Conference 7.286::digital

I've made contact with Thomas regarding this and we are working with the
customer.

For those interested in product (software or hardware) solutions for customers
are employees with disabilities, please don't hesitate to call me at any
time. This is a service I provide through Digital's Usability Desgin Group
under the Advanced Technology Group.

Regards,


Michael G. Paciello
Digital Equipment Corporation
Program Manager
Vision Impaired Information Services (VIIS)
110 Spit Brook Road
Nashua, NH. USA  03062
Phone: (603) 881-1831
FAX: (603) 881-0120
Internet: [email protected]
President: International Committee for Accessible Document Design (ICADD)
ViceChair: Electronics Industries Association/Assistive Devices Division 
Member: Project EASI
Member: Disabilities Access for X (DACx)
Member: NCSA/NSF Mosaic Access Project

My mother-in-law had macular degeneration and had some software installed 
on her PC that enlarged the letters up to (I think) about 2" to 2-1/2" high.  
There was 3 different font sizes and I believe that was the largest font 
size.  The software is called Eye Relief.  It is made specifically for 
visually impaired computer users.  I will look up the info and get back with 
you....probably this weekend.

Judy Kilgore

Judy, this is not a situation that involves a PC. It's a VT terminal. 
Unfortunately, there are no software solutions for this situation. You need to
either invest in a literal screen magnifier that fits over or attaches to
your VT or you have to make the move to a PC. If you make the move to 
a PC, then I'd recommend ZoomText or Magic Deluxe because of their ability to
provide full-page panning, windows and dos support, and variable magnification
adjustment from 2x to 32x. 

I've already talked with the customer and we are working on the solution now.

- Mike

    - .1
    
    I am a field engineer with a blind customer who just happens to be
    a very good system manager and types better than me. He uses a braille
    style device as part of his pc keyboard. He has been in touch with 
    Tim Litt on some of his projects. Can I pass  .1 on to him - he also
    is an INTERNET user and has quite a number of ideas and enjoys
    stimulating conversation in regards to resources for the physically
    impaired as well as any other topic.
    
    regards,
    
    Dan

Another possible solution is to use a VT525 with a 17 inch or larger
monitor (any PC style SVGA multisynch monitor can be used).

- Peter

I've got an 21" Screen at my station or Xterminal and a DECterm (big font) is
about  13x8 inch (32x20 cm) !!

andre

To Dan Scott:

>>-.1 can I pass out your note?

Yes.

>>    I am a field engineer with a blind customer who just happens to be
>>    a very good system manager and types better than me. He uses a braille
>>    style device as part of his pc keyboard. He has been in touch with 
>>    Tim Litt on some of his projects. Can I pass  .1 on to him - he also
>>    is an INTERNET user and has quite a number of ideas and enjoys
>>    stimulating conversation in regards to resources for the physically
>>    impaired as well as any other topic.

Using a refresable braille device or Opticon (a device that uses "push up pins"
to provide users with tactile and graphical data based on screen output) is
of course a horse of a different color. The previous question dealt with 
low-vision users. 

Tim Litt's work for the blind is well known (and he never gets the just credit
he deserves for his work) to many Digital folks with vision impairments. As well,,
Will Walker has done an incredible amount of work in the X-windows accessiblity
space for blind users as well as other disabilities. Regarding Digital resources,
we have them; unfortunately this is not a platform that Digital can afford to
fund, so anything done is usually work we accomplish in our own free-time.

Re: .5

>> Another possible solution is to use a VT525 with a 17 inch or larger
>>monitor (any PC style SVGA multisynch monitor can be used).

Peter is right, this is an alternative solution. The fact is, we could save 
a lot of users time and space if we implemented a simple setup-feature that
mininally supported double-height characters (Peter and I have discussed
this before). 

re: .6

>>I've got an 21" Screen at my station or Xterminal and a DECterm (big font) is
>>about  13x8 inch (32x20 cm) !!

This also works, if your in an environment that is supporting the x-windows
interface. In this case though, that's not true.

- Mike

It's nice to see the level of interest there is regarding computer access for
people with disabilities. I've received several phone calls from internal folks,
sales reps, and field engineers. About 15 calls in the past two days alone. I'm
always happy to help, so please don't be shy to call.

