Audrey,

Please forward to the listserv from where you sent me this request. Thanks.
How do I get on this listserv?

Carol

Dear Mr. Othman:

Your news is exciting as I have been to your country twice in the last two
years. Is the library you speak of the new library in Alexandria? If so, I
saw it in 1999 while it was under the last stages of construction. A nice
example of accessibility built into a museum in Egypt is the Graeco-Roman
Museum in Alexandria where many artifacts are labeled in Braille in three
languages-Arabic, French, and English. I was so impressed that I sought out
the curator to tell her how wonderful this signage was for people who are
blind and who can read Braille.

Now, on to your request. 

For most of your requests, there are three main U.S. organizations for
individuals who are blind that may offer your project much assistance. They
are the American Foundation for the Blind (http://www.afb.org) that has a
very informative page on Creating Accessible Computer Applications with
additional web links at
<A href="http://www.afb.org/info_document_view.asp?documentid=198,http://www.afb.org/info_document_view.asp?documentid=198, the National
Federation of the Blind (http://www.nfb.org) that has an informative
Technology page at http://www.nfb.org/tech.htm, and the American Council for
the Blind (http://www.acb.org) with a nice Resources section including
Braille repair services at http://www.acb.org/Resources/index.html.

For donated equipment, you may want to try the American Printing House for
the Blind at http://www.aph.org/. Also, there are some international
recycling organizations that may be able to donate computers, software, and
other equipment. Some are the National Cristina Foundation
http://www.cristina.org.

One good resource here in the United States is the National Library for the
Blind and Physically Handicapped at http://www.loc.gov/nls/ that has the
kinds of resources you seek.

In addition, to locate the manufacturers of the products referenced in most
of these organizations' websites, go to the ABLEDATA site at
http://www.abledata.com and/or to the Georgia Center for Rehabilitation
Technology's public assistive technology site at
http://www.assistivetech.net.

Good Luck with your project. 

Carol Boyer
Project Associate
RESNA Technical Assistance Project
1700 N. Moore Street, Suite 1540
Arlington, VA 22209
703/524-6686, x- 309 (V)
703/524-6639 (TTY)
703/524-6630 (Fax)
[log in to unmask] 
http://www.resna.org/taproject 


Audrey J. Gorman
Director
Roads To Learning
ASCLA/The American Library Association
50 East Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611
1-800-545-2433 Ext. 4027
Fax:  312-944-8085
E-mail:  [log in to unmask]

Web page: www.ala.org/roads 

>>> [log in to unmask] 04/20/01 12:55AM >>>
Hi All,

this is abdelrahman Othman, from Cairo, Egypt. I am writing to you for
the first time. Last week I was asked by one of the largest libraries in
Egypt and the world to establish a department for the visually impaired
individuals. I said that it should be electronic as well as
traditional one and gave them my initial recommendations of having about
20 pcs fully equipped with talking software and Braille devices [ which
I have little knowledge of] . As the library is here in Egypt I
recommended that at least half the pcs should read in Arabic.
I would like to get your advice on the follwing as well as any good
recommendations of your own:
1- what are your recommended accessible library software to be
installed?
2- what national or international organizations should I contact to get
donated Braille or cassette talking or electronic or large print books?
3- what are the companies and institutes that can help in that field?
4- what are the best Braille monitors and printers available in the
world and what companies that sell them?
5- what are the best recommended cassette players to be used in library?
and what standards should we apply LOC's or what?

As this project has an International nature, I beg you to add whatever
recommendation you may see of good help.
you may forward this message to as many lists and institutions as you
can.

thank you very much for your help.




Regards,

abdelrahman othman
egyptian blind television journalist
SAKHR ARABIC READING MACHINE DEALER.
FREEDOM SCIENTIFIC AND arkenstone's computer products for the blind
dealer inTHE MIDDLE EAST .
voice mate talking organizer dealer.
computer consultant for the egyptian organization for the rights of
handicaps.
INDEPENDENT LIVING AIDS FOR ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR ALL TYPES OF
DISSABILITIES DEALER.
EMAIL: [log in to unmask] 
[log in to unmask] 
tell: +202-6389388
CELLULAR: +20-101520016



BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:2.1
X-GWTYPE:USER
FN:Audrey Gorman
TEL;WORK:4027
ORG:;ASCLA
EMAIL;WORK;PREF;NGW:[log in to unmask]
N:Gorman;Audrey
END:VCARD