--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: E3100003Date: 02/27/97 From: GTRAPP@ABQ.COM Time: 11:41pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Assistive Technology Lemon Law From: gtrapp@abq.com Subject: Assistive Technology Lemon Law Dear List Members, There is a bill currently pending before the New Mexico legislature which would create an assistive technology lemon law. If passed and signed into law, the law would require makers of assistive technology devices to place a 1 year warrantee on their products. I seem to recall some discussion that such laws would have an adverse impact on the blind because they would discourage development and marketing of assistive technology products designed for use by the blind; the argument being that the market for blind persons is so small that anything that reduces profitability would mean fewer new products. Does anybody have any comments? Thanks, Greg Trapp Board Member National Association of Blind Lawyers --- * Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: E3100004Date: 02/28/97 From: DIANE DOBSON Time: 01:21am \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: Assistive Technology Lemon Law From: Diane Dobson Subject: Re: Assistive Technology Lemon Law As lawyers cant you recognise Blackmail ? Diane Dobson r Happy Uoliday ! Have an accessible day ! Diane aa321@freenet.victoria.bc.ca ____________________________________________________ --- * Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: E3100005Date: 02/28/97 From: PATRICK GORMLEY Time: 07:43pm \/To: MIKE FREEMAN (Read 0 times) Subj: Interesting programs Mike I found a couple of cdrom databases which might be of interest to you. They're both from spectrum and one is called ham_db and open repeaters and the second one is a larger program called spectrum which lists frequencies from vlf to the microwave region. 73- KK3F --- Squish v1.01 * Origin: The Idea Link - Technologies for Society (301) 949-5764 1:109/432) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: E3100006Date: 03/01/97 From: HARVEY HEAGY Time: 06:55am \/To: RICHARD WEBB (Read 0 times) Subj: digital audio workstations and speech Hi Richard. When the last radio station I worked for was converting to digital recording from analog I asked on the Broadcast forum on Compuserve if anyone new of any adaptation software or systems that would be friendly to Visually Impaired users. These are the responses I received from Smartcaster Systems and I thought it might help you or anyone else interested in the same thing. #: 346671 S10/Radio 15-Feb-96 08:12:39 Sb: #345133-digital help Fm: Dane Roach 76642.3706@compuserve.com To: Harvey Heagy Dane Roach, here from Smarts Broadcast Systems. All current Gen. 2000 Smartcasters support a second audio card and software program to output cues to a headset for VI people. The screens are text based, and we've worked hard o keep them running for our VI clients. I can give you a contact at our client site in WASHINGTON state, if you would like. We are a protected mode DOS application and have set up our product with two diferent systems. If you call us VOICE at 1-800-747-6278 we can get info to you right away. We have LIVE modes for card deck replacment all the way to MEGA satellite systems and CD and Hard automation. There is no mouse used in the system and you can add many buttons for special tasks. (One key to get into and record the weather cut ) Dane Roach, Technical Services Manager SMARTS BROADCASTING Date: 06-Mar-96 14:48 CST From: Dane Roach [76642.3706@compuserve.com] Subj: digital help Harvey, Sorry for the delay in answering. The SMART CASTER software is a LIVE AND AUTOMATION package. We allow PLUG INS from other companies to do the visual assist. We have just made sure that we allow these plugins room in memory and a port address from witch to work from. Dane Harvey --- msged 2.07 * Origin: The Metairie Point -- New Orleans, LA (1:396/1.13) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: E3300000Date: 02/28/97 From: JULIE DAWSON Time: 04:52pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: Assistive Technology Lem From: Julie Dawson Subject: Re: Assistive Technology Lem Dear Listers, My name is Julie Dawson formerly of LA, NM, TX, and OH. I am in the midst of the ordering computer equipment process through NY CBVH. I believe that all blind consumers have the right to receive reputable and credible warantees not just three months on most computer equipment and parts. We are often the ones who have to pay when the wanrantee runs out (prematurely) in comparison to other products sighted folks have access to. Having lesser warrantees on assistive/adaptive technology seems to me to be an insidious way of viewing and treating blind persons as second class citizens. This is something which we do not tolerate and work hard to educate and insure our equality, security and opportunity, our rights by birth. Thank you for listening. I'm glad Greg started the discussion. I'll be looking forward to hearing how the law progresses. Julie Dawson --- * Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: E3300001Date: 03/02/97 From: RICHARD WEBB Time: 11:56am \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: digital audio workstations and speec11:56:2503/02/97 From: Richard Webb Subject: Re: digital audio workstations and speech Hi Harvey, Recently you wrote re: digital audio workstations and speech: >X-Listname: NFBnet NFB-Talk Mailing List >Hi Richard. When the last radio station I worked for was >converting to digital recording from analog I asked on the >Broadcast f #: 346671 S10/Radio >15-Feb-96 08:12:39 >Sb: #345133-digital help >Fm: Dane Roach 76642.3706@compuserve.com >Dane Roach, here from Smarts Broadcast Systems. All current Gen. >2000 Smartcasters support a second audio card and software program >to output cues to a headset