Saturday, April 5
Article: email addresses and job applications
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Rolling Rebellion
Greetings. Here's another article on the Capitol Metro saga I received this morning in my email. Enjoy.
Rolling Rebellion at Capital Metro
BY JUSTIN WARD
Critics of Capital Metro's proposed transit cuts to services for the disabled questioned why the agency would spend millions on a spiffy new railcar system.
Photo by John Anderson
The Capital Metro boardroom became the site of a peculiar rebellion Monday. Some of the insurgents rolled in on wheelchairs. Others were led in by dogs.
Instead of pitchforks and torches, they were brandishing canes and walkers.
Filing out of Special Transit Service buses and taxicabs, they packed into Cap Metro's lobby, where they waited to be escorted in groups of four, via the
agency's only elevator, to its second-floor boardroom. Some folks in wheelchairs had trouble making it through the front door after the button that opens
it malfunctioned at a most inopportune time. Those who arrived early had the good fortune of picking up one of the few agendas printed in braille. Those
who didn't had to borrow one. Despite the logistical challenges of getting to the meeting (both to the building and the room itself), the boardroom was
soon filled wall to wall with wheelchairs - underneath every other chair was a Seeing Eye dog curling up inconspicuously.
The motivation behind the uprising? Many with disabilities are outraged over Cap Metro's planned cuts to STS, also known as paratransit services. Under
the Americans With Disabilities Act, Cap Metro must provide service to riders with disabilities that is "parallel" to regular service. This means that
Cap Metro must supplement its fleet with special cars and vans, which provide curb-to-curb service to those who cannot ride a fixed-route bus because of
their disabilities.
Cap Metro contends that changes are necessary to rein in STS spending, which has risen by more than 80% in six years. During the 2006-2007 fiscal year,
Cap Metro spent $26.9 million - about 19% of the operating budget - on paratransit, which serves 2% of its ridership. To reduce costs, Cap Metro argues
that it must streamline paratransit - by cutting regular taxi vouchers, increasing penalties for no-shows, minimizing the number of riders who are eligible,
and cutting the hours when live operators will be in the STS call center.
Opponents at the meeting say the cuts will make a system already fraught with problems even worse. They most fiercely opposed the proposed elimination
of subscription taxi vouchers. Currently, those who qualify can receive daily vouchers for regular taxi rides to work, doctors' appointments, or dialysis
treatment. Under the proposed changes, taxi vouchers will only be used to handle overflow from standard STS vehicles.
Cap Metro officials say the vouchers are wasteful, unnecessary, and vulnerable to fraud, citing past instances where more than $100,000 was reportedly
paid to a single cabbie in one year. Hannah Riddering, a Yellow Cab operator who often carries passengers with disabilities, said fraud in the program
is exaggerated by Cap Metro and the media. "Capital Metro staff uses 'cabdriver fraud' as a bludgeon," she said. Voucher fraud was limited to a few bad
apples, who were fired more than two years ago, Riddering said, and she blames Cap Metro's lax oversight. Yellow Cab, not Cap Metro, first discovered the
abuse, she said.
Pat Bartel, who is blind and frequently uses vouchers, told the board that despite what Cap Metro is claiming, vouchers are actually cheaper than rides
in STS vehicles. According to the 2006-2007 budget, taxi vouchers accounted for $3.2 million, or 11.8% of the total paratransit budget. The maximum taxi
voucher allowed per ride is $14, while the average cost-per-ride for all STS services, including taxis and STS vehicles, is $46.50, the bulk of which goes
to maintaining its fleet and paying drivers. Others noted that STS buses often waste resources because Cap Metro will sometimes use an entire bus to transport
one person.
Cap Metro originally planned to eliminate vouchers in March and did so, briefly, until a successful lawsuit brought by the Texas Civil Rights Project forced
the agency to reinstate them. When Cap Metro abruptly stopped issuing vouchers without warning, it severely impacted those who had depended on them, including
Cheryl Fszol, who says she lost her job as a result. Fszol suffers from seizures brought on by stress and also paralyzing migraines from a brain tumor.
The STS vans dropped her off an hour before work each day. Her boss wouldn't allow her to go into the building until someone else showed up, so she would
sit outside in the dark, often having seizures in the parking lot from the stress. She was fired from her job, she said, because the company did not want
to be liable if she were injured from her seizures.
Cap Metro originally planned to implement the changes without a public hearing, despite Federal Transit Administration regulations that require public
participation whenever there are changes to paratransit policy. The changes were billed as "procedural" rather than changes in policy, so it was deemed
unnecessary to hold a hearing. Cap Metro Access Advisory Committee members took turns blasting STS Director Inez Evans for failing to consult directly
with the committee or with the disabled community at-large. "All of these changes were just rammed through," said Malcolm Graham, who is blind and a member
of the access committee. "They presented [them] as if it were a done deal."
Evans opted to bypass the access committee altogether and hired a consulting firm called Texas Citizen Fund. The firm was paid $27,000 to conduct six focus
groups, which had a total of 174 participants. The firm apparently told Cap Metro exactly what it wanted to hear: that everyone approved, with the exception
of a few minor complaints that required tinkering.
Many opponents say Evans is the driving force behind the proposed changes, though she insists that these events were set into motion long before she took
the position. She cited a report from two years ago, which made many of the same recommendations. Bartel said that what Evans is doing in Austin is consistent
with her history in the transit industry. Evans worked for a company called MV Transportation, which is the paratransit equivalent of an efficiency expert,
Bartel said, with a pattern of reducing services to the minimum required by ADA.
When MV took over paratransit service in Washington, D.C., Evans was put in charge. The Washington Post reported in 2006: "In the first three weeks under
the new contractor [MV], Metro received record numbers of complaints from riders, thousands of whom said they were stranded, picked up late or mistreated
by drivers or reservationists. MV executives have blamed poor data from [the former contractor], the learning curve of new drivers and reservationists,
and telephone problems." Evans resigned from MV after six months on the job. She insists that it was purely a personal decision to take a better job in
California.
Evans plans to bring in an outside contractor to do what is called a "functional assessment" of STS riders, to determine if they are physically capable
of riding a fixed-route bus, with the intent of bumping riders from STS rolls. But wheelchair-bound riders are concerned that an influx of wheelchairs
on buses will be problematic, since all buses only have two wheelchair spots. If both spots are taken, then riders will have to wait as long as an hour
for the next bus. Also, the examinations would require riders to turn over personal medical information to Cap Metro, which they consider an invasion of
privacy.
Some at the meeting urged Cap Metro to get its priorities straight. Several speakers said it is appalling that the agency can cough up $100 million to
build a commuter train, yet it has to cut services for the disabled in the name of saving money. "Many of the comments in the media make it seem like we
were riding in limousines," said Richard Villa, who is blind. "I think most of us - if we had a choice - wouldn't use the system, at all."
Rolling Rebellion at Capital Metro
BY JUSTIN WARD
Critics of Capital Metro's proposed transit cuts to services for the disabled questioned why the agency would spend millions on a spiffy new railcar system.
Photo by John Anderson
The Capital Metro boardroom became the site of a peculiar rebellion Monday. Some of the insurgents rolled in on wheelchairs. Others were led in by dogs.
Instead of pitchforks and torches, they were brandishing canes and walkers.
Filing out of Special Transit Service buses and taxicabs, they packed into Cap Metro's lobby, where they waited to be escorted in groups of four, via the
agency's only elevator, to its second-floor boardroom. Some folks in wheelchairs had trouble making it through the front door after the button that opens
it malfunctioned at a most inopportune time. Those who arrived early had the good fortune of picking up one of the few agendas printed in braille. Those
who didn't had to borrow one. Despite the logistical challenges of getting to the meeting (both to the building and the room itself), the boardroom was
soon filled wall to wall with wheelchairs - underneath every other chair was a Seeing Eye dog curling up inconspicuously.
The motivation behind the uprising? Many with disabilities are outraged over Cap Metro's planned cuts to STS, also known as paratransit services. Under
the Americans With Disabilities Act, Cap Metro must provide service to riders with disabilities that is "parallel" to regular service. This means that
Cap Metro must supplement its fleet with special cars and vans, which provide curb-to-curb service to those who cannot ride a fixed-route bus because of
their disabilities.
Cap Metro contends that changes are necessary to rein in STS spending, which has risen by more than 80% in six years. During the 2006-2007 fiscal year,
Cap Metro spent $26.9 million - about 19% of the operating budget - on paratransit, which serves 2% of its ridership. To reduce costs, Cap Metro argues
that it must streamline paratransit - by cutting regular taxi vouchers, increasing penalties for no-shows, minimizing the number of riders who are eligible,
and cutting the hours when live operators will be in the STS call center.
Opponents at the meeting say the cuts will make a system already fraught with problems even worse. They most fiercely opposed the proposed elimination
of subscription taxi vouchers. Currently, those who qualify can receive daily vouchers for regular taxi rides to work, doctors' appointments, or dialysis
treatment. Under the proposed changes, taxi vouchers will only be used to handle overflow from standard STS vehicles.
Cap Metro officials say the vouchers are wasteful, unnecessary, and vulnerable to fraud, citing past instances where more than $100,000 was reportedly
paid to a single cabbie in one year. Hannah Riddering, a Yellow Cab operator who often carries passengers with disabilities, said fraud in the program
is exaggerated by Cap Metro and the media. "Capital Metro staff uses 'cabdriver fraud' as a bludgeon," she said. Voucher fraud was limited to a few bad
apples, who were fired more than two years ago, Riddering said, and she blames Cap Metro's lax oversight. Yellow Cab, not Cap Metro, first discovered the
abuse, she said.
Pat Bartel, who is blind and frequently uses vouchers, told the board that despite what Cap Metro is claiming, vouchers are actually cheaper than rides
in STS vehicles. According to the 2006-2007 budget, taxi vouchers accounted for $3.2 million, or 11.8% of the total paratransit budget. The maximum taxi
voucher allowed per ride is $14, while the average cost-per-ride for all STS services, including taxis and STS vehicles, is $46.50, the bulk of which goes
to maintaining its fleet and paying drivers. Others noted that STS buses often waste resources because Cap Metro will sometimes use an entire bus to transport
one person.
Cap Metro originally planned to eliminate vouchers in March and did so, briefly, until a successful lawsuit brought by the Texas Civil Rights Project forced
the agency to reinstate them. When Cap Metro abruptly stopped issuing vouchers without warning, it severely impacted those who had depended on them, including
Cheryl Fszol, who says she lost her job as a result. Fszol suffers from seizures brought on by stress and also paralyzing migraines from a brain tumor.
The STS vans dropped her off an hour before work each day. Her boss wouldn't allow her to go into the building until someone else showed up, so she would
sit outside in the dark, often having seizures in the parking lot from the stress. She was fired from her job, she said, because the company did not want
to be liable if she were injured from her seizures.
Cap Metro originally planned to implement the changes without a public hearing, despite Federal Transit Administration regulations that require public
participation whenever there are changes to paratransit policy. The changes were billed as "procedural" rather than changes in policy, so it was deemed
unnecessary to hold a hearing. Cap Metro Access Advisory Committee members took turns blasting STS Director Inez Evans for failing to consult directly
with the committee or with the disabled community at-large. "All of these changes were just rammed through," said Malcolm Graham, who is blind and a member
of the access committee. "They presented [them] as if it were a done deal."
Evans opted to bypass the access committee altogether and hired a consulting firm called Texas Citizen Fund. The firm was paid $27,000 to conduct six focus
groups, which had a total of 174 participants. The firm apparently told Cap Metro exactly what it wanted to hear: that everyone approved, with the exception
of a few minor complaints that required tinkering.
Many opponents say Evans is the driving force behind the proposed changes, though she insists that these events were set into motion long before she took
the position. She cited a report from two years ago, which made many of the same recommendations. Bartel said that what Evans is doing in Austin is consistent
with her history in the transit industry. Evans worked for a company called MV Transportation, which is the paratransit equivalent of an efficiency expert,
Bartel said, with a pattern of reducing services to the minimum required by ADA.
When MV took over paratransit service in Washington, D.C., Evans was put in charge. The Washington Post reported in 2006: "In the first three weeks under
the new contractor [MV], Metro received record numbers of complaints from riders, thousands of whom said they were stranded, picked up late or mistreated
by drivers or reservationists. MV executives have blamed poor data from [the former contractor], the learning curve of new drivers and reservationists,
and telephone problems." Evans resigned from MV after six months on the job. She insists that it was purely a personal decision to take a better job in
California.
Evans plans to bring in an outside contractor to do what is called a "functional assessment" of STS riders, to determine if they are physically capable
of riding a fixed-route bus, with the intent of bumping riders from STS rolls. But wheelchair-bound riders are concerned that an influx of wheelchairs
on buses will be problematic, since all buses only have two wheelchair spots. If both spots are taken, then riders will have to wait as long as an hour
for the next bus. Also, the examinations would require riders to turn over personal medical information to Cap Metro, which they consider an invasion of
privacy.
Some at the meeting urged Cap Metro to get its priorities straight. Several speakers said it is appalling that the agency can cough up $100 million to
build a commuter train, yet it has to cut services for the disabled in the name of saving money. "Many of the comments in the media make it seem like we
were riding in limousines," said Richard Villa, who is blind. "I think most of us - if we had a choice - wouldn't use the system, at all."
Friday, April 4
Stream: Daniel voice released
Greetings. I received the following notification from HumanWare regarding the release of the Daniel U.K. voice for the Victor Reader Stream. If you're perfectly happy with the Tom or Samantha voices, then there's no reason to change to this one. If however you want to check out this new voice, then by all means install it on your Stream by following the instructions outlined below. As the email says, there's no feature changes between the different voices. And, you cannot have more than one voice on your Stream at any one time. Enjoy.
Dear Victor Reader Stream Customer:
An alternative Stream software with the English U.K. male (Daniel) TTS voice is now available for download at:
http://www.humanware.com/en-canada/support/victor_reader_stream
This alternative version 1.2 software has a male TTS English U.K. voice (Daniel) and can be downloaded to replace the software with the female Samantha voice currently shipped on all English Streams. The Daniel voice will be shipped with future U.K. Streams. If you wish to change back to Samantha female TTS voice you can download and re-install the alternative UPG from the same page.
The functionality of the software is the same for both downloads. Only the TTS voice differs. The complete list of new features for version 1.2 and the installation instructions can be found in the What's New document in the documentation list on the same above web page. This support page also has links to listen to all Vocalizer TTS voices.
To summarize the Stream software Installation:
- download the zip file with your choice of TTS voice
- Unzip the single UPG upgrade file. You do not require special unzip software with Windows XP or Vista. Simply press Enter on the downloaded zip file and the UPG file will be shown. You can then copy the UPG file to the clipboard and paste it into the root of the Stream SD card.
- Insert the card into the Stream, connect the Stream to AC power, and turn it on.
- The Stream will recognize the special UPG file and initiate the upgrade process. Audio messages will inform you of the start and end of the update process.
- Remove the UPG file from your SD card after updating.
Thank you.
The HumanWare Support Team
Dear Victor Reader Stream Customer:
An alternative Stream software with the English U.K. male (Daniel) TTS voice is now available for download at:
http://www.humanware.com/en-canada/support/victor_reader_stream
This alternative version 1.2 software has a male TTS English U.K. voice (Daniel) and can be downloaded to replace the software with the female Samantha voice currently shipped on all English Streams. The Daniel voice will be shipped with future U.K. Streams. If you wish to change back to Samantha female TTS voice you can download and re-install the alternative UPG from the same page.
The functionality of the software is the same for both downloads. Only the TTS voice differs. The complete list of new features for version 1.2 and the installation instructions can be found in the What's New document in the documentation list on the same above web page. This support page also has links to listen to all Vocalizer TTS voices.
To summarize the Stream software Installation:
- download the zip file with your choice of TTS voice
- Unzip the single UPG upgrade file. You do not require special unzip software with Windows XP or Vista. Simply press Enter on the downloaded zip file and the UPG file will be shown. You can then copy the UPG file to the clipboard and paste it into the root of the Stream SD card.
- Insert the card into the Stream, connect the Stream to AC power, and turn it on.
- The Stream will recognize the special UPG file and initiate the upgrade process. Audio messages will inform you of the start and end of the update process.
- Remove the UPG file from your SD card after updating.
Thank you.
The HumanWare Support Team
Personal update
Greetings. Well, its been awhile since I've put up an update on what's been happening with me, and a lot has happened in the past few weeks.
