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                            THE BLIND NEWS DIGEST

                                 Issue # 1148

                            Monday, May 01, 1995

Today's Topics:


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                         Blind Son and Spanish books
                            Voice of the Diabetic
                        Re: The helping Hand Syndrome
                     Adaptive Computer Equipment On Disk
                  Window systems and vision impaired users
                   WWW Server for the Visually Handicapped
                            toddler with aniridia
                                   Windots
                                 Re: Tandems
                                Blind Sailor
                              Disabled Traveler
                                  Re: Help!
                            Re: 3D browser (fwd)
                    Re: Help for Visually Handicapped Son


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thoughts in the next issue, please send electronic mail to
Bill McGarry at any of the following addresses:


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            (300 - 28,800 baud, 24 hours)

                              Bill McGarry (Moderator)
                              (203) 926-6187



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Subject: Blind Son and Spanish books
From: jim@arken.arkenstone.org (Jim Fruchterman)



  Arkenstone is putting out an orientation device which will be able to
  tell your son where he is by using a signal from the GPS satellites.
  We went into beta (yeah!) this week.

  However, I think it would be critical to get his mobility skills to a
  safe level before considering such a device.  A dog might be a good
  idea.  I have a fair amount of experience with the New Jersey Seeing
  Eye dog group.  You could contact them.  I know David Loux there, and I
  could only find his fax number, which is 201-539-0922.  There are
  several other guide dog organizations, which I know less well, such as
  the one in San Rafael, California.

  Spanish books:  I'm not familiar with what the Library of Congress or
  Recrodings for the Blind have in Spanish on audio tapes.  They'd be
  worth contacting.  I've tried to find Spanish texts or literature for
  our customers, especially on CD-ROM, without success.  They usually end
  up scanning books with our reaidng machine, which does read and speak
  Spanish.

     Jim Fruchterman                    jim@arkenstone.org
     President                          Arkenstone, Inc.
     1390 Borregas Avenue               1-800-444-4443
     Sunnyvale, CA 94089 USA            1-408-752-2200
     "Information Access for Everyone!" Fax: 1-408-745-6739




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Subject: Voice of the Diabetic
From: gbryant@mail.coin.missouri.edu (Gail Y. Bryant)

I am new to the Blind News mailing list.  My husband Ed edits "Voice of
the Diabetic," a publicationof the National Federation of the Blind
Diabetics Division.  Blind diabetics and others interested in diabetes
learn they are not alone and that they have options.  The quarterly
magazine is free and is available in standard print or on four-track
15/16 IPS audiocassette.  The division has members who have experienced
all ramifications of diabetes.  To subscribe to the Voice or for
information an inquiries write or phone: Ed Bryant Editor, 811 Cherry
Street Suite 309 Columbia, MO 65201 (314) 875-8911.  Or you may send
E-mail to me.  I look forward to being on the list with each of you.






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Subject: Re: The helping Hand Syndrome
From: ADOPTN@aol.com


Hi everyone,
I am the parent of a delightful, 6 1/2 year old daughter, Jessica, who is
totally blind.  I read with interest the letter "The Helping Hand Syndrome."
 It was great!  I sure would like to hear more.  Shirley, have you written
any articles?  If so, let me know what they are, so I can get a copy.  Do you
have any books out?  Otherwise, please keep writing.  Can I make a copy of
your letter for the BB on America Online?  You can e-mail me at
ADOPTN@aol.com.
Thanks,
Lahna R.



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Subject: Adaptive Computer Equipment On Disk
From: tmeade@infi.net (Medical Services 2001)
Organization: InfiNet

If you're visually impaired and would like the ability to browse a computer
catalog at your leisure then ACED is for you.

Adaptive Computer Equipment on Disk contains many products designed to
help the handicapped work with computers.  Products range from Voice
recognition to speach output devices and software.

For a copy of ACED please email tmeade@infi.net with the subject "ACED".

