What would you do with a computer if you were Blind?

What features/apps/bugfixes needed in a future Puppy
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Trobin
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What would you do with a computer if you were Blind?

#1 Post by Trobin »

As you probably know I've taken on a project, see the Seeing eye Dog Puppy for the Blind thread. The problem I'm looking at at the meoment is that as a sighted person, i don't really know what a blind person would use a computer for.

I know what I think I would want a computer for if I were blind.

I would want it to read audio books, either as text or in MP3,wav, or similar, format.

I would want it to play music files / cds

I would want it to be my link to the outside world.

What suggestions do you have?

bugman

#2 Post by bugman »

as far as the link to the outside world goes

would want it to read out webpages

would want to be able to dictate emails

and have emails read to me

bugman

#3 Post by bugman »

i guess doing everything by keystroke?

or is there a way for a mouse to trigger an audio signal when it's good to click?

[in the dark on this]

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alienjeff
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#4 Post by alienjeff »

Contact an online association that helps the blind and ask them. We who have our eyesight can only guess what features are required in such a distro.
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#5 Post by Lobster »

Puppy Raspup 8.2Final 8)
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Inuyasha
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#6 Post by Inuyasha »

I've had a few ideas on things I could event so blind people could use the computer. The problem comes down to the physical boundary. I've considered light, heat, touch sensitivity, sound, and a lot of other factors. Creating something like this would have to be on a grad-level of thinking.

Things such as flash, HTML frames, and various programming languages would have to be compensated for. I just see tons and tons of complications.

I've often considered perhaps a body-suit would be very useful for applying the various concepts.

A braile board could be made to quickly relay information, so the blind person would have to quickly interpret the rises and lowering of various bumps. That would be the quickest way to browse a document. A scroll wheel could allow him or her to change the various x-y position on the screen, thus interpreting the shape of the frames.

Various concepts.

It would take someone with engineering knowledge and a grasp of how human cognition works.
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alienjeff
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#7 Post by alienjeff »

Stop guessing. Contact Oak Hill.
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TheProphet
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#8 Post by TheProphet »

Mouse tracking can have the same kind of audio-signals some major cities use on their municipal buses.

Which I didn't realize until a blind friend of mine, just out of boredom, started naming off the time points and major intersections as we passed.

Designing a good GPS system, would be easier in the city because of the aforementioned audio signals, would be a nice offshoot of that.

A graphics display is a grid and more logically oriented than a city street system.

having the mouse "talk" should be really simple.

"should be simple" though, is a horrible thing to hear.

If you hear your mechanic tinkering around in your motor and saying "Damn, this Should Be Simple" you know you're in trouble.

So, something that integrates GPS with a motion detector, the motion detector can detect and map out objects toward which or away from which, relative to it's own motion.

Mate that to something like an Ipod, to get the signals directly to the user.

To test how an application would work with a blind user, put a blindfold on. Those blinders that people use to sleep would be a good cheap and easy way.

The Internet poses one major problem, advertizing.

It's geared to splashy colors, flashing lights and bold text saying "click on this link and get a FREE chance to buy our overpriced goods or services".
"Absolutely FREE*FREE*FREE*FREE Download of software it will cost
money for you to run"

But the backbone of the Net is now Make Money.
Make Lots of Money.

What Do You MEAN We Should Cater To People Who Can't See Our Ads?

Little things like Good Will, Good Karma and such don't seem to make much impression.
He who skydive without parachute, jumps to own conclusion.

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Keef
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#9 Post by Keef »

If the question was "What do you want to do with a computer?", then the replies from blind people would be as varied as for the rest of us.
For quite a few people the answer might be 'not a lot' - they might only want a usable word processor (with speech and/or large fonts and good contrast etc). Some might want internet access and email. Some of course, will want the whole kaboodle.

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bobwrit
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#10 Post by bobwrit »

Speech Reconition
I need help with my forum. [b][u]LINK:[/u][/b][url]http://www.programers.co.nr/[/url]
[url]http://www.freewebs.com/programm/iframe.html[/url] is my gateway page...

