The President's New Freedom Initiative promised to help jumpstart research
in
assistive and universally designed
technologies.  As part of our work to make this a reality, the Commerce
Department and the National Federation of the
Blind will announce tomorrow the first field testing of a prototype device
to
increase access to electronic images in the
same way that Braille is used by people who are blind.

Below is more information about tomorrow's event.

Troy Justesen
Associate Director for Domestic Policy





MEDIA ADVISORY                CONTACTS:  Michael E. Newman at (301) 975-3025
Monday, Oct. 21, 2002                    [log in to unmask]
                              Karen Cowles Pullen at (202) 482-1523
                              [log in to unmask]

Deputy Commerce Secretary to Announce New Technology for the Blind
Device Allows Blind to 'Feel' Electronic Images and Furthers
Administration's
Commitment to Persons with Disabilities

Thursday, October 24, 2002, 11 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

The International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind
National Federation of the Blind Headquarters
1800 Johnson St., Baltimore, Md.

For directions, go to http://www.nfb.org/directions.htm

Deputy Commerce Secretary Sam Bodman and National Federation of the Blind
(NFB)
President Marc Maurer will
announce that Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST)
and the NFB will collaborate on the
first "field testing" of a prototype device for the blind and visually
impaired
to "feel" electronic images and graphics. The
announcement is being made in conjunction with National Disability Awareness
Month and NFB's National Meet the Blind
Month and furthers the President's New Freedom Initiative in developing
assistive technologies for persons with disabilities.

The NIST tactile visual display system will be demonstrated for the media by
John Roberts, the leader of the NIST research
team developing the technology, and Curtis Chong, director of technology for
the
 NFB, who is blind. A short
question-and-answer period will follow the demonstration. Reporters,
photographers and video crews then will be able to
try out/photograph the visual display system firsthand.

During the past few years, NIST has pioneered two low-cost technologies to
translate electronic data for use by the blind
and visually impaired. The first device, known as the NIST Braille reader,
allows the blind to use e-books, review e-mail,
browse the Web and access other text-based applications.

The current version of the reader incorporates several design improvements
based
 on feedback from NFB members who
"field tested" the original design.

The technology to be introduced on Oct. 24 is a device that brings
electronic
images to the blind and visually impaired in the
same way that Braille makes words readable. The prototype conveys scanned
illustrations, map outlines or other graphical
images to the fingertips, and can translate images displayed on Internet Web
pages or in electronic books.

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