First off, and perhaps most notable, when I came back from the Easter weekend with my family up in Dallas, I also brought back a throat infection. I went to the doctor and they took a culture, which turned up negative for strep throat, but the infection has kept me from work since before the Easter break. The last day that I was at work was on Good Friday. When I came back from Dallas, I had no voice.
Its not been all bad though. The week of Good Friday, I took the plunge and bought a new Windows Vista Home Premium computer. I've neded a new machine anyway since my current one had been going for 5 years. It could have probably done another few years, but I wanted to upgrade to newer equipment and software. So, during the time that I've been at home recooporating, I've spent some of that time on the new computer. I don't know all the technical stuff, but suffice it to say that this new system is powerful. I'm of the opinion that if you can, when you buy a computer, try and get more power than you actually need so you don't fall too far behind in power later. This new system doesn't disappoint either having 3 gigs of RAM and a 500 GB hard drive, plus a TV tuner, built in card reader, CD/DVD reader/burner, one of the new HD Blue Ray DVD Reader/burner drives, and other things. Anyway, its a great system. For the record, its a Gateway DX441X, which I would highly recommend. When i got it, it came with a free 19" wide screen monitor, which I was told was a $219 value. Over all, I'm impressed by this computer and have had fun, for the most part, in getting to know Vista. I'll write in a different post on my thoughts of Vista so far. I say "for the most part" because last Monday, I had an interesting thing come up.
I was tinkering around in my system's settings, trying to fix my speaker's audio orientation, when I accidentally muted the speaker. I'm still not totally sure how that happened. Well, what's a blind guy to do when the sound card's been muted? There's no sound from JAWS, and even if you plug in the headphones, there's still no sound. Nothing from Narrator, Microsoft's minor solution for a screen reader. Might as well call someone over, which I did. When one of my neighbors arrived and saw my computer, after commenting that it was a nice system, she said, "Your monitor's not working." Here's an interesting and ironic thing, a monitor that doesn't work for a blind guy. As a quick side note, I got a monitor in the first place precisely because there may be times like this when I need someone to read the screen so I know what's happening. It just so happens that this method didn't work out too well for me this particular time. Well, we spent the next couple of hours trying to figure out what the problem was, even calling Gateway tech support. At one point, I turned to my neighbor and jokingly said, "Well, aren't we in a fix: neither of us can use the computer since its not talking to me and not showing anything to you." We both got a good laugh out of that. Usually one of those is the case for me, but not both at the same time. Anyway, at one point, God bless her, the Gateway support representative asked me why I had just now noticed the monitor wasn't working. To which I explained, calmly, that since I was blind, and since I had no reason to use my monitor, this was the first person who I had over and has commented that my monitor wasn't working. Otherwise, I would have been clueless to the whole thing. Well, long story short, after testing the new monitor with my old computer, we finally determined that a crucial adapter wasn't included with my system in order for the monitor to work properly. Gateway sent me the adapter via FedEx and I received it today. When I called another friend earlier this evening to come over and check things to make sure it was working, the monitor was working fine. We were prompted to perform a system restore, which we did, and all was working great again, even the sound had come back. I had experienced one other issue with Internet Explorer, but I called Gateway again earlier this evening and the helpful representative and I were able to get that one fixed as well. So, as of now and for the moment, all appears to be working fine. So much for not getting too technical in this post, :)
I've filed my taxes for another year. That always feels good, to independently file your taxes and have the tax man say, when shaking your hand, "See you next year." This time I took a cab to and from, since I had scheduled the appointment for during the day since I was home anyway. And, I'll be getting another refund again this year, not as much as last year, but a refund all the same. I also qualify for the rebate checks that will be sent out in May or June. So, I suppose between the refund and the rebate check, I'm getting more than I usually get, which is good. All in all, I'm pleased with how things went.
That's about all for now. I'm off to tinker, though not like I did last Monday, play with and enjoy my new system some more. Have a good weekend.
First off, and perhaps most notable, when I came back from the Easter weekend with my family up in Dallas, I also brought back a throat infection. I went to the doctor and they took a culture, which turned up negative for strep throat, but the infection has kept me from work since before the Easter break. The last day that I was at work was on Good Friday. When I came back from Dallas, I had no voice.
Its not been all bad though. The week of Good Friday, I took the plunge and bought a new Windows Vista Home Premium computer. I've neded a new machine anyway since my current one had been going for 5 years. It could have probably done another few years, but I wanted to upgrade to newer equipment and software. So, during the time that I've been at home recooporating, I've spent some of that time on the new computer. I don't know all the technical stuff, but suffice it to say that this new system is powerful. I'm of the opinion that if you can, when you buy a computer, try and get more power than you actually need so you don't fall too far behind in power later. This new system doesn't disappoint either having 3 gigs of RAM and a 500 GB hard drive, plus a TV tuner, built in card reader, CD/DVD reader/burner, one of the new HD Blue Ray DVD Reader/burner drives, and other things. Anyway, its a great system. For the record, its a Gateway DX441X, which I would highly recommend. When i got it, it came with a free 19" wide screen monitor, which I was told was a $219 value. Over all, I'm impressed by this computer and have had fun, for the most part, in getting to know Vista. I'll write in a different post on my thoughts of Vista so far. I say "for the most part" because last Monday, I had an interesting thing come up.
I was tinkering around in my system's settings, trying to fix my speaker's audio orientation, when I accidentally muted the speaker. I'm still not totally sure how that happened. Well, what's a blind guy to do when the sound card's been muted? There's no sound from JAWS, and even if you plug in the headphones, there's still no sound. Nothing from Narrator, Microsoft's minor solution for a screen reader. Might as well call someone over, which I did. When one of my neighbors arrived and saw my computer, after commenting that it was a nice system, she said, "Your monitor's not working." Here's an interesting and ironic thing, a monitor that doesn't work for a blind guy. As a quick side note, I got a monitor in the first place precisely because there may be times like this when I need someone to read the screen so I know what's happening. It just so happens that this method didn't work out too well for me this particular time. Well, we spent the next couple of hours trying to figure out what the problem was, even calling Gateway tech support. At one point, I turned to my neighbor and jokingly said, "Well, aren't we in a fix: neither of us can use the computer since its not talking to me and not showing anything to you." We both got a good laugh out of that. Usually one of those is the case for me, but not both at the same time. Anyway, at one point, God bless her, the Gateway support representative asked me why I had just now noticed the monitor wasn't working. To which I explained, calmly, that since I was blind, and since I had no reason to use my monitor, this was the first person who I had over and has commented that my monitor wasn't working. Otherwise, I would have been clueless to the whole thing. Well, long story short, after testing the new monitor with my old computer, we finally determined that a crucial adapter wasn't included with my system in order for the monitor to work properly. Gateway sent me the adapter via FedEx and I received it today. When I called another friend earlier this evening to come over and check things to make sure it was working, the monitor was working fine. We were prompted to perform a system restore, which we did, and all was working great again, even the sound had come back. I had experienced one other issue with Internet Explorer, but I called Gateway again earlier this evening and the helpful representative and I were able to get that one fixed as well. So, as of now and for the moment, all appears to be working fine. So much for not getting too technical in this post, :)
I've filed my taxes for another year. That always feels good, to independently file your taxes and have the tax man say, when shaking your hand, "See you next year." This time I took a cab to and from, since I had scheduled the appointment for during the day since I was home anyway. And, I'll be getting another refund again this year, not as much as last year, but a refund all the same. I also qualify for the rebate checks that will be sent out in May or June. So, I suppose between the refund and the rebate check, I'm getting more than I usually get, which is good. All in all, I'm pleased with how things went.
That's about all for now. I'm off to tinker, though not like I did last Monday, play with and enjoy my new system some more. Have a good weekend.
Monday, March 31
Pedestrians and quiet cars
Greetings. Below is an important article about quiet cars. This could be a growing problem for the blind or anyone that crosses streets by walking. I recognize that quiet cars means less noise in the environment. However, I also know that if I can't hear a car at an intersection, then that could pose problems for me as a blind pedestrian, or anyone who may not see the hazard, for whatever reason. Perhaps its a jogger enjoying their iPod too much, a mother with several kids, someone pulling or pushing a cart of some sort, etc.
The article references that Guide Dogs for the Blind in California has acquired a hybrid car to use in their training. A coworker recently told me that The Seeing Eye, a similar guide dog school in New Jersey, has also added a quiet car to their training of dogs and students. For those that may not be aware, these are the two largest and most well known, and two of the best, guide dog schools in the U.S. Having them add quiet cars to their training activities will hopefully be the beginning step in preparing the blind, the sighted, and other guide dog schools, in the awareness of quiet cars. Enjoy.
From the Los Angeles Times
Blind pedestrians may not hear hybrid cars
Cars that are quiet while in electric mode may provide
no warning to pedestrians.
By Martin Zimmerman
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
March 29, 2008
Are hybrid cars too quiet for their own good?
Jana Littrell certainly thinks so. Littrell, who is
blind, was walking through a bank parking lot in the
East Bay town of Albany a year ago when her foot
was run over by a Toyota Prius backing out of a
parking space. She wasn't injured and the driver
apologized effusively, she recalled. But the
experience
shook her up.
"It has definitely put me more on my guard," said
Littrell, who teaches Braille to newly blind adults.
"But I don't know how much good that's going to do
me if I can't hear the car coming."
Concerns are growing that quiet-running hybrids such
as the Prius pose a hazard to pedestrians, especially
the 1.3 million Americans who are legally blind.
The problem occurs when the cars are running at very
low speeds on electric power, making about as much
noise as a golf cart.
"There's this silent-but-deadly zone where we cannot
hear these cars," said Bryan Bashin, a Sacramento
management consultant. "We're not just worried about
blind people. It's a hazard to pets, joggers, young
children, cyclists, people who have their back turned.
. . ."
Federal traffic safety regulators report that no
deaths or serious injuries have been attributed to
quiet-running hybrids. But an ongoing study at UC
Riverside
has produced some of the first scientific evidence
that hybrids may pose a hazard to pedestrians,
according to preliminary results to be released today.
Meanwhile, the issue is drawing attention from the
auto industry, state lawmakers and federal regulators.
It even spawned at least one Silicon Valley start-up
that's trying to develop an audible pedestrian warning
system for hybrids.
Bashin, who is sightless, is working with the National
Federation of the Blind to push legislation that could
eventually require installation of "noise
emitting" devices on hybrids and other vehicles that
run at least part of the time on electric power.
That prospect doesn't sit well with some car owners.
The message board at
greenhybrid.com,
a website for hybrid enthusiasts, has seen lively
debates over the issue. In one recent post, a Toyota
Camry hybrid owner wrote that "the world around us
is getting louder and along come hybrids and WHAM!
They get blasted by a group claiming they are too
quiet."
The debate comes as hybrids are becoming increasingly
common. More than 350,000 were sold in the U.S. last
year, according to marketing information firm
J.D. Power and Associates.
Prius owner Sarah Forth of Silver Lake knows the issue
from both sides.
"I noticed the cars creeping up on me when I was
walking around," Forth recalled. "After I got one, I
put two and two together and realized, 'I'm a road
hazard in this car.' "
The vehicles are powered by a combination of gasoline
and electricity and are prized for their fuel economy.
They're particularly popular in California,
which buys almost half the hybrids sold in the U.S. by
Toyota Motor Corp., the leading hybrid maker.
And coming soon: cars powered only by electricity that
produce very little engine noise at any speed
(although, as with hybrids, air flow and tire noise
would become noticeable above 20 or 25 miles per
hour).
Currently, most of the concern is directed at the
top-selling Prius and vehicles such as the Camry that
use similar gasoline-electric engines. The Honda
Civic, the No. 4-selling hybrid in America, is noisier
because it employs a system that almost never switches
into electric-only mode.
The UC Riverside study has found that test subjects
had to be 40% closer to silent-running hybrids than to
cars with traditional gasoline engines before
they could hear them.
"Our preliminary findings could mean that there is an
added danger with hybrid cars, particularly at
intersections and parking lots," said Lawrence
Rosenblum,
a psychology professor doing the study.
Toyota engineers are looking for a solution, but have
yet to come up with one.
"Vehicle safety and pedestrian safety are at the top
of our list," spokesman Bill Kwong said. "At this
point, we're trying to balance the needs of
sight-impaired
people with other sociological concerns such as noise
pollution."
One problem has been in isolating exactly what sounds
most people associate with an approaching vehicle,
such as the engine revving, the fan belt, tire
noise or other sounds. Artificial warning cues "like
chirping or chimes are not identified by test subjects
as a vehicle at all," the automaker said.
Interim solutions include training guide dogs for the
blind to detect cars by sight as well as sound.
Training schools such as Guide Dogs for the Blind
in San Rafael and Guide Dogs of the Desert near Palm
Springs have added Priuses to their training regimens
partly in response to concerns about hybrid
cars.
Longer term, the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration has promised to launch a wide-ranging
investigation into the issue and several states are
considering legislation. A bill soon to be headed to
the governor of Maryland would create a task force to
conduct a study and recommend solutions.
A group of Stanford University students has formed a
company -- Santa Clara-based Enhanced Vehicle
Acoustics -- that is developing an after-market
product
for Toyota hybrids that goes beyond simply making a
noise to alert nearby pedestrians. For example, by
linking to the vehicle's computer, the system would
be able to direct its sounds to the right or left to
warn pedestrians that the car is about to make a turn.
Bashin and other advocates for the blind are
sympathetic to complaints from hybrid fans. But, he
asked, "what am I supposed to do, stay home?"
Copyright 2008 Los Angeles Times
The article references that Guide Dogs for the Blind in California has acquired a hybrid car to use in their training. A coworker recently told me that The Seeing Eye, a similar guide dog school in New Jersey, has also added a quiet car to their training of dogs and students. For those that may not be aware, these are the two largest and most well known, and two of the best, guide dog schools in the U.S. Having them add quiet cars to their training activities will hopefully be the beginning step in preparing the blind, the sighted, and other guide dog schools, in the awareness of quiet cars. Enjoy.
From the Los Angeles Times
Blind pedestrians may not hear hybrid cars
Cars that are quiet while in electric mode may provide
no warning to pedestrians.
By Martin Zimmerman
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
March 29, 2008
Are hybrid cars too quiet for their own good?
Jana Littrell certainly thinks so. Littrell, who is
blind, was walking through a bank parking lot in the
East Bay town of Albany a year ago when her foot
was run over by a Toyota Prius backing out of a
parking space. She wasn't injured and the driver
apologized effusively, she recalled. But the
experience
shook her up.
"It has definitely put me more on my guard," said
Littrell, who teaches Braille to newly blind adults.
"But I don't know how much good that's going to do
me if I can't hear the car coming."
Concerns are growing that quiet-running hybrids such
as the Prius pose a hazard to pedestrians, especially
the 1.3 million Americans who are legally blind.
The problem occurs when the cars are running at very
low speeds on electric power, making about as much
noise as a golf cart.
"There's this silent-but-deadly zone where we cannot
hear these cars," said Bryan Bashin, a Sacramento
management consultant. "We're not just worried about
blind people. It's a hazard to pets, joggers, young
children, cyclists, people who have their back turned.
. . ."
Federal traffic safety regulators report that no
deaths or serious injuries have been attributed to
quiet-running hybrids. But an ongoing study at UC
Riverside
has produced some of the first scientific evidence
that hybrids may pose a hazard to pedestrians,
according to preliminary results to be released today.
Meanwhile, the issue is drawing attention from the
auto industry, state lawmakers and federal regulators.
It even spawned at least one Silicon Valley start-up
that's trying to develop an audible pedestrian warning
system for hybrids.
Bashin, who is sightless, is working with the National
Federation of the Blind to push legislation that could
eventually require installation of "noise
emitting" devices on hybrids and other vehicles that
run at least part of the time on electric power.
That prospect doesn't sit well with some car owners.
The message board at
greenhybrid.com,
a website for hybrid enthusiasts, has seen lively
debates over the issue. In one recent post, a Toyota
Camry hybrid owner wrote that "the world around us
is getting louder and along come hybrids and WHAM!
They get blasted by a group claiming they are too
quiet."
The debate comes as hybrids are becoming increasingly
common. More than 350,000 were sold in the U.S. last
year, according to marketing information firm
J.D. Power and Associates.
Prius owner Sarah Forth of Silver Lake knows the issue
from both sides.
"I noticed the cars creeping up on me when I was
walking around," Forth recalled. "After I got one, I
put two and two together and realized, 'I'm a road
hazard in this car.' "
The vehicles are powered by a combination of gasoline
and electricity and are prized for their fuel economy.
