[accessibleimage] accessibility, audio description, exhibit on vision, sensory garden

Hi,
Four articles - accessibility, audio description, exhibit on vision, sensory 
garden
Best,
Lisa

Speech Technology Magazine
Sunday, September 04, 2005

New World of Accessibility

By Robin Springer

In 1994-95, 58 percent of legally blind Americans 18 to 54 years old were unemployed compared to 18 percent of 18 to 54 year olds with no serious impairments.1 The numbers are staggering, with the disparity being attributed, in part, to inadequate training in access technology and lack of awareness that technology exists to accommodate people who are blind.

"If this was any other minority group, there would be a public outcry," says Jay Leventhal, editor-in-chief of Access World Magazine. 

According to "Vision Problems in the U.S."2, blindness and vision impairment 
cost the federal government more than $4 billion annually in benefits and lost taxable 
income.  Why does it have to be so bleak?  We have products to accommodate for vision 
loss.  Whether it is a screen reader, money reader, or book reader, we have the 
technology to improve the statistics.

In the 1960s, the only technology available was the Braille slate (which requires users 
to emboss Braille cells one dot at a time) and reel-to-reel tapes.  Terry, who was born 
blind, was in primary school during this time.  She learned to touch-type at eight years 
old and never mastered geography because, although tactile maps existed, they were not 
easy to use.  "It wasn't real to me so I wasn't interested," she says.  She 
also remembers completing a master's program years later; she would often type entire 
papers, not knowing the typewriter had run out of tape until she finished the assignment.

Today we have computers. We have products like the Talking Tactile Tablet, a viewer for audio/tactile materials, which lets users read maps and pictures by feeling the tactile display. The system speaks the description of the region being touched. 

John, a small-business owner, recalls even as recently as a few years ago he could, "take 
technology or leave it."  Today he can't live without it.  Clarence, who travels more than two 
weeks each month for business says, "The world opened up for (him)," when he was able to 
access the Internet.  He can now buy a gift for his wife without going to the mall with her and 
asking her to look the other way when he makes his purchase.

Many people, who are blind, including Terry, John and Clarence, believe they 
have all the technology they need.  Screen reading software like Window-Eyes 
and Jaws (which support all SAPI 4.x and 5.x compliant synthesizers) reads 
information on the computer.  The software, which can be used with Citrix and 
Microsoft Terminal Services, reads documents and tells the user information 
ranging from the active application to document name, time of day and icons on 
the desktop.  This software makes it possible for blind users to access the 
same information as sighted users.

For reading, blind individuals have options that include audio books and 
Braille format, but they can also use reading software like Kurzweil 1000 to 
access books and other reading material.  Reading software turns a PC and 
scanner into a reading machine, and even shares information in formats 
including MP3 so users can take their reading with them when they are away from 
the computer.

Money readers like Bry-Tech's NoteTeller 2 and Canadian Bank Note Reader are essentially sophisticated OCR products with speech, tactile, or tone output. When a user places a bill into the reader, the unit speaks the denomination. Users no longer have to trust they are being given correct change, ask others to confirm the bill's denomination, or separate denominations by placing them in different pockets. 

Cell phones have traditionally been inaccessible to people who are blind 
because the devices rely on graphical user interfaces.  Products including 
Mobile Speak by Optelec provide access to features sighted users take for 
granted.  Users can add contacts, check logs for missed and received calls, 
access incoming caller ID information, and check battery and signal strength.

Sendero Group combines a GPS with its BrailleNote and VoiceNote. The device 
creates routes for walking or riding in a vehicle, calculates distance and 
speed, and allows users to understand the environment before traveling.

Whether it's reading a book, accessing the Internet, navigating a city or a cell phone, technology is providing more opportunity for people who are blind than ever before. Spread the word.

1 National Center for Health Statistics (1998), National Health Interview Survey--Disability Supplement, (1994-95)
2 "Vision Problems in the U.S." (2002), Prevent Blindness America 

Robin Springer is the president of Computer Talk (contactus@xxxxxxxxxxxx), a 
consulting firm specializing in the design and implementation of speech 
recognition and other hands-free technology services. She can be reached at 
(888) 999-9161 or contactus@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

http://www.speechtechmag.com/issues/10_5/usingspeech/12358-1.html





PR Newswire
Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Audio Description Service Makes Broadway's Wicked Accessible To The Blind 

Sound Associates' D-Scriptive(TM) service now available for Wicked at the
Gershwin

