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                            THE BLIND NEWS DIGEST

                                 Issue # 1158

                         Wednesday, August 16, 1995

Today's Topics:


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                         RECYCLING BRAILLE MATERIALS
            Finding people who are B/VI who are looking for jobs?
               Blind/Vis. Impaired college/university students
    Request for information on developments in braille display technology
                        New Speech From Apple (frwd)
                           Request for Information
             Re: How to make science, engineering and math easy?
                             Proofreader Offered
                        Re: Interesting article (fwd)
                         blind users of the internet
                                SLIP vs Blind
                              BMG Music Service
            Re: DOS-based internet browsing for visually impaired


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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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                              Bill McGarry (Moderator)
                              (203) 926-6187



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Subject: RECYCLING BRAILLE MATERIALS
From: robertj@tekgen.bv.TEK.COM (Robert Jaquiss)
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR, USA



Hello:

     Are there any braille readers interested in recycling braille books?
It seems a shame to throw away perfectly usable braille magazines.

        Robert Jaquiss

Internet: robertj@tekgen.bv.tek.com



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Subject: Finding people who are B/VI who are looking for jobs?
From: carperv@FRB.GOV


Our agency, the Federal Reserve Board, regularly has a number of
job vacancies that they are trying to fill.  We have been pushing
our recruiters to find candidates with disabilities.  They got
back to us saying that they don't know where to start.

Our main job families are Economist, Financial Analyst, and
Computer Programmer.  All of these jobs require a college degree
or the equivalent amount of experience.  Since Betsy works in the
computer area, she can clarify the type of experience needed.  We
are looking for people who can do distributed programming.  We use
PowerBuilder, Access, Visual Basic, and C++ primarily, and a
person with some courses in economics or accounting would have an
additional edge.

Would people on the list please send us the names of people who
are responsible for placing people who are blind or visually
impaired as well as any Internet sites where this information can
be found or where job openings can be posted.

Thank you in advance for your response.

Betsy Riggs
riggsb@frb.gov

Virginia Carper
carperv@frb.gov



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Subject: Blind/Vis. Impaired college/university students
From: bvfp@odin.cc.pdx.edu (Faye Powell)

I am the Social Sciences Librarian here at Portland State University
(Oregon).  For a paper I am writing on a research project I did with
blind/VI students on our campus, I need the most current figures I can
get on the number of blind/visually impaired students enrolled in higher
education in the U.S.  The latest I can find are for 1986, from the
Digest of Educational Statistics 1990.  The 1994 edition of this work
does not break out type of disability in its reporting.  I have called
several organizations for the blind without luck.  Can you either suggest
a source or confirm, if possible, that these figures do not exist?  I
realize any statistics will only be approximate but any help would be
greatly appreciated! Thank you.
Faye Powell



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Subject: Request for information on developments in braille display technology
From: jasonw@ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU (Jason John Griffin White)
Organization: The University of Melbourne


I recall reading an article that was posted to this newsgroup,
in which the author claimed to have developed a new method for
producing relatively inexpensive refreshable braille displays. I
would be interested in any information concerning recent
innovations in the underlying technology behind refreshable
braille displays, and in details of any promising research
projects that are currently underway in that area.

Responses should be directed to me personally: note the
"follow-up" line of this article. If there is sufficient
interest, and if I receive any useful responses, I will
summarise them and distribute the results via this newsgroup.

Jason White.




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Subject: New Speech From Apple (frwd)
From: gary@sasquatch.com (Gary Peterson)



 From: DICK BANKS <RBANKS@UWSTOUT.EDU>
 To: Multiple recipients of list EASI <EASI@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
 Subject: New Speech From Apple (frwd)

Powerful New Apple Speech Technology Software
Included with New Power Macintosh Systems

New and Improved Utilities Give Power Mac Users Command and
Control with Speech, New Spanish Voices for Text-to-Speech

BOSTON, Massachusetts--August 7, 1995---Apple Computer, Inc. today announced
that the new version of Apple's advanced speech
technologies software, PlainTalk, will be included with the newly
announced Power Macintosh 7500s and 8500s, and comes complete with a
PlainTalk microphone.  PlainTalk 1.4 has significant new
abilities, and makes the new Power Macintosh systems the most
speech-capable of all the desktop systems on the market today.