They're particularly popular in California,
which buys almost half the hybrids sold in the U.S. by
Toyota Motor Corp., the leading hybrid maker.
And coming soon: cars powered only by electricity that
produce very little engine noise at any speed
(although, as with hybrids, air flow and tire noise
would become noticeable above 20 or 25 miles per
hour).
Currently, most of the concern is directed at the
top-selling Prius and vehicles such as the Camry that
use similar gasoline-electric engines. The Honda
Civic, the No. 4-selling hybrid in America, is noisier
because it employs a system that almost never switches
into electric-only mode.
The UC Riverside study has found that test subjects
had to be 40% closer to silent-running hybrids than to
cars with traditional gasoline engines before
they could hear them.
"Our preliminary findings could mean that there is an
added danger with hybrid cars, particularly at
intersections and parking lots," said Lawrence
Rosenblum,
a psychology professor doing the study.
Toyota engineers are looking for a solution, but have
yet to come up with one.
"Vehicle safety and pedestrian safety are at the top
of our list," spokesman Bill Kwong said. "At this
point, we're trying to balance the needs of
sight-impaired
people with other sociological concerns such as noise
pollution."
One problem has been in isolating exactly what sounds
most people associate with an approaching vehicle,
such as the engine revving, the fan belt, tire
noise or other sounds. Artificial warning cues "like
chirping or chimes are not identified by test subjects
as a vehicle at all," the automaker said.
Interim solutions include training guide dogs for the
blind to detect cars by sight as well as sound.
Training schools such as Guide Dogs for the Blind
in San Rafael and Guide Dogs of the Desert near Palm
Springs have added Priuses to their training regimens
partly in response to concerns about hybrid
cars.
Longer term, the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration has promised to launch a wide-ranging
investigation into the issue and several states are
considering legislation. A bill soon to be headed to
the governor of Maryland would create a task force to
conduct a study and recommend solutions.
A group of Stanford University students has formed a
company -- Santa Clara-based Enhanced Vehicle
Acoustics -- that is developing an after-market
product
for Toyota hybrids that goes beyond simply making a
noise to alert nearby pedestrians. For example, by
linking to the vehicle's computer, the system would
be able to direct its sounds to the right or left to
warn pedestrians that the car is about to make a turn.
Bashin and other advocates for the blind are
sympathetic to complaints from hybrid fans. But, he
asked, "what am I supposed to do, stay home?"
Copyright 2008 Los Angeles Times
Wednesday, March 19
Seeing Eye grants a wish
Greetings. I received the following article and news regarding The Seeing Eye dog guide school in Morristown, New Jersey. Enjoy.
St. Patrick's Day was a very special day here at The Seeing Eye. The newspaper article pasted below tells the story of how a little girl named Maggie Deely
visited our school on Monday, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Any day now, the "M" litter of Seeing Eye pups is due to be born, and one of those
Labrador puppies will be named "Maggie" in honor of our special visitor.
Ailing girl's dream: To provide comfort to others
by Robert E. Williams III, the Newark Star Ledger, Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Maggie Deely raised her arm slightly in the air at the Seeing Eye kennels in Morris Township, as she commanded a black Labrador retriever named Homer to
sit.
After the dog followed the 9-year-old's first command, the Centreville, Va., resident pointed her finger to the ground and commanded the dog to lay.
Homer obliged.
"Hey, I think we got a trainer," said specialized dog instructor Kris Sutton to Maggie and her family during their tour of the Seeing Eye in Morris Township,
a nonprofit organization that trains dogs to assist blind people.
Maggie's visit to the facility was part of a trip coordinated by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an organization that coordinates the wishes of children with
life-threatening illnesses.
Maggie arrived at the facility Monday dressed for St. Patrick's Day -- dressed all in green with green Mardi Gras beads around her neck, a crown decorated
with green and silver tinsel on her head, and a green shirt that read, "Everybody loves an Irish girl."
It was shortly before St. Patrick's Day last year when Maggie was diagnosed with craniopharyngioma, an illness causing a brain tumor that affects the pituitary
gland and its functions.
Maggie was treated at Children's Hospital Boston, where pediatric neurosurgeon Michael Scott in April removed a portion of the tumor that was as big as
two thumbs laid side by side.
After the surgery, her doctor used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to monitor the growth of the remaining portion of the tumor. Maggie also meets with
an endocrinologist to manage the impact of the tumor on her pituitary gland, which influences her growth and hormonal development.
Maggie told the foundation about her wish to explore a career working with animals after she observed her third-grade class president with a companion
dog named Mercer, a black Labrador retriever.
"I thought it would be lots of fun, and it was," said Maggie, who wore a Make-A-Wish Foundation button on her shirt.
The foundation has become well-known for arranging high-profile experiences for children. Some wishes involved meeting a celebrity, going to a hard-to-access
sporting event or undergoing an experience related to a child's interest.
Teresa Davenport, a spokeswoman for the Seeing Eye, said visits to the facility as part of a wish are rare.
"Instead of going to Disneyland, she wanted to do this," said her father, Tim Deely, who accompanied his daughter and rest of his family along South Street
during Maggie's training yesterday. "She surprises us all the time."
Maggie and her family -- including her mother Cathy, her sister, 13-year-old Brigid, and brothers Brian, 12, and Kevin, 11 -- took a train from their home
in Virginia on Sunday. They ate lunch at the Seeing Eye and toured the kennels where German shepherds and retrievers played with trainers as the family
looked on.
The family was later escorted by van to the statue of Seeing Eye dog founder Morris Frank and a Seeing Eye dog at the Green across the street from the
Century 21 department store, where they met with trainer Jim Kessler and his dog, Vixen.
After some instruction, Maggie grabbed the reins of the yellow Labrador retriever and worked with Kessler, teaching the dog to signal when it was okay
to move forward.
Maggie may be young, but she's no rookie when it comes to training dogs. This summer, she began training a mixed Labrador puppy named Gillian for Canine
Companions for Independence, a Long Island-based organization that trains dogs to assist people with disabilities.
"I like it because some day it will pay off and she will do a really good job, and make someone happy," said Maggie of her experience training Gillian.
St. Patrick's Day was a very special day here at The Seeing Eye. The newspaper article pasted below tells the story of how a little girl named Maggie Deely
visited our school on Monday, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Any day now, the "M" litter of Seeing Eye pups is due to be born, and one of those
Labrador puppies will be named "Maggie" in honor of our special visitor.
Ailing girl's dream: To provide comfort to others
by Robert E. Williams III, the Newark Star Ledger, Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Maggie Deely raised her arm slightly in the air at the Seeing Eye kennels in Morris Township, as she commanded a black Labrador retriever named Homer to
sit.
After the dog followed the 9-year-old's first command, the Centreville, Va., resident pointed her finger to the ground and commanded the dog to lay.
Homer obliged.
"Hey, I think we got a trainer," said specialized dog instructor Kris Sutton to Maggie and her family during their tour of the Seeing Eye in Morris Township,
a nonprofit organization that trains dogs to assist blind people.
Maggie's visit to the facility was part of a trip coordinated by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an organization that coordinates the wishes of children with
life-threatening illnesses.
Maggie arrived at the facility Monday dressed for St. Patrick's Day -- dressed all in green with green Mardi Gras beads around her neck, a crown decorated
with green and silver tinsel on her head, and a green shirt that read, "Everybody loves an Irish girl."
It was shortly before St. Patrick's Day last year when Maggie was diagnosed with craniopharyngioma, an illness causing a brain tumor that affects the pituitary
gland and its functions.
Maggie was treated at Children's Hospital Boston, where pediatric neurosurgeon Michael Scott in April removed a portion of the tumor that was as big as
two thumbs laid side by side.
After the surgery, her doctor used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to monitor the growth of the remaining portion of the tumor. Maggie also meets with
an endocrinologist to manage the impact of the tumor on her pituitary gland, which influences her growth and hormonal development.
Maggie told the foundation about her wish to explore a career working with animals after she observed her third-grade class president with a companion
dog named Mercer, a black Labrador retriever.
"I thought it would be lots of fun, and it was," said Maggie, who wore a Make-A-Wish Foundation button on her shirt.
The foundation has become well-known for arranging high-profile experiences for children. Some wishes involved meeting a celebrity, going to a hard-to-access
sporting event or undergoing an experience related to a child's interest.
Teresa Davenport, a spokeswoman for the Seeing Eye, said visits to the facility as part of a wish are rare.
"Instead of going to Disneyland, she wanted to do this," said her father, Tim Deely, who accompanied his daughter and rest of his family along South Street
during Maggie's training yesterday. "She surprises us all the time."
Maggie and her family -- including her mother Cathy, her sister, 13-year-old Brigid, and brothers Brian, 12, and Kevin, 11 -- took a train from their home
in Virginia on Sunday. They ate lunch at the Seeing Eye and toured the kennels where German shepherds and retrievers played with trainers as the family
looked on.
The family was later escorted by van to the statue of Seeing Eye dog founder Morris Frank and a Seeing Eye dog at the Green across the street from the
Century 21 department store, where they met with trainer Jim Kessler and his dog, Vixen.
After some instruction, Maggie grabbed the reins of the yellow Labrador retriever and worked with Kessler, teaching the dog to signal when it was okay
to move forward.
Maggie may be young, but she's no rookie when it comes to training dogs. This summer, she began training a mixed Labrador puppy named Gillian for Canine
Companions for Independence, a Long Island-based organization that trains dogs to assist people with disabilities.
"I like it because some day it will pay off and she will do a really good job, and make someone happy," said Maggie of her experience training Gillian.
Stream news: Tom voice released
Greetings. I received the following announcement from HumanWare regarding the Tom voice for the Victor Reader Stream. many people, including me, have been anxiously awaiting this voice. Enjoy.
Dear Victor Reader Stream Customer:
The alternative Stream software with the English U.S. male (Tom) TTS voice is now available for download at:
http://www.humanware.com/en-canada/support/victor_reader_stream
This English alternative version 1.2 software has a male TTS voice (Tom) and can be downloaded to replace the default software with the female Samantha
voice currently shipped on all English Streams. The Tom voice is an alternative download zip file that contains a single version 1.2 UPG upgrade file that
you install on the Stream. If you wish to change back to Samantha female TTS voice you can download and re-install the alternative UPG from the same page.
The functionality of the software is the same for both downloads. Only the TTS voice differs. The complete list of new features for version 1.2 and the
installation instructions can be found in the What's New document in the documentation list that follows the software links. After this documentation list
there are links to samples of both the Samantha and Tom TTS voices that you can listen to.
We are currently working on a third English version 1.2 with the UK male voice named Daniel which we expect to release soon. Again, this will be a single
UPG file with the single UK Daniel TTS voice. The link to listen to the sample Daniel voice is on the page now.
To summarize the Stream software Installation:
- download the zip file with your choice of Samantha or Tom TTS voice
- Unzip the single UPG upgrade file. You do not require special unzip software with Windows XP or Vista.
- Copy the UPG file to the root of your Stream SD card
- Insert the card into the Stream, connect the Stream to AC power, and turn it on.
- The Stream will recognize the special UPG file and initiate the upgrade process. Audio messages will inform you of the start and end of the update process.
Thank you.
The HumanWare Support Team
Dear Victor Reader Stream Customer:
The alternative Stream software with the English U.S. male (Tom) TTS voice is now available for download at:
http://www.humanware.com/en-canada/support/victor_reader_stream
This English alternative version 1.2 software has a male TTS voice (Tom) and can be downloaded to replace the default software with the female Samantha
voice currently shipped on all English Streams. The Tom voice is an alternative download zip file that contains a single version 1.2 UPG upgrade file that
you install on the Stream. If you wish to change back to Samantha female TTS voice you can download and re-install the alternative UPG from the same page.
The functionality of the software is the same for both downloads. Only the TTS voice differs. The complete list of new features for version 1.2 and the
installation instructions can be found in the What's New document in the documentation list that follows the software links. After this documentation list
there are links to samples of both the Samantha and Tom TTS voices that you can listen to.
We are currently working on a third English version 1.2 with the UK male voice named Daniel which we expect to release soon. Again, this will be a single
UPG file with the single UK Daniel TTS voice. The link to listen to the sample Daniel voice is on the page now.
To summarize the Stream software Installation:
- download the zip file with your choice of Samantha or Tom TTS voice
- Unzip the single UPG upgrade file. You do not require special unzip software with Windows XP or Vista.
- Copy the UPG file to the root of your Stream SD card
- Insert the card into the Stream, connect the Stream to AC power, and turn it on.
- The Stream will recognize the special UPG file and initiate the upgrade process. Audio messages will inform you of the start and end of the update process.
Thank you.
The HumanWare Support Team
Saturday, March 15
More Capitol Metro news
Greetings. There's more news on the proposed changes over at Capitol Metro according to the Austin American Statesman article called, Cap Metro Plans Meeting on Changes. After the order by the judge last week, it looks like Cap Metro is willing to listen to the people they serve. Its unfortunate that it took a judge to force them to accept public input though. I will continue to post stories on this saga as I come across them.
Apple and accessibility
Greetings. The following news was originally posted on the Gui-Talk email distribution list. Please forgive any formatting errors. In addition to the points discussed below, I read recently where Apple now includes support for refreshable Braille displays in the latest version of the Mac software. They are becoming more of a player in the accessibility world, and I hope the trend continues. Enjoy.
The following exert was taken from the web site
http://www.lioncourt.com
Apple Presents at CSUN Conference
14 March, 2008 @ 4:08 pm by Lioncourt
Apple made its presence felt at the CSUN Technology and Persons with
Disabilities Conference 2008. On Wednesday, Apple gave two
presentations to a full room equipped with dozens of 20- and 24-inch
iMacs at the Los Angeles International Airport Marriott Hotel.
The sessions, presented by Mike Shebanek, Apple’s Senior Product
Manager for Worldwide Product Marketing, in charge of Mac OS X and
VoiceOver, focussed on general use of VoiceOver with the Macintosh
operating system, and use of VoiceOver with the iTunes media
management and playback software. Mary-Beth James, whose name will
be familiar to many Voiceover users, was also present to assist
during the sessions.
Both sessions were geared toward users who were unfamiliar with
VoiceOver, and were very informative for many of those in
attendance. Mr. Shebanek stressed Apple’s ongoing commitment to
accessibility, noting particularly the extensive tools available to
third-party developers to make their applications accessible with
VoiceOver, and the positive results of their efforts.
During the afternoon session on iTunes, Mr. Shebanek also mentioned
that Apple is aware of and working on the features of the iTunes
store that are still inaccessible. These include the ability to
purchase albums in their entirety, view one’s account, etc. He
mentioned that accessibility for Apple’s line of iPod music players
is also being worked out, and asked those in attendance whether
APple should continue to release accessibility improvements as they
become available, or waiting until they are fully realized in
products. Overwhelmingly, it seemed, the attendees were in favor of
Apple releasing incremental updates that improve accessibility over
time.
We here at Lioncourt.com would like to point out that Apple has
received criticism from some when they’ve taken the approach of
incremental accessibility enhancements, and would like to encourage
those of you who would like to see the improvements as they become
available to contact Apple Accessibility and let them know.
Specifically, Mr. Shebanek asked if partial access to iPod menus
would be something users would like while problems with deeper menu
levels were being ironed out.
Overall, the number of Mac users seems to have increased at the
annual conference, and Apple’s presence was felt beyond the
presentations put on by the company. For example, MacSpeech Dictate
was being demonstrated, and developers for OpenOffice.org also
discussed their efforts to provide accessibility in their open
source office suite with VoiceOver on the Mac platform.
Apple has once again demonstrated a commitment to accessibility that
extends far beyond that of rival companies, and we thank them for
their efforts.
The following exert was taken from the web site
http://www.lioncourt.com
Apple Presents at CSUN Conference
14 March, 2008 @ 4:08 pm by Lioncourt
Apple made its presence felt at the CSUN Technology and Persons with
Disabilities Conference 2008. On Wednesday, Apple gave two
presentations to a full room equipped with dozens of 20- and 24-inch
iMacs at the Los Angeles International Airport Marriott Hotel.
The sessions, presented by Mike Shebanek, Apple’s Senior Product
Manager for Worldwide Product Marketing, in charge of Mac OS X and
VoiceOver, focussed on general use of VoiceOver with the Macintosh
operating system, and use of VoiceOver with the iTunes media
management and playback software. Mary-Beth James, whose name will
be familiar to many Voiceover users, was also present to assist
during the sessions.
