Members of VIPACE! (www.vipace.org) will be provided with a demonstration
of this product at the April 14th meeting.


        This article from Business Week can be read at :
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/mar2000/nf00315d.htm

   ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
   BY JOHN M. WILLIAMS MARCH 15, 2000

For the Blind, an Operating System of Their Own

   HumanWare's new BrailleNote extends the Windows CE platform to convert
   text into digital speech or into Braille


   For the blind, equal access to computers and the Internet has been a
   rallying cry for years. But it has proven to be an elusive goal. PCs
   are, after all, a strongly visual tool, and most popular operating
   systems such as Microsoft Windows can provide only limited
   accessibility adjustments. So the mantra has been changing: Blind
   people now are demanding their own operating system capable of tapping
   the Net in a way perfectly suited to them.
   Next week at the annual California State University at Northridge
   Assistive Technology Conference, HumanWare Inc. will be previewing a
   new product that may give blind people what they've been looking for.
   The company, based in Loomis, Calif., will soon roll out BrailleNote,
   a notetaker for the blind with a modern operating system built on
   Windows CE technology. For the first time ever, blind users will be
   able to send and receive e-mail attachments that can be opened in
   Microsoft Word, and then converted into text, digital voice, or
   Braille.
   This would mark a big step forward. The best products on the market
   today can reproduce computer documents in print Braille or convert
   text into digital voice. But blind computer users can't send or
   receive accessible attachments via e-mail. The BrailleNote is the
   first system that will allow a blind user to use Windows technology
   just like a sighted person.
   EASY TYPING. The device looks like an oversized Palm digital
   assistant. Although it's a bit bulky, you could carry it in your
   jacket pocket or in a purse. It has a specially designed keyboard
   along the sides and at the bottom. The first three keys on each side
   of the unit contain the Braille alphabet. Other keys direct where
   Braille dots should be placed or can serve as cursors. For example, a
   single dot represents the letter "a." A dot, followed by an "above"
   key command, followed by another dot, would produce a "b." Two dots in
   a row and a third dot placed below the second dot is "c." So with a
   little practice, a blind person can enter just about any information
   into the computer.
   The BrailleNote also has a special display screen along the bottom. By
   pressing an advance bar, words in Braille move along the display
   screen in either 18- or 32-cell configurations. The cells are the
   indentations that relay information to a blind person. And they allow
   the user to read any material entered into the unit, including e-mail
   attachments. The BrailleNote also will print out files in Braille on
   paper, although it requires a special printer. And it will read files
   back to you in a clear, digital voice. It's a multifaceted device.
   I believe BrailleNote isn't trying to replicate what the PC does as
   much it is trying to leap past existing technology to a new platform
   in which blind people will have the tools to be as productive as
   sighted people. This is the revolutionary part of BrailleNote. The
   blind user can open the attachment to an e-mail, edit it, save it, and
   reattach it to another outgoing e-mail. The receiver would never know
   the sender used a system different from Windows to do the work. The
   results are identical to what you would get from someone who isn't
   blind.
   BEST BRAILLE. Among my blind friends, this device has generated
   enthusiastic interest. BrailleNote has the potential to put the
   applications people require most often from a computer into an
   environment that is intuitive, yet powerful.
   BrailleNote has an internal modem, and infrared, serial, and parallel
   ports. By using these industry standards, the BrailleNote allows
   carefree interfacing with contemporary technology such as printers,
   embossers, PCs, or visual displays. Within seconds of turning
   BrailleNote on, users can read documents in Grade 1 or Grade 2
   Braille, the highest quality of Braille on the market. Forward and
   backward Braille translators give total flexibility in handling text
   and Braille documents. Tasks can be processed quickly, and you can
   store hundreds of files and pages of Braille.
   I truly believe this product will give blind people the power to be at
   least as productive as their sighted peers. HumanWare expects to
   deliver the product to market by June at a price of around $3,500 for
   the 18-cell model and $5,000 for the 32-cell version.
   What's your opinion on this topic? Let us know at BW Online's
   Assistive Tech Forum. Or, if you have a question about assistive
   technology, write to John at [log in to unmask]
   EDITED BY DOUGLAS HARBRECHT





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