and:
http://www.gwmicro.com
and http://www.dolfinusa.com
just to name a couple more.

Johnnie Apple Seed

----- Original Message -----
From: "Catherine Alfieri" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 4:04 PM
Subject: CURR: NYTimes.com Article: Q & A: PC's Can Speak Up for the Vision
Impaired


Q & A: PC's Can Speak Up for the Vision Impaired

October 28, 2004
By J.D. BIERSDORFER





Q. My 82-year-old aunt is slowly losing her sight, but she
loves her computer and uses it every day. Are there
software programs that will convert text to speech to help
her keep up with e-mail and Web pages?

A. Both the Windows and Macintosh operating systems offer
some built-in functions to help people with visual
impairments use the computer. There are also commercial
programs that can read aloud text on the screen.

Windows XP comes with an Accessibility Wizard that you can
use on your aunt's computer to help make it easier to use
by increasing the size of screen fonts, changing the screen
resolution and setting up the Microsoft's Magnifier program
to enlarge areas of the screen. The Magnifier program is
also available in earlier versions of Windows. Microsoft
offers more information about using assistive technology
with Windows at www.microsoft.com/enable/at/types.aspx.

As for text-to-speech options, Windows XP comes with a
program called Narrator that can read aloud dialog boxes,
menu items and text that has been typed on the screen. To
turn on the Narrator function, from the Start menu, go to
All Programs and then to Accessories. In the Accessibility
area, select Narrator.

Third-party screen reader programs for Windows include JAWS
(Windows 95 and later; $895 at
www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws.asp),
ReadPlease (several different text-to-speech programs
ranging from free to $80 that work with most versions of
Windows; www.readplease.com) and I.B.M.'s Home Page Reader
program designed specifically for reading e-mail and Web
pages aloud (compatible with Windows 98 and later; $145 at
www-3.ibm.com/able/solution_offerings/hpr.html).

Apple devotes a section of its site to assistive technology
for the Mac at www.apple.com/accessibility. The next
version of Mac OS X, code-named Tiger, will have a
spoken-word interface called VoiceOver built right into the
system.

The Ability Hub (www.abilityhub.com) is a Web site that can
be helpful in finding products to help your aunt.


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/28/technology/circuits/28askk.html?8cir