Blind News Digest # 1181
Bill McGarry
Issue # 1181
Tuesday, November 14, 1995
Today's Topics:
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Seedlings, Braille Books for Children
Re: Maps for blind people
Re: Eloquent Speech, Braille 'n Speak
Music Braille Transcription (Toccata)
Re: Radio for the blind
Microsoft documentation available at no cost from RFB&D
Braille "n Speak 640 wanted/classic for sale
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Subject: Seedlings, Braille Books for Children
From: gwei...@ived.nec.gmeds.com (Gerald Weichbrodt)
The following is information about Seedlings Braille Books for Children, a
non-profit agency located in Livonia, Michigan, USA.
Seedlings Braille Books for Children
Seedlings Braille Books for Children provides blind children with high
quality literature in braille at affordable prices thereby increasing the
rate of braille literacy among the blind. Call 1-800-777-8552 for a free
catalog and information.
Seedlings provides braille books for infants through middle school. All
books are sold at or near cost to produce. Infant-toddler books are the
print book with braille added. This enables both blind and sighted parents
and siblings to read to a blind child. The blind child can also read them
to a sighted, younger child.
Favorite titles include "The Touch Me Book," "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What
Do You See?," and "Animal ABC's."
For beginning readers there are a number of titles in braille and print
only, without pictures. Perennial favorites such as "The Cat in the Hat,"
by Dr. Seuss, "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad
Day," by Judith Viorst, and some "Sesame Street" books are featured.
Books for older children use grade two interpoint braille (braille on both
sides of the page). Judy Blume's "Superfudge," E. B. White's "Charlotte's
Web," and Beverly Cleary's "Ramona" series are among the most frequently
ordered titles.
As Seedlings is a non-profit organization and must fund raise the
difference in the cost of production and the price of the books, donations
and memorials and contributions in honor of birthdays, anniversaries, and
other special events are always welcomed.
SEEDLINGS BRAILLE BOOKS FOR CHILDREN ANNOUNCES "THE ROSE PROJECT": WORLD
BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA ARTICLES IN BRAILLE!
Seedlings Braille Books, maker of low-cost braille books for children,
announces on their 10th anniversary, a new, experimental service: World
Book Encyclopedia articles in BRAILLE!
Doing a project or report? Or just interested in a particular subject? Just
call them at 1-800-777-8552 and tell them your topic, name, address, and
phone number with area code. Their computers will translate the requested
World Book articles into braille, and the print-out will be mailed to you
(Free Matter for the Blind) within five working days. A print copy can
also be included for parents or general education teachers to assist in
reading if needed.
The equipment for The Rose Project was made possible by a bequest from
"Rose." Thanks to her generosity, this service can currently be offered
free of charge for students (although the number of pages per student may
have to be limited).
Since this is a new service, Seedlings welcomes your comments about the
project's usefulness.
Seedlings is a non-profit corporation dedicated to providing high-quality,
low-cost braille books for children. To receive their catalog of books, or
for more information about the Rose Project, call 800-777-8552, or write
P.O. Box 2395, Livonia, MI 48151-0395.
P.S.: Seedlings now has an Internet address. It's seed...@aol.com.
--Jerry Weichbrodt
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Gerald G. WEichbrodt
General Motors, NAO Engineering - EMC and Electrical Analysis
Milford, Michigan
E-mail: gwei...@ived.nec.gmeds.com
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Subject: Re: Maps for blind people
From: Bi...@blondie.demon.co.uk (Bill Casey)
> We are looking for any information about maps and books/articles
> about maps for blind people.
You may like to contact the librarians at the RNIB.
The Royal National Institute For The Blind
Reference Library
206 Great Portland Street
London
W1N 6AA
E-mail: JRo...@rnib.org.uk or JHo...@rnib.org.uk
--
Bill Casey
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Subject: Re: Eloquent Speech, Braille 'n Speak
From: j...@arken.arkenstone.org (Jim Fruchterman)
Jeff -- the demo we heard didn't place Eloquent on a higher plain than
DECtalk to our ears. What characteristics (or lack of defects) makes
you so enthusiastic about it? Doing a driver isn't hard for a 'C'
programmer. We give away the SSIL developer kit for free, if you want
to write a driver.
On the person who wanted something similar to a Braille 'n Speak:
what's wrong with the Braille 'n Speak? It's incredibly successful.
All four of our blind employees use them. The competition hasn't made
much headway: the closest thing in the U.S. is the BrailleMate, which
has a single braille cell in it. They're very low cost for adaptive
computer products. So... if you want something similar but not the
same, what's the difference you're looking for? Blazie has a line of
related products: the Type 'n Speak, the Braille Lite (18 cell and now
40 cell).
By the way, we don't sell Blazie products and actually compete with
them. We sell the Magnum digital recorder that competes with Braille
'n Speak as a notetaker, although not as a computer or modem text entry
device. It's aimed at the non-Braille user. From your description of
your interest, the BNS sounds like the ticket, though.
Jim Fruchterman j...@arkenstone.org
President Arkenstone, Inc.