Both sessions were geared toward users who were unfamiliar with
VoiceOver, and were very informative for many of those in
attendance. Mr. Shebanek stressed Apple’s ongoing commitment to
accessibility, noting particularly the extensive tools available to
third-party developers to make their applications accessible with
VoiceOver, and the positive results of their efforts.
During the afternoon session on iTunes, Mr. Shebanek also mentioned
that Apple is aware of and working on the features of the iTunes
store that are still inaccessible. These include the ability to
purchase albums in their entirety, view one’s account, etc. He
mentioned that accessibility for Apple’s line of iPod music players
is also being worked out, and asked those in attendance whether
APple should continue to release accessibility improvements as they
become available, or waiting until they are fully realized in
products. Overwhelmingly, it seemed, the attendees were in favor of
Apple releasing incremental updates that improve accessibility over
time.
We here at Lioncourt.com would like to point out that Apple has
received criticism from some when they’ve taken the approach of
incremental accessibility enhancements, and would like to encourage
those of you who would like to see the improvements as they become
available to contact Apple Accessibility and let them know.
Specifically, Mr. Shebanek asked if partial access to iPod menus
would be something users would like while problems with deeper menu
levels were being ironed out.
Overall, the number of Mac users seems to have increased at the
annual conference, and Apple’s presence was felt beyond the
presentations put on by the company. For example, MacSpeech Dictate
was being demonstrated, and developers for OpenOffice.org also
discussed their efforts to provide accessibility in their open
source office suite with VoiceOver on the Mac platform.
Apple has once again demonstrated a commitment to accessibility that
extends far beyond that of rival companies, and we thank them for
their efforts.
Monday, March 10
VR Stream version 1.2 released!
Greetings. I received the following email notofication from HumanWare regarding version 1.2 for the Stream. Note that when you go through the update process, if you normally use a 16 GB SDHC card, perform the update using a card either 8 GB or less. I found out the hard way that the Stream doesn't currently recognize the larger cards. Nothing happened, aside from my own anxiety before I realized what the issue was. Anyway, enjoy and happy Stream-ing!
Dear Victor Reader Stream Customer:
HumanWare has released the latest Stream software version 1.2.18. This is a free software upgrade that can be downloaded and installed on your Stream.
To download the software visit:
http://www.humanware.com/en-canada/support/victor_reader_stream
Select the link to download the new software version 1.2.18. On the same page, you will also find a What's New document describing installation procedures
and listing all the features of the new version. Among the new features you will find the following:
- Support of NIMAS text books in United States
- Support of System Access Mobile from Serotek Corporation (
www.serotek.com)
- Go To Time feature for non-structured audio books and recorded audio notes
- Faster data transfer rate when the Stream is connected to the computer with the USB cable
- Increased volume on the built-in speaker
- Bass and treble control for music
- Control over announcement of music folder and file names
- An optional built-in SD formatting utility should your SD card ever require reformatting
Please refer to the What's New document on the Stream page for a complete description of all new features and improvements. An updated FAQ document (frequently
asked questions) can also be found on the web page. It provides answers to frequently asked questions about Audible, battery, Bookshare.org, CNIB, NLS,
Recording, RFB&D, SD cards, and Serotek.
With this announcement, version 1.2 is available in English and Norwegian. As other version 1.2 languages become available they will be posted on the same
download page. Currently, the previous version 1.1.15 software is available in Dutch, German, French, and Swedish.
We are also working on a second English U.S. male voice (Tom) and a U.K. male voice (Daniel). These will be posted as alternate version 1.2 software downloads
as soon as possible. We will announce their availability on this News Wire.
The next Stream software release project will start soon and is intended to provide support for WMA and BRF. We are also planning an update to the Stream
Companion software.
HumanWare values your continued support of the Victor Reader Stream. We remain committed to existing and future customers to make the Stream the most powerful,
flexible, and enjoyable product used for listening to books, computer files, and music.
Thank you,
The HumanWare Team
Dear Victor Reader Stream Customer:
HumanWare has released the latest Stream software version 1.2.18. This is a free software upgrade that can be downloaded and installed on your Stream.
To download the software visit:
http://www.humanware.com/en-canada/support/victor_reader_stream
Select the link to download the new software version 1.2.18. On the same page, you will also find a What's New document describing installation procedures
and listing all the features of the new version. Among the new features you will find the following:
- Support of NIMAS text books in United States
- Support of System Access Mobile from Serotek Corporation (
www.serotek.com)
- Go To Time feature for non-structured audio books and recorded audio notes
- Faster data transfer rate when the Stream is connected to the computer with the USB cable
- Increased volume on the built-in speaker
- Bass and treble control for music
- Control over announcement of music folder and file names
- An optional built-in SD formatting utility should your SD card ever require reformatting
Please refer to the What's New document on the Stream page for a complete description of all new features and improvements. An updated FAQ document (frequently
asked questions) can also be found on the web page. It provides answers to frequently asked questions about Audible, battery, Bookshare.org, CNIB, NLS,
Recording, RFB&D, SD cards, and Serotek.
With this announcement, version 1.2 is available in English and Norwegian. As other version 1.2 languages become available they will be posted on the same
download page. Currently, the previous version 1.1.15 software is available in Dutch, German, French, and Swedish.
We are also working on a second English U.S. male voice (Tom) and a U.K. male voice (Daniel). These will be posted as alternate version 1.2 software downloads
as soon as possible. We will announce their availability on this News Wire.
The next Stream software release project will start soon and is intended to provide support for WMA and BRF. We are also planning an update to the Stream
Companion software.
HumanWare values your continued support of the Victor Reader Stream. We remain committed to existing and future customers to make the Stream the most powerful,
flexible, and enjoyable product used for listening to books, computer files, and music.
Thank you,
The HumanWare Team
Saturday, March 8
Disturbing changes to Special Transit Service
Greetings. Though I no longer use the Special Transit Service (some call it Para-Transit), or a service designed for those disabled people who cannot, for whatever reason, use regular busses to get around; I can identify with the outrage and annoyance that many in the blind community feel regarding the proposed changes that Capitol Metro is trying to make. Read the article below for more information. What's probably most outragious is that Capitol Metro has tried to sneak these changes by the very community they serve. They say that they have held "public hearings" on this issue, but from what I understand, those hearings were 2 years ago. I saw an email on a list where an invitation was sent out to the various Austin disability groups/organizations to attend a special meeting to discuss these changes, however the 4 main groups in the Austin area, 2 of which are the American Council of the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind, were not invited. If this was supposed to be a genuine effort to get input from the people they serve, then why weren't these groups invited? Anyway, the Austin American Statesman has an article on this disturbing situation, along with a list of the proposed changes. There will be a local TV news story on this issue on Channel 7, Fox, this Monday night at 9. I normally say enjoy at the end of my summaries, but I'm not sure that this issue can be enjoyed at its current state.
CAPITAL METRO
Ruling puts Cap Metro plan to curb taxi service to people with disabilities on hold
Agency cites need to control costs on burgeoning door-to-door service for those unable to use regular bus system.
By Ben Wear
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Saturday, March 08, 2008
An attempt by Capital Metro, with minimal notice to riders and no action by the transit agency's board, to severely curtail use of taxis by people with
disabilities starting next week was halted Friday by a Travis County judge.
State District Judge Jeanne Meurer, responding to a complaint by the Texas Civil Rights Project, hit the transit agency with a temporary restraining order,
forcing it to continue letting riders with certain disabilities use cabs for regular trips. A hearing this month will determine whether to extend the order.
However, the agency still intends to make a number of other significant changes in its "special transit services," modifications generally opposed by leaders
on the committee that monitors the agency's policies for what is known in the industry as paratransit.
But it is the proposed taxi cutback has sparked the most consternation among some of the 9,000 people eligible for Capital Metro's door-to-door pickup services.
It also sparked the legal move by the Texas Civil Rights Project, which had argued in a letter Thursday to Capital Metro that the taxi change would violate
the Americans with Disabilities Act. The agency should suspend the taxi voucher shift, the letter said, and hold a public hearing so the disabled community
can weigh in on the subject.
The other half-dozen or so changes will take effect in the coming months and include a 700 percent increase in the penalty for excessive last-minute cancellations
of scheduled rides and a more stringent eligibility screening process.
Agency officials said Capital Metro is spending about 19 percent of its budget to provide 650,000 rides a year, just 2 percent of its overall total ridership,
and that it must control paratransit costs as it deals with an aging baby boom generation likely to increasingly need such services. The 2,000 or so rides
provided each day include 1,100 "subscription" rides, which are lifts to and from jobs, regular doctor appointments or dialysis and other recurring demands.
The agency says it has requests for about 700 more rides each day than it can provide with its fleet of about 100 vans and sedans, using taxis for the overflow.
Requests for rides, agency officials say, increased 9 percent last quarter.
"If we don't make some adjustments, we're not going to be able to keep up with the demand," said Inez Evans, the agency's director of paratransit services.
But some people who use the paratransit services, which are available only to those whose infirmities make it impossible for them to use regular bus service,
say this is just another in a series of efforts by the agency to make budgetary room as the agency builds a $100 million-plus commuter rail line and takes
on $10 million or more in yearly costs to operate it.
"They want to spend money in other areas, and they want to cut somewhere," said Judy Watford, who is blind and chairs the agency's Access Advisory Committee.
"So if they can cut this, they will. ... We're the stepchild, basically."
Capital Metro's use of taxis to supplement its fleet of paratransit vehicles is unusual. The San Antonio and Dallas transit agencies, for instance, do not
use taxis. San Antonio's VIA spends 17.3 percent of its budget on paratransit. Dallas Area Rapid Transit spends about 9 percent on paratransit, but the
comparison is inexact because DART's operating costs include tens of millions of dollars to run the agency's light rail system. Neither Austin or San Antonio
have passenger rail service currently.
Capital Metro covers most of the cost for paratransit taxi rides up to six miles; the customer pays the taxi driver just 60 cents, and the transit agency
pays them on a sliding scale of up to $14.30 for four to six miles. For longer rides, the rider pays the difference.
Capital Metro, like all transit agencies, is required under federal law to provide special services for people with disabilities. The federal government,
so as to offer comparable transit service to everyone, also requires the agency to provide the door-to-door rides — which Watford prefers to call "curb-to-curb"
— for anyone who lives within three-quarters of a mile of one of the agency's regular bus routes.
State law, meanwhile, requires the agency to provide rides to people with qualifying disabilities in the four cities that at one time were in the agency's
service area but pulled out: Cedar Park, Pflugerville, West Lake Hills and Rollingwood.
That amounted to about 12,600 rides last year. Capital Metro had to cover half that $227,000 cost the cities had to cover the other half — but will now
be able to bill the cities for all of it under a 2007 change in state law.
In 2006, the agency estimated it cost $45 for each ride for a West Lake or Rollingwood customer, about three times its maximum taxi cost.
Evans said the agency has had a particular problem with customers who cancel rides late — within one hour of the pickup time — or don't come out to the
agency's van when it comes to get them. She said that late cancellations or no-shows occur on 7 percent to 10 percent of reservations and that the industry
average is 2.9 percent.
Thus, the increase in the penalty for doing so repetitively from $1.20 to $10.
"Our goal is to effectuate change in behavior," Evans said.
Watford and Diane Bomar, the access committee vice chairwoman, say that whatever the goal is, the people most affected were not consulted.
"They're forcing this down our throats," Bomar said.
So how much have Capital Metro's paratransit costs increased in recent years?
Capital Metro says costs rose about 80 percent in six years, from $14.9 million in 2001-02 to $26.9 million in 2006-07. That would be a faster growth rate
than the 66.2 percent increase in the agency's overall operating budget during the same time.
But the actual 2007-08 budget paints a more modest picture. It says the agency will spend $11.8 million on paratransit in the current fiscal year, an increase
of about $6,000 from the previous year. Over two years, the increase is 5.3 percent, as opposed to the 23.9 percent hike in the overall operating budget
during that time.
Why the differing budget numbers?
Agency spokesman Adam Shaivitz said the $26.9 million figure includes costs allocated from other departments that contribute to the paratransit operation,
such as maintenance and administration. The figure includes a $6.6 million "general administration allocation" and about $3.2 million for "purchased transportation"
— that is, taxis.
Hannah Riddering, a taxi driver with seven regular paratransit customers and others who call her from time to time for rides, said all the focus on numbers
is misplaced. She has a seemingly inexhaustible set of stories about indignities visited on people with disabilities using Capital Metro's service, most
involving people left out in inclement weather for hours.
The changes the agency has in mind, Riddering said, could force some people with disabilities to quit their jobs or spend exorbitantly on taxis to approximate
the freedom of movement people with disabilities enjoy.
"Capital Metro says they're looking at numbers, and I don't even think they're realistically looking at that," Riddering said. "But we're out here looking
at people. And disabled people don't need or deserve to have to get up each morning and deal with this."
Proposed 'paratransit' changes
Was to take effect Monday; now on hold
Taxi vouchers:Most people who have been using taxi vouchers on a regular basis for fixed work schedules, regular doctor visits or other recurring needs
would instead use the Capital Metro fleet. Some paratransit customers, however, would still use taxis when the Capital Metro fleet of vans and sedans does
not have capacity to pick them up.
Starting in May
Cancellations/no-shows:Currently, a customer incurs a $1.20 penalty starting with the fifth late cancellation or no-show within a month. This penalty will
increase to $10 starting with the fourth late cancellation or no-show in a month, and those who don't pay this penalty within 30 days could see their paratransit
service suspended.
Advance reservations:Instead of being able to make reservations between eight days in advance and 24 hours in advance, the reservation window will be between
three days and 24 hours.
Call center hours:The call center that takes ride reservations will now be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week, with reservations available outside
that slot only via a voice-recognition system that users say often mishandles calls. Before, it was open to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 7 p.m. on weekends.
Pickup 'window':The time frame during which Capital Metro can show up for a ride will go from 15 minutes (after the scheduled pickup time) to 30 minutes
(15 minutes before and after the scheduled pickup time).
Starting in August
Open returns: Riders will have less flexibility on return trips;they'll now have to schedule specific times to be picked up by agency vansfor return trips.
Starting in November
Eligibility: Customers must be recertified as qualified for paratransit services every two years, as is currently the case but will now have to be vetted
in-person by a contractor hired by Capital Metro. Those capable of riding regular buses, but incapable of getting to the stops, will now get paratransit
service only from home (or their destination) to the bus stop. Before, they were getting paratransit rides door-to-door.
bwear@statesman.com, 445-3698
Or by accessing the article at
http://www.statesman.com/search/content/news/stories/local/03/08/0308capmetro.html
CAPITAL METRO
Ruling puts Cap Metro plan to curb taxi service to people with disabilities on hold
Agency cites need to control costs on burgeoning door-to-door service for those unable to use regular bus system.
By Ben Wear
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Saturday, March 08, 2008
An attempt by Capital Metro, with minimal notice to riders and no action by the transit agency's board, to severely curtail use of taxis by people with
disabilities starting next week was halted Friday by a Travis County judge.
State District Judge Jeanne Meurer, responding to a complaint by the Texas Civil Rights Project, hit the transit agency with a temporary restraining order,
forcing it to continue letting riders with certain disabilities use cabs for regular trips. A hearing this month will determine whether to extend the order.
However, the agency still intends to make a number of other significant changes in its "special transit services," modifications generally opposed by leaders
on the committee that monitors the agency's policies for what is known in the industry as paratransit.
But it is the proposed taxi cutback has sparked the most consternation among some of the 9,000 people eligible for Capital Metro's door-to-door pickup services.
It also sparked the legal move by the Texas Civil Rights Project, which had argued in a letter Thursday to Capital Metro that the taxi change would violate
the Americans with Disabilities Act. The agency should suspend the taxi voucher shift, the letter said, and hold a public hearing so the disabled community
can weigh in on the subject.
The other half-dozen or so changes will take effect in the coming months and include a 700 percent increase in the penalty for excessive last-minute cancellations
of scheduled rides and a more stringent eligibility screening process.
Agency officials said Capital Metro is spending about 19 percent of its budget to provide 650,000 rides a year, just 2 percent of its overall total ridership,
and that it must control paratransit costs as it deals with an aging baby boom generation likely to increasingly need such services. The 2,000 or so rides
provided each day include 1,100 "subscription" rides, which are lifts to and from jobs, regular doctor appointments or dialysis and other recurring demands.
The agency says it has requests for about 700 more rides each day than it can provide with its fleet of about 100 vans and sedans, using taxis for the overflow.
Requests for rides, agency officials say, increased 9 percent last quarter.
