The idea itself is not bad at all. Let's see if we get interest. I still
feel blind SA as national organisation should stock more assistive devices
which we can then help members to obtain. If it means subsidising, no
problem with that. Wwhether that itself would help to provide jobs,
debateable but it will empower the blind individual and raise awareness.
regards
-----Original Message-----
From: blindsacapetown-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blindsacapetown-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Ferdi Venter
Sent: 08 June 2016 3:09 PM
To: blindsacapetown@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blindsacapetown] FW: [Blind] The Orbit Reader 20
Hi all
Read about this great device here below and my suggestion at the bottom of
it. I adapted it slitely and only include the relevant information from the
original napsa post.
-----Original Message----- From: "Christo de Klerk"
Date: 30 May 2016 at 7:57:05 PM
To: "'National Accessibility Portal mailing list with topics focused on
accessibility for users with visual disabilities.'" <blind@xxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Subject: [Blind] The Orbit Reader 20
Hello all
I had the opportunity to see and play with the Orbit Reader 20 in Baltimore
and here is some information about it. It is a Braille-only device,, no
speech, no audio. The planned release date is October. It has no bells and
whistles, but you pay for those bells and whistles in other devices. First
the physical description: it is small, really small: 15 cm wide, 10 cm deep
and about 2.5 cm high. It has no sharp corners or edges; all corners and
edges are rounded. It feels very sturdy, as if the material of which it is
made is quite thick and durable. It works off a replaceable rechargeable
battery (which is a huge plus). It has 20 braille cells but no cursor
routing keys. On either side of the braille line is a rocker button for
panning the display forwards or backwards. It has a Perkins-like keyboard
behind the display with two additional keys and there is a cursor circle
between dots 1 and 4 with a submit button in the middle of the circle. The
braille feels as good as or even better than the braille I have felt on most
other braille displays. The reason why people have referred to the feel of
its braille as signage braille, is because the dots do not give when you
press on them; they feel solid. You can't push them down. The device uses an
SD card and has Bluetooth and USB. It has three modes of operation. In one
mode it is a book reader. You can load text based documents in almost any
format on the SD card and then read them in braille with navigational
features, a find feature and bookmarks. In its second mode of operation it
becomes a terminal for a computer or a smart phone. In this mode it
functions like a Bluetooth keyboard but with braille input and display. It
should function with all major screen readers. In its third mode of
operation it is a notetaker, a bare-bones text editor much like Notepad with
which you can create and edit files. It also has a file manager for copying,
deleting and renaming files. It has a simple menu structure and is really
easy to operate. This machine can be a major breakthrough. I am excited
about it. Its wholesale price is $320. Let us pray to providence that some
of our local importers don't get their paws on this one, because then the
price is sure to double. As soon as I can afford one, I am getting it
directly from overseas. At the ICEB General Assembly the head of the RNIB,
Kevin Carey, did a presentation about the Orbit and he suggested that
resellers should not want to make money on the device in order to keep its
price as low as possible. I was really impressed with the Orbit. I hope many
more people will be able to afford this machine and have refreshable braille
in their hands.
Ok, now that you've read the above passage, I want to suggest that the
committee of BlindSA Penensula consider the possibility of offering a ten
percent financial contribution towards members, whom wish to order the Orbit
Reader 20, at their next committee meeting. Then, after receiving the
outstanding 90 percent, from interested members, the branch could perhaps
place a bulk order. It could then also be used as an awareness campaign to
demonstrate how this branch, as part of the organization, helps members to
make these devices more affordable and in thus, give blind people an even
greater chance to be employed in the open labour market. Furthermore,
they'll be cutting out all these middle men which will most probably, as
Christo mentioned in his post, try to get their sticky paws on it and, once
again, load the price for their own financial benefit at the expense of
blind people's independence. It could mean some good publicity for the
branch in the local or even the national media as well and it could even be
combined with a corporate function like, but not necessarily, the dinner In
the dark event where the units could be handed over to the members and some
corporates might just take note of this gesture and in turn might even make
a donation which would then replenish at least some of the funds which wwill
be going into this suggested and worthy project.
At a wholesale price of $320 per unit and with the rand currently trading at
about 15 to the dollar, this would mean R480 per interested member whom can
afford the remaining R4,320, which is very little for what you will be
getting in comparison to known devices of this kind. This will, at a
current membership total of, say 50, total to R24,000, though I recken less
than 20 members would be able or interested to buy it, which will further
lower this figure. Knowing that currencies are variable there could be
slite changes in the amounts mentioned, but look at it in principle.
Your thoughts on this?
Ferdi Venter
