I am forwarding this message along to the list as it was sent to me.
I've not seen it on the vicug-l yet, it may be that the person's daily
message limit has been reached. Sorry for any duplications. This will be
particularly useful for Nelson, the person looking for the device for
detecting print on a sheet of paper for scanning.
Steve
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 21 May 2001 09:16:53 -0400
From: jknuth <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: RE: A pen-like grayness sensor?
Hello Bill,
You can contact your state assistive technology program for help in locating
the light detecting device. Information about the program in California
follows. It is a program you should get to know about anyway. For information
about assistive technology programs in other states, go to www.resna.org,
click on technical asssistance project and look for a list of programs in
various states. You can also search for devices on www.abledata.com.
CALIFORNIA ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM (CATS) (1993)
California Department of Rehabilitation
2000 Evergreen
Sacramento, CA 95815
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 944222
Sacramento, CA 94244-2220
Information and Referral: Colin Corby
Project Director: Dennis Law
Phone: (916) 263-8687
TTY: (916) 263-8685
FAX: (916) 263-8683
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Homepage: http://www.atnet.org
Good luck in finding the device you are seeking. Why not let the listserv
know about it when you find it.
Jan Knuth
>===== Original Message From [log in to unmask] =====
>Hi,
>
>No need for the optacon as it is frankly overkill for your needs. The
>optacon is a text reading device, converting the printed shapes on the
>page, e.g. letters, into vibrating pins which take on the shape of the
>letters under a hand camera which the user uses. When the device was
>produced, it generally cost about $3,000.
>
>What you need is a simple light detection device designed similarly to
>what you described. They should cost no more than $30 or $40. I don't
>know who you could check but I would think any rehab department of your
>state dealing with blindness could indicate where to go.
>
>Here in Chicago we have the Hines Rehabilitation Center, I believe that is
>the name. You can check with them as they specialized with blindness
>rehab. They are nationally known. Also there is an organization here
>which sells, as a side line, various blindness related devices, talking
>clocks, watches, some canes, etc. They are called The Guild for the
>Blind, located in downtown Chicago. They can be found on the web at
>www.guildfortheblind.org. Write them or call for information.
>
>There are plenty of other groups which would know of the kind of device
>you need. The optacon is complete overkill, and quite unnecessary for
>your needs. I also have one, in need of repair but choose not to sell.
>
>Steve
>
>On Mon, 21 May 2001, Bill McCann wrote:
>
>Hi,
>
>You might be interested in a device called the OPTACON: Optical to Tactile
>Converter. I am totally blind and I use my OPTACON to read all kinds of
>printed material. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, the OPTACON,
>which was first manufactured in the early 1970's, is no longer produced. I
>have a few used units available for sale. I acquired these a while ago to
>use for spare parts but I could part with one or two and still be covered.
>
>You, may contact me directly at [log in to unmask]
>
>Regards,
>Bill
>
>
>Dancing Dots
>www.dancingdots.com
>E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
>1754 Quarry Lane
>PO Box 927
>Valley Forge, PA 19482-0927
>Tel: 610-783-6692
>Fax: 610-783-6732
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Nelson Blachman" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2001 5:53 PM
>Subject: A pen-like grayness sensor?
>
>
>> I'm a retired physicist born with high myopia and 20:70 vision that
>began
>> deteriorating five years ago in my right eye from myopic degeneration
>(which
>> occurred around sixty years ago in my left eye). As a result I've been
>> totally blind for a year and began Braille lessons in January.
>>
>> I'm writing to ask if there's any device on the market at a reasonable
>> price that could serve to tell me quickly which side of a sheet of paper
>is
>> printed so that I can put it on my scanner the right way on my first try.
>I
>> imagine it could resemble a penlight, emitting a tone whose loudness or
>> pitch would indicate the level of gray it's pointed at.
>>
>> It might even emit three different tones if it could sense red, green,
>and
>> blue to indicate the color it sees as an aid in sorting clothes. But
>> monochrome perception should be quite enough for determining whether the
>> material to be scanned is laid out in a single column or many, in finding
>> out whether an attempt at printing out a file had been successful, etc.
>>
>> Nelson Blachman, Oakland, Calif.
>>
>>
>> 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
>>
>
>
>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
>
>
>--
>+----------------------------+
>| Steve Zielinski (N8UJS) |
>| [log in to unmask] |
>+----------------------------+
>
>
>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
Janice L. Knuth, MSW, LSW
Training Coordinator
Pennsylvania's Initiative on Assistive Technology
Institute on Disabilities
Temple University
1301 Cecil B. Moore Ave., 423 RA
Philadelphia, PA 19122
215 204-5397
[log in to unmask]
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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