Here's another csun conference paper.
kelly
Introducing New Talking Software from the American Printing House for the
Blind (APH)
Larry Skutchan
John Hedges
APH introduces exciting new high-tech products from our new
Technological Solutions team, a part of the Department of Educational
and Technical Research. Our goal is to utilize the latest technologies
to advance information access for blind and visually impaired students
and adults. Our latest software enhances training opportunities for
the Microsoft Windows environment.
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Listening To Windows 95
To begin, let us give you some background on our first product, which
is now shipping, "Listening To Windows 95." This Windows tutorial was
developed in partnership with Tecso, Inc. of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
APH is the U.S. distributor and manufacturer. This interactive
tutorial was designed specifically to train blind computer users the
basics of Windows and focuses on the special needs of blind users.
Windows concepts, keyboard commands, and effective methods of
navigation are a few special areas covered. The tutorial uses
professional narrators to present the information in a clear human
voice, so even the newest user will have no difficulty understanding
the material.
This product has been thoroughly tested and evaluated with blind and
visually impaired students in the middle and high schools at sites
around the country, as well as with adults in the U.S. and Canada.
Unlike other products for Windows training, such as audio tapes and
screen reader tutorials, "Listening To Windows 95" allows for
interactive exploration of the Windows environment as it guides you
through a series of topics with companion lessons, practice exercises,
and quizzes. The focus here is to learn Windows basics, while not
relying on any specific adaptive equipment. Listening To Windows 95
works with screen readers, braille displays, and screen enlargement
software, although its target audience is primarily the auditory
learner. The software operates on Windows 95 or Windows 98. The
tutorial focuses on the classic desktop configuration of Windows, so
Windows 98 users and those users updating their desktop to the active
desktop with Internet Explorer 4.0 will need to make some
configuration changes which are explained in the manual that comes
with "Listening to Windows 95."
Lets look at the CD-ROM based tutorial now. It requires a Windows
sound card and speakers running on a fast 486 or Pentium computer. As
you operate "Listening To Windows 95", the CD-ROM is required in the
CD-ROM drive. This saves your hard drive space, since the audio
content is about 600MB! As the program automatically starts, you log
in with your last name and proceed to where you last left off or to
the main menu. Lets review the menu now. (Here we will discuss and
demonstrate the software briefly and take questions.)
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Learn Keys
Let us now move on to our next software product, Learn Keys. This
program runs on Windows 95 or later and allows inexperienced keyboard
users, or low vision and data entry workers to receive verbal
confirmation of keyboarding activity. It works on any keyboard layout,
even on notebook systems. The software relies on professionally
narrated keyboard key descriptions to announce each key as you press
it. It is fast and responsive. Several options are available for
speed, pronunciation, and voice.
Let us demonstrate the program as we discuss each of these features.
In full screen mode, "Learn Keys" is "active", displaying the text of
the keys that are being pressed in Ariel font. Three different font
sizes are provided for low vision reading of the screen. These are
normal 12 point, large 18 point, and extra large 36 point font sizes
available from the menu. The menu, activated by pressing Alt + Space,
speaks in the current voice. Voices are available from Kerry - female
and Lou - male (demonstrate voice options). A normal and fast speed
can be selected, where the speech is 50% faster (demonstrate speed
options).
For the speech user, alternate pronunciations for keystrokes may be
familiar, but for new computer users and students just starting out,
learning key names and their symbolic uses can be tricky. Learn Keys
provides alternate pronunciation of several keys in menu selectable
schemes (demonstrate modes). These schemes or modes include normal,
terse, math, and full. These are useful for the allowing key name
learning from full pronunciation; math symbols in math pronunciation,
and short names in terse pronunciation. The variety allows the user to
hear what keys apply in what situation, whether in a word processor or
doing data entry in a spreadsheet.
Learn Keys operates in the background while other applications are
running. You can switch to another application and follow your
keystrokes. This allows data entry to be varified as well as blind
users to operate the keyboard without a screen reader. As the basis
for keyboard exploration, Learn Keys provides that friendly voice for
your keyboard. This is the perfect program to accompany a keyboarding
course for those new to the computer keyboard.
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Other new products
Additional software titles are currently under development from APH.
These products will utilize the Microsoft Speech API technologies and
the Active Accessibility technologies. APH plans to distribute and
support the Microsoft Text-To-Speech engine "Whisper" (TTS). This
technology will be included through the APH Speech Environment (ASE)
that will allow a user to select the software synthesis voice they
want, including third party TTS engines that support SAPI 4.0.
(demonstrate ASE with a beta version application.)
_________________________________________________________________
Reader's Digest, Electronic Braille Edition.
The last item to review today is the new Reader's Digest, Electronic
Braille Edition. The recent amendments to the Copyright laws give
special publishers the option to offer blind users books and
periodicals in a unique electronic format. A braille format document
file format fits the law's requirements for that "unique" blind
format. It is readable with special equipment and software blind
persons already have, while ,at the same time, being unreadable codes
for sighted readers.
With the cooperation of Reader's Digest, APH is now offering disk
based subscriptions to the monthly magazine from our braille files.
This allows the subscriber to back translate and read the magazine
electronically at the same time as the general public. Unlike the
braille or cassette versions, an electronic file can be searched and
read randomly. Any braille reverse translator can be used to read the
electronic edition of Reader's Digest, including the one in the
Braille 'n Speak.
To use a notetaker such as the Braille 'n Speak (demonstrate file
transfer and use), you will need to transfer the files into the
device. To assist in this transfer, we provide a freeware program set
called Send and Rcv. These were developed by Rob Meredith at APH to
meet the need to move data files to and from notetaking and similar
devices. The transfer process is simple and the disk or computer
retains a permanent copy of the files. This allows you to selectively
read the magazine as you wish with your portable device.
Reader's Digest, Electronic Braille Edition, is available on an annual
subscription basis for US $25.00.
Thank you for your interest in our new products.
_________________________________________________________________
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