Today's Wall Street Journal has an article on accessible technology in the
Technology Section page 14 titled "Sightless Surfing".  The article
discusses web access laws, the new Mac screen reader and a new device called
VT Player by VirTouch.  This Israili company has developed a computer mouse
that has a Braille tactual output.  Here is the description from their
website:

"The VirTouch Mouse is a special screen scanner-mouse, containing three
tactile displays each incorporating 32 rounded pins arranged in a four by
eight matrix. These pins respond vertically through the cursor to computer
graphics, pixel by pixel. Using three fingers, the blind and visually
impaired can understand the curvature and shading of the scanned screen
pixels presented through the structure of pin height. Each pin moves up and
down on several height levels presenting four shades: White, Light Gray,
Dark Gray and Black. Six buttons on the top and side of the VTS device
provide user interaction with the computer through screen navigation, the
sending of commands and the changing of device settings.
The VirTouch mouse is portable and easy to transport from one work station
to another."

Their website is:

http://www.skerpel.com/mouse.htm



JODY

"WE MUST BE THE CHANGE WE WISH
TO SEE IN THE WORLD"  ~ Gandhi


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