While this is a usefull device, it seems to be priced beyond the reach of
many. When Pentium class computers are being given away for free with a
three year subscription to an internet service, this simple device should
not cost $700 these days.
On Wed, 18 Aug 1999, Kelly Pierce wrote:
> Here's info on an innovative device that can distinguish colors for the
> blind.
>
> kelly
>
> from business Week
>
> ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY by John M. Williams
>
> COMPUTER, WHAT COLOR IS MY TIE?
>
> You hit 40 years old and suddenly, it seems, you're straining to read
> the fine print on a restaurant tab in low light, or squinting to read
> faraway signs on the highway. I know. My vision is declining, and
> vision loss can reduce productivity in the worlplace.
>
> Many unfortunate employees are blind, color-blind, or have difficulty
> distinguishing between different hues. If an employee can't
> distinguish colors, how can that person compete in the workforce? The
> American Printing House for the Blind has an answer -- ColorTest.
>
> ColorTest is a handheld device that, when placed in contact with any
> object, will announce the color of that object in a clear
> computer-generated human voice. It can sense up to 150 different color
> nuances and even detects patterns, brightness, and contrast. Using
> ColorTest, blind and visually impaired individuals can sort colored
> folders, forms, or floppy disks. They can select their wardrobe in the
> morning, even differentiate between ripe and unripened fruit at lunch.
>
> The technology is pretty basic: ColorTest has an artificial eye that
> senses color using a small lamp and several sensors. The lamp emits a
> light beam when a button is pressed. The reflected light reaches the
> sensors, which report the general tendency of a color -- dark blue
> with tones of gray, for example -- to a computer chip, which then
> articulates the hues in human voice. The color analysis can be quite
> detailed -- including specific degrees of brightness and contrast,
> right down to whether the light is natural or artificial.
>
> After five seconds, the device shuts itself off automatically with a
> deep-tone signal. You can check the status of the rechargeable battery
> with a touch of a button, and adjust the speaker volume to four
> levels. Estimates of the number of people who can benefit from
> ColorTest run from 5 million to 8 million.
>
> ColorTest costs $695 and comes with a 90-day guarantee on parts. On
> the market since early 1998, several hundred have been sold, all to
> individual buyers. While most are adults, about 20 have been
> teenagers. Nearly all of the purchasers, according to the American
> Printing House of the Blind, are employed and use it for work and
> other activities requiring sight. More women than men are buying it so
> far.
>
> Dorothy Myers is one ColorTest user whose experience has been very
> positive. After using it for six months, she says, "It has definitely
> altered my life. Being partially blind and always colorblind, I have
> never been able to distinguish colors. In fact, I can not distinguish
> between red or pink, blue or brown. ColorTest tells me the color. Now
> I don't dress in different colors, and so I look better." For years,
> Myers remembers receiving strange looks from people when she was out.
> She knew it was because her colors clashed.
>
> A programmer for the Transportation Dept. in South Florida, Myers uses
> the product at work when assembling documents or books. She
> enthusiastically says: "I can color-code different sections now. I was
> never able to do that myself. I always had to have someone help me."
>
> Terry Lawrence purchased ColorTest in June. He uses it when getting
> dressed, when preparing reports, when buying food, and for other
> activities. "ColorTest has made a difference in my life. I am more
> indpendent. I feel better about myself. It's true, technology can be a
> great equalizer for disabled people." Lawrence is colorblind and has a
> 40% vision loss. He's a 40-year-old accountant living in Atlanta. He
> adds: "ColorTest has become an extension of my arms. Being
> ambidexterous, I easily switch arms when the other one gets tired of
> holding it."
>
> Both Myers and Lawrence learned of ColorTest from friends who are
> familar with the activities of the American Printing House for the
> Blind. For more information, you can call that organization at (502)
> 895-2405.
>
>
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>
VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
To join or leave the list, send a message to
[log in to unmask] In the body of the message, simply type
"subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html
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