Google Engineer Adapts Cell Phone for Blind

Greetings. Here's another story that I received from the Gui-Talk list that I'm just getting around to posting. Seems like lately, most of my email reading and sorting has been happening on the weekends. Ah well. Enjoy, and as always, please excuse any formatting errors.

***

Google Engineer Adapts Cell Phone for Blind
By SUNITA SOHRABJI
indiawest.com
February 19, 2009 02:10:00 PM

How functional would your cell phone be if you couldn't see its numbers?

For many blind users, including Google engineer T.V. Raman, the small
keyboards of a cell phone can be daunting.

So Raman is developing software to adapt T Mobile's G1 touchscreen phone
- which uses Google's Android software - to make it friendlier for blind
people and others with limited vision, such as the elderly.

"The small keyboard of a cell phone is not easy to use, particularly if
you
need one hand free,"
Raman told India-West in a telephone interview from Google headquarters
in
Mountain View, Calif. The blind generally need one hand free to hold a
guide
dog.

Cell phone screen readers - software that reads aloud the content of the
screen - are available, but often cost as much as the cell phone itself,
said Raman, whose adaptation to the G1 allows the phone to be used with
a
single hand.

Blind G1 users begin by touching anywhere on the screen. Raman's dialer
interprets that first touch as 5, the center of a regular dial phone
pad.
The user can then slide a finger up, down or sideways to finish dialing
the
number. Mistakes can be corrected simply by shaking the phone.

"You can actually use it with one hand," said the affable Raman, 43, who
lives in the Blossom Hill area of the Silicon Valley, with his constant
companion Hubbell, a yellow Labrador.

The G1 has been on the market since October 2008, and Raman is releasing
his
software free and as open source over a Google Web site:

LINK:

http://code.google.com/p/eyes-free/.

Raman and his colleagues at Google are also tweaking the G1's GPS system
to
meet the needs of the blind.

Raman lost his sight to glaucoma, at the age of 14. The Pune native said
his
biggest challenge at the time was "convincing people that I could do
what I
wanted to do."

India in the late 70s and early 80s was largely devoid of political
correctness, said Raman, adding, "If people thought you couldn't do
something because you were blind, they'd tell you."

In 1989, after finishing his masters in computer science at the Indian
Institute of Technology, Bombay, Raman and his brother arrived at
Cornell
University in Ithaca, New York.

The relaxed, quiet Cornell campus proved to be less of a challenge to
negotiate than the streets of Pune and Mumbai, said Raman, who jokingly
envisioned the scenario of taking a guide dog onto a crowded Mumbai bus.

Raman - who freely admits he's not very good with a cane - got his first
guide dog in 1990, Aster, who opened up the small Cornell campus for
him.
Aster, a black Lab, guided Raman for nine years until she died of cancer
in
December 1999.

Hubell, Raman's effusive yellow Lab, has been with him since Aster died,
and
has her own Web site with lots of photos. The two frequently hike
together
in the San Francisco Bay Area's huge expanse of wilderness areas.

The advent of technology has made the world more tangibly accessible for
the
disabled, Raman told India-West, adding that for him, the biggest
advantage
is being able to read.

"There was a time when what I read was limited to what was available,"
said Raman, adding, "Now, I can read whatever I choose to read." Raman
uses
a screen reader to navigate the Web.

Online banking and shopping are particularly useful for people with
limited
mobility, said Raman, adding that while technology for the disabled has
not
quite kept pace, it has equalized things a lot more.

After earning his Ph.D. in applied mathematics from Cornell, Raman
worked
for Digital Equipment Corporation in Cambridge, Mass. He moved to the
Silicon Valley in 1995, and began working at Adobe, on its signature
.pdf
file format.

Raman next moved on to IBM Research in 1999, then to Google in 2005,
where,
he said, he thrives in an environment that is "bottom-up, driven by
people
who are motivated by their ideas."

