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From: JS5L@andrew.cmu.edu (Jack Stein)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Text to Speech
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Date: 22 Jan 91 21:24:18 GMT
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Reply-To: JS5L@andrew.cmu.edu (Jack Stein)
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Index Number: 13087

We are interested in some information from people who have any knowledge
of technology that is available with Personal Computers (such as IBM PC
or PS-2)  for the visually impaired.  In particular we are looking at
developing the software to work with a speech synthesizer from Digital
Equipment Corp (DECTalk).

Here is what we are trying to do:

1. We have a real nice E-mail program running on the pc called EzMail.
It is very  similiar to how a Mac User interface works. We have windows,
menu bar, Pull down menus... We want to let a visually impaired users
who has a PC with DECtalk to be able to navigate in  EzMail so that they
can hear the text on the menu bar, pull down menu, Dialog boxes,
Windows...
  a. No one in our group (Special Projects) has ever done any thing like this.
  b. We have a willing user who is blind and is a programmer that  wants
to help us with  design, beta testing.
  c. We are going to contact the local chapter of the Pittsburgh Blind
Association for additonal input.

Here is our questions:

1. Are there products on the market that do similiar things that are
well established and used by blind people  with pc/ps-2?
2. Are there certain conventions/established guidelines for the way
software should interface to a blind user?
3. Are there keyboards available with braille on them for use by blind people?
4. What  kind of groups or organizations are available for us to contact
for input/discussion, especially schools for blind that have had to deal
with integration of PC/PS-2 into the  curriculum.

Any help would be valuable.

Jack Stein
Manager of Special Projects
Computing and Communication Development Group
Carnegie-Mellon University
Pittsbugh, Pa. 15213

JS5L@andrew.cmu.edu