PlainTalk is a collection of software from Apple that enables
Macintosh computers to speak written text and respond to spoken
commands.  There are three components to PlainTalk 1.4: English
Speech Recognition, English Text-to-Speech, and Mexican-Spanish
Text-to-Speech.  The software will also be available on the
Internet, eWorld, AppleLink, and on the new System 7.5.2 release
CD.

New Speakable Items

English Speech Recognition includes an all-new productivity
utility called Speakable Items, which gives the user "command and
control" of the computer, via speech.  Any item stored on the
computer can be made "speakable" by placing it in the Speakable
Items folder; speaking the name is like a double-click
-- it opens or launches the spoken item.  This allows quick and
easy access to stored information: documents, applications, etc.
The item can reside anywhere on a hard drive or server, buried in
the hierarchy of folders, and the user can open it simply by
speaking its name.  For example, a user wanting to check her stock
portfolio without opening four files and launching an application,
would just say "check stocks," and the Macintosh would do the
rest.

"We believe we have provided a set of speech tools which will act
as an intuitive extension to the graphical user interface," said
Dr. Kai-Fu Lee, director of Apple Interactive Media group. "The
new Speakable Items utility is so effective and easy to use -- we
expect users to be hooked on this great productivity boost in no
time."

Apple has incorporated new features into Speakable Items which
make speech recognition easy to use and extremely reliable.
PlainTalk is able to recognize virtually any English-speaking
voice, even those with an accent.  Misfires, a problem common to
most voice-recognition systems, have been virtually
eliminated with a new feature called "Push-to-Talk."  Misfires
result when a computer picks up on a sound and executes a command, when in
fact that sound was not meant to be a command.  With Speakable Items, the
user speaks the computer's name (assigned by the user) before speaking the
command, or uses the "Push to Talk" feature.  He or she simply pushes a key
which has been preselected by the user, thereby notifying the computer that
the
next spoken words will be a command.  This is ideal for those who have put
off using this type of technology due to a noisy environment or difficult
acoustics.  Users may develop their own commands using AppleScript, and
example scripts are provided with the software.

The Mac Speaks Back

Apple's text-to-speech technology is one of the most sophisticated
available, and offers a variety of voices that range from the best
quality in the industry, to the most efficient in size and speed,
to the most fun and entertaining.  There are 22 different voices
in all, and all are created via synthesis.  True speech synthesis
means there are no recorded sound bytes to take up valuable disk
space and RAM.  Game developers, educational software developers,
and CD-ROM developers can have any amount of text read aloud from their
applications using Apple's text-to-speech, with a small,
fixed amount of space taken up on the CD.

An example of the synthesis advantage is Scholastic's Wiggleworks
for the Macintosh, a consumer education title which reads stories
to children while the text and images are up on the screen, and
allows the children to add their own text, which the program will
also read aloud.  Without Apple's text-to-speech synthesis, such a
function would be impossible.  The range of things a child can
enter into a keyboard is enormous, and many words would not likely
be stored in a recorded dictionary, making text-to-speech
synthesis the only technology capable of providing such
interactive ability.

New Spanish Version

Apple is now also providing text-to-speech for Mexican-Spanish.
This new product allows CD-ROMs, educational software, and any
other application which takes advantage of the technology to be
read aloud in Spanish with a Latin American accent.  Apple
continues to synthesize many more languages, and will provide
Chinese, French, Italian, and Japanese in the future.