for VI people. The screens are text This sounds interesting. I will communicate with these folks next week. You see, I'm mixing to digital audio tape now, but some kind of multi-track would be handy. Saw woill work, as I can manipulate 4 stereo pairs at once, or I've heard good things about Cooledit, which has a 4 track version now I'm hearing from other folks. Four tracks would work, as a lot of the music beds I do are Midi, but it depends on whether I can manipulate the 4 tracks independently, as I hate to use 2 tracks for a vocalist to do one, and with saw, you can only manipulate tracks in stereo pairs, as you're manipulating different wav files. The alesis adats and some other machines use s-vhs or 8 mm videotape, and can be ganged together, but, from what I've heard, the digital workstations for the pc or Mac are of higher quality. Be that as it may, I may be going that direction if I don't find a solution to my quandery. I'll check these folks you turned me on to, as I saved the phone number. I've gotta do something to leave the world of the constant adjusting of an older analog 1/2 inch 16 track behind me sooner or later. REgards, Richard Webb, Electric Spider Productions Recording and sound (319) 758-0427 Amateur call kb0ruu --- * Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: E3300002Date: 03/03/97 From: DAVID ANDREWS Time: 01:01am \/To: GTRAPP@ABQ.COM (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: Assistive Technology Lemon Law -=> Quoting gtrapp@abq.com to All <=- gt> From: gtrapp@abq.com gt> Subject: Assistive Technology Lemon Law gt> Dear List Members, gt> There is a bill currently pending before the New Mexico legislature gt> which would create an assistive technology lemon law. If passed and gt> signed into law, the law would require makers of assistive technology gt> devices to place a 1 year warrantee on their products. I seem to gt> recall some discussion that such laws would have an adverse impact on gt> the blind because they would discourage development and marketing of gt> assistive technology products designed for use by the blind; the gt> argument being that the market for blind persons is so small that gt> anything that reduces profitability would mean fewer new products. gt> Does anybody have any comments? The only one who can really meaningfully respond to this one are the manufacturers and developers themselves. Some offer a 3 month (90 day) warranty, some a year. I suspect it wouldn't make a big difference, but it might with marginal companies. David Andrews ... Computers also eliminate spare time. --- Blue Wave/386 v2.30 [NR] * Origin: NFB NET St. Paul, MN (612) 696-1975 (1:282/1045) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: E3300003Date: 03/03/97 From: DAVID ANDREWS Time: 01:07am \/To: HARVEY HEAGY (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: digital audio workstations and speec01:07:3703/03/97 -=> Quoting Harvey Heagy to Richard Webb <=- HH> Hi Richard. When the last radio station I worked for was converting HH> to digital recording from analog I asked on the Broadcast forum on HH> Compuserve if anyone new of any adaptation software or systems that HH> would be friendly to Visually Impaired users. These are the responses HH> I received from Smartcaster Systems and I thought it might help you or HH> anyone else interested in the same thing. There is also a company in Massachusetts called Wire Ready that has an accessible system I believe, a system primarily intended for radio broadcast systems. David Andrews p.s. I believe it is Newton Massachusetts, but could be wrong. I have the info at work. Anyone who needs it can call me at 612-642-0513 or send me e-mail t dandrews@ssb.state.mn.us. David Andrews ... The OFFICIAL tagline of the 1996 Olympics! --- Blue Wave/386 v2.30 [NR] * Origin: NFB NET St. Paul, MN (612) 696-1975 (1:282/1045) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: E3300004Date: 03/03/97 From: DAVID ANDREWS Time: 01:22am \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Using telnet in the GUI environments. (F01:22:1903/03/97 * Originally By: Visually.Impaired.Pittsburgh.Area.C, of (1/1) * Originally To: root:nfb-talk@echogate * Originally Re: Using telnet in the GUI environments. (Forward) * Original Date: 22 Feb 97 00:24:15 * Original Area: NetMail * Forwarded by : Blue Wave/386 v2.30 From: Visually.Impaired.Pittsburgh.Area.Computer.Enthusiasts!@visi.com Subject: Using telnet in the GUI environments. (Forward) I've recently heard of Kermit 95 which is a possible solution to the issue of terminal and telnet access. There are versions for Win 95, Win NT, and Warp. Connections may be made via modem or tcp/ip and 26 terminal emulations are available. Commands can be issued and it uses a text based console and keys may be re-mapped easily. I haven't tried it with a screen reader, but it ought to be worth a try. Check out : http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/ and http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/whatsnew.html and report on how it works with screen access. -- Mark Visually Impaired Pittsburgh Area Computer Enthusiasts! Success isn't how far you got, but the distance you traveled from where you started. vipace@trfn.pgh.pa.us On Thu, 20 Feb 1997, Darrell Shandrow wrote: > Greetings colleagues, > > This article addresses the problem of using text-based telnet programs in a > GUI environment. As blind computer users, we face special challenges when > using these text-based programs in a non-text-based environment where all > the "standard" DOS stuff is out the window. Here are some of my > perspectives on the situation. Please feel free to start some lively > discussion of these topics. > > Traditionally, us blind folks have used the Internet via text-based Unix > shell accounts. We ran DOS-based terminal emulation programs like Procomm, > Telix