"If we don't make some adjustments, we're not going to be able to keep up with the demand," said Inez Evans, the agency's director of paratransit services.
But some people who use the paratransit services, which are available only to those whose infirmities make it impossible for them to use regular bus service,
say this is just another in a series of efforts by the agency to make budgetary room as the agency builds a $100 million-plus commuter rail line and takes
on $10 million or more in yearly costs to operate it.
"They want to spend money in other areas, and they want to cut somewhere," said Judy Watford, who is blind and chairs the agency's Access Advisory Committee.
"So if they can cut this, they will. ... We're the stepchild, basically."
Capital Metro's use of taxis to supplement its fleet of paratransit vehicles is unusual. The San Antonio and Dallas transit agencies, for instance, do not
use taxis. San Antonio's VIA spends 17.3 percent of its budget on paratransit. Dallas Area Rapid Transit spends about 9 percent on paratransit, but the
comparison is inexact because DART's operating costs include tens of millions of dollars to run the agency's light rail system. Neither Austin or San Antonio
have passenger rail service currently.
Capital Metro covers most of the cost for paratransit taxi rides up to six miles; the customer pays the taxi driver just 60 cents, and the transit agency
pays them on a sliding scale of up to $14.30 for four to six miles. For longer rides, the rider pays the difference.
Capital Metro, like all transit agencies, is required under federal law to provide special services for people with disabilities. The federal government,
so as to offer comparable transit service to everyone, also requires the agency to provide the door-to-door rides — which Watford prefers to call "curb-to-curb"
— for anyone who lives within three-quarters of a mile of one of the agency's regular bus routes.
State law, meanwhile, requires the agency to provide rides to people with qualifying disabilities in the four cities that at one time were in the agency's
service area but pulled out: Cedar Park, Pflugerville, West Lake Hills and Rollingwood.
That amounted to about 12,600 rides last year. Capital Metro had to cover half that $227,000 cost the cities had to cover the other half — but will now
be able to bill the cities for all of it under a 2007 change in state law.
In 2006, the agency estimated it cost $45 for each ride for a West Lake or Rollingwood customer, about three times its maximum taxi cost.
Evans said the agency has had a particular problem with customers who cancel rides late — within one hour of the pickup time — or don't come out to the
agency's van when it comes to get them. She said that late cancellations or no-shows occur on 7 percent to 10 percent of reservations and that the industry
average is 2.9 percent.
Thus, the increase in the penalty for doing so repetitively from $1.20 to $10.
"Our goal is to effectuate change in behavior," Evans said.
Watford and Diane Bomar, the access committee vice chairwoman, say that whatever the goal is, the people most affected were not consulted.
"They're forcing this down our throats," Bomar said.
So how much have Capital Metro's paratransit costs increased in recent years?
Capital Metro says costs rose about 80 percent in six years, from $14.9 million in 2001-02 to $26.9 million in 2006-07. That would be a faster growth rate
than the 66.2 percent increase in the agency's overall operating budget during the same time.
But the actual 2007-08 budget paints a more modest picture. It says the agency will spend $11.8 million on paratransit in the current fiscal year, an increase
of about $6,000 from the previous year. Over two years, the increase is 5.3 percent, as opposed to the 23.9 percent hike in the overall operating budget
during that time.
Why the differing budget numbers?
Agency spokesman Adam Shaivitz said the $26.9 million figure includes costs allocated from other departments that contribute to the paratransit operation,
such as maintenance and administration. The figure includes a $6.6 million "general administration allocation" and about $3.2 million for "purchased transportation"
— that is, taxis.
Hannah Riddering, a taxi driver with seven regular paratransit customers and others who call her from time to time for rides, said all the focus on numbers
is misplaced. She has a seemingly inexhaustible set of stories about indignities visited on people with disabilities using Capital Metro's service, most
involving people left out in inclement weather for hours.
The changes the agency has in mind, Riddering said, could force some people with disabilities to quit their jobs or spend exorbitantly on taxis to approximate
the freedom of movement people with disabilities enjoy.
"Capital Metro says they're looking at numbers, and I don't even think they're realistically looking at that," Riddering said. "But we're out here looking
at people. And disabled people don't need or deserve to have to get up each morning and deal with this."
Proposed 'paratransit' changes
Was to take effect Monday; now on hold
Taxi vouchers:Most people who have been using taxi vouchers on a regular basis for fixed work schedules, regular doctor visits or other recurring needs
would instead use the Capital Metro fleet. Some paratransit customers, however, would still use taxis when the Capital Metro fleet of vans and sedans does
not have capacity to pick them up.
Starting in May
Cancellations/no-shows:Currently, a customer incurs a $1.20 penalty starting with the fifth late cancellation or no-show within a month. This penalty will
increase to $10 starting with the fourth late cancellation or no-show in a month, and those who don't pay this penalty within 30 days could see their paratransit
service suspended.
Advance reservations:Instead of being able to make reservations between eight days in advance and 24 hours in advance, the reservation window will be between
three days and 24 hours.
Call center hours:The call center that takes ride reservations will now be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week, with reservations available outside
that slot only via a voice-recognition system that users say often mishandles calls. Before, it was open to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 7 p.m. on weekends.
Pickup 'window':The time frame during which Capital Metro can show up for a ride will go from 15 minutes (after the scheduled pickup time) to 30 minutes
(15 minutes before and after the scheduled pickup time).
Starting in August
Open returns: Riders will have less flexibility on return trips;they'll now have to schedule specific times to be picked up by agency vansfor return trips.
Starting in November
Eligibility: Customers must be recertified as qualified for paratransit services every two years, as is currently the case but will now have to be vetted
in-person by a contractor hired by Capital Metro. Those capable of riding regular buses, but incapable of getting to the stops, will now get paratransit
service only from home (or their destination) to the bus stop. Before, they were getting paratransit rides door-to-door.
bwear@statesman.com, 445-3698
Or by accessing the article at
http://www.statesman.com/search/content/news/stories/local/03/08/0308capmetro.html
More things to put on your Stream
Greetings. To those that have been checking this blog, looking for a new post, my apologies for not writing lately. I suppose that I've just had nothing to say, :) It seems that I'm always thinking about new posts, but then there's that part about actually sitting down to write them.
This post is concerned with more audio content you can put on the Victor Reader Stream. I've recently discovered that some of the blindness related magazines and newsletters I regular read, have been made available in audio form. On the National Federation of the Blind's site, they've begun producing MP3 files for many of their regular publications, such as the Voice of the Diabetic and the Braille Monitor. Each article, starting with the Summer 2007 issue of The Voice and with the February 2007 issue of the Braille Monitor, has a link to listen to the article as an audio (MP3) file. The Voice even gives you the option of downloading the file to your computer. The main reason for doing this is to cut down on mailing costs for sending out the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of copies on tape, in Braille, or in print. Ok, for the record, materials in alternative formats can be sent via Free Matter for the Blind, but I'm sure the NFB would rather, provided the person has access to the Web and knows how to get around, them download/listen to the audio versions of the articles, rather than adding one more item to be mailed out. At any rate, it also gives those who may not be receiving the publication a chance to "sample" and see how they like it. For me though, it allows me to download any part or all of a publication, put it on my Stream, and then listen at my leisure. The advantage of this is that I'm listening to the same professional recording that is made on tape, instead of having JAWS read it to me. This is a great alternative to the tradditional magazines on tape, and I hope other entities switch from tape to digital formats, such as, well, Reader's Digest. As far as I know, the American Printing House is still sending out RD on tape. That magazine is loved by many, including me, and I can't wait until it comes out in a digital form, with appropriate mark-up made so I can jump from one article to the next. The difference between that sort of form and the NFB publications, is that the ones from the NFB are in individual files. In theory, you could choose how much, or how little, of the publication you wanted to hear. Having your entire magazine or publication in a readable DAISY format would mean downloading only 1 file, and being able to navigate from article to article or section within it. At any rate, if you're a fan of the two publications listed above, then welcome to the digital age!
Incidentally, the NFB has also started distributing their monthly Presidential Releases in digital form, as of December 2006, and it wouldn't surprise me to see their other publications offered as downloadable audio files. Enjoy, and happy Stream-ing.
This post is concerned with more audio content you can put on the Victor Reader Stream. I've recently discovered that some of the blindness related magazines and newsletters I regular read, have been made available in audio form. On the National Federation of the Blind's site, they've begun producing MP3 files for many of their regular publications, such as the Voice of the Diabetic and the Braille Monitor. Each article, starting with the Summer 2007 issue of The Voice and with the February 2007 issue of the Braille Monitor, has a link to listen to the article as an audio (MP3) file. The Voice even gives you the option of downloading the file to your computer. The main reason for doing this is to cut down on mailing costs for sending out the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of copies on tape, in Braille, or in print. Ok, for the record, materials in alternative formats can be sent via Free Matter for the Blind, but I'm sure the NFB would rather, provided the person has access to the Web and knows how to get around, them download/listen to the audio versions of the articles, rather than adding one more item to be mailed out. At any rate, it also gives those who may not be receiving the publication a chance to "sample" and see how they like it. For me though, it allows me to download any part or all of a publication, put it on my Stream, and then listen at my leisure. The advantage of this is that I'm listening to the same professional recording that is made on tape, instead of having JAWS read it to me. This is a great alternative to the tradditional magazines on tape, and I hope other entities switch from tape to digital formats, such as, well, Reader's Digest. As far as I know, the American Printing House is still sending out RD on tape. That magazine is loved by many, including me, and I can't wait until it comes out in a digital form, with appropriate mark-up made so I can jump from one article to the next. The difference between that sort of form and the NFB publications, is that the ones from the NFB are in individual files. In theory, you could choose how much, or how little, of the publication you wanted to hear. Having your entire magazine or publication in a readable DAISY format would mean downloading only 1 file, and being able to navigate from article to article or section within it. At any rate, if you're a fan of the two publications listed above, then welcome to the digital age!
Incidentally, the NFB has also started distributing their monthly Presidential Releases in digital form, as of December 2006, and it wouldn't surprise me to see their other publications offered as downloadable audio files. Enjoy, and happy Stream-ing.
Sunday, February 3
A Giant Super Bowl
Greetings. Minutes after the end of Super Bowl 42 I'd like to extend congradulations to the New York Giants for doing what many people didn't think you could or would do. Even on the pregame show, Giants' players were saying that no one was expecting them to win, but that they were going to win. Well, they did! And to Eli Manning for getting another Super Bowl win and M.V.P. trophy for the family. The Patriots don't have anything to be ashamed of either. Even though they didn't "go undefeated," having an 18 and 1 record is still something that no one else has done before. Congradulations also to Aaron Ross, for getting his first Super Bowl ring in his first year as a NFL player. Who said that a former Longhorn can't get a world champion ring? This was one for the books, thrilling right down to the wire. Awesome game everyone. Of course we'll see if the Giants can maintain their championship ways next year. For now though, enjoy the victory and great job!
Friday, February 1
Happy anniversary!
Greetings. Well, here we are. I’ve made it to the 2 year point. I’m referring to the fact that as of today, I’ve been at my current job as a tech teacher
at a state agency for 2 years. Yippy! In some ways, the time has gone by slow, and in other ways its gone by fast. It seems weird to think that I’ve been
here for 2 years; 2 whole years. That’s a long time. Yet, in another few years, Lord willing, 5 years or 10 years will seem like a long time as well.
I’ve been thinking of this day for the past few months, wondering what I would be thinking or feeling throughout the day. Much of it has been like any other
day, but there have been moments of reflection. Such as walking down the hall this morning and opening the technology office door with my key, and reflecting.
Later in my team/group meeting with other students and staff, hearing several DBS staff that have been students for the past month, reflect on their time
here at the Center, since it was their last day today. They are finishing up the immersion training. If you don’t know what that is, then go back and read
the immersion journal that I wrote back in February-March of 2006 in the archives. Hearing one of them in particular this morning put it all together and
getting the point of the immersion training, and then relating it to her own job and life as a counselor for transition (teens and young adults) students
was especially neat. To hear her talk about the connection between teens and kids getting good support and instruction and how that carries over to the
person that comes as an adult to the training center was cool. And still later in the day, hearing one of my coworkers talk to a former student about how
I’ve grown and improved in skills compared to when I started.
As a side note, immersion gives people the opportunity to experience life as a blind person, and more so as a blind student in training. The main goal is
to experience what students go through so that the person can better understand their student/consumer. If the staff person has an open mind and is willing
to experience new things, there’s no limit to what they can gain from the 4-6 weeks of immersion. Its not unusual for people to enter immersion training reluctantly,
and not wanting to leave by the time they finish.
I don’t really like those questions that go something like, “Where do you see yourself in the next 5, 10, 15 years,” since I’m not quite sure how to answer.
I don’t see myself going anywhere any time soon and am content where I am. If I’m here 5 years from now, then great; if I’m here 15 years from now, even
better. I enjoy what I do. I enjoy showing people how they can independently do things on the computer, retrieve information from the Web, communicate
by email, and write in Word. I enjoy helping people adjust to their blindness. And, I’m enjoying getting to know my coworkers and bonding with them and
students. I don’t have all the answers, but then again, I never claimed to. Its going to be exciting and neat to see what happens this year and what I’ll
have to reflect on a year from now. For the moment, I’m simply celebrating my 2 year anniversary! Yay for me!
at a state agency for 2 years. Yippy! In some ways, the time has gone by slow, and in other ways its gone by fast. It seems weird to think that I’ve been
here for 2 years; 2 whole years. That’s a long time. Yet, in another few years, Lord willing, 5 years or 10 years will seem like a long time as well.
I’ve been thinking of this day for the past few months, wondering what I would be thinking or feeling throughout the day. Much of it has been like any other
day, but there have been moments of reflection. Such as walking down the hall this morning and opening the technology office door with my key, and reflecting.
Later in my team/group meeting with other students and staff, hearing several DBS staff that have been students for the past month, reflect on their time
here at the Center, since it was their last day today. They are finishing up the immersion training. If you don’t know what that is, then go back and read
the immersion journal that I wrote back in February-March of 2006 in the archives. Hearing one of them in particular this morning put it all together and
getting the point of the immersion training, and then relating it to her own job and life as a counselor for transition (teens and young adults) students
was especially neat. To hear her talk about the connection between teens and kids getting good support and instruction and how that carries over to the
person that comes as an adult to the training center was cool. And still later in the day, hearing one of my coworkers talk to a former student about how
I’ve grown and improved in skills compared to when I started.
As a side note, immersion gives people the opportunity to experience life as a blind person, and more so as a blind student in training. The main goal is
to experience what students go through so that the person can better understand their student/consumer. If the staff person has an open mind and is willing
to experience new things, there’s no limit to what they can gain from the 4-6 weeks of immersion. Its not unusual for people to enter immersion training reluctantly,
and not wanting to leave by the time they finish.
I don’t really like those questions that go something like, “Where do you see yourself in the next 5, 10, 15 years,” since I’m not quite sure how to answer.
I don’t see myself going anywhere any time soon and am content where I am. If I’m here 5 years from now, then great; if I’m here 15 years from now, even
better. I enjoy what I do. I enjoy showing people how they can independently do things on the computer, retrieve information from the Web, communicate
by email, and write in Word. I enjoy helping people adjust to their blindness. And, I’m enjoying getting to know my coworkers and bonding with them and
students. I don’t have all the answers, but then again, I never claimed to. Its going to be exciting and neat to see what happens this year and what I’ll
have to reflect on a year from now. For the moment, I’m simply celebrating my 2 year anniversary! Yay for me!
Tuesday, January 29
The Reader's getting better
Greetings. The Reader I'm referring to here is the new mobile reading solution from K-NFB Reading Technologies. The product is the secodn generation of the original K-NFB Reader released 2 years ago. This time, the reading software is housed in an off the shelf cell phone verses a non-accessible PDA. The cell phone approach is better and makes sense, since people are already carrying cell phones with them. Actually, if you go back in this blog's archives, back in 2005 I think, I posted an article about putting OCR software on a mainstream cell phone, and hinted at the possibilities of getting this to work for the blind. Alas, that reality might just be here.
In case you haven't heard of it, the new K-NFB Reader Mobile was announced yesterday at a demonstration in Washington D.C., at the National Federation of the Blind's Washington Seminar. The software runs on the Nokia N82 phone, which is one of those top of the line phones with lots of bells and whistles. However, they probably needed a top shelf phone in order to run the software. The entire package, with the phone and the software, will cost around $2,000, which in my view still puts it beyond the cost effectiveness for most blind people. The Reader Mobile software itself will cost $1595. Though, the original price for the K-NFB Reader back in 2006 was around $3500, so its gradually coming down. Personally, not meaning any disrespect against the software or what it can do, its a little impractical for me until the price dips down into the $500 or less range. Note that while you can buy the software and phone (the software will officially be released on February 15), the phone does not come with any screen reader, like Talks or Mobile Speak. In addition, the K-NFB Reader Mobile software only assists in the recognizing, storing, and managing of images and text, and it does not act as a screen reader. There is a company, Handy Tech, that is already offering a $2500 package including the N82 phone, the Reader Mobile software, and a Talks or Mobile Speak license. Also note that since the N82 is a top of the line phone, it has a top of the line price of around $570 or so, according to the Blind Bargains website. Here's another area that I'm waiting on, for the price of the phone to come down, or for other phones to be added that will run the Reader Mobile software.
If you'd like to hear an article done by NPR on the new software, then click here to read or listen to the 1/29/08 NPR story. Watch The Ranger Station blog and the Blind Bargains website in the coming days during the ATIA 2008 conference and in March during CSUN for more coverage on this new product. Enjoy.
In case you haven't heard of it, the new K-NFB Reader Mobile was announced yesterday at a demonstration in Washington D.C., at the National Federation of the Blind's Washington Seminar. The software runs on the Nokia N82 phone, which is one of those top of the line phones with lots of bells and whistles. However, they probably needed a top shelf phone in order to run the software. The entire package, with the phone and the software, will cost around $2,000, which in my view still puts it beyond the cost effectiveness for most blind people. The Reader Mobile software itself will cost $1595. Though, the original price for the K-NFB Reader back in 2006 was around $3500, so its gradually coming down. Personally, not meaning any disrespect against the software or what it can do, its a little impractical for me until the price dips down into the $500 or less range. Note that while you can buy the software and phone (the software will officially be released on February 15), the phone does not come with any screen reader, like Talks or Mobile Speak. In addition, the K-NFB Reader Mobile software only assists in the recognizing, storing, and managing of images and text, and it does not act as a screen reader. There is a company, Handy Tech, that is already offering a $2500 package including the N82 phone, the Reader Mobile software, and a Talks or Mobile Speak license. Also note that since the N82 is a top of the line phone, it has a top of the line price of around $570 or so, according to the Blind Bargains website. Here's another area that I'm waiting on, for the price of the phone to come down, or for other phones to be added that will run the Reader Mobile software.
If you'd like to hear an article done by NPR on the new software, then click here to read or listen to the 1/29/08 NPR story. Watch The Ranger Station blog and the Blind Bargains website in the coming days during the ATIA 2008 conference and in March during CSUN for more coverage on this new product. Enjoy.
Tuesday, January 22
Stream and the RFB&D
Greetings. I received the following announcement via email from HumanWare regarding the Victor Reader Stream. Though I don't use Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D) myself, I know that many others do and that students have been anxiously awaiting this announcement. Please excuse any formatting errors. Enjoy and happy reading.
Attention: Victor Reader Stream Customers in U.S.A:
RFB&D is now selling a user authorization key (UAK) for the Victor Reader Stream at a cost of $20. The UAK must be purchased directly from RFB&D member
services by calling 1-800-221-4792. Once your order is processed (usually within 24 hours) you will be shipped a CD with the UAK installation instructions
and a UAK file will be make available for you to download and install from the member services web site. It is not necessary to wait for the CD to arrive
because the instructions for accessing the UAK download site and installing the UAK are also given below in this announcement. If you login to your account
on the indicated UAK site and your key is not yet available it means your order has not yet been processed by RFB&D. RFB&D advises that their order processing
typically requires about 24 hours.
HumanWare Victor Reader Stream
Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic UAK Installation Instructions
Victor Reader Stream requires a UAK (User Authorization Key) from RFB&D to play their AudioPlus® books. These books are password protected and require
special decryption to play on the Stream.
The UAK is unique to the serial number of your device and cannot be transferred to or from any other Daisy Book player. To obtain the UAK you will need
the following:
• You must know your RFB&D Member ID
• Your Stream software must be version 1.1 or higher.
• You must know your Stream serial number. You can find both the Stream software version and the serial number by pressing INFO (key 0) on the Stream.
The Serial Number format is XX-XXXX-XXXXXX
Steps To Install the UAK Using a Windows PC running 2000 or XP
1. Contact RFB&D member services at 1-800.221.4792 and purchase your UAK. Wait about 24 hours and then go to the RFB&D Digital Playback Software Registration Site at
http://www.rfbd.org/UAK
2. Enter your MEMBER ID # and click "LOGON"
3. Select HumanWare Stream from the Product List, enter your Stream Serial Number with or without the dashes and select "GENERATE UAK". RFB&D will validate your device and return the UAK to you. This UAK will be a zip file containing 10 files (3 SMIL, 3 MP3, 3 html, and a KXO)
4. Download and save the zip file to your computer.
5. Connect your Stream to your PC using the long USB cable provided. Be sure the Stream is powered off when you connect it. After connecting it, power it back on and you will hear the message, "player connected". Alternatively, if you have an SD card reader, you may put the SD card of your Stream into the card reader.
6. Wait for Windows to recognize your Stream's SD card. It will appear as a drive letter on your computer.
7. Open this drive letter using Windows Explorer or the My Computer program.
8. Extract (unzip) all the 10 files from the zip file on your computer into the root of this SD card drive. Be sure to save the files in the root not in any of the $VR folders.
9. Close the SD card in Windows by exiting Windows Explorer or My Computer.
10. Use the Safely Remove Hardware option in the Windows System Tray to tell Windows you want to disconnect the Stream or release the drive that contains your SD card.
11. Power off the Stream and disconnect it from the computer or, if you used a card reader, insert the SD card into the Stream.
12. Power on the Stream. It will then prompt you for your 4 digit RFB&D PIN number. Enter the number followed by the pound key. The Stream will announce that the user key has been processed. Your Stream will now be authorized to play RFB&D AudioPlus books.
Once your Stream is authorized, you should then delete the 10 files from the SD card and keep the zip file on your computer as a backup. You only need to authorize the Stream once even if you use multiple SD cards.
Playing AudioPlus CD's from RFB&D:
To play AudioPlus CD books on your Stream you will need to copy all the files on the RFB&D CD to your Stream SD card. To do this create a sub-folder for the book title in the $VRDTB folder of the Sd card and copy all the files on the CD into that sub-folder. Alternatively, you may use the Stream Companion software and select the drive letter of your CD as the source of the book files. Note that if the book is on 2 CD's you need to create a second sub-folder and copy the files of the second CD to it. The Stream will treat a multi-CD book as two separate books.
Attention: Victor Reader Stream Customers in U.S.A:
RFB&D is now selling a user authorization key (UAK) for the Victor Reader Stream at a cost of $20. The UAK must be purchased directly from RFB&D member
services by calling 1-800-221-4792. Once your order is processed (usually within 24 hours) you will be shipped a CD with the UAK installation instructions
and a UAK file will be make available for you to download and install from the member services web site. It is not necessary to wait for the CD to arrive
because the instructions for accessing the UAK download site and installing the UAK are also given below in this announcement. If you login to your account
on the indicated UAK site and your key is not yet available it means your order has not yet been processed by RFB&D. RFB&D advises that their order processing
typically requires about 24 hours.
HumanWare Victor Reader Stream
Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic UAK Installation Instructions
Victor Reader Stream requires a UAK (User Authorization Key) from RFB&D to play their AudioPlus® books. These books are password protected and require
special decryption to play on the Stream.
The UAK is unique to the serial number of your device and cannot be transferred to or from any other Daisy Book player. To obtain the UAK you will need
the following:
• You must know your RFB&D Member ID
• Your Stream software must be version 1.1 or higher.
• You must know your Stream serial number. You can find both the Stream software version and the serial number by pressing INFO (key 0) on the Stream.
The Serial Number format is XX-XXXX-XXXXXX
Steps To Install the UAK Using a Windows PC running 2000 or XP
1. Contact RFB&D member services at 1-800.221.4792 and purchase your UAK. Wait about 24 hours and then go to the RFB&D Digital Playback Software Registration Site at
http://www.rfbd.org/UAK
2. Enter your MEMBER ID # and click "LOGON"
3. Select HumanWare Stream from the Product List, enter your Stream Serial Number with or without the dashes and select "GENERATE UAK". RFB&D will validate your device and return the UAK to you. This UAK will be a zip file containing 10 files (3 SMIL, 3 MP3, 3 html, and a KXO)
4. Download and save the zip file to your computer.
5. Connect your Stream to your PC using the long USB cable provided. Be sure the Stream is powered off when you connect it. After connecting it, power it back on and you will hear the message, "player connected". Alternatively, if you have an SD card reader, you may put the SD card of your Stream into the card reader.
6. Wait for Windows to recognize your Stream's SD card. It will appear as a drive letter on your computer.
7. Open this drive letter using Windows Explorer or the My Computer program.
8. Extract (unzip) all the 10 files from the zip file on your computer into the root of this SD card drive. Be sure to save the files in the root not in any of the $VR folders.
9. Close the SD card in Windows by exiting Windows Explorer or My Computer.
10. Use the Safely Remove Hardware option in the Windows System Tray to tell Windows you want to disconnect the Stream or release the drive that contains your SD card.
11. Power off the Stream and disconnect it from the computer or, if you used a card reader, insert the SD card into the Stream.
12. Power on the Stream. It will then prompt you for your 4 digit RFB&D PIN number. Enter the number followed by the pound key. The Stream will announce that the user key has been processed. Your Stream will now be authorized to play RFB&D AudioPlus books.
Once your Stream is authorized, you should then delete the 10 files from the SD card and keep the zip file on your computer as a backup. You only need to authorize the Stream once even if you use multiple SD cards.
Playing AudioPlus CD's from RFB&D:
To play AudioPlus CD books on your Stream you will need to copy all the files on the RFB&D CD to your Stream SD card. To do this create a sub-folder for the book title in the $VRDTB folder of the Sd card and copy all the files on the CD into that sub-folder. Alternatively, you may use the Stream Companion software and select the drive letter of your CD as the source of the book files. Note that if the book is on 2 CD's you need to create a second sub-folder and copy the files of the second CD to it. The Stream will treat a multi-CD book as two separate books.
Wednesday, January 16
NFB 2008 legislative agenda
Greetings. The legislative agenda for the National Federation of the Blind's Washington Seminar, to take place later this month, was released today. Among other things, this agenda includes an item on PRESERVING TALKING BOOKS FOR THE BLIND AND PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED. If you wish, you can view the entire LEGISLATIVE AGENDA OF BLIND AMERICANS: PRIORITIES FOR THE 110TH CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION. Full funding for the NLS program will ensure that the conversion of talking books from regular cassette tape to digital format will not take longer than necessary. If full funding is not obtained, then the conversion might take an additional 3-4 years. If you're going to the Washington Seminar, or if you regularly contact Congress, then remember these agenda items the next time you speak with your Congressman.
Review of Victor Reader Stream
Greetings. In the January 2008 issue of Access World there is a very good review of the Victor Reader Stream called, Full Stream Ahead: A Review of the Victor Reader Stream. If you're sitting on the fence wondering if you should get one of these wonderful devices, then take a read of this review and order one for yourself and experience the magic of the Stream. Enjoy.
Friday, January 4
Happy birthday Louis!
Greetings. On 1/4/1809, Louis Braille was born. If he were alive today, he would be 199. A lot could be said, and perhaps should be said, here about the decline of Braille over the past few decades and the percentage of students that learn Braille now verses 30 or 40 years ago. The fact remains though that among working age blind people, a high percentage of them use Braille on the job. I've heard different numbers here, like 80 to 85% or more. This alone is an indication of the independence, literacy and freedom that Braille can bring to someone. In the mid eighties, a new innovation was gradually introduced that would later transform Braille: the electronic Braille display which produced refreshable Braille. These days, people can carry around electronic note takers and read dozens, even hundreds, of electronic Braille books and files, verses attempting to carry all those volumes of Braille. There's still no greater feeling though then to run your fingers over a new, crisp page of Braille. I wonder what Louis would say if we could go back in time and show him how far his code of dots would reach. So, in celebration and recognition of his birth, read a page, chapter, or a whole book in Braille today. Have cookies with M&M's on them in dot patterns. However you do it, go and use Braille. (And, for you math majors out there, next year will be his 200th birthday. There will likely be lots of talking and celebrating of Braille then as well).
Incidentally, if you want to learn about the history and impact of Braille, then check out a publication from the National Federation of the Blind called The World Under My Fingers. This book is primarily written for parents or educators of children and presents why Braille needs to be taught. However, I think it does a great job of making the case for Braille and showing how it can be used in everyday life.
Incidentally, if you want to learn about the history and impact of Braille, then check out a publication from the National Federation of the Blind called The World Under My Fingers. This book is primarily written for parents or educators of children and presents why Braille needs to be taught. However, I think it does a great job of making the case for Braille and showing how it can be used in everyday life.
Thursday, January 3
PAC Mate documentation
Greetings. While browsing the Freedom Scientific site today, I came across their documentation page. Typically, I don't spend too much time on documentation pages, unless I really need help or if a product/upgrade is coming out that I want to read about. I found the documentation for the PM Omni. The Omni docs aren't that much different from the prior PM version 4, but there are some differences which you will want to be aware of. If you're anxiously awaiting your Omni from FS or want to do some reading, or want to read about any of the other PM related software/hardware (Braille display, Street Talk, deaf blind solutions, etc), then check the following pages out. Enjoy and happy reading.
FS PM related documentation page:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/PACMATE-HQ/doc_accessiblepda.asp
What's New in Omni:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/PACMATE-HQ/BulletinSearchOnly.cfm
QX HTML user guide:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/PACMATE-HQ/BulletinSearchOnly.cfm
QX user guide in self-extracting zip file:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/PACMATE-HQ/BulletinSearchOnly.cfm
BX HTML user guide:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/PACMATE-HQ/BulletinSearchOnly.cfm
BX user guide in self-extracting zip file:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/PACMATE-HQ/BulletinSearchOnly.cfm
FS PM related documentation page:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/PACMATE-HQ/doc_accessiblepda.asp
What's New in Omni:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/PACMATE-HQ/BulletinSearchOnly.cfm
QX HTML user guide:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/PACMATE-HQ/BulletinSearchOnly.cfm
QX user guide in self-extracting zip file:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/PACMATE-HQ/BulletinSearchOnly.cfm
BX HTML user guide:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/PACMATE-HQ/BulletinSearchOnly.cfm
BX user guide in self-extracting zip file:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/PACMATE-HQ/BulletinSearchOnly.cfm
Wednesday, January 2
BrailleNote deaf blind solutions
Greetings. I received the following announcement from an email list regarding a product for the BrailleNote. After reading this, it sounds to me like HumanWare (HW) is trying to play catch up again with the PAC Mate's deaf blind solutions that were released a few years ago. However, I'm glad that HW is giving more options to their customers. I've heard of a number of deaf blind people that use the BrailleNote that have probably been waiting for just such an announcement. Enjoy and pardon any formatting errors.
DeafBlind Communicator to Tap the Power and Simplicity of KeySoft
The DeafBlind Communicator (DBC) is being designed to provide a simple
way
to handle TTY communications and to be a portable way to deal with
face-to-face communications.
Simplicity
A simple conversation approach is provided through an intuitive Chat
Menu
which is automatically entered when the DBC is first turned on. When in
a
conversation, whether it's Face to Face or TTY, the way you communicate
is
identical.
Our goal is to produce a DeafBlind Communicator that is simple and
straight
forward which any Braille user can learn to use with minimal training.
Hidden Applications Activated
We realize that some deafblind people will want to do more or grow into
doing more than basic communications, so we have built the DBC on a much
more powerful platform that offers additional capabilities. A secondary
goal
for the DBC is to ensure that any user can choose to activate other,
more
powerful applications (initially hidden from the user), which provide
access
to the kinds of capabilities and functions available in mainstream
technology (note the list below).
Main Menu
Word processor
Planner
Address list
Email
Internet
Chat
Media center
Book reader
Scientific calculator
Database manager
Games
File manager
Utilities
Terminal for screen reader
Remote synthesizer
Keyboard learn
KeySoft, the environment (user-interface) that is used in the DBC, is
the
same one used in the BrailleNote and has reached its celebrated
friendliness
through over twenty years of constant improvement. Once a user chooses
to
activate the full-blown features of the DBC, the Chat Menu noted above
becomes one of the applications listed in the Main Menu. From that menu,
a
simple press of the character "C" instantly takes you to the KeyChat
Menu
and from there everything "looks" exactly the same as the basic DBC.
