Nelson,
The Mill Valleyphone for John and Leslie Brabyn, who make the
active light probe is: 415-381-2534

This is the best one I know of for detecting print and other "reflective"
purposes.  You can not read the print of course, but can even find
where it ends so as to re-insert it in a typewriter for example.

This probe costs about $43.00 and is quite small, looking like a
9 volt battery with a thick head and a nose.  It can also be used
to detect ambient light as in room and some appliance lights, but
the presence of the infrared source in this probe causes some
reflections from many plastic and metal surfaces making this not
the ideal unit for say finding the lights on telephones.

Many places that sell devices for the blind have light probes of
widely varying size, price, and utility.  Try, for example
L.S. & S. group
Independant living aids, and as I said previously, the store of
the San Francisco Light house.
1415-481-1481
they also have catalogue sails, and may, in fact, sell the Brabyn's probe.

If you are truly a masochist, you could always do a web search,
say using google.com for "light probes" with a key word of
"blind"
and probably find more than you care to deal with.

for your needs the Brabyn unit, which was developed here at
the Smith-Kettlewell Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center
is ideal.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you don't find these solutions
adequate.
        have fun
Tom Fowle
Embedded Systems Developer/ Rehab engineer
Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center
The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute
http://www.ski.org/rerc
2318 Fillmore St.
San Francisco, CA 94115
415-345-2123 (Voice)
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