SOURCE
www.indiawest.com/readmore.aspx?id=911&sid=1

PAC Mate Omni and YouTube

Greetings. I came across this tidbit for the PAC Mate Omni in my Inbox and thought it might be worht putting here. I haven't tried this myself. This is taken from an email to the Gui-Talk discussion list, one of many lists run through the NFB Net list serve. Links are provided where appropriate. Enjoy.

***

Yes! You can access YouTube videos using a Pac mate Omni. This is the
first Blindness Note Taker that will support this using off the shelf
programs available to any Windows Mobile user. There are 2 programs you
need to install. Both are completely free. Please note: I do not know if
this will work on Pac Mate 4.1 or earlier. I have only tested this on
Omni with the 6.2 upgrade.

To listen to YouTube content on your pack mate download the following
files:

http://www.pacmategear.com/files/tcpmp-pacmate.cab

http://www.pacmategear.com/files/flashvideo-pacmate.cab

Copy these files to your Pac mate either directly Via USB or onto a
flash card and install them. Once they're installed you should do a warm
reset of the Pac Mate.

Your start menu now has a new item: Video Sites. Launch this and select
YouTube from the list.

To play a video press enter on the link. You will be given several
choices. Press enter on Play Video. When the download is complete TCPMP
will launch and you should start hearing audio. If you don't try
pressing enter to start playback.

Access Award winners announced

Greetings. Blind Bargains has announced the winners of its Second Annual Access Awards, which were conducted last month. Among the winners are a couple of notable items. First, the Victor Reader Stream won for best hardware device category for the second year in a row. And second, the nLS digital download pilot website won for best website of 2008. But why read this meager summary when you can read the official 2008 Access Awards press release. Enjoy.

Stream Companion software update

Greetings. I received the following note from the Stream Newswire earlier today. Though you can transfer items back and forth from your Stream without the Stream Companion Software, many people like the software since it gives a different, and perhaps easier, interface to the boring old My Computer interface. Or, perhaps someone is wary of "mesing something up" in My Computer, so they use the companion software. Whatever the reason, read below of an update that will be coming out soon for this software. Enjoy.

***

Dear Victor Reader Stream Friends:

We are receiving reports through our customer service and from NLS that some NLS books are not transferring properly when using the Stream Companion program to copy the book from your computer to the Stream storage card. We have made corrections to the new version of the Companion program that will correct these issues.

The new Companion program will also be able to transfer the new ZIP book formats from Bookshare.org.

These and other improvements will all be part of a new Companion program to be released in a month or so. It will be announced on this newswire. Please encourage anyone who wants to receive this and other announcements to register to the Stream Newswire at:
http://www.humanware.ca/stream_news_form_en/



Thank you,
The HumanWare Team

Song for Louis Braille

Greetings. I found this email in my Inbox from over a month ago and thought it worth posting here. Another song to add to your collection, particularly for January 4 of each year. Enjoy.

***

Song for Louis Braille
Sung to the rock classic Louie, Louie by the Kingsmen.

Chord progression is G major to C major to D minor, back to C.

Lyrics to celebrate the 200th birthday of Louis Braille



Now Louie was a man, born two hundred years ago.

And though he couldn't see, he learned a lot more then we know

It bugged him as a kid, that he couldn't learn to write,

But later on in school, they would read to him at night.

Chorus: Louie, Louie, oh, oh we got to read now. (Repeat, with; we got
to write now)



He played the organ well, and taught his friends the way to play,

Yet Louie still believed, he'd read and write someday.

Then an army officer, showed him how to write with dots,

But Louie knew for sure, he had to change the bumps a lot.

Chorus:

He cut the cell in half, and then he wrote the alphabet.

With slate and stylus skills, the dots would help him not forget.

And even here today, his code can help us pass a test,

Though folks have tried to change it, Louie's code is still the best.