and Commo. All the prompts and text was spoken automatically because > it was written through the BIOS using DOS calls. This fact, along with > robust screen reading software, made it fairly straightforward to use many > Internet services such as E-mail, telnet, ftp, irc, lynx and anything else > one could use in Unix. If you heard too much information at one time > automatically, you could silence your speech and use screen review ommands. > > When we used irc to chat with users or telnet to access bulletin board > systems, we actually required the text to be written through DOS BIOS so > that we had automatic speech regardless of our screen reader. This worked > extremely well and the use of these two Internet services almost always > went smoothly. > > Now, the Internet; and all other computer applications; are moving to the > GUI platforms like Windows, OS/2 and Macintosh. These platforms have > varying degrees of accessibility and it is possible to do many things just > as well as a sighted user. One can even utilize screen access software in > Windows to browse the Web with Netscape, Internet Explorer or just about > any other GUI web browser. One can easily use Eudora to read and send > electronic mail. However, current experience indicates that terminal > emulation is still a problem. > > It is actually quite possible to use terminal emulation under Windows in > various job situations where the applications are specifically programmed > using macros to allow the blind employee (usually a customer service rep) > to obtain necessary information. Automatic speech is not required and, > usually, undesirable in these situations. So, this is not exactly what I > am addressing here. > > I am talking about the use of a terminal emulation interface like telnet to > access other computers on the Net interactively. The various GUI-based > telnet clients have various problems with accessibility when it comes to > the interactive speaking of information. These problems are due to the > fact that there is no such thing as BIOS calls in a GUI. Text is scrolled > to the screen and it is up to the screen reader to figure out how to speak > it well. This is fine for standard controls like dialog boxes and menus > because the information is fairly specific and predictable. Due to the > nature of Windows controls, the screen readers seem to have an easier time > dealing with these things. > However, scrolling text from an interactive connection is much less > predictable and screen readers don't perform well. Since it is unlikely > that there will ever be anything similar to BIOS calls in the GUI > environments, I propose the following choices to solve the interactivity > problems: > > Text-based telnet client: > A text-based telnet client could be written to work much like the FTP > client that comes with Windows '95. The FTP program is text-based and > works extremely well in a DOS box with a DOS screen reader. Similarly, a > telnet client could be written that uses the Windows '95 (or other GUI) > networking resources. This client should have solid VT100 and ansi-bbs > emulation and support file transfers with Zmodem and kermit. Ideally, it > should be able to do an rlogin when that situation is required. > > Another possible solution would be to write a program that could use the > GUI's built-in networking resources to emulate a standard DOS packet > driver. This would work like the cslip and slipper drivers currently > available. If this were done, programs like Minuet and NCSA telnet could > be used in a DOS box. It would allow for some flexibility. > If this solution were adopted, the packet drivers should be non-obtrusive > so that one could still use their Windows Internet applications like > Netscape even when the DOS client is running. > > The final solution I will suggest is to emulate a virtual com port so that > one could use a DOS-based terminal emulator like Procomm or Commo over a > telnet connection. I am not certain how this one could work, because you > would need to have a way to specify the address of the host to which you > wanted to connect. If this solution were adopted, one could use whichever > program they liked and have complete functionality when connecting to a BBS > or attempting some other interactive text-based session. > > I feel that this is extremely important, since shell accounts are becoming > less and less available. It will be very useful if a blind person who has > only a PPP connection can still use their computer to connect to services > like GBX and NfbNet. > > I hope this generates some lively discussion and some real solutions. Thanks. > > Regards, > > Darrell Shandrow [http://www.qfi.org] > Technology Specialist, Colorado Center for the Blind > I am not representing the CCB. This is just me... > Changing what it means to be blind every day and in every way! > > --- ... All I need is a Wave and a board to surf it on. --- Blue Wave/386 v2.30 [NR] * Origin: NFB NET St. Paul, MN (612) 696-1975 (1:282/1045) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: E3400000Date: 03/03/97 From: SOUTHERN STAR Time: 03:34pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Expiration Warning Hello. The Zone 1 Backbone only carries echoes listed in the Zone 1 EchoList. It seems that the listing for this echo will expire this month. Thus, it is necessary for the moderator to update its listing if it is to remain on the Zone 1 Backbone. For more information please consult these files: BOFAQxxx.TXT and ELISTxxx.ZIP, where "xxx" is the version number. They are available from most hubs or can be requested from 1:1/200, 1:1/201, 1:283/120 or 1:396/1. If you need assistance, please contact Marge Robbins, 1:283/120. Regards, Zone 1 Backbone Operations --- Harvey's Robot v6.00 * Origin: Southern Star - sstar.com - V.34+/ISDN - 504-885-5928 - (1:396/1)