Regards,

- Mike

    I have a customer in the UK with partial sight and his main problem is
    that the Digital PC Gold keyboard has such fine lettering on the keys
    of such low contrast that he finds it almost impossible to use.  Does a
    PC keboard (with or without the Gold key) exist with Bold letters on
    the keks and of high contrast to the key colour?  Or is there an extra
    large keyboard with extra large keys?
    
    I can be contacted on REIN @UCG  or Larvae::REIN or here.
    
    Regards    -Eric-
    
    

    re .9
    
    I doubt you would find an extra large keyboard anywhere. It be quite
    difficult to type on. A good typist would look at the screen, rather
    than the keys, most of the time. Even for those occasions where a
    special function key is used the location of the key can be memorized -
    you dont need to read the keycap. (Having said that I have not managed
    to remember the find/insert/remove/select/prev/next keys - I dont use
    them often enough).
    
    Perhaps a touch-typing course would be useful ? You might simply be
    able to paint the sides of some of the function key caps with bright
    colours to suggest the function they invoke - a large scale diagram of
    the various keypads might also be a help (you could make it appear on
    the screen in matching colours !). I hope this doesn't sound like I am
    belittling your customers difficulties, but I dont think you will find
    a ready made keyboard to suit (not in DEC - if this is a standard PC
    keyboard you may find something somewhere, particularly if it is just
    non-standard keycaps for an otherwise standard keyboard).
    
    
    There is a (possibly) true story about someone who was good at typing.
    One day he found he could not log into the system. So he tried typing
    his password again, carefully. Still couldn't log in. Complained to the
    system manager, had his password set back to the value he expected.
    Still couldn't log in ! Then he noticed someone had swapped two keycaps
    on his keyboard. That had been done several days earlier and he had not
    noticed until he tried to type his password in carefully - that was the
    first time he had looked at the keycaps.
    
    Andrew

>>   I doubt you would find an extra large keyboard anywhere. It be quite
>>   difficult to type on.

Please be careful about making statements you're not sure about (acknowleding
the fact that you did phrase it "I doubt"). Experience has taught me that
anytime I thought there was a solution for a particular disability need, I
always found one.

In fact, there are companys that build alternative keyboards, including those
for persons with low vision. I'm looking at one right now that is produced for
both the Mac and IBM-type keyboard styles. It's 12" wide, with extra large
characters and keypad. I'm researching others now.

Also, another potential solution is an On-Screen keyboard. These two are made,
usually for people with mobility disabilities. I've contacted Eric by E-Mail
and will see what we can do.

Regards,

 Mike Paciello

There are also stickers you can attach to keyboard keys that are BOLD and 
larger print for vision-impaired persons to use.  You just need a source.

            <<< DISK$OURDISK:[NOTES$LIBRARY]PHYSCHALLENGED.NOTE;1 >>>
                           -< PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED >-
================================================================================
Note 153.3                     Aids and Appliances                        3 of 3
GENRAL::KILGORE "The UT Desert Rat living in CO"     25 lines  29-DEC-1994 13:54
                       -< LS&S Group -- 1-800-468-4789 >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Catalog specializing in products for the Visually Impaired.  They claim to
be the leader in introducing new products for persons with disabilities to 
achieve independent living.  They feature the largest selection of CCTV and 
computer products for the Visually Impaired available anywhere.

Items found in the catalog include tape players, bathroom aids, beeping balls, 
bibles, bingo cards, bookstands, braille products (compass, labeler, paper, 
watches), calculators, canes and tips, cassette recorders, kitchen aids, 
diabetic aids, magnifiers, eye glasses, flashlights, lamps, large print books 
and typewriter, magnetic games, mirrors, pill boxes, talking blood pressure 
equipment, telephones, thermometers, timers, message taker, walkers, wallets, 
writing aids plus lots more!

These are the people we bought Eye Relief for my mother-in-law's PC.  This
enlarges the screen fonts to 5x normal size -- up to 1-1/2" high on a standard
screen.  Cost is $295.  They also have Zoomtext Plus and other software
available for various prices.
	
	LS&S Group
	P.O.Box 673
	Northbrook, IL  60025

	For Information and Customer Service:   1-708-498-9777
	To Place Orders call Toll-Free:		1-800-468-4789
	FAX:					1-708-498-1482