Chorus:

Louie changed our world, gave us words that we can touch,

We can do it on our own, Read in English, French or Dutch,

And on his special day, every one should stand and say;

Thank you Louie Braille, your code has given us the way! (Repeat last
line and out)


Stuart Wittenstein, Ed.D.
Superintendent
California School for the Blind

Seeing Eye project seeks those with love to spare

Greetings. I received the following story in my email awhile ago, but have finally gotten around to posting it. This gives a good portrayal of the blind and guide dogs at the same time; imagine. Anyway, enjoy, and please excuse the formatting errors.

***

Seeing Eye project seeks those with love to spare

The volunteer job sounds warm and fuzzy enough: be a pup's foster owner for
a while.
ELIZABETH LARA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Tracy Carcione of Teaneck and her Seeing Eye dog, Ben, making their way
home. They've been

inseparable for two years.

But for Seeing Eye of Morristown and its clients, it's serious work they
depend on: raising

dogs that help North Jersey's visually impaired maintain expanded lives.

Seeing Eye is looking for people willing to take in puppies for 15 to 19
months. Afterward,

the dogs - German shepherds, golden retrievers and Labrador retrievers - are
returned for training. In the relationship, human and dog share a formal

program and, of course, the intangibles.

"We enjoy it tremendously," said Roger Woodhour of Woodcliff Lake, who,
along with wife

Sheila, is fostering Edison, a German shepherd. "When you see the benefits
the dogs give to a blind person and how it allows them to go anywhere they
want

with dignity, it really is a great feeling."

The puppy placement program began in 1942 and now has 800 dogs placed with
foster families,

including 16 families in Passaic County and 25 in Bergen County.

The pups begin foster care at seven weeks, and for 14 months, caregivers
must housebreak the

dog, socialize it, and keep up with veterinary checkups. They also must
attend monthly group meetings, held in each county, for support and puppy

socialization.

The non-profit Seeing Eye organization covers veterinary costs and provides
a quarterly

stipend of about $70 for food, grooming and toys.

Doreen Smith of Wayne, a co-leader for the Passaic County puppy group, said
members also

take field trips to socialize the pups.

"You have to be committed to following through with working with the dog,
going to meetings

and at the same time, having fun with the dog," said Smith, who has fostered
eight dogs over 16 years.

Established in 1929, The Seeing Eye of Morristown is the oldest existing
guide-dog school in

the world; currently, there are about 15 others like it. Its 90-acre campus
encompasses a dorm for clients in training, administrative building,

veterinary clinic and four kennels. Seeing Eye breeds its own dogs at a
complex in Chester; to ensure a wholesome environment, all employees there
wear

surgical scrubs.

Puppy graduation

Once a dog is old enough to start four-month training, a coordinator takes
it away. For many

foster parents, letting go is tough.

"It's usually sad for families to see the dog go, but they know they are
helping someone in

return," said Peggy Gibbon, Seeing Eye's puppy placement manager.

Dogs dropped from training for medical reasons can be adopted.

Foster families are invited to watch their former charges at graduation,
which includes

showing their stuff on Morristown's busy streets.

"Families are often stunned by what their little puppy can do, and we get a
lot of tears,"

said Gibbon.

Meanwhile, visually impaired clients undergo similar training in Morristown,
learning to

interpret sounds and traffic without a dog.

After initial training, a student is introduced to a dog fit to his or her
size, agility and

speed. The pair works for up to a month, using basic control commands of
"sit," "down," "rest," and "come," and guide commands such as "right,"
"left,"

"forward" and "back."

The program fee, unchanged since 1934, is $150 and $50 for each subsequent
visit. That

covers the dog, equipment, instruction, room and board, as well as
transportation and follow-up services. The program runs year-round.
First-time students stay

for 26 days. Others returning for a replacement dog go through a refresher
course of 19 days.

Ray Kornman, an outreach specialist for Seeing Eye, has been through the
program twice.

Kornman who lost his sight to retinitis pigmentosa, was recently paired with
Morris, a golden retriever.

"The dog has allowed me to move a lot freer, a lot faster, and with a lot
more confidence,"

said Kornman. "It's just humanizing me to the general public that don't know
about blindness and vision loss and I was one of those people, too, before I

lost my sight. It's a great conversation starter and an ice breaker in a
social situation."