   NEW YORK, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Blind patrons face a challenge when they
decide to attend a live performance. Onstage dialogue without visual
references can be confusing, potentially frustrating the theatrical
experience.
   Now an audio description service, Sound Associates' D-Scriptive(TM), fills
in those essential visuals, providing more clarity to the blind theatergoer.
See http://www.soundassociates.com .
   "Wicked is filled with exciting visual elements; trap doors open,
characters slide down ropes, jokes revolve around the fact that the wicked
witch is green," said T. Richard Fitzgerald, theatrical sound designer and CEO
of Sound Associates, Inc. "With D-Scriptive these crucial visual cues are
described concisely so the flow of the play is not interrupted and the patron
understands everything."
   D-Scriptive is the latest innovation in assistive technology and offers a
detailed description of all the onstage action including choreography,
blocking, lighting, sets and costume changes. It is now available for all
performances of the multiple Tony Award-winning musical Wicked playing at the
Gershwin Theater, and will soon be available for Mamma Mia! at the Winter
Garden Theater.
   The D-Scriptive system features a small wireless earphone that the patron
obtains in the lobby before the show. Narration begins even before the lights
go down, describing everything the audience sees on stage before curtain. It
is automated and synchronized with sound and lighting cues to accommodate
pacing variations from performance to performance. The narration text is
written and recorded at the Sound Associates studio.
   "This new assistive technology furthers our goal to make every performance
available to all theatre lovers," said Fitzgerald, designer of the D-Scriptive
system who received a Tony Award in 1980 for introducing the Infrared
Listening System to Broadway theatres.
   Sound Associates' I-Caption(TM) system, featuring a handheld wireless unit
that displays real time dialogue and lyrics for the deaf, and ShowTrans(TM)
the automated multilingual commentary service for non-English speakers, are
currently available for Wicked, Mamma Mia! and Hairspray.
   To reserve D-Scriptive or I-Caption call 212-582-7678 in advance, (888)
876-0801 for more information or simply pick up a unit at the Infrared
Listening System distribution center in the theatre lobby. There is no charge
to use D-Scriptive or I-Caption.
   Wicked is playing at the Gershwin Theater
http://www.wickedthemusical.com . Mamma Mia! is playing at the Winter Garden
Theater http://www.wintergarden-theater.com . Hairspray is playing at the Neil
Simon Theater http://www.hairsprayonbroadway.com .

SOURCE Sound Associates, Inc.
Web Site: http://www.soundassociates.com
http://www.wickedthemusical.com
http://www.wintergarden-theater.com
http://www.hairsprayonbroadway.com 

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-30-2005/0004096162&EDATE=




National Institutes of Health (USA)
Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Baltimore Hosts Two Exhibits on Vision From the National Institutes of Health

Unprecedented Event Offers Comprehensive Information About Eye Health

Did you know that because most people blink every 5 seconds, our eyes are actually closed for nearly 30 minutes of our waking hours every day? Do you know that what we call "eyesight" is actually a complex process in which light is converted to electrical impulses that the brain interprets as vision? Did you know that millions of Americans have low vision that interferes with everyday activities?

Baltimore-area adults and children will have a remarkable opportunity to get an in-depth understanding of how vision works - and how vision problems can be dealt with - as two exhibits from the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health, appear simultaneously in one city for the first time in September.

VISION, an exhibit that has traveled to 32 cities around the country since 1993, will be on display at the Maryland Science Center at the Inner Harbor beginning September 13 and running until January 1, 2006. After that appearance, VISION will be retired from its road trip and a permanent home for the exhibit will be explored. That same day, THE EYE SITE, an interactive exhibit on the causes and treatment of low vision, opens at the Enoch Pratt Library's Central Branch on Cathedral Street, where it will run until October 6 before moving on to Owings Mills Mall. (THE EYE SITE was also on exhibit at the Arundel Mills and White Marsh malls earlier this summer.)

The 2,000 square-foot exhibit VISION highlights two themes (1) how the eye and brain work together to create vision and (2) how researchers are developing novel strategies to protect our eyesight from disease and developmental problems. VISION also offers a remarkable display of artifacts, including antique eyeglasses, eye charts and Army Signal Corps binoculars.

Van Reiner, president of the Maryland Science Center, says he is gratified to be playing host to VISION as it concludes its 12 years on the road. "As someone who has experienced vision problems, including cataracts, this exhibition has a real personal meaning for me. Beyond that, however, it is going to give tens of thousands of Marylanders a deeper understanding of the miracle of the human eye."

And millions of Americans have had the chance to learn about the causes and treatment of low vision by visiting THE EYE SITE. According to Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., director of the National Institutes of Health, "Since 2001, THE EYE SITE has traveled to 81 shopping malls in 33 states across the country. THE EYE SITE is a fine example of the government and private sector collaborating to get important health messages out to the public in their own communities."

While it deals with the serious issue of low vision, THE EYE SITE is a hands-on, interactive exhibit featuring an animated program guide named ELVEE, (short for low vision). ELVEE is also a costumed character, who will make special appearances at the Pratt Library.

In his animated form, ELVEE leads visitors through the interactive multimedia touch screen program that provides a self-assessment and describes the causes of low vision and the warning signs. One of the five kiosks features a display of devices to help people with low vision that can be caused by a variety of conditions, including age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. A list of local resources and booklets on low vision are available in English and Spanish.