We plan to start accepting orders in April and shipping in June 2008.
The basic DBC will have many similarities to the TeleBraille in both
feature
and function. Although the KeySoft user interface will "feel" somewhat
different from that of the TeleBraille, it is still very easy to use. Of
course, if the user chooses to activate the more powerful features, the
DBC
will be a fully functional BrailleNote that includes TeleBraille-type
functionality.
The BNPK will not support the DBC. Unfortunately, the PK does not have a
landline connection on it to enable TTY communications. Also, the
BrailleNote mPower, on which the DBC is based, has significantly more
memory
and power to handle the added functions of the DBC.
The DBC will not include the screen reader Mobile Speak Pocket (MSP).
All of
the functions relating to the cell phone (DB Companion) will be
controlled
from the DB BrailleNote. As noted above, if the user chooses to activate
the
full functionality of the BrailleNote applications, the DB BrailleNote
becomes a fully functional PDA on its own that does not require the
complexity of a screen reader or any other additional software.
DeafBlind Communicator to Tap the Power and Simplicity of KeySoft
The DeafBlind Communicator (DBC) is being designed to provide a simple
way
to handle TTY communications and to be a portable way to deal with
face-to-face communications.
Simplicity
A simple conversation approach is provided through an intuitive Chat
Menu
which is automatically entered when the DBC is first turned on. When in
a
conversation, whether it's Face to Face or TTY, the way you communicate
is
identical.
Our goal is to produce a DeafBlind Communicator that is simple and
straight
forward which any Braille user can learn to use with minimal training.
Hidden Applications Activated
We realize that some deafblind people will want to do more or grow into
doing more than basic communications, so we have built the DBC on a much
more powerful platform that offers additional capabilities. A secondary
goal
for the DBC is to ensure that any user can choose to activate other,
more
powerful applications (initially hidden from the user), which provide
access
to the kinds of capabilities and functions available in mainstream
technology (note the list below).
Main Menu
Word processor
Planner
Address list
Internet
Chat
Media center
Book reader
Scientific calculator
Database manager
Games
File manager
Utilities
Terminal for screen reader
Remote synthesizer
Keyboard learn
KeySoft, the environment (user-interface) that is used in the DBC, is
the
same one used in the BrailleNote and has reached its celebrated
friendliness
through over twenty years of constant improvement. Once a user chooses
to
activate the full-blown features of the DBC, the Chat Menu noted above
becomes one of the applications listed in the Main Menu. From that menu,
a
simple press of the character "C" instantly takes you to the KeyChat
Menu
and from there everything "looks" exactly the same as the basic DBC.
We plan to start accepting orders in April and shipping in June 2008.
The basic DBC will have many similarities to the TeleBraille in both
feature
and function. Although the KeySoft user interface will "feel" somewhat
different from that of the TeleBraille, it is still very easy to use. Of
course, if the user chooses to activate the more powerful features, the
DBC
will be a fully functional BrailleNote that includes TeleBraille-type
functionality.
The BNPK will not support the DBC. Unfortunately, the PK does not have a
landline connection on it to enable TTY communications. Also, the
BrailleNote mPower, on which the DBC is based, has significantly more
memory
and power to handle the added functions of the DBC.
The DBC will not include the screen reader Mobile Speak Pocket (MSP).
All of
the functions relating to the cell phone (DB Companion) will be
controlled
from the DB BrailleNote. As noted above, if the user chooses to activate
the
full functionality of the BrailleNote applications, the DB BrailleNote
becomes a fully functional PDA on its own that does not require the
complexity of a screen reader or any other additional software.
Reading habits of the blind verses the sighted
Greetings. I received the following article from an email list. I find the information here fascinating, since sighted people have much more ready access to books and other printed material, such as in bookstores, news stands, grocery stores, etc. Yet with all this access the blind still read several times more material than the sighted, according to the below article. I know that my reading has dramatically increased over the past few months since I've been reading digital books from NLS. I barely read books on tape in the past year or so, but I've read nearly 30 books digitally since September. Enjoy.
PR Newswire, New York
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Reading Habits of Blind and Physically Handicapped Defy National
Trend
Book Consumption Rates Seven Times Higher for National Library
Service Patrons
Than Average Sighted Readers
WASHINGTON /PRNewswire/ -- This summer, when Americans catch up
on
their favorite reading, they will also be enjoying a beloved
American pastime
that research shows is waning. According to a study by the National
Endowment
for the Arts, Americans of every age are consistently reading less.
The study
revealed an overall decline of 10 percent in literary reading
between 1982 and
2002, totaling an overall loss of 20 million readers. Conversely,
participants
in the Talking Book program, a free library service provided by the
National
Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS),
Library of
Congress, read more than the general population by a significant
amount. The
average NLS patron, an individual with a visual or physical
impairment, reads
seven times more than most sighted readers, or approximately 35
books a year.
These numbers not only highlight the braille and audiobook
appetites of
NLS patrons, but also speak to the ease in obtaining ample reading
material
through the Talking Book program. "NLS patrons are extremely avid
readers,"
says Frank Kurt Cylke, NLS director. "NLS is dedicated to
fulfilling their
reading needs with the highest-quality collection so they can
remain engaged
in literature and connected to the world around them."
While NLS patrons have higher book consumption rates, their
literary
tastes do not differ from those of sighted readers, according to
Jim Herndon,
head of the NLS Collection Development Section. NLS librarians
strive to build
a well-rounded collection that meets readers' diverse informational
and
recreational needs. "Selecting titles for the collection is a
rigorous
process. NLS librarians consult book reviews and bestseller lists,
monitor
publishing trends, and assess patron requests before choosing
titles," says
Herndon. "Titles are selected based on such criteria as literary
merit and
popularity."
With more than 400,000 titles, the Talking Book catalog is
wide-ranging.
Among its unabridged offerings are bestsellers, classics,
biographies,
romances, mysteries, and westerns. Patrons particularly favor top
sellers like
Nicholas Sparks's True Believer, Danielle Steele's Impossible, and
Malcolm
Gladwell's Blink.
NLS libraries offer something for every bookworm, from kids to
seniors.
Summer reading programs and book clubs nationwide are designed to
engage and
reward readers. "Superheroes-Powered by Books," a program hosted by
one
network library, rewards blind and physically handicapped children
who use
their reading powers to fight summer boredom. Kids can report on
the audio or
braille books they have read in return for a range of
superhero-themed prizes
-- from masks to action figures. Additional reader appreciation
programs
include the 102 Talking Book Club, which honors centenarians for
their
lifelong devotion to reading.
The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped
(NLS), Library of Congress, administers the Talking Book program, a
free
library service available to eligible individuals of any age living
in the
U.S. or American citizens living abroad whose low vision,
blindness, or
physical handicap makes reading a standard printed page difficult.
Through its
national network of regional libraries, NLS mails books and
magazines on
cassette and in braille, as well as audio equipment, directly to
enrollees at
no cost. Further information on eligibility requirements and
enrollment procedures for the program is available at
http://www.loc.gov/nls
or 1-888-NLS-READ (1-888-657-7323).
PR Newswire, New York
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Reading Habits of Blind and Physically Handicapped Defy National
Trend
Book Consumption Rates Seven Times Higher for National Library
Service Patrons
Than Average Sighted Readers
WASHINGTON /PRNewswire/ -- This summer, when Americans catch up
on
their favorite reading, they will also be enjoying a beloved
American pastime
that research shows is waning. According to a study by the National
Endowment
for the Arts, Americans of every age are consistently reading less.
The study
revealed an overall decline of 10 percent in literary reading
between 1982 and
2002, totaling an overall loss of 20 million readers. Conversely,
participants
in the Talking Book program, a free library service provided by the
National
Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS),
Library of
Congress, read more than the general population by a significant
amount. The
average NLS patron, an individual with a visual or physical
impairment, reads
seven times more than most sighted readers, or approximately 35
books a year.
These numbers not only highlight the braille and audiobook
appetites of
NLS patrons, but also speak to the ease in obtaining ample reading
material
through the Talking Book program. "NLS patrons are extremely avid
readers,"
says Frank Kurt Cylke, NLS director. "NLS is dedicated to
fulfilling their
reading needs with the highest-quality collection so they can
remain engaged
in literature and connected to the world around them."
While NLS patrons have higher book consumption rates, their
literary
tastes do not differ from those of sighted readers, according to
Jim Herndon,
head of the NLS Collection Development Section. NLS librarians
strive to build
a well-rounded collection that meets readers' diverse informational
and
recreational needs. "Selecting titles for the collection is a
rigorous
process. NLS librarians consult book reviews and bestseller lists,
monitor
publishing trends, and assess patron requests before choosing
titles," says
Herndon. "Titles are selected based on such criteria as literary
merit and
popularity."
With more than 400,000 titles, the Talking Book catalog is
wide-ranging.
Among its unabridged offerings are bestsellers, classics,
biographies,
romances, mysteries, and westerns. Patrons particularly favor top
sellers like
Nicholas Sparks's True Believer, Danielle Steele's Impossible, and
Malcolm
Gladwell's Blink.
NLS libraries offer something for every bookworm, from kids to
seniors.
Summer reading programs and book clubs nationwide are designed to
engage and
reward readers. "Superheroes-Powered by Books," a program hosted by
one
network library, rewards blind and physically handicapped children
who use
their reading powers to fight summer boredom. Kids can report on
the audio or
braille books they have read in return for a range of
superhero-themed prizes
-- from masks to action figures. Additional reader appreciation
programs
include the 102 Talking Book Club, which honors centenarians for
their
lifelong devotion to reading.
The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped
(NLS), Library of Congress, administers the Talking Book program, a
free
library service available to eligible individuals of any age living
in the
U.S. or American citizens living abroad whose low vision,
blindness, or
physical handicap makes reading a standard printed page difficult.
Through its
national network of regional libraries, NLS mails books and
magazines on
cassette and in braille, as well as audio equipment, directly to
enrollees at
no cost. Further information on eligibility requirements and
enrollment procedures for the program is available at
http://www.loc.gov/nls
or 1-888-NLS-READ (1-888-657-7323).
Tuesday, January 1
Reflections and resolutions
Greetings. I guess that this update should have come yesterday since this is about the year in review. However, since yesterday didn’t feel like “New Year’s Eve” to me, its coming today. Besides, I can still look back on New Year’s Day as long as I throw in some observations, hopes, and dreams for this year. So here we go. Below are some highlights of 2007 in no particular order.
First, the recognition that I’ve gained from friends, colleagues, and students at my job. The two different but equally humbling awards I received, back in May from the students at graduation, and in October regarding the White Cane Day celebration. Not even counting the frequent mentions that I receive at graduation ceremonies by students, whether it be a simple, “Thanks Wayne,” to an elaborate thanks, which have included musings on my favorite food group (chocolate), to how I helped a student achieve the “… blazing fast speed of 22 words per minute in keyboarding.” All are welcome and much appreciated. I’ve also received some recognition publicly at staff meetings and privately from various staff members. In short, after going seemingly unnoticed, from my point of view, in my first year, is nice to be acknowledged for my service to others.
Next, though it ultimately came out of a bad circumstance which I may or may not go into on this blog, I’ve gotten back involved with horseback riding. I now go riding on pretty much a weekly basis, unless I can’t find a driver or have other personal reasons for skipping, such as being away for the Holidays. Horseback riding is the one thing that I’ve really gotten true relaxation from and have felt good about over the years. And, one of the few things that I think that I am really “good at,” aside from computers and perhaps other things I can’t think of right off hand.
The Victor Reader Stream. Okay, it may seem strange for someone to list a tech gadget in their year end wrap up, but then again, consider the blog you’re reading, :) Seriously though, I’ve not had this nifty device for very long, about 3 months and counting, but already I’ve read way more NLS talking books on it in that time than I have in the past few years on cassette. The digital revolution is truly here for the blind with this device, and its going to be cool watching what happens both with the Stream and the NLS digital program over the next 12 months.
System Access to Go. Here’s another “geek” item. However, it is a cool one. In short, this program is a web-based screen reader. To bring it up you can go to the Run dialog, a random website, or you could go to a shortcut on your desktop. The cool thing though is that once you shut it down, since its web-based, there’s no trace of the program on the computer. This means that a blind person can have computer access on their own computer, at a library, on someone else’s computer, at a coffee shop or Net café, or any number of other places. I’ve found this especially handy when visiting my parent’s in Dallas. They know about JAWS and know what it means for me and can do for me. However, since JAWS costs money, lots of money, they aren’t able to have it on their computers. I’m sure they would if they could, but as we all know in the AT world, not everyone can afford some of this nifty technology. That’s okay though because I’ve got a license for System Access to Go. That has been one of the coolest innovations of this year in the assistive tech industry, a web-based screen reader that can be used on any computer, whether it is “accessible” or not. This last week when I was in Dallas for Christmas, at least once a day, I’d get on their computers with System Access to Go and surf the web, check accounts, or look up other information. I simply needed them to get me on a website or in the start menu, and I was off and running. Now I don’t have to wait for them to get JAWS, hoping the price will come down. I can use their computers just as easily with S.A. to Go, and better yet, leave no trace of the software on their systems!
Another cool thing that has taken place is the change in philosophy that occurred at work back in June. At the risk of boring you with a big explanation, let me say that the training center has shifted from a departmental based approach to a team oriented one. The up shot of that is that I can get to know people that I didn’t know before, such as Steve. Steve’s in Career Guidance, but before the change back in June, that’s all I knew about him. Around August, I began combining and learning how technology and career guidance can merge. In the process, I began to get to know this guy in career guidance. Over the past 4 months, Steve and I have connected and bonded pretty well, to the point that I’ve asked him for a ride to work once (we had some interesting stuff happening at that time which prompted the question), and we’ve for whatever reason started sitting together at graduations and staff meetings. Neither of us are exactly sure how the “sitting together” aspect started, or continues for that matter, :) Seriously though, anyone who knows me well knows that I like bonding and connecting with people. And, if I can do that on the job, and still maintain an outward employment focus and learn about another area of the Center that I didn’t know about before, then all the better. Unfortunately, as of a few weeks ago, Steve will be moving onto another team in the Center. Currently though, there’s no one, or very few people, that can get me to laugh so quickly and so hard, like Steve. He and I seem to be on a similar humor wave length, of obvious humor and life stuff, and is one of the ways that we’ve connected so well. Anyway, Steve’s just one example of the bonding that’s happened at work. I’ve gotten opportunities to bond with other staff members and students as well. In one instance, I wasn’t aware of the bonding or impression that I made on a student until his girlfriend later told me that, in short, I helped him realize that a blind person really could use a computer and use the web.
There are probably other things that I’ve missed, but these are the ones that come to mind right away for 2007 highlights. And now, my 2008 resolutions and hopes.
My resolutions are always composed of the same things. This way, they are open for lots of interpretation and there’s little chance of not achieving them. They are, to increase my independence in some way, and to continue growing in my job. As for hopes, which could be labeled as resolutions, but aren’t for the fact that if they aren’t achieved, then there’s no loss, :) My 2008 hopes include: to continue bonding with staff and students; continue to figure out how to motivate students; and continue in my search for a spouse. I’ve gotten back into the dating scene, via online dating, and have had some pretty good success with it so far. Though the two people that I’ve met have ultimately moved away to other cities, I still count those in the success category. Online dating is not for everyone, and to be sure, if you’re considering getting into it, you should definitely take precautions. I’ve met both the people I referred to above and have talked with them not only online, but through email, via phone, and in person. The site that I use is eHarmony for several reasons. Mainly because it was started by a Christian psychologist, and that the site has several layers that you have to go through to get signed up, meet someone, and ultimately communicate with them. These processes make me feel better about the site, rather than one where you put a picture up and say something like, “Date me!” The layers also help weed out those who may not be as committed and may not want to go through the layers to get to the goal—a match. Anyway, its my hope and prayer, and the prayers of others, that I find a spouse. For me, and for now, that looks to be through online dating, but that could change. Though I hope that I’m one of those people who can say on their wedding day, “Wow, we met through eHarmony.”
It should be an exciting and cool year ahead. Here’s hoping that you and yours have a Happy New Year as well, and that your resolutions and hopes/dreams come true. If not, remember, there’s always next year. Here’s hoping also that we see some nifty advancements in technology, both in adaptive and mainstream tech. Happy New Year everyone, and go Cowboys!
