procomm Pluss 2.0
From: janina@netcom.com (Janina Sajka)
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)

A long time ago I started using PC Plus 2.0 with ASAP.  Somehow, I got
all the switches set right, and everything was fine.  Recently, I
re-installed PC Plus, and now it won't work right.  Can anyone help?

 Here's what happens.  When I type 'at' in terminal mode, the 'ok' pops
 up on the screen -- but I don't hear it.  When I connect, all the text
 is on screen, but I only hear the final line.  Of course I can review
 the screen, but that's a real drag.

  Now, if I copy my old PCPLUS.PRM into the new install's directory,
  everything works as it should.

   Any theories would be greatly appreciated.  Snow checking isn't doing
   it -- on or off.  Don't believe there's a bios toggle in PC Plus, so
   I don't think that's it.  So, what could it be?

    This is an issue because the exact same thing happens under Telemate
    4.0, which I've recently installed and am trying to run.

     Thanks in advance for all the help.

                                        Janina





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                 End of Issue # 922 of the Blind News Digest

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