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                            THE BLIND NEWS DIGEST

                                 Issue # 1098

                          Monday, December 12, 1994

Today's Topics:


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                                braille cards
                OsCaR versus Omnipage Professional Version 5
                            Re: asap for windows
                           Let me introduce myself
                   Re: World Wide Web access for the blind
                                    Lynx
                         Re: Let me introduce myself
                      Questions on screen magnification
                           Help needed for friend


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                              Bill McGarry (Moderator)
                              (203) 926-6187



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Subject: braille cards
From: aph@iglou.iglou.com (Printing House f/t Blind)
Organization: IgLou Internet Services

A range of cards with braille are available from the American Printing
House for the Blind. All the cards are designed by people who are blind
or visually impaired. For details call APH on their toll free line (800)
223 1839.
--



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Subject: OsCaR versus Omnipage Professional Version 5
From: da0011@epfl2.epflbalto.org (DAVID ANDREWS)

> From: LBTLM@cc.newcastle.edu.au
>
>
> I work in a university based Adaptive Technology Centre.  The
> centre, which has been open since May this year, aims to assist
> students with a disability attain access to course and research
> material in appropriate formats.  Currently we are utilising an IBM
> PC and HP ScanJet IIp with Arkenstone Reader II software in
> conjunction with ARTIC speech (Business Vision 3.08) and Duxbury WP
> brailling software, to generate braille transcripts of printed
> material.
>
> In the near future we will be upgrading our equipment in an effort
> to provide a faster, more efficient service for our students.  In
> particular, we are interested in procurring new OCR software, with
> the aim of providing the most accurate recognition possible.  We
> are considering mainstream software packages in addition to those
> designed for use by people with a vision impairment.  The new OCR
> software will run on a Pentium 90MHz machine.  A new speech
> synthesis system (possibly DEC-TALK with VOCAL-EYES) will be
> purchased for use with this machine.
>
[Portion of quote deleted]
>
> I would be very interested in finding out how much, if at all, the
> OSCAR sotware differs in recognition accuracy and performance from
> the OMNIPAGE Professional V5 software.
>
> I would be extremely appreciative if anyone who has had experiences
> using either, or better still, both of these products, could offer
> an opinion as to their accuracy, ease of use, and usefulness in
> terms of compatibility with other related pieces of software and
> hardware.  If anyone has had a particularly positive experience
> with any other OCR system (for IBM), I would be really interested
> to hear about that also!

I am currently in the process of doing a comparative review of the
OsCaR, Arkenstone an Open Book Unbound, and Kurzweil Reading
AdvantEdge, the three systems adapted for use by blind persons.
The lord willing and the creek don't rise, the reviews will be in
the Braille Monitor for January, 1995.

OsCaR is based on OmniPage, I presume version 5, but i don't know
for sure.  They just did an upgrade, and I will get it early next
week.  The three menntioned systems are easy for a blind person to
use with speech synthesis.  OmniPage is Windows-based and wouldn't
work with your VE system.  While there are Windows screen review
programs, and VE is expected to come out with one soon, the
interfaces can be difficult to use.

The Arkenstone system reportedly handles skewed pages of up to 15
degrees and is quite accurate.

Anyway, you will have to wait for January for the
final word.

David Andrews, Director
International Braille and Technology Center
for the Blind
National Federation of the Blind




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Subject: Re: asap for windows
From: tmeade@infi.net (Tony Meade)
Organization: InfiNet


Hi

I would also be interested in knowing if ASAP has released their windows
version yet and if so where can I get it.

Email responces to tmeade@infi.net

Thanks in advanced.

Tony




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Subject: Let me introduce myself
From: u.rehmann@HIBS.he.schule.de


Hallo Everybody

I'm Ursula Rehmann. I'm a teacher at the school for the blind in Friedberg
Germany. I'm blind, too. If you can read me in the States or in other
parts of the world Ii'm looking forward to hear from you. I teach English
and music.

Bye!

## CrossPoint v3.02 ##




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Subject: Re: World Wide Web access for the blind
From: casey@calon.com (casey)
Organization: California Online!

The text version of the web is called lynx.  Unless I'm missing something
here.  You can access any web page with it--you just don't receive the
graphic images.






