Accessibility Hardware

[Darrell Shandrow]

Hi David,

Yes; understood.  Sorry about the slight political statement...  :-)  I'm
virtually totally blind...  :-)  I do virtually everything in a nonvisual
manner.  There are many partially sighted people for whom using vision for
certain task is simply no longer effective, yet they persist because it is
the "sighted way" and they do not wish to be separated in any way from the
"sighted world".  In my case, though I obviously participate in the sighted
world, I don't pretend to do anything in anything other than a nonvisual
way.

The "pad with dots" is known as a Braille display, and both Braille displays
and text-to-speech systems can be driven by screen reader software that
accesses the information displayed on-screen.

Darrell Shandrow - Shandrow Communications!
Technology consultant/instructor, network/systems administrator!
A+, CCNA, Network+!
Check out high quality telecommunications services at http://ld.net/?nu7i
My deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the astronauts lost in
the 2/1/03 space shuttle explosion!
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Mandala" <davidm@them.com>
To: "Plug" <plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us>
Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2003 12:45 PM
Subject: Re: Accessibility Hardware


> Since the gent has to use a guide dog to go anywhere I'd say that for
> him it is effective. The beauty of Linux is that different users can get
> what they want the way they want it.
>
> One guy uses a pad that translates the screen to dots (I could feel the
> screen but it meant nothing to me, pretty cool though), another uses a
> special text to speech system which is quite good, and this other gent
> prefers to read a zoomed screen.
>
> I would not say any of them are not very effective users. Different
> strokes for different folks. At one time or another each of them has
> made presentations the balug group, quite interesting.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Davidm
>
> On Thu, 2003-02-06 at 12:36, Darrell Shandrow wrote:
> > Hi David,
> >
> > It would not seem that the guy who is "zooming" in that much would be a
very
> > effective user.  Please see the message I just posted here; there are
much
> > more effective ways to use a computer for people with that little amount
of
> > vision!  There's a good deal of resources available.  I'm always able
and
> > willing to help!
> >
> > Darrell Shandrow - Shandrow Communications!
> > Technology consultant/instructor, network/systems administrator!
> > A+, CCNA, Network+!
> > Check out high quality telecommunications services at
http://ld.net/?nu7i
> > My deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the astronauts lost
in
> > the 2/1/03 space shuttle explosion!
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "David Mandala" <davidm@them.com>
> > To: "Plug" <plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us>
> > Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2003 12:28 PM
> > Subject: Re: Accessibility Hardware
> >
> >
> > > You might try joining the balug.org mailing list and asking the
question
> > > there. As I recall balug has a couple of people that are sight
> > > challenged, one of them completely blind and one that uses some type
of
> > > software zoom to allow him to see the screen at all (and I do mean
ZOOM,
> > > he gets about 5-6 letters on screen at at time on his laptop).
> > >
> > > It's been a while since I attended a balug meeting so I don't know for
> > > sure that either person is still attending but you never know.
> > >
> > > Hope that helps.
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > >
> > > Davidm
> > >
> > >
> > > On Thu, 2003-02-06 at 12:11, itdamager@cox.net wrote:
> > > > Hi,
> > > >
> > > > This isn't specifically a linux question but I ask for the groups
input
> > on this matter.
> > > >
> > > > I have a user that is, unfortunatly, losing his sight.
> > > >
> > > > Can anyone give me tips on hardware I can buy that might make his
job
> > easier? Something like big giant keyboards or magnifying screens?
> > > >
> > > > Google turns up, well googles, of information but I don't know where
to
> > start. Surely someone has experience in this area and can recommend
> > manufacturers, etc.
> > > >
> > > > Any input is much appreciated.
> > > >
> > > > Thanks.
> > > >
> > > > ---------------------------------------------------
> > > > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> > > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change  you mail settings:
> > > > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
> > > --
> > > David IS Mandala
> > > gpg fingerprint 8932 E7EF CCF5 1B8C 1B5C A92E C678 795E 45B2 D952
> > > Phoenix, AZ (480) 460-7546 HP, (602) 741-1363 CP
> > > http://www.them.com/~davidm/
> > >
> > > ---------------------------------------------------
> > > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change  you mail settings:
> > > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
> >
> > ---------------------------------------------------
> > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change  you mail settings:
> > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
> --
> David IS Mandala
> gpg fingerprint 8932 E7EF CCF5 1B8C 1B5C A92E C678 795E 45B2 D952
> Phoenix, AZ (480) 460-7546 HP, (602) 741-1363 CP
> http://www.them.com/~davidm/
>
> ---------------------------------------------------
> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change  you mail settings:
> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss