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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