First, the recognition that I’ve gained from friends, colleagues, and students at my job. The two different but equally humbling awards I received, back in May from the students at graduation, and in October regarding the White Cane Day celebration. Not even counting the frequent mentions that I receive at graduation ceremonies by students, whether it be a simple, “Thanks Wayne,” to an elaborate thanks, which have included musings on my favorite food group (chocolate), to how I helped a student achieve the “… blazing fast speed of 22 words per minute in keyboarding.” All are welcome and much appreciated. I’ve also received some recognition publicly at staff meetings and privately from various staff members. In short, after going seemingly unnoticed, from my point of view, in my first year, is nice to be acknowledged for my service to others.
Next, though it ultimately came out of a bad circumstance which I may or may not go into on this blog, I’ve gotten back involved with horseback riding. I now go riding on pretty much a weekly basis, unless I can’t find a driver or have other personal reasons for skipping, such as being away for the Holidays. Horseback riding is the one thing that I’ve really gotten true relaxation from and have felt good about over the years. And, one of the few things that I think that I am really “good at,” aside from computers and perhaps other things I can’t think of right off hand.
The Victor Reader Stream. Okay, it may seem strange for someone to list a tech gadget in their year end wrap up, but then again, consider the blog you’re reading, :) Seriously though, I’ve not had this nifty device for very long, about 3 months and counting, but already I’ve read way more NLS talking books on it in that time than I have in the past few years on cassette. The digital revolution is truly here for the blind with this device, and its going to be cool watching what happens both with the Stream and the NLS digital program over the next 12 months.
System Access to Go. Here’s another “geek” item. However, it is a cool one. In short, this program is a web-based screen reader. To bring it up you can go to the Run dialog, a random website, or you could go to a shortcut on your desktop. The cool thing though is that once you shut it down, since its web-based, there’s no trace of the program on the computer. This means that a blind person can have computer access on their own computer, at a library, on someone else’s computer, at a coffee shop or Net café, or any number of other places. I’ve found this especially handy when visiting my parent’s in Dallas. They know about JAWS and know what it means for me and can do for me. However, since JAWS costs money, lots of money, they aren’t able to have it on their computers. I’m sure they would if they could, but as we all know in the AT world, not everyone can afford some of this nifty technology. That’s okay though because I’ve got a license for System Access to Go. That has been one of the coolest innovations of this year in the assistive tech industry, a web-based screen reader that can be used on any computer, whether it is “accessible” or not. This last week when I was in Dallas for Christmas, at least once a day, I’d get on their computers with System Access to Go and surf the web, check accounts, or look up other information. I simply needed them to get me on a website or in the start menu, and I was off and running. Now I don’t have to wait for them to get JAWS, hoping the price will come down. I can use their computers just as easily with S.A. to Go, and better yet, leave no trace of the software on their systems!
Another cool thing that has taken place is the change in philosophy that occurred at work back in June. At the risk of boring you with a big explanation, let me say that the training center has shifted from a departmental based approach to a team oriented one. The up shot of that is that I can get to know people that I didn’t know before, such as Steve. Steve’s in Career Guidance, but before the change back in June, that’s all I knew about him. Around August, I began combining and learning how technology and career guidance can merge. In the process, I began to get to know this guy in career guidance. Over the past 4 months, Steve and I have connected and bonded pretty well, to the point that I’ve asked him for a ride to work once (we had some interesting stuff happening at that time which prompted the question), and we’ve for whatever reason started sitting together at graduations and staff meetings. Neither of us are exactly sure how the “sitting together” aspect started, or continues for that matter, :) Seriously though, anyone who knows me well knows that I like bonding and connecting with people. And, if I can do that on the job, and still maintain an outward employment focus and learn about another area of the Center that I didn’t know about before, then all the better. Unfortunately, as of a few weeks ago, Steve will be moving onto another team in the Center. Currently though, there’s no one, or very few people, that can get me to laugh so quickly and so hard, like Steve. He and I seem to be on a similar humor wave length, of obvious humor and life stuff, and is one of the ways that we’ve connected so well. Anyway, Steve’s just one example of the bonding that’s happened at work. I’ve gotten opportunities to bond with other staff members and students as well. In one instance, I wasn’t aware of the bonding or impression that I made on a student until his girlfriend later told me that, in short, I helped him realize that a blind person really could use a computer and use the web.
There are probably other things that I’ve missed, but these are the ones that come to mind right away for 2007 highlights. And now, my 2008 resolutions and hopes.
My resolutions are always composed of the same things. This way, they are open for lots of interpretation and there’s little chance of not achieving them. They are, to increase my independence in some way, and to continue growing in my job. As for hopes, which could be labeled as resolutions, but aren’t for the fact that if they aren’t achieved, then there’s no loss, :) My 2008 hopes include: to continue bonding with staff and students; continue to figure out how to motivate students; and continue in my search for a spouse. I’ve gotten back into the dating scene, via online dating, and have had some pretty good success with it so far. Though the two people that I’ve met have ultimately moved away to other cities, I still count those in the success category. Online dating is not for everyone, and to be sure, if you’re considering getting into it, you should definitely take precautions. I’ve met both the people I referred to above and have talked with them not only online, but through email, via phone, and in person. The site that I use is eHarmony for several reasons. Mainly because it was started by a Christian psychologist, and that the site has several layers that you have to go through to get signed up, meet someone, and ultimately communicate with them. These processes make me feel better about the site, rather than one where you put a picture up and say something like, “Date me!” The layers also help weed out those who may not be as committed and may not want to go through the layers to get to the goal—a match. Anyway, its my hope and prayer, and the prayers of others, that I find a spouse. For me, and for now, that looks to be through online dating, but that could change. Though I hope that I’m one of those people who can say on their wedding day, “Wow, we met through eHarmony.”
It should be an exciting and cool year ahead. Here’s hoping that you and yours have a Happy New Year as well, and that your resolutions and hopes/dreams come true. If not, remember, there’s always next year. Here’s hoping also that we see some nifty advancements in technology, both in adaptive and mainstream tech. Happy New Year everyone, and go Cowboys!
Friday, December 21
Seeing Eye Announcement
Greetings. I received the following announcement in my email Inbox. Note the date and time that the show below is on in your area. Enjoy.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Teresa Davenport (973) 539-4425 ext. 1761
December 17, 2007
The Seeing Eye Provides Clues for Popular Game Show
MORRISTOWN, N.J. – Question: “This organization, based in New Jersey, has matched over 14,000 specially bred and trained dogs as guides for persons who
are blind or visually impaired.”
Answer: “What is The Seeing Eye?”
On December 26, “Jeopardy! America’s Favorite Quiz Show®” will feature The Seeing Eye as part of its popular “Clue Crew” segment.
The Clue Crew is a group of energetic correspondents who travel the globe bringing clues to life by visiting places that are informational and entertaining.
Past Clue Crew destinations include the pyramids of Egypt and ancient Greek ruins.
“We were delighted when the producers of ‘Jeopardy’ approached us about filming clues here at The Seeing Eye last summer,” said The Seeing Eye’s Communications
Associate Bonnie Lannom. “We were able to represent all aspects of the Seeing Eye program, from puppy raising and dogs in training all the way up to a
working dog.”
“Jeopardy!” airs locally at 7 p.m. on WABC Channel 7, but check your local listings for the time and station in your area. Tune in and test your knowledge
along with 23 million other viewers.
The Seeing Eye, established in 1929, provides specially bred and trained dogs to guide people who are blind. Seeing Eye® dog users experience greatly enhanced
mobility and independence, allowing them to retain their active lifestyles despite blindness. The Seeing Eye is a philanthropy and is supported by contributions
from individuals, corporations and foundations, bequests, and other planned gifts.
The Seeing Eye is a trademarked name and can only be used to describe the dogs bred and trained at the school’s facilities in Morristown, N.J.
If you would like more information on The Seeing Eye, please visit the website at www.seeingeye.org or call (973) 539-4425.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Teresa Davenport (973) 539-4425 ext. 1761
December 17, 2007
The Seeing Eye Provides Clues for Popular Game Show
MORRISTOWN, N.J. – Question: “This organization, based in New Jersey, has matched over 14,000 specially bred and trained dogs as guides for persons who
are blind or visually impaired.”
Answer: “What is The Seeing Eye?”
On December 26, “Jeopardy! America’s Favorite Quiz Show®” will feature The Seeing Eye as part of its popular “Clue Crew” segment.
The Clue Crew is a group of energetic correspondents who travel the globe bringing clues to life by visiting places that are informational and entertaining.
Past Clue Crew destinations include the pyramids of Egypt and ancient Greek ruins.
“We were delighted when the producers of ‘Jeopardy’ approached us about filming clues here at The Seeing Eye last summer,” said The Seeing Eye’s Communications
Associate Bonnie Lannom. “We were able to represent all aspects of the Seeing Eye program, from puppy raising and dogs in training all the way up to a
working dog.”
“Jeopardy!” airs locally at 7 p.m. on WABC Channel 7, but check your local listings for the time and station in your area. Tune in and test your knowledge
along with 23 million other viewers.
The Seeing Eye, established in 1929, provides specially bred and trained dogs to guide people who are blind. Seeing Eye® dog users experience greatly enhanced
mobility and independence, allowing them to retain their active lifestyles despite blindness. The Seeing Eye is a philanthropy and is supported by contributions
from individuals, corporations and foundations, bequests, and other planned gifts.
The Seeing Eye is a trademarked name and can only be used to describe the dogs bred and trained at the school’s facilities in Morristown, N.J.
If you would like more information on The Seeing Eye, please visit the website at www.seeingeye.org or call (973) 539-4425.
VR Stream goodies
Greetings. HumanWare has been busy today, for they have released a couple of notable things. Note that you can know about releases and other Stream announcements when they are initially made by subscribing to the Stream News Wire on the VR Stream home page. This is an email announcement only list that is used whenever any announcements need to be made. I'll make the effort to inform you when these things are released, but I might miss things, either because I'm busy myself, or because I don't think they're worthy of a post here. So subscribe to the News Wire and stay up to date.
Here are a couple of things that are worthy of a post. The first is a tutorial that HumanWare has put out for the Stream. The tutorial is hosted by Jeff Bishop, from Main Menu fame and other things. The direct link to download the tutorial as a zip file is http://www.humanware.ca/web/en/media/stream_audio_tutorial.zip There is a Stream Tutorial folder within this zip file that you can copy to the $VROtherBooks folder on your SD card and play within the Stream. If you're like me and are a bit more selective, you can open the folder on your computer and select and copy only the files you want to put on the SD card. Either way will work. The tutorial covers topics from the basic (bookshelves, navigation, etc), to the advanced (using NLS digital books, BookShare material, and Audible).
The other announcement is the Companion Software that will start to be included on all CD's that come with new Stream orders. The software allows you to use a file transfer utility that HumanWare has developed to move files back and forth to yourStream, and to convert the proprietary audio note files into Wav format. Incidentally, the transfer utility is covered in the tutorial mentioned above if you want to know how to use it. The download link for the Companion Software is http://www.humanware.ca/web/download/StreamCompanion-1_0_11.zip Or you can download the Stream Companion Software User Guide in DOC format.
One other quick note. We learned from the Stream presentation on this week's Tech Talk, from the Accessible World website, that the Tom synthetic speech male voice of the Stream, for reading non-Daisy files, should be released within the next week or two. You cannot have both the Tom and Samantha voices on the Stream at once. You have to choose one or the other. This Tom voice is the same Tom voice that came with the SAPI 5 voices that FS released for JAWS 8, if that gives you a reference. There will be a download link on the Stream page from HumanWare when the voice is ready. Or, you can be notified from the Stream News Wire. Frankly, I'm looking forward to installing this voice on my Stream since I don't like the Samantha voice as much. Its this female voice that has prevented me from reading as many Book Share books of late. The Tom voice version of the Stream software can be installed just like a software upgrade. If you're interested in this voice, then follow the instructions from HumanWare on how to perform the upgrade.
Merry Christmas and enjoy all these new goodies! Here's looking forward to the future software versions from the Stream in 2008!
Here are a couple of things that are worthy of a post. The first is a tutorial that HumanWare has put out for the Stream. The tutorial is hosted by Jeff Bishop, from Main Menu fame and other things. The direct link to download the tutorial as a zip file is http://www.humanware.ca/web/en/media/stream_audio_tutorial.zip There is a Stream Tutorial folder within this zip file that you can copy to the $VROtherBooks folder on your SD card and play within the Stream. If you're like me and are a bit more selective, you can open the folder on your computer and select and copy only the files you want to put on the SD card. Either way will work. The tutorial covers topics from the basic (bookshelves, navigation, etc), to the advanced (using NLS digital books, BookShare material, and Audible).
The other announcement is the Companion Software that will start to be included on all CD's that come with new Stream orders. The software allows you to use a file transfer utility that HumanWare has developed to move files back and forth to yourStream, and to convert the proprietary audio note files into Wav format. Incidentally, the transfer utility is covered in the tutorial mentioned above if you want to know how to use it. The download link for the Companion Software is http://www.humanware.ca/web/download/StreamCompanion-1_0_11.zip Or you can download the Stream Companion Software User Guide in DOC format.
One other quick note. We learned from the Stream presentation on this week's Tech Talk, from the Accessible World website, that the Tom synthetic speech male voice of the Stream, for reading non-Daisy files, should be released within the next week or two. You cannot have both the Tom and Samantha voices on the Stream at once. You have to choose one or the other. This Tom voice is the same Tom voice that came with the SAPI 5 voices that FS released for JAWS 8, if that gives you a reference. There will be a download link on the Stream page from HumanWare when the voice is ready. Or, you can be notified from the Stream News Wire. Frankly, I'm looking forward to installing this voice on my Stream since I don't like the Samantha voice as much. Its this female voice that has prevented me from reading as many Book Share books of late. The Tom voice version of the Stream software can be installed just like a software upgrade. If you're interested in this voice, then follow the instructions from HumanWare on how to perform the upgrade.
Merry Christmas and enjoy all these new goodies! Here's looking forward to the future software versions from the Stream in 2008!
Tuesday, December 18
PM Omni released!
Greetings. For those faithful PAC Mate users who have been patiently, or perhaps not so patiently, waiting for the Omni to be released--your wait is over, partially. Freedom Scientific has officially released the PAC Mate Omni today. On this page, you will find a what's new link with much of the information that we've been told up until now. You will also find information on how the upgrade process will be handled, including sending your unit in for the upgrade. Remember that this is both a hardware and software upgrade, so it will be necessary to send your unit in. Since the Omni has been highly anticipated, I'd recommend filling out the upgrade form to send your unit in, as soon as possible. Also, make sure your hardware/software agreements are up to date. Prices range from $299 (if your agreements are up to date) to $699 (if you have no current agreements). Refer to the link above for more details. When filling out the form, FS promises to get back to you within one business day, so be sure you provide them with a valid email address.
Note that it will be possible to send your unit to FS in plenty of time before the date you receive back from them in the email. If you miss this date, it will make your wait longer, and in essence take you out of the order, or of line, and you will have to wait a longer time after many others have their units upgraded. In other words, save yourself the time and trouble by sending your PM in within a reasonable amount of time before the date it will be upgraded. I'd recommend at least a week before so you can ensure enough leadway.
Though it will be hard to be without my beloved note taker, it will be worth the upgrade. Also, it looks like there's a great effort to have the unit back to the user in as short amount of time as possible, which is good. When I filled out the form, I chose to have my unit sent back via 2 day UPS Ground, which had a nominal cost with it. There was an over night/one day option, but that was too expensive. The default is 3 day UPS Ground. Any way you choose, you'll have it back within probably 10 to 14 days or so from when you send it to Florida, which again is good. Enjoy, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Note that it will be possible to send your unit to FS in plenty of time before the date you receive back from them in the email. If you miss this date, it will make your wait longer, and in essence take you out of the order, or of line, and you will have to wait a longer time after many others have their units upgraded. In other words, save yourself the time and trouble by sending your PM in within a reasonable amount of time before the date it will be upgraded. I'd recommend at least a week before so you can ensure enough leadway.
Though it will be hard to be without my beloved note taker, it will be worth the upgrade. Also, it looks like there's a great effort to have the unit back to the user in as short amount of time as possible, which is good. When I filled out the form, I chose to have my unit sent back via 2 day UPS Ground, which had a nominal cost with it. There was an over night/one day option, but that was too expensive. The default is 3 day UPS Ground. Any way you choose, you'll have it back within probably 10 to 14 days or so from when you send it to Florida, which again is good. Enjoy, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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