--
Tony Meade     tmeade@infi.net
MEDICAL SERVICES 2001
Phone: (804)-471-5385  Fax: (804)-471-5663



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Subject: Window systems and vision impaired users
From: rclark@phantasos.lpl.arizona.edu (Richard Clark)
Organization: University of Arizona UNIX Users Group


Hello all,

As a vision impaired computer user I have been fairly successful in
avoiding or working around the use of the various window and graphical
interfaces. But with every passing month this gets harder to do. This
summer I will have to tackle both the Mac interface and XWindows on a
unix system. I may even move into ms-windows at home.

I am trying to gather information about the various window systems and
how to customize them for my use. This includes MS_Windows, OS/2, Mac,
and XWindows.

I want to know about how much control of the appearance of the screen is
retained by the user such as:
  * font selection *
  * window and text sizing (if this is independent of the font) *
  * window and icon positioning on the screen *
  * cursor/arrow color and sizing, mouse speed *
  * whatever viewing aids are included or available for the system *
particularly in situations when an application opens its own windows.

How much am I at the mercy of some clever CS major from PaloAlto who
knows so much more about what makes a screen easy to read than I do?

Any information, be it horror stories, DOS vs Mac flames (as long as they
are from the pov of the vision impaired), or programming pointers (ahhh,
especially programming techniques and fixes) would be appreciated.

And one last thing: Are there any FAQs related to this group? I took a
quick look on rtfm but didn't find anything. This seems like FAQ
material. Of course there could be something out there-- I've only lurked
here a couple of days and haven't found anything that covers the topic as
broadly as I need. If I get enough information I might try to put together
at least a first draft of a FAQ for _interfaces and the visually impaired_
but I don't have any experience with getting it officially submitted and
peridoicly posted.
--
Richard Clark
rclark@lpl.arizona.edu

Hey, they didn't have sprinklers in the old west!       ,



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Subject: WWW Server for the Visually Handicapped
From: limfung@biomed.nus.sg (Lim Fung)
Organization: Technet, Singapore

Dear all,

I have a WWW Server for the Visually Handicapped running at URL
http://biomed.nus.sg/vh/vh.html

Included in the WWW Page are disability resources and documentation
for both the visually handicapped, and those with other forms of
disability.

Please feel free to check out the above WWW site and feedback your
comments to me.

Best Regards,
Lim Fung

.Humans learn it the hard way (limfung@biomed.nus.sg)



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Subject: toddler with aniridia
From: jarv@whidbey.com (Jason Edwards)

( please post this in your newsletter. By the way, that's a nice
service you're providing. Thanks. )

I have a 3 year old daughter with aniriridia. We are told by her
doctors that she has a fairly mild case, but nevertheless she has
extremely poor vision, light senstivity, and nystagmus (sp?).

Since she isn't very good at describing how she feels, we would really
appreciate being able to speak to an older person with simliar
experiences who can describe what our daughter is going through so
that we can help alleviate her frustrations and discomfort.

Please reply by e-mail to jarv@whidbey.com

thanks!

- Jason & Jana Edwards




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Subject: Windots
From: arnhelg@ismennt.is (Arnthor Helgason)

I have recently had some requests about the WINDOTS Braille program for
Windows.  In Issue no. 1144 of The Blind News Digest ANGELEYEZ asks for the
address of the producer.  As this address might be of interest to some other
readers I put it here:

F. H. Papenmeier GmbH & Co. KG
Division of Rehabilitation Technique
P.O. Box 16 20
D-58211 Schwerte, Germany

Phone int.: +49-23 04-946-0
Fax int.: +49-23 04-946-246

I really hope some of you will have the opportunity to use the Windots
program in the future and enjoy its many advantages.