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Aitch
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#11 Post by Aitch »

@trobin
Re the original post, I sense the possibilty of a different approach

Have you seen the Daisy talking book stuff, its all xml/m$ supported

European requirement for inclusion brings legal responsibilities to the PC world, in a way not yet tapped

Document conversion is one of the most needed tools, as there are too many formats, & typefaces, which mean nothing to a blind person,
it's the content not the style that counts

The other thing that is needed is better quicklinks/keystrokes/automated functions, not stupid keyboard gimmicks

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h ... image&cd=3

Many things people use computers for are labour intensive
Get the PC to do the labour by writing script executables to do tasks, 'one click functions'
Then 'speak to do' becomes a possibility as instructions would be minimised/'collectivised'

Please also look at what can be done to help the deaf, as they are also entitled to inclusion
a program that can transcribe speech to screen [as does TV visualtext] is desperately needed
Yes I know it's complicated, but ideas are needed
both groups are disadvantaged, rather than disabled
please help enable them with the advantages that better use of technology could bring
Try contacting the relevant associations directly, there are many projects already, but corporate microsoft has its own plans

http://support.microsoft.com/search/def ... e&numDays=

note the blind friendly boldtype - not

Funding is available from the EC, check it out

http://www.bildungsserver.de/db/mlesen_e.html?Id=36820

Thanks
Aitch
edit: sorry about the length of the links, I had to fold them as when I pasted them straight in it screwed up the whole forum

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Aitch
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#12 Post by Aitch »

@trobin

I just reloaded my 'your posts' page, having posted here & there are 2 previous posts by Lobster
1 What is funny?
2 Common misconceptions

Then I looked back & read your thread
What would you do with a computer if you were Blind?

and my wicked sense of humour associated misconceptions to give:-

1. Kick the bloody thing out of the way
2 Stand on it to reach that top shelf
3 prop the door open while I let the dog out
4 unplug it and save money
etc....

couldn't resist it, sorry

Aitch :lol: :twisted: :lol:

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Keef
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#13 Post by Keef »

@Aitch

I might be getting this wrong, but the way you describe TV subtitling, it gives the impression it is done automatically. As far as I know, it is all down to human input - someone has to transcribe it. They don't use standard keyboards, but it it is more phonetically based. Live subtitles show the errors that are easily made. I'm not sure how Puppy could solve the problem of automated subtitling if it doesn't already exist in TV land - a has already been said, it's not a trivial thing. If it was possible, it could be also be used on the telephone system, replacing the relay systems such as Text Direct (in the UK) that allow the hearing impaired and non-deaf to communicate by phone.

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Aitch
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#14 Post by Aitch »

@Keef

I don't think you got me wrong at all
I have no knowledge of the 'how it works' on TV subtitling, I just know the 'how it doesn't work' elsewhere,
And I guess I'm just putting out for people to apply their brains to a problem, as I'm aware that very often things have their solutions, not in the experts of the field, but in a crossover from an entirely different field altogether
.........and you never know who might be listening, aurally or otherwise, or reading or visualising this thread
perhaps the solution to this problem exists in biological research, or vibrational analysis, or noise cancelling computer modelling, the aircraft industry, nuclear energy atom mapping, submarine control technology, government spytapping equipment, third world survival skills, art history, women's crotchet patterns, [er maybe? though I don't know how that popped up] etc.... who knows?
things work in mysterious ways, sometimes, don'tcha know?

I just try & look 'outside the box' sometimes, as, when things stagnate, people tend to tread the same old paths & despair sets in very easily, I find, at the lack of movement
It's what keeps us vibrant & hopeful, after all

aitch :)
Last edited by Aitch on Sun 06 Apr 2008, 14:19, edited 1 time in total.

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Keef
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#15 Post by Keef »

I reckon the crochet patterns may be the way forward - however I've heard a rumour that Microsoft are trying to patent this technology....

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Aitch
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#16 Post by Aitch »

@Keef

:lol:

I reckon that was my thought implant kicked in with an early April fools joke!

However, here's a prototype new MScrochet patent DVD format

Aitch
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