I'm forwarding from the Optacon list. OPTACON USERS UNITE TO PRESERVE VALUABLE READING DEVICE The Optacon user list would like to share the following information with all current and former Optacon users. 1. The Optacons can still be repaired. There are repairers located in the U.S., Canada, England and Australia. 2. We are seeking all non-working or unused Optacons. These will be repaired and put back into circulation. 3. We invite all current Optacon users to fill out a brief survey describing their experiences both negative and positive. 4. If we can collect enough survey data, there is a possibility of re-developing the Optacon with modern circuitry to read some of the types of modern displays which other devices cannot read at this time. 5. There is a very active Optacon e-list where users share experiences and make plans for the future of the Optacon. IF YOU WOULD LIKE INFORMATION ON ANY OF THE ABOVE OR HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE EMAIL braille@xxxxxxxxx . Thank you. WHAT IS AN OPTACON? Invented in the early 1970's, the Optacon uses a hand-held camera to explore a print document and convert the picture of what it finds onto a small tactile array composed of vibrating pins. The tactile picture is very tiny--about the size of a standard print letter or number. With practice, the user can move the camera over the printed material and read the images on the tactile array. The Optacon was manufactured until the early 1990's. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -Catherine Thomas braille@xxxxxxxxx / -------------------------------------------------------------------------------