Arnthor Helgason
arnhelg@ismennt.is
The Icelandic Library for the Blind



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Subject: Re: Tandems
From: elbert@sparky.med.ecu.edu (Elbert Kennard)

In response to Arnthor "arnhelg@ismennt.is about tandems.  There is an
organization here whose mission is to provide physicall activities for the
visually handicap, its name is Challenges Inc. We have provided tandem rides
for the visually impaired several times this year and our next ride is
scheduled for June 10th in Durham NC.
For more information about Challenges Inc. e-mail me at
 "elbert@sparky.med.ecu.edu" or call 1-800-641-0814

thanks
elbert



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Subject: Blind Sailor
From: mlieberg@iquest.com (Marlaina Lieberg)

Jim Dixon lives in the Washington, DC area and conducts classes for blind
folks in sailing out of Baltimore Harbor.



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Subject: Disabled Traveler
From: mlieberg@iquest.com (Marlaina Lieberg)

<bill, I sent this but not sure it made it to you so am sending it
again.  If you could distribute it, I'd be very grateful!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April, 1995 Contact: Marlaina Lieberg
Compuserve e-mail:  70672,1372
Internet e-mail:  mlieberg@iquest.com, or
70672.1372@compuserve.com

A NEW SOURCE FOR INFORMATION IS NOW AVAILABLE TO TRAVELERS WITH
DISABILITIES.

"How do I arrange for dialysis during my trip to France?"
"Where can I rent a wheelchair accessible van in The Netherlands?"
"How accessible is public transit in Washington, DC?"
"Help! I need tips for long flights with a guide dog!"

Another mile-marker on the information super highway has been made
accessible to people with disabilities!  The Travel Forum is one of
the oldest and most  popular forums offered by Compuserve
Information Systems.  This Forum has on-line libraries filled with
information on travel worldwide, and message boards where
participants can leave questions which are often answered by other
knowledgeable participants who travel, or members of the travel
industry such as travel agents, hotel owners, etc.

A new Section, "Disabled Traveler," is geared toward discussion of
issues of concern to travelers with disabilities.  The Section
leaders are Marlaina Lieberg, who is blind and has a good knowledge
of cross-disability issues, and Connie George, who is a travel
agent and has been working with the deaf community for many years.
Marlaina, in Alabama and Connie in Pennsylvania, donate their time
and energy by uploading files to the ever-growing resource library
and administering messages posted daily on the board.  They will
research answers to access questions as well.  Members worldwide
post to this Section.  It is not uncommon to see posts from
England, The Netherlands, France, and of course, the United States.


"We see this Section as being a valuable resource for travel
information for the disabled community, and just as strong a
resource for the travel industry to learn how to better meet the
interests of clients with disabilities," says Connie George.
Connie invites travel agents worldwide to come to The Disabled
Traveler and learn from the travelers themselves what access truly
means.

"It's about time," says Marlaina Lieberg, "that people with
disabilities have an avenue in the mainstream through Compuserve's
existing Travel Forum, Travsig, by which to express our access
needs along with our viability as people with dollars to spend and
desires to travel."

To participate in the Disabled Traveler with Marlaina and Connie
and their ever-growing group of friends around the world, join
Compuserve Information Systems and from the main prompt, type
go travsig.  Join that forum and then select Section 20.




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Subject: Re: Help!
From: mlieberg@iquest.com (Marlaina Lieberg)

Gary,
Quicken is probably good, but free of charge is the Talking Checkbook,
put out by Charlie Crawford up in Massachusetts.  You can contact him at
the Commission for the Blind in Boston, MA.  If I had a zipped clean
version, I'd send it along but I'm afraid I don't.  However, I have been
using it for several years and was a beta tester for it.  It contains:
an archiving facility to allow you to archive your checks and
transactions yearly;
a facility to keep track of credit card expenses for you;
a calculator
a statement reconcilign feature;
a back-up facility
the ability to enter withdrawls which are not checks
auto withdrawal feature for those horrid auto withdrawals taken out *for* you
auto deposit feature
sum by any field of data you put in,
and more!!
It is called The Talking Checkbook and I highly recommend it!!!

