Category: AT News

This final installment of the ACB wrap-up focuses on two exhibitors at opposite ends of the access spectrum.  One high tech, one no tech.  What do they have in common?  Both make ingenious use of Braille.

If you don’t already have an Apple iPad, it is likely you want one.  If you don’t want one, you likely have one of the competing tablet PC’s.  If not, then you either prefer hieroglyphics or, like me, there are about ten thousand things you need to spend the money on first.

One reason, though, you may have skipped the tablet craze might have more to do with accessibility and the desire to have one gadget do many things, instead of carrying several hand-held devices that serve a variety of purposes.  I found myself intrigued by the LevelStar Orion.

Here’s the scoop, right from the literature, about Orion 18:

Packed with the most advanced features ever integrated into a Braille notetaker, like cellular phone and 3G communications, full  GPS navigation, and a camera with text recognition, the sleek Orion 18 Braille tablet by LevelStar is compact enough to fit in a  purse or coat pocket. Orion combines its quiet and stunningly ergonomic Braille keyboard with an 18-cell Braille display and  router keys, talks with human-like Ivona Speech, and is The World’s first notetaker for the blind powered by Android, the fastest  growing mobile environment in the World.

There seems to be a dichotomy in the access community about whether or not mainstream gadgets should be made accessible, or whether devices specialized for people with disabilities are preferable.  I can understand both points of view.  The benefit of having a specialized gadget is that presumably, the manufacturers "get it," hopefully innovating with a complete understanding of the needs of the population they serve.

On the other hand, specialized gadgets can be prohibitively expensive, and if mainstream options can be made accessible, then the price usually goes down in proportion to the size of the market.  Simple supply and demand.

On Monday, July the 25th, at 8:00 PM Eastern Time, Tek Talk will feature the LevelStar Orion 18 Braille tablet during a one hour- long program. Following a product presentation and demonstration by Marc Mulcahy, Marc and Guido will answer your questions live.

How to participate:
Approximately 15 minutes prior to the event start time; link to The Pat Price Tek Talk Training Room at:
conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

Alternatively, Select The Pat Price Tek Talk Training Room at: www.accessibleworld.org
Enter your first and last names on the sign-in screen.

Want more info?  Tek Talk is a feature of Accessible World, a division of Helping Hands For The Blind, a 501(C)(3) not-for-profit organization. For  more information about Accessible World and Tek talk, please Contact:
Robert Acosta, Chair
Accessible World
818-998-0044

Among the exhibitors at most trade shows, you’ll often find the requisite selection of souvenirs, whether in the form of customized promotional swag, gift shop fare, or T shirts.  At the ACB 2011 event, however, you would have found Braille T Shirts by Alice Lynch.

Alice is an artist who creates her Braille T Shirts using metal dots or sparkly crystals, all set by hand.  In training as a certified Braille transcriptionist, Alice sets the dots according to appropriate specs for proportion and spacing, making her shirts eminently readable, as well as fashionable.  You can find her here:
www.brailletshirts.com/ and follow her on Twitter here:  @brailletshirts.
 
Please share your own reviews of products or services exhibited at ACB 2011.  Anything blow you away not mentioned here?  Don’t forget to read my previous posts, parts 1 and 2 of the wrap-up.

LL

Arthur C. Clarke is famous for saying that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.  That is precisely how I feel whenever I spend time at one of the many assistive technology conferences held throughout the year.  I always come away with a feeling that it won’t be long before any type of disability is indistinguishable from ability.  Assistive technologies have become so useful, so impressive, so…magical, I just cannot wait to see what’s next. 

At this year’s 50th anniversary of the American Council of the Blind conference and exhibition, I was a first-time exhibitor.  Busy selling my  Elegant Insights Braille Creations jewelry and accessories, I did not have as much time as I had hoped to wander the exhibit hall.  When I did manage a quick walk-through, though, I was duly intrigued and impressed by the booths I did visit.  Here is a wrap up of just a few of the great tools that I think are worth a closer look.

The new ClearReader+ from Optelec just about made me cry.  Even after reading through the web site, posting the press release and tweeting with Optelec, I was amazed when I saw it in action.  The ClearReader+ is really a complete tool for both people who have some vision, and those who don’t.  it can be used as a full-featured CCTV, as well as a full-featured OCR scanner.  Brilliant.

Check out Optelec ClearReader info here.

My shopping list also includes a couple of super cool products from A T Guys.  A T Guys offers affordable technology products to enhance the lives of the blind and visually impaired. Their product line includes accessible cell phone software, bar code scanners, iPhone screen protectors, the iBill money identifier, and accessible games. A T Guys also features products from some of the leading technology manufacturers including GW Micro, Duxbury Systems, Hims, the Sendero Group, and KNFB Reading Technology.

I was crazy about the iBill money identifier.  It is very small, ladies, you will not object to carrying this in your purse.  It was just a bit thicker than my Olympus DS-50, and it was as accurate as it was easy to use.  The best news, though, is the price.  It’s only $99!  I’m sold.  

Also on the must-have list is the bar code scanner.  Again, it is small and connects via USB cable to a laptop.  The bar code reader works with Windows, Mac, and Linux-based computers as well as the BrailleNote, Pac Mate, BrailleSense, and Icon/BraillePlus.  The software is free, and there is no cost for a database update.  This is cool:  The scanner is omnidirectional, making it simple for anyone, especially users who are blind, to easily find an item’s bar code.  Again, i was particularly impressed by the price.  It’s only $299, a fraction of what others cost.

Here’s how to get yours:

A T Guys
(269) 216-4798
www.atguys.com
Email: support@atguys.com
Skype: atguys
Twitter: atguys

Stay tuned this week for part 2 of my ACB11 wrap-up.

LL