"For millions of Americans, the inability to see well makes doing even routine things difficult and is socially isolating," said Paul A. Sieving, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the National Eye Institute. "They have trouble recognizing the faces of friends, seeing television, reading mail - or even walking around the neighborhood. THE EYE SITE has been developed to provide information and options for people with low vision, their families, and friends."

It is fitting that Baltimore was chosen to host both VISION and THE EYE SITE, as the city has played a key role in American eye care for nearly 200 years. In 1824, Dr. George Frick, then the city's leading "oculist" published "A Treatise on the Diseases of the Eye," the first book on ophthalmology written by an American. A Baltimore contemporary of Dr. Frick, Dr. E.G. Loring, was the first to conceive of an ophthalmoscope with sixteen lenses mounted on a rotating disc. This is the forerunner of the modern ophthalmoscope, an instrument used in every eye examination. And today, Baltimore's renowned medical institutions, including the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland School of Medicine, are spearheading the Host Committee for the two exhibits.

Bringing THE EYE SITE to three area malls and the Enoch Pratt Library and VISION to the Maryland Science Center required the involvement of a significant number of local institutions that have worked together in an unprecedented collaboration. The Baltimore Host Committee sponsors include the following organizations: University of Maryland Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; The Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins; National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research / Alliance for Eye and Vision Research; Spectera, A United Health Group Company; Maryland Optometric Association; Maryland Society of Eye Physicians & Surgeons;

Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Rehabilitation Services; Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped; Baltimore City Medical Society; DC/MD Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired; Maryland Society for Sight; The Richard E. Hoover Rehabilitation Services for Low Vision and Blindness; Greater Baltimore Medical Center; and University of Maryland Medical Center. Baltimore Host Committee supporters are: American Council of the Blind of Maryland; Lions Clubs District 22A; Maryland School for the Blind; Maryland Science Center; and the National Federation of the Blind. 

For more information about eye health, the causes and treatment of visions 
problems and much more, visit the National Eye Institute web site at 
www.nei.nih.gov.

The National Eye Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and is the Federal government's lead agency for vision research that leads to sight-saving treatments and plays a key role in reducing visual impairment and blindness. The NIH is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) - The Nation's Medical Research Agency 
- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department 
of Health and Human Services. It is the primary Federal agency for conducting 
and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and 
investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare 
diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit 
http://www.nih.gov.

http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/sep2005/nei-06.htm


http://www.detnews.com/2005/metro/0508/07/D02D-272214.htm

New garden will stimulate the senses of touch, smell

A $5,000 grant to an agency for the visually impaired will fund the sensory landscaping.

*DETROIT* -- A small grant has helped plant the beginnings of a garden that will allow blind children to challenge their senses of touch and smell at the Greater Detroit Agency for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

The nonprofit agency recently received about $5,000 from the Grandmont Rosedale Development Corp. for facade improvements in an effort to clean up the business district in northwest Detroit. But in sprucing up the office exterior, officials, with the help of Greening of Detroit, decided to lay the foundation of a new sensory garden.

"It's divided into touch and scent. You have the pussywillow and roses. An artist has suggested maybe a yellow brick road," said Victoria Cornwell, who is in charge of development and communications.

Although the garden will not likely be finished until next year, the agency's two-story brick building on Grand River is already showing a vast improvement after the removal of overgrowth.

New shrubs, white shutters and more safety features such as new fences and a vestibule were installed as a result of the grant. The money also allowed other long-needed changes, such as a paved parking lot and a new sign.

"We were able to invest in our building, thereby investing in the city, which is a win-win for everybody," said Gail McEntee, the agency's executive director. The front of the building now features crabapple, daylily, arborvitae and burning bush.

In the spring, the agency changed its name from Upshaw Institute for the Blind to include the seven southeast Michigan counties it serves.

Since 1961, the organization has been helping children and adults with eye diseases and vision problems cope with daily tasks.

Although most of the trainers and social workers go out into the community to help adults maintain independent lives, the agency began a summer program last year geared toward elementary and middle school children.

"What happens is kids with impediments, they're not instilled with this can-do attitude, that feeling they can accomplish whatever they want like normal kids," McEntee said.

Children between 5 and 15 are picked up at home and taken to the agency Monday through Friday for two weeks of educational activities.

The children learn how to make a bed, clean up after themselves and even cook.

"A lot of parents with blind children don't always let loose, so they don't always learn living skills," Cornwell said.

Space in the summer program is limited because of the size of the agency's office, but the agency plans to host a back-to-school carnival for children with visual impairments and their families Sept. 17.

McEntee said the agency hopes to finish the sensory garden next year and follow through with a landscaper's vision of lavender, wooly thyme and primrose in one plot and catmint, oriental lily and dwarf lilac in another area.

The Greening of Detroit already has planted red twig dogwood and winterberry as part of the garden's foundation.

The children participating in the summer program this year are already gearing up for the garden.

Recently, one group painted pots and planted herbs.




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