Marlaina Lieberg



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Subject: Re: 3D browser (fwd)
From: senkmj@ptbma.usbm.gov (Mark J. Senk WB3CAI)



---------- Forwarded message ----------
 Date: Fri, 28 Apr 1995 14:16:46 -0500
 From: christopher.serflek <christopher.serflek@utoronto.ca>
 To: Multiple recipients of list <uaccess-l@trace.wisc.edu>
 Subject: Re: 3D browser

We, at the ATRC, are currently investigating VRML.  I would like to invite all
of you to explore the material and resources we have accumulated on VRML at our
Web site.

http://www.utirc.utoronto.ca/AdTech/VRML/vrml.html

Basically, access concerns parallel the two major aspects of VRML, the VRML
specification and VRML browsers.  Regarding the current VRML specification,
things look bleak.  For example, there is not a method for including text in
VRML .wrl files for display by browsers.  I have been in contact with the
 authors of
the VRML specification expressing access concerns.  These initial discussions
have been not only positive, but fruitful.  A method has been suggested for
 adding
a node in the specification for a textual description of 3D objects.  Despite
 this
addition, a means must be found to ensure that content providers include
contextually relevant information  Further, we have been invited to be active in
the VRML specification process for expressing the needs of augmentative
technology users for the development of solutions.

Regarding browsers, the current situation looks equally bleak.  I have performed
an initial analysis and have come to the conclusion that existing adaptive
technology will not function fully with VRML browsers.  This is simply due to
the nature of that which is to be represented.  Currently, we are attempting to
determine what and how previous access solutions can be systematically imported
at a conceptual level to address these new access concerns.  We are planning to
approach this new challenge in two ways.  First we are in contact with the
various groups who are currently developing VRML browsers.  This will give us
the opportunity to perform testing on their beta releases to gain a better
understanding of the situation.  Based on this analysis, we plan to make
recommendations to both VRML browser manufacturers and adaptive
technology companies.  The second approach we are currently investigating is the
development of a VRML browser which is specifically designed to cooperate with
future alternative access technologies.   The goal of this browser would be to
provide more than just raw functionality.  The goal is to provide a true sense
 of
immersion in a generated environment with all the experiential and functional
benefits.

I have created a document for the Web with the intent of it acting as a bridge
between the VRML and AT communities.  The URL for this document is:

http://www.utirc.utoronto.ca/AdTech/VRML/intech001.html

Currently this document is quite long, and I plan to extract the key elements
into a summary in the next few days.  I would truly appreciate any comments,
corrections, or proposed solutions.  With your permission, I would like to post
these on our Web site such that there is a good archive of this information.

VRML proposes new and distinct challenges.  However, I believe that the
potential benefits of this technology are also enormous. To realize these future
benefits, we would be happy to continue acting as an intermediary between the
VRML and AT communities.


Chris Serflek
Special Projects Liaison
ATRC --  University of Toronto
christopher.serflek@utoronto.ca
http://www.utirc.utoronto.ca/AdTech/staff/Serflek.html
Voice:  416-978-4360    Fax:  416-971-2629









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Subject: Re: Help for Visually Handicapped Son
From: campbell@well.sf.ca.us (Carla Campbell)


>He is also dyslexic, and has great difficulty with left/right, directions, etc.
...
>his cane skills are much improved.  But now she says she has done all she
> can with him, and that he can't travel more than a few blocks alone because
> he has such poor "spatial sense."  (I think that's the terminology she
>used.)  She thinks he'll never be able to safely cross at lighted
> intersections, for example, since he is too inconsistent.

> My question now is - can he get a guide dog with his lack of mobility?


Unfortunately, to use a guide dog, one must also have good O&M skills and
spacial conceptualization abilities-- as good as one needs for using a
cane.  Contrary to popular misconception, the guide dog doesn't just haul
its handler from point A to point B.  The handler has to know where the
team is,  where they are going and how to get there.