Applying Speech to Applications

Apple's text-to-speech technologies can be easily incorporated
into third party applications with the use of Apple's Speech
Manager APIs.  In most cases this can be done with just a few
lines of code, resulting in more, inexpensive applications on the
market with this powerful text-to-speech ability. There are
numerous applications available today which use Apple's text-to-
speech synthesis.  The Speech Recognition Manager, a new set of
APIs which will allow developers to incorporate Apple's new speech
recognition technology into their applications, is expected to be
available in Fall 1995.

Apple Computer, Inc., a recognized pioneer and innovator in the
information industry, creates powerful solutions based on easy-to-
use personal computers, servers, peripherals, software, online
services, and personal digital assistants.  Headquartered in
Cupertino, California, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) develops,
manufactures, licenses and markets products, technologies and
services for the business, education, consumer, scientific &
engineering, and government markets in over 140 countries.
Apple's home page on the World Wide Web: http://www.apple.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS:  If you are interested in receiving Apple press
releases by fax, call 1-800-AAPL-FAX (1-800-227-5329) and enter
your PIN.  If you do not have a PIN, please call the Public
Relations Hotline at (408) 974-2042.

Press Contact:

Stacey Fields
Stirling & Cohan
(415) 513-0980

Julie Karbo
Stirling & Cohan
(415)513-0974

Customer Information Contact:  If you are considering the purchase
of an Apple product and would like to have product information
faxed to you, please call 1-800-462-4396 in the U.S. or (415) 598-
4392 in Canada.  If you do not have a fax machine or would like to
locate an Apple authorized reseller near you, please call 1-800-
538-9696.  Customers outside the U.S. should contact their local
Apple representatives for information.

-30-

1995 Apple Computer, Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, and
PlainTalk are registered trademarks, and AppleScript, Power
Macintosh, and Mac are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
Wiggleworks is a trademark of Scholastic Corporation.  All other
brand names mentioned may be trademarks or registered trademarks
of their respective holders, and are hereby acknowledged.





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Subject: Request for Information
From: billp@iac.net (Dr. Wm. Painter, President)

My name is Bill Painter and I am the founder of a fully integrated liberal
arts college on the internet called Athena University.

Our mission is to be as accessible as possible, which is why we have chosen
the internet as our venue, and in that regard, I have been asked to request
information from the members of this list.

We use a combination of email, WWW, and an interactive environment to teach
our classes.  However, none of us are visually impaired and my concern is
that we are working in the dark when it comes to making our programs fully
accessible.

Our interactive environment is a MOO and is an ascii-only interface.  I
would be deeply appreciative if anyone on this list could visit our web
pages or our moo and give me feedback regarding accessibility for the
visually impaired.  This is an important issue for us.

Our web pages are located at http://www.iac.net/~billp
Our moo is located by telnet to brazos.iac.net 8888
My personal email address is billp@iac.net

Please send me mail with your comments; all feedback will be taken seriously.

Thank you,

Dr. Wm Painter




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Subject: Re: How to make science, engineering and math easy?
From: gary@sasquatch.com (Gary Peterson)

 Date: Wed, 2 Aug 1995 08:51:37 -0600
 From: George Kerscher <kerscher@MONTANA.COM>
 To: Multiple recipients of list EASI <EASI@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
 Subject: Re: How to make science, engineering and math easy?

Hi all,

I wonder if the heptic diagrams that were produced under a NSF grant are
common knowledge. The two people doing this were at the U of Buffalo, I
think. The first time I saw their work, it thrilled me.

What I saw was:

on the first page was a round raised line -- no a raised sculpture. On
the side was braille and there was a audio recording that was a tour
guide of the object which turned out to be a pizza. The next page was the
human brain. They produced all the systems of the huaman body under this
grant and distributed two copies of each system to the state libraries
for the blind.

I feel that these materials are essential for any student studying the
human body.  Can anybody add to this. If needed, I could dig up contact
information unless somebody has it handy, it will take me some time to go
back and find their information.