1390 Borregas Avenue 1-800-444-4443
Sunnyvale, CA 94089 USA 1-408-752-2200
"Information Access for Everyone!" Fax: 1-408-745-6739
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Subject: Music Braille Transcription (Toccata)
From: ter...@mail.mpx.com.au (Terry Kenaghan)
I read the following messaage in your Newsletter, from Marlaina Lieberg,
with interest.
>Subject: Music Braille Transcription & Software Needed
>rom: mlie...@iquest.com (Marlaina Lieberg)
>
>I am just learning music Braille and want to know if there is software
>which will convert an ascii file or midi file of print music into music
>braille, much like Duxbury or megadots does from ascii to literary
>Braille? Failing that, where does one get music Braille transcribed and
>where may it be purchased?
>
>Please e-mail mlie...@iquest.com
The following is an excerpt from our recent 'Spring' Newsletter, Adaptive
Technology Review.
"TOCATTA - TURNS SHEET MUSIC INTO BRAILLE.
Tocatta, the new braille software from Mr. Nigel Herring of Optek Systems is
designed to take the headaches out of Braille Music production. Tocatta
features an interface with a flatbed scanner, enabling sheet musuic to be
scanned, and then edited, on the computer screen and then translated into
Braille Music. Editing can take place at several stages of the Braille Music
production. The scanned image of the music can be edited, with musical
symbols being changed, moved, deleted, or 'cut and pasted' using the
computer mouse. The resulting image can then be translated and displayed on
the computer screen as Braille Music, which can again be edited to regional
preferences, or to correct any problems of anomalies. Tocatta will provide
to Braille Muisic transcribers the ease efficiency and speed that Braille
Text transcribers have found so useful when using scanning OCR systems like
OsCaR. (reported upon in the Winter Edition of Adaptive Technology Review)
Toccata will be released around January/February 1996. It is intended that
braille Music Workshops will be held (Enquiries Optek Systems)"
OPTEK SYSTEMS is contactable via the above Email address, or FAX 61 2 638
0176 Voice phone 61 2 638 1713, Postal : P.O. Box 227, Rydalmere, NSW 2116
Australia.
Best regards
Terry Kenaghan
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Subject: Re: Radio for the blind
From: sha...@bga.com (Jim Shaffer)
Organization: Real/Time Communications - Bob Gustwick and Associates
In article <38...@handicap.news>,
Jason Edwards <Jason....@opticlink.octacon.co.uk> wrote:
>I an curently conducting a school project on a radio specifically
>designed for the visually impaired, but I'm having problems finding
>information, so any pointers would be appreciated !
Well, many of the Kenwood ham rigs come with a speach synthesizer option
for reading out the frequency. Really for a conventional radio that
would be handy. I wish those ham rigs would give you some idea as to
peak meter reading too, but oh well.
Jim
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Subject: Microsoft documentation available at no cost from RFB&D
From: kers...@MONTANA.COM (George Kerscher)
Hello Listers,
I am cross-posting this message to several lists and I apologize if
you receive this more than once.
Microsoft Corporation manuals and Microsoft Press books are now
available at no cost in E-Text format from Recording For the Blind
& Dyslexic. There is a$1.75 shipping and handling fee for each
title. This drops to $1.50 for orders of five or more. The manuals
and books are available in enhanced ASCII and/or in BookManager
formats to registered print disabled persons and to registered
institutions serving persons with print disabilities.
Microsoft has provided RFB&D with the funding necessary to make
this offer possible. Microsoft has taken a leading role in setting
the standard in the computing field. Persons with print
disabilities have already purchased the software and documentation
and making accessible versions of the documentation available at no
cost demonstrates the socially responsible position Microsoft has
taken.
Here's what you need to know!
* A list of all books available from RFB&D can be obtained by
emailing: kers...@montana.com
* In this list the price of books is listed, but the charge for
Microsoft Press and Microsoft Corporation titles will be zero
at time of purchase. Note the funding is ample but limited and
this no cost offer is subject to change. Prices of titles
other than Microsoft are as listed.
* Send recommendations of Microsoft titles you would like to see
produced to: kers...@montana.com
* Place your order by calling 800/221-4792 or outside the USA by
calling 609/452-0606. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern
Standard Time.
* Please pass this information along to other persons with print
disabilities. You may post this message to other lists FTP
sites, and BBS services provided the message is reproduced in
its entirety.
* For other information or to obtain an Ekit, a disk that
contains the list of books, application forms, Guide to using
RFB&D's service, etc., call the numbers listed above.
Feel free to contact George Kerscher for additional information.
George Kerscher, Research Fellow
Recording For the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D)
Internet email: kers...@montana.com
Voice phone: 406/549-4687
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Subject: Braille "n Speak 640 wanted/classic for sale
From: mlie...@iquest.com (Marlaina Lieberg)
I'd like to receive e-mail from anyone interested in selling a Braille 'N
Speak 640. Similarly, I'd like to hear from anybody interested in buying
a Classic Braille 'N Speak.
Please e-mail mlie...@iquest.com
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End of Issue # 1181 of the Blind News Digest
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