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Subject: Lynx
From: dashiell@nadc.nadc.navy.mil (J. Dashiell)

I have a problem with one point.  not everybody who uses lynx
is necessarily poor.  The main reason lynx is used by the blind
population is that it's character based software as opposed to graphical
user interface software.  That means it's downward compatible
with the speech synthesizers in the field even those that were in
computers before Bill Gaits thought of Windows.

Failure in future to have text only alternative accesses open may be cause
for someone to file an a.d.a. complaint.

jude <dashiell@nadc.nadc.navy.mil>




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Subject: Re: Let me introduce myself
From: da0011@epfl2.epflbalto.org (DAVID ANDREWS)

> From: yen@aloha.com (Duen Hsi Yen)
>
> Aloha from Hawaii! My name is Duen Yen, and I am a scientist/inventor
> attempting to design better electronic travel aids (ETA) for blind persons.
> Over the years, I have designed several blind aids based on echolocation
> principles. I have had limited  success in designing a device that creates
> externalized auditory imagery at the location of an echolocated object
> using binaural sound cues similar to those responsible for spatial hearing.
> This past summer, I may have designed a more successful device. For now, I
> am called it an "electronic cane" and it is similar in concept to the Mowat
> Sensor or Polaron, but with some improvements. One blind person here in
> Hawaii says my invention is the best ETA he has ever tried and says he
> would gladly trade his own for mine. More significantly, my design can be
> made affordable, perhaps retailing for $50. My estimate is based on devices
> of similar complexity being sold at Radio Shack. What I need is assistance
> or advice (technical, financial, manufacturing, marketing, licensing), in
> bringing this project beyond the prototype stage. If anyone can lend me a
> hand, please let me know.
>
>
If you really had a $50 device that conveyed useful information
I think blind people would be interested.
However, all devices up to this point have been expensive
and didn't convey much useful information.
It is hard to beat a long white cane, properly used!
David Andrews




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Subject: Questions on screen magnification
From: earlj@anchor.Eng.Sun.COM (Earl Johnson)

Hi All;

We are looking into screen magnification for Unix systems and are
trying to get a better understanding of magnification methods users,
regardless of computer type, currently use. There are 3 methods we are
examining (we are glad to hear of any methods not covered here). Any
information you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

We call these approaches stationary window, moving window, and full
screen magnification.

Stationary window means that the mouse pointer is used in a
non-magnified portion of the screen, and a region around the mouse
pointer is magnified and displayed in a standard stationary window. As
the mouse pointer moves, the magnified display in the stationary window
changes to reflect the current position of the mouse.

Moving window magnification can be thought of as a moving magnifying
glass.  A moving window surrounds the current pointer position, and
moves as the pointer moves. The portion of the screen outside of the
moving window remains unmagnified. Imagine you are Sherlock Holmes
searching for clues with a magnifying glass and you've visualized
moving window magnification.

Full screen magnification is basically like moving window except you
don't see any portion of the unmagnified screen. Toggling in and out of
magnification is how you find out where you are in the unmagnified
screen region.

Our questions are:

- What magnification product do you use most of the time?

- What other magnification products have you used, if any?

- Which of the above magnification methods (stationary, moving, or
  full-screen) do you use most frequently and why?

- As best you can, describe your visual capabilities, and what kinds of
  tasks you tend to find easy and difficult on your system, and why.


Thank you in advance for your input,

Earl Johnson
earl.johnson@eng.sun.com



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Subject: Help needed for friend
From: da0011@epfl2.epflbalto.org (DAVID ANDREWS)

>
> From: nlender@mail.valverde.edu (Nicholas Lender)
>
> I HAVE A FRIEND THAT WENT BLIND FROM SMOKING CRACK!!!!!!!  HIS NAME
> IS RICHARD "BUCK" WALLACE JR.?????     I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE CAN
> GIVE ME SOME ADVICE
> ON HOW I CAN HELP HIM...... BECAUSE HE'S GOING TO WASTE HIS LIFE
> AWAY!!!!!!
>
>        P.S. WRITE BACK A.S.A.P.
>
First, he needs to get off drugs, and want help.
Secondly, have him contact the National Federation of the Blind,
1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, MD  21230, phone 410-659-9314.
We have lots of materials, resources, chapters around the country, and many
positive members who can help him.
He needs to call though, not you.  You can, to get info
but he needs to take an active role.

David Andrews




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                 End of Issue # 1098 of the Blind News Digest

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