WASH N3SH/WA3SH Pittsburgh, PA, USA
on
Field Day 2002
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· Score: 1
Hello All in the Pittsburgh, PA, USA area. The Wireless Association of South Hills is going to be holding our Field Day operation at the Library Sportsman Association. To find a map visit WASH ARC and click the link for the June Newsletter.
Hah!! There are a lot of very successful people using these devices to access all sorts of computer applications on most every OS and platform.
A Braille Display as it is known in the industry is actually a relitively simple device both communication wise and physically. The hardware are usually very fast acting strong servos that raise and lower nylon pins. Most displays are driven off the serial port of a PC, but some now are comming USB equipt since the serial port is fading away. The hard part of this whole equasion is the Screen Reader "the interpreter, so to say". It takes the information off the screen and translates it into a understandable form. The best one for Windows is JAWS for Windows http://www.freedomscientific.com. The only one I currently know of for Unix and Linux is BrailleTTY which works with most serial displays.
Blind computer users, use this type of technology in many fields. My boss uses her PowerBraille 40 and 65, a Baum Vario 40 (know as the RBT 40 here in the US) to handle most aspects of running our company. She does everything form the Accounting to writing proposials with the device. I have mnay clients that works for Banks and the Programming Industry where accuracy is essential who could not do their jobs as effeciently if they did not use a Braille Display.
The prices are just economics. The precentage of blind people to regular computer users are low. Thus a manufacture can not sell as many of the devices, so it costs more to make those devices.
Most of the people in the Blind Commnity wonder wny anyone would spend $3000 on a Multimedia Projector or $30,000 on a SUV. Those prices are outradgus but people will pay that and not think about it. So it is with the blind paying $5000 for a braille display. If they need it they will get it.
You may say "Who still uses Lynx", well it is the browser you have on your Linux box when X is broken all to hell and you need to find information. It is the only browser available to people with Shell accounts. It is the only browser blind users have on Linux currently. That is a lot of reason to make your site work with Lynx.
8. FLASH in any form is totally useless to the visually impaired.
Macromedia has ignored the visualy impaired population's request to add accessability features to FLASH since its inception. Now many sites like the one discussed which would provide informational content are not accessable to a visually impaired user. Does that serve the goals of the site owner? Does that serve the goes of the site advertisers? I say not, because it drives away a user base that is more willing to turn to technology for information and to spend there money. Everyone looses with FLASH!
Some of the web authors reading this will say "Well why not make an alternative site for the blind or low end browser?" That would be fine if that so called alternative site was kept just as current and provided all the content. But, they usually are lacking important current information that was added to the main site or at worst the data is not even the same. And now with Section 508 comming up web designers have evne more reason to make there content accessable for anyone with any browser.
Ok, If driving is a right then why are the blind and legally blind ban for driving instead of people making accessable vehicals and roads? If driving is a right then we all should pay for road upgrades that make it so a blind person with a properly equipt vehical can drive themselves to where ever they wish to go, at any time of the day or night, no pre planning involved (except the same pre planing a sighted person would do, make sure you had gas to get there). I do not see (bad pun) any one in this nation pushing for allowing me or any other blind person to drive. But everywhere I go there is always road construction (I pay taxes!) that I am paying for. I have never been able to drive and at the rate this nation is going with people winning about having to give a little more info to the DMV it will probably never happen. Did you ever stop to think that even though someone can't drive they still can get an ID card and will have to provide all the same information and data to the DMV. So just give them the info and say you want an ID card not a licience for the next four years and see how you do.
Anyone who is considered legally blind can't drive and we get around just fine. Why do you need a drivers licence anyway? If you are just going back and forth to work or the store, take a bus or train, find a car pool (help pay for gas) and your life will be much simpler. You will have many less expences in your life also, no car insurance ($2000 a year) no car payments ($20,000 over 5 to 10 years) no vehicle taxes (amount unknown). It just makes life easier to deal with. Especially in large cities, no wondering if your car will be stolen, or if that is your alarm going off at 3:00 am waking the neiborhood.
