Susan and all,
The Pen you refer to is a product designed for people with learning
disabilities and other reading difficulties. You have to see the print to
use it. You guide the pen along each line of text, and there's no room for
guess or error. Too bad. When I first heard about it years ago, it sounded
like a dream come true, too!
Deborah
----- Original Message -----
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Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2005 12:28 AM
Subject: VICUG-L Digest - 28 Jan 2005 to 29 Jan 2005 (#2005-5)
There are 4 messages totalling 89 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. talking handheld scanner (2)
2. readers for pdf files (2)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 12:43:28 -0600
From: "S. Gabriel" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: talking handheld scanner
I recently saw an ad for the Wizcom SuperPen Voice hand-held scanner and
was wondering if any of you have ever tried using it. It looks like a large
highlighting pen. It scans text and then speaks it. It appears to be
something I'd find useful if it actually works as promised.
Thanks for any feedback you might have.
Susan
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 12:12:28 -0800
From: doris fisher <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: readers for pdf files
I have a lot of difficulty using Adobe. I am wondering if you have any
recommendations re an easy pdf reader; how much, where do I find it; is it
really accessible without a lot of maneuvering? Thanks.
dory
[log in to unmask]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 19:41:56 -700
From: Tom Fowle <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: talking handheld scanner
Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]>
susan,
the problem with such a device would be that if you're totally
blind, you would not have any way of tracking this device
accurately over lines of text.
We havn't tried it, for that reason.
I rather doubt it would have the accuracy of modern OCR packages
because they use large samples of print to recognize fonts etc.
This thing must work on an almost letter by letter basis.
It might be of use for folks with enough vision to track it
accurattely but who don't have the resolution to read small
print.
tom Fowle
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 19:42:01 -700
From: Tom Fowle <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: readers for pdf files
Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]>
dorey,
the best results I've heard of come from using an OCR package,
either one of the "Blind" reading systems like Kersweil or
Openbook that have the ability to take PDF files as input, or
Some use commercial OCR packages like OmniPage that can also
convert PDF files. These require a good facility with screen
readers and are not as easy to use as the blind "self voicing"
OCR systems.
No mattere what you use, PDF files and the very complex pages
they allow people to publish just becaus they "CAN" are a major
barrier to accessible information for blind folks.
I considerAdobe to be public enemy number two.
you get ony one guess at number one.
tom Fowle
Net-Tamer V 1.13 Beta - Registered
------------------------------
End of VICUG-L Digest - 28 Jan 2005 to 29 Jan 2005 (#2005-5)
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