Hope this helps,
George





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Subject: Proofreader Offered
From: bruce@cyberspc.mb.ca (Bruce Toews)

Are you, or is someone you know, looking for the services of a braille
proofreader? I am a twenty-five-year-old certified braille proofreader. I
have been certified by the Canadian National Institute for the blind with
Class B certification. I will soon also have completed the course in
braille mathematics and science notation.

In addition to my credentials, I have gained considerable experience
doing volunteer proofreading for various organizations such as the CNIB
and our local Department of Education. Additionally, I have completed
numerous projects on a contractual basis.

Alongside my expertise in proofreading, I also offer your organization a
considerable knowledge of adaptive technology and its use for blind
persons. This includes high-tech adaptive devices such as computers with
braille and/or speech output, OCR's, portable notetakers and the like, as
well as low-tech aids and appliances.

Some miscellaneous qualities which I possess that could increase your
organization's productivity include good written and oral communication
skills, a 55 WPM typing speed, pleasant telephone manners, and dedication
to what I do.

I would be happy to answer any questions you may have for me. Please
contact me in one of the following ways:

Bruce Toews
208-243 Queen St.
Winnipeg, MB
R3J 3V4  CANADA
(204) 831-0385
Internet: bruce@cyberspc.mb.ca

I thank you for your time, and look forward to hearing from you.

Bruce Toews



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Subject: Re: Interesting article (fwd)
From: shaffer@bga.com (Jim Shaffer)
Organization: Real/Time Communications - Bob Gustwick and Associates

In article <37022@handicap.news>,
Mark J. Senk WB3CAI <senkmj@ptbma.usbm.gov> wrote:
>200 blind computer users in the Republic of Ireland were able to use 99 per
>cent of PCs in the workplace in 1990. =20

Yes, in there in lies the problem, 200 users?  We need to look for
way in which our assistive technology can benefit a larger number of
users.  It can be argued, for example, that speech access would benefit
people involved in entering critical financial transactions to provide
an auditory check of the numbers they're entering.  Speech synthesizers in
ham rigs can be handy for mobile operators who can keep their eyes on the
road without having to look down at the display.
--
Jim Shaffer
Austin, TX
email:  shaffer@bga.com



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Subject: blind users of the internet
From: edinburgh@easynet.co.uk (Edinburgh6)
Organization: Cyberia Edinburgh



--
This message originated from a public-access
service and in no way reflects the views
of the service provider


Is anyone aware of software that will allow the blind user to access
the internet. Either the web or usenet newsgroups. We already use HAL
and Frank audio data. Preferably running from a DOS based environment.

Les Mitchell and Robbie Murray




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Subject: SLIP vs Blind
From: tholton@cabell.vcu.edu (Tara Kent-Holton)
Organization: Virginia Commonwealth University


I am sure this has been discussed here before, but I missed it.  Can
anyone outline the software I would need and how/where to obtain it
that would enable me to use speech access with a compressed slip
connection?  I want access to email, gopher, telnet and WWW.  Any
help appreciated.



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Subject: BMG Music Service
From: kford@teleport.com (Kelly Ford)
Organization: Teleport - Portland's Public Access (503) 220-1016

I don't know how many people that read this group happen to use the BMG
compact disk music service.  It is the standard CD club but if you ask,
they will change your account to one where you don't have to return those
blasted cards to avoid getting the selection of the month.


Just thought I'd mention this here, because I know for me paperwork that
can be eliminated makes my life that much easier.



Kelly

--
Kelly Ford
kford@teleport.com
See my home page at http://metro.turnpike.net/kford/index.html.



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Subject: Re: DOS-based internet browsing for visually impaired
From: an347173@anon.penet.fi (anon)
Organization: anon

I would also like info on this as I am undertaking research on public
information and its provision for the European Commission

Graham Jordan
TURTLE Project
Newcastle upon Tyne UK
Graham@tynecity.demon.co.uk




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                 End of Issue # 1158 of the Blind News Digest

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