James A Kutsch, president of Seeing Eye, lost his vision at age 16 to an
at-home chemistry

accident and has relied on dogs through "all the major milestones"
of a full family life. But although such services for the visually impaired
have advanced

over time, he suggests the public strive to provide another:
"Rethink their attitude."

He said that even pondering blindness by closing your eyes to get a feel for
it, "You don't

experience what somebody, who is trained and used to various ways of
adapting their life to dealing with blindness, faces over a long term."

On the streets

Tracy Carcione of Teaneck and Ben headed for work one recent day.
Approaching a bus stop.

Ben took the first steps across a street, and Tracy confidently followed. It
was another normal day of hustle and bustle for everyone, including
Carcione,

who is blind, and Ben, a Labrador retriever getting her to her job as a
programmer for New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan.

After a ride to the Port Authority bus terminal, Ben led Tracy downstairs
through the crowds

and out into the loud city. They walked 10 blocks east, winding through
pedestrians and skirting traffic.

"Ben is a great city dog," said Carcione, 47. "The harder things get, the
better he does."

They've been together for two years. Carcione has used Seeing Eye dogs since
college and

said of her last choice, "They had to pick a dog for me who could deal with
Manhattan and be happy."

Besides traveling into the city each workday, Carcione also goes out and
about with Ben,

heading to the gym or a diner for coffee.

"The most important thing for people to keep in mind is that blind people
are like everybody

else," she said. "We have jobs, we have families. We are not sitting at home
in the dark feeling sorry for ourselves."

The NFB and the LSAC again

Greetings. Below you will find a press release put out this week regarding charges that the National Federation of the Blind is bringing against the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) regarding their website not being accessible to blind law school applicants. To fully undersand the relationship the NFB has had with the LSAC, read the article from the January, 1998, issue of the Braille monitor entitled, Victory In The LSAC Dispute. Though not quite the same thing, the 1997 suit and today's charges are related in that he LSAC is allegedly preventing blind aplicants from applying for and studying for the Law School Admissions Test. Here's the press release. Enjoy, and as always, please excuse any formatting errors.

***

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
cdanielsen@nfb.org

LSAC Discriminates Against Blind Law School Applicants

National Federation of the Blind Sues Law School Admissions Council for Inaccessible Web Site and LSAT Preparation Materials

Baltimore, Maryland (February 19, 2009): The National Federation of the Blind, the nation's oldest and largest organization of blind people; its California
affiliate; and a blind law school applicant, Deepa Goraya, are filing a lawsuit today against the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC).  The complaint
asserts that the LSAC, the body that administers the Law School Admissions Test (which most aspiring law students must take) and provides other services
to law schools and law school applicants, violates the California Disabled Persons Act and the Unruh Act because its Web site (
www.lsac.org
) and LSAT preparation materials are inaccessible to blind law school applicants.  The plaintiffs have attempted to meet with the LSAC to resolve the matter,
but the LSAC canceled a planned meeting.

Blind people access Web sites on computers equipped with screen access software that converts what is on the screen into synthesized speech or Braille.
 The keyboard is used instead of a mouse to navigate the Web site and click on selected links or buttons. If a Web site is improperly coded, however, blind
computer users cannot access the site.  Blind people can also use screen readers to access certain kinds of electronic documents, including those in the
popular Portable Document Format (PDF).  However, if PDF files are not properly "tagged," they cannot be used by the blind.  The LSAC Web site contains
accessibility barriers including improperly formatted online forms, tables and charts that cannot be read by screen access software, and faulty keyboard
navigation support.  These access barriers make it difficult or impossible for blind people to use the Web site to register to take the LSAT, among other
things.  The Web site is also the only avenue for people to apply online to any law school accredited by the American Bar Association.  However, blind applicants cannot submit their applications without sighted assistance because the application forms are improperly formatted.  In addition, none of the LSAT practice materials, which include previously administered versions of the test that sighted people
can obtain on the LSAC Web site, are available in accessible electronic formats.