The guide dog handler issues directions to the dog-- "left," "right," and
"forward."  The dog will then turn in the indicated direction and proceed,
avoiding obstacles, (moving and stationary,) stopping at terrain changes
like curbs and steps and locating doors and flights of stairs when asked to
do so.  At a street crossing, the handler is the one who decides when to
cross. The dog's job is to "double-check" the handler's decision, and not
to move if it sees oncoming traffic the handler did not notice when
listening.

So, as you can see, the handler must understand how to navigate the
route, him or herself.  The dog just helps him do so without running into
things, getting hit by cars or having to fumble around looking for doors or
flights of stairs in unfamiliar places.

Getting from point A to point B with a guide dog is a matter of teamwork--
of shared responsibility.  The human side of the team makes the "macro"
decisions-- "we will go left at the next corner, proceed two blocks and
cross the street, turn left again, go four more blocks, and  the place
we're looking for is about half-way along that next block, on the right."
He is responsible for issuing all the proper directional commands in the
right places along the route.   The canine half of the team makes the
"micro" decisions-- "go around the open manhole, stick to the right to
avoid the overhanging tree branches and go around the light pole to locate
the curb at the end of the block" or even "slow down here and that will
give the people (or car)  in front of us time to cross our path."

From your description of the situation, it sounds to me as if your son has
the most difficulty with the "macro" part of this equation.  A guide dog
will not fill in that gap, as it is there to do the "micro" portion of the
navigation equation.  Without clear directions and someone who knows how to
follow a route, a guide dog, as they are traditionally trained and used in
the United STates,  is as useless as a cane in the same circumstances.

In other words, the guide dog is there to perform duties that compensate
for the inability to see, rather than for any inability to understand
routes or orient oneself in one's environment, and it sounds, from your
description, that the most frustrating/limiting part of your son's
situation is still an "orientation" issue, not a "mobility" one.

Now, it might be *possible* to train a dog to follow a very limited set of
proscribed routes, with a single instruction ("go to the grocery store...")
without the handler knowing how to follow the route him or herself.  But
this would be a whole different kind of training than is done with guide
dogs in training programs here in the U.S and Canada.

Dogs can certainly learn to slow down or stop at familiar doorways, or
hesitate at familiar turns and that kind of thing.  many guide dogs do this
to one degree or another in their daily work-- but it's one of those things
that is "above and beyond the call of duty," rather than something we can
or should rely on them to do consistently.  To expect them to do so as a
routine part of their training would be to place an extraordinary
responsibility on the dog that is outside the normal range of "what a guide
dog does." Training them to follow entire routes, unaided by direction from
their handler would be an even harder task.  It would require an especially
unusual dog, even among the already unusual population that's trained for
guide work.  No guide dog training program of which I am aware would take
on such a "custom" training project, and if you elected to have a dog
privately trained, you would run the (significant) risk that the trainer
you selected could not adequately train the dog for the "guiding" half of
its work-- quite possibly leaving your son with an unsafe dog who was only
marginally able to carry out its duties.  I would think this would be much
worse than no dog at all.

Also, you stated that your son has trouble with consistency in street
crossings.  Consistency is the one vital element in handling any kind of
dog, and guide dogs are no exception.  Without consistent handling, any
guide will become useless in very short order.  This would be true of a
"custom trained" guide/orientation dog, as well.

I am sorry to be the bearer of ill tidings.  I don't know the specifics of
the situation your son faces, but if there is any way to continue to work
with his orientation and spacial conceptualization, this may be your best
bet.   But without that and a clear and instantaneous grasp of "left" and
"right," I am afraid he won't be helped by a guide dog any more than by a
cane.

If you are interested in talking to guide dog program staff directly,
however, I would be happy to forward to you a complete list of all of the
guide dog training programs in the United States and Canada, with contact
addresses and telephone numbers.  Just drop me a line at the email address
below.

       Best of luck to you and your son.

Cheers.

                                                              --Carla

                   Carla C. Campbell (campbell@well.sf.ca.us)



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                 End of Issue # 1148 of the Blind News Digest

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