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Hello All in the Pittsburgh, PA, USA area. The Wireless Association of South Hills is going to be holding our Field Day operation at the Library Sportsman Association. To find a map visit WASH ARC and click the link for the June Newsletter.
Hah!! There are a lot of very successful people using these devices to access all sorts of computer applications on most every OS and platform.
A Braille Display as it is known in the industry is actually a relitively simple device both communication wise and physically. The hardware are usually very fast acting strong servos that raise and lower nylon pins. Most displays are driven off the serial port of a PC, but some now are comming USB equipt since the serial port is fading away. The hard part of this whole equasion is the Screen Reader "the interpreter, so to say". It takes the information off the screen and translates it into a understandable form. The best one for Windows is JAWS for Windows http://www.freedomscientific.com. The only one I currently know of for Unix and Linux is BrailleTTY which works with most serial displays.
Blind computer users, use this type of technology in many fields. My boss uses her PowerBraille 40 and 65, a Baum Vario 40 (know as the RBT 40 here in the US) to handle most aspects of running our company. She does everything form the Accounting to writing proposials with the device. I have mnay clients that works for Banks and the Programming Industry where accuracy is essential who could not do their jobs as effeciently if they did not use a Braille Display.
The prices are just economics. The precentage of blind people to regular computer users are low. Thus a manufacture can not sell as many of the devices, so it costs more to make those devices.
Most of the people in the Blind Commnity wonder wny anyone would spend $3000 on a Multimedia Projector or $30,000 on a SUV. Those prices are outradgus but people will pay that and not think about it. So it is with the blind paying $5000 for a braille display. If they need it they will get it.
I'll Add A few,
7. It does not work in Lynx.
You may say "Who still uses Lynx", well it is the browser you have on your Linux box when X is broken all to hell and you need to find information. It is the only browser available to people with Shell accounts. It is the only browser blind users have on Linux currently. That is a lot of reason to make your site work with Lynx.
8. FLASH in any form is totally useless to the visually impaired.
Macromedia has ignored the visualy impaired population's request to add accessability features to FLASH since its inception. Now many sites like the one discussed which would provide informational content are not accessable to a visually impaired user. Does that serve the goals of the site owner? Does that serve the goes of the site advertisers? I say not, because it drives away a user base that is more willing to turn to technology for information and to spend there money. Everyone looses with FLASH!
Some of the web authors reading this will say "Well why not make an alternative site for the blind or low end browser?" That would be fine if that so called alternative site was kept just as current and provided all the content. But, they usually are lacking important current information that was added to the main site or at worst the data is not even the same. And now with Section 508 comming up web designers have evne more reason to make there content accessable for anyone with any browser.
That is just my opinion, I could be wrong.
Ok, If driving is a right then why are the blind and legally blind ban for driving instead of people making accessable vehicals and roads? If driving is a right then we all should pay for road upgrades that make it so a blind person with a properly equipt vehical can drive themselves to where ever they wish to go, at any time of the day or night, no pre planning involved (except the same pre planing a sighted person would do, make sure you had gas to get there). I do not see (bad pun) any one in this nation pushing for allowing me or any other blind person to drive. But everywhere I go there is always road construction (I pay taxes!) that I am paying for. I have never been able to drive and at the rate this nation is going with people winning about having to give a little more info to the DMV it will probably never happen. Did you ever stop to think that even though someone can't drive they still can get an ID card and will have to provide all the same information and data to the DMV. So just give them the info and say you want an ID card not a licience for the next four years and see how you do.
That's just my Opinion, I could be wrong!
Anyone who is considered legally blind can't drive and we get around just fine. Why do you need a drivers licence anyway? If you are just going back and forth to work or the store, take a bus or train, find a car pool (help pay for gas) and your life will be much simpler. You will have many less expences in your life also, no car insurance ($2000 a year) no car payments ($20,000 over 5 to 10 years) no vehicle taxes (amount unknown). It just makes life easier to deal with. Especially in large cities, no wondering if your car will be stolen, or if that is your alarm going off at 3:00 am waking the neiborhood.
That's just my opinion, I could be wrong!