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "The Internet is extremely useful to blind people, as well as our sighted peers,
when Web sites are properly formatted according to well-established guidelines; there is no good reason for any Web site offering goods and services to
the public to be inaccessible to blind people.  For too long, blind people have experienced barriers to entering the legal profession, despite our long
history of demonstrated success in that field.  The National Federation of the Blind will not sit quietly while the LSAC willfully refuses to provide the
same services to blind people seeking admission to law school that it does to the sighted.  The LSAC is engaging in blatant discrimination against the
blind and we will not stand for it."

Deepa Goraya, a law school applicant and named plaintiff in the suit, said: "Trying to use the LSAC Web site made the experience of applying to law school
a nightmare when it should have been as easy for me as for anyone else.  I had to select and rely upon a reader for over fifty hours to complete my law
school applications.  Also, none of the practice tests available on the Web site were accessible.  I want the process of gaining admission to law school
to be easier for all blind people who are interested in entering this noble profession, and I hope this action will achieve that goal."

Petition against Amazon

Greetings. I'm not really a fan of petitions when it comes to trying to get a website to change its mind about something. However, this one caught my attention. For background on the petition, check out the recent post on the Access Ability blog called Kindle II offers text-to-speech promise, but Authors' Guild wants TTS turned off. then, if you agree with the idea of the Kindle II and would like to support its development, then read the post from the Serotek blog called Petition Asking Amazon to make the New Kindle 2 Fully Accessible. These posts explain the Kindle and related information better than I could, so that's why I'm linking to them. enjoy, and if you feel so inclined, take action.

Canine Humor

Greetings. I received the following list from a guide dog related email list. These are good things to keep in mind and should be noted for all canine, both those here and those to come. Enjoy, and please excuse any formatting errors.

***

THINGS I MUST REMEMBER WHEN I COME BACK AS A DOG....
1. The garbage man is not stealing our stuff.
2. I do not need to suddenly stand straight up when lying under the coffee
table.
3. I will not roll my toys behind the fridge, behind the sofa or under the
bed.
4. I must shake the rainwater out of my fur before entering the house.
5. I will not eat the cat's food, before they eat it or after they throw
it up.
6. I will stop trying to find the few remaining pieces of clean carpet
when I am
about to throw up.
7. I will not throw up in the car.
8. I will not roll on dead seagulls, fish, crabs etc just because I like
the way
they smell.
9. "Kitty Box Crunchies", although they are tasty, are not food.
10. I will not eat any more Kleenex or napkins and then redeposit them in
the backyard
after processing.
11. The diaper bucket is not a cookie jar.
12. I will not chew crayons or pens especially the red ones, or my people
will think
I'm hemorrhaging.
13. I will not chew my human's toothbrush and not tell them.
14. When in the car, I will not insist on having the window down when it's
raining.
15. When we do not have a doorbell, I will not bark each time I hear one
on T.V.
16. I will not steal my mom's nickers and dance all over the backyard with
it.
17. The lounge is not a face towel. Neither are moms and dads laps.
18. My head does not belong in the refrigerator.
19. I will not bite the officer's hand when he reaches in for dad's
drivers license
and registration.
20. I will not play tug of war with dad's underwear when he is on the
toilet.
21. I will not eat mint-flavored dental floss out of the bathroom garbage,
because
I don't want to have a
string hanging out of my butt.
22. I will not play "roll around in the dirt" just after having a bath.
23. Sticking my nose into someone's crotch is not an acceptable way of
saying hello.
24. I will not hump any person's leg just because I thought it was the
right thing
to do.
25. I will not fart in my owners face while sleeping next to their head.
26. I will not come in from outside and immediately drag my bum across the
carpet.
27. The toilet bowl is not a never-ending water supply, and just because
the water
is blue it doesn't mean it is cleaner.
28. I will not sit in the middle of the living room and lick my crotch
when company
is over.
29. Suddenly turning around and smelling my butt makes people put me
outside.
30. The cat is not a squeaky toy. So when I play with him and he makes
that noise,
it's usually not a good thing.
31. I will refrain from making my appearance known at dinner parties by
crawling
under the dining room table and tossing my cookies on the guests' feet.
32. I will remember that even a 6 pound ankle-biter can cause pain when
flying into
an unwary abdomen full tilt.
33. I should curb my desire to *kiss* people after I have licked my
privates or
my butt.
34. I cannot sing, period, no matter how good I THINK I sound.
Especially for no damn reason, in the middle of the night.
35. I will remember that while having good taste is shoes is very
important for
humans,
it can prove deadly for canines.

Keep up to date with DAISY

Greetings. I received the following note from the Stream Newswire regarding keeping up to date with DAISY and the DAISY Consortium. Enjoy.

***

Dear Victor Reader Friends:

WE frequently receive DAISY related questions. To learn more about the DAISY NISO standard, its member organizations, technologies and tools for creating
and playing DAISY books, we invite you to visit the DAISY Consortium web site at:

http://www.daisy.org

To keep informed on DAISY projects, conferences, and activities worldwide as well as keep up to date on the DAISY marketplace you are  invited to subscribe
to the monthly DAISY Planet email newsletter at:
http://www.daisy.org/news/newsletters/subscribe.shtml

Back issues of the DAISY planet are also available at DAISY.org.
The DAISY web site and DAISY Planet are great ways for you to learn more about DAISY and stay abreast of the latest DAISY news.

Thank you,
The HumanWare Team

Disney adds description

Greetings. I received the following information a few days ago in my email Inbox. This announcement sounds really cool, and gives me yet another reason to visit the Disney parks. What's neat is it looks like there's a benefit for both the blind and the sighted, as far as the descriptive GPS system goes. This has been and continues to be one of the challenges of making mainstream products accessible: if we can show the benefit to the grater population of the "able bodied," then it will become that much more accepted among people, and be that much more accessible to those that need the accommodation. Enjoy.

***

Disney audio description and GPS coming soon to the theme parks

Hi all,
I am a Disney Cast member working for the Disney Travel Company here
in Anaheim California.
Today I had the opportunity to help evaluate a new project Disney
will soon make available in their Anaheim and Florida theme parks.
Later this year, the Disneyland resort will have audio descriptions
on their attractions.
Florida already has some in place.
Today we evaluated whinnie the Pooh. Disneyland is also working on
The Finding nemo Submarine Attraction and Pirates.
Guests would put a deposit down on a receiver which is attached to a
lanyard. They would have a headset on and as they walked up to the
cue of the attraction and
the description would begin.

Its based on each segment of the attraction having frequencies which
would trigger based upon where the guest was at any moment.

WGBH wrote the dialog and recorded it and now Disney is working on
the syncing of the dialog with the attraction recordings.

Its very impressive and they did an excellent job based upon the
Whinnie the Pooh attraction we evaluated today.

Disney World already has this available and later this year or early
next year, lanyards will also have Gps receivers in Disney World so
that guests in the park can tell where
they are as they move through the park.
Disneyland will also have it shortly after that time period.
This would be of great benefit to blind as well as sighted guests.

Great Metallica news

Greetings. Though I don't post about Metallica very often, they have been and likely will be one of my fave bands for some time to come. At last night's Grammy awards, they received some recognition for their awesome work, "Death Magnetic." The following blurb is taken from their Metallica News email newsletter I received today. The whole newsletter wasn't all about this news, but it could have been. Anyway, here it is:

Not only did "Death Magnetic" pick up four Grammy nominations, but we are excited that the album won Best Recording Package and My Apocalypse won for Best
Metal Performance!

Congratulations Metallica, you deserve it!

Incidentally, if you missed one of their recent shows in the United States or want to relive the magic, then you can visit LiveMetallica.com and purchase the recorded download of that show for $9.95 for the MP3 or $12.95 for the Flac version. CD labels and artwork are also available for each show. Live Metallica is a great way to experience the show without paying concert related prices. They've got recordings of all the band's shows going back to 2004, and usually the show is available between 24 and 48 hours after the concert. Enjoy.

Another Gmail innovation

Greetings. When reading the entry today on the Official Gmail Blog, I'm struck by the thought of, "Why haven't they done this before?" Yet, it does stretch the bounds of managing contacts and calendar information. The entry is called Sync your contacts and calendar with your phone. Though it's in beta, or public testing phase, this proves to be a useful tool. I continue to fervantly hope that the Gmail folk will carry over more of these useful features to those of us using the Basic HTML interface of Gmail. Though many of their "labs" features are eye candy, there are a few that I'd like to be able to use. At any rate, this new beta from the Gmail populous looks to be quite useful for one and all. If for no other reason than so we can have a backup of data on the web as well as on our mobile devices. If something were to ever happen to said devices, God forbid, there would be another place to look for that information. Enjoy.

In memory of Pat Price

Greetings. I received the following announcement today in my email Inbox. Though I didn't participate in the weekly Tech Talk web broadcast, I've listened to a few of them to get updates on the assistive technology I use on a regular basis, such as the Victor Reader Stream, the PAC Mate, and others. I don't know if Pat actually started that weekly show or not, but she definitely had a big hand in keeping it going and always having interesting guests on a regular basis. As has ben said before on this blog and still true: she contributed, and she will be missed. For those interested in participating in a memorial of sorts for Pat, read below on how you can do so next Monday evening, February 9. Links are provided where appropriate. Thanks pat for all you've done to help the blind be more independent.

***

In memory of Pat price
The Accessible World News Wire
February 3, 2009

It is with the deepest sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved friend and Founder, Pat Price.
Pat left us at 7 pm EST on Sunday February 1, 2009. She went into the hospital early Monday morning, January 26, 2009 suffering from many debilitating factors. For many years, Pat was able to keep up her vigorous work schedule although suffering great pain. We send our sincerest love and friendship to her wonderful husband, Marv. He is also in the hospital but was by her side when she passed away.
On Monday February 9, 2009, in the Tek Talk Room of
www.accessibleworld.org
we shall celebrate Pat's beautiful life with our own memorial.  We shall begin promptly at 8 pm Eastern time, 5pm pacific time.
Our program shall include words from the numerous friends of Pat over the years.  However, we can assure you that any and all present will have the opportunity to say a few words.
Pat is no longer in pain for she is in a better place, but we shall miss her terribly.
Direct Link to Tek Talk Conference Room below:
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2
Or, alternatively,
http://www.accessibleworld.org
Select the Tek Talk Room, enter your first and last name on the sign-in screen. If you are a first-time user of the Talking Communities online conferencing software, there is a small, safe software program that you need to download and then run.  A link to the software is available on every entry screen to the Accessible World online rooms.

What's new at ATIA

Greetings. If you missed the Assistive Technology Industry Association, or ATIA, conference last week in Orlando, Serotek has put together a nice little Collection of interviews from ATIA 2009. In all, 35 different short itnerviews were done with Michael Lauf from Serotek and the SeroTalk podcast, talking to various vendors at the ATIA conference. With the launch of SAM Net Radio on January 28, Serotek opened up their mikes for anyone to come and promote their products. And a wide variety of vendors showed up, from American Printing House for the Blind to companies that were showing producs for people with cognative disabilities, and all points in between. One big company that was noticeably absent was Freedom Scientific, for whatever reason. They freely promoted their own ATIA sessions in their January podcast, FS Cast, but they didn't show up to promote the beta of JAWS for 64 bit OS's. Weird. However, their competitors, such as GW Micro and HumanWare, did show up and promote themselves. perhaps they're saving something for CSUN in March? At any rate, hear all these interviews or only the ones you're interested in from this collection. Enjoy.