Scenario 2 - The auditory medium

Speech output

Pupils who cannot easily access the computer using their vision may use the medium of speech output. In some cases the use of a talking word processor will help. In others a full screen reader will be required. In this case, as windows, menus and text pop up the user hears, rather than sees, the contents of the screen.

Example 2a

Sophie is registered blind with functional vision in only her left eye, which fluctuates during the day. She finds it very difficult to use a pen to form letters and write as she also has arthritis in her wrists. To enable her to record and produce work, which both she and her teachers can read, Sophie uses a talking word processor. This provides her with character and word echo when she inputs text and also allows her to read back the text rather than struggle with the display. The talking word processor also reads the pull-down menus, which gives her a prompt when she is saving or printing her work. Sophie is able to enlarge the text through the word processor but also has the option to use a screen magnification package when she feels that she needs extra enlargement. She is able to launch and close this application by using short cut keys which were set up for her; this means she can use it when she feels it necessary.

Key skills and equipment

The key skills for the above example are the ability to:

• use a talking word processor to enter and read back text
• navigate the screen with a screen magnification application

The key equipment is:

• talking word processor (e.g. IntelliTalk, Write:Outloud)
• screen magnification application (e.g. Lunar, Zoomtext)

Digitized speech

Some basic talking applications might use digitized speech. This is speech that has been digitally recorded and is played back when initiated by the user. As it is a recording the quality is good and easy to understand. Digitized speech is used mainly in CD-ROMs for talking stories or encyclopedias and in framework packages where the teacher or student is able to record sounds or speech themselves. The student and teacher would be able to make recordings of each other’s voices and sound samples to incorporate into home made accessible talking books using readily available applications such as Microsoft PowerPoint.

However, digitized speech has a finite, predetermined vocabulary and cannot be used to offer full access to mainstream software. Only the samples that have been recorded can be accessed. It would not therefore be possible to use digitized speech within a word processor; it would be impossible for the designer to predict all potential words used in composition and record them.

Example 2b

Joel is registered partially sighted with cortical visual impairment, mild continuous nystagmus with a mild convergent squint. As he has experienced difficulty accessing print, he is a very reluctant reader and needs encouragement to engage in the literacy hour; but he does enjoy using the computer, as the multimedia combination of video, sound and pictures gives him multi-sensory stimulation.

Commercially available software has often proved inaccessible without the necessary enlargement options. Joel’s teacher produces resources in large print for classroom discussion but in collaboration with the ICT teacher recreates poems and stories on the computer using Word and PowerPoint. The text is enhanced using clip art and pictures taken with a digital camera. Sound is added by recording Joel, his peers and teachers as well as using files downloaded from the Web. The rest of the class can also use the materials produced as an alternative to printed material.

Key skills and equipment

The key skills for the above example are the ability to:

• find and create sound samples (e.g. recording, or using the Web)
• find and create images or photographs (e.g. via the Internet or digital camera)
• incorporate multimedia components into an application

The key equipment is:

• digital camera
• Web access
• microphone
• software such as Word or PowerPoint

Screen readers and synthetic speech

Packages used to provide speech output to mainstream programs are called screen readers. Key strokes rather than positional mouse clicks are used to control the computer and the menus; dialogue boxes and other text areas are spoken in a synthetic voice.

Many screens in most programs contain vast quantities of complex information. The screen reader has the job of representing this through speech – often a very difficult task. Because of these complexities and the variety of presentation methods, the choice of screen reader software has to be made very carefully. Advice is available from many sources and a good first reference point is the support service for pupils with visual impairments. They will be able to give advice on assessments and potential further sources of information.

The synthetic voice can be produced using a speech synthesizer (an internal or external hardware device) or more commonly these days by using the sound card. With either method the speech can be listened to through standard speakers or headphones.

They vary greatly in the quality of voice produced and the response speed of the synthesizer. Using rules for translating text into speech sounds, the speech synthesizer can speak anything that is typed onto the screen – even foreign languages in the case of some voice synthesizers. Sometimes, however, the pronunciation is not always as expected and so can sound odd to the untrained ear. As voice quality is such a subjective aspect of voice synthesis it is vital that the child listens to several synthetic voices to judge suitability before a system is purchased.

Example 2c

Kenneth is thirteen and has retrolental fibroplasia, which means he is totally blind. He attends a mainstream school and uses a laptop to record and produce work. Kenneth uses a screen reader to give him access to the computer and is able to produce hard copy Braille via an embosser and Braille translation software, which is permanently located in the support base.

To avoid having to produce large quantities of Braille, work is given to Kenneth on disc; he is able to read through this with the screen reader and complete his work, save it on a disc and return it to his teacher. When the work is completed he is able to print a Braille copy for himself if he needs one and a print copy for his work folder.

Key skills and equipment

The key skills for the above example are the ability to:

• use a screen reader to access a PC
• use a standard word processor
• produce Braille via a translation package and embosser

The key equipment is:

• standard PC and word processor
• screen reader
• Braille translation package and Braille embosser

Scenario 3 - Tactile output

Electronic Braille displays

An electronic Braille display is a tactile device that represents the text on the computer screen using a row of Braille cells. Each cell consists of pins, which move up and down to represent, in Braille code, the text character displayed on the screen. The widths of the Braille displays vary between models, with 40 and 80-cell versions being common sizes.

The contents of the Braille display will change instantly as a pupil moves their cursor down through lines of text in a word processor. Keys on the front and top of the display allow the user to control the cursor and navigate the screen. This reduces the need to move hands from the display to the keyboard. A Braille display can be used in conjunction with speech output. Many children who are Braille users find this combination provides them with an effective way to navigate the screen and enter and edit text.

Braille production

As well as the need to work in real time with an electronic Braille display, users may require a permanent copy of a piece of information in hard copy Braille. A Braille translation package converts the text characters in a word processor into the Braille equivalent and prints the document using a Braille printer known as an embosser. Embossers print Braille output from a computer by punching dots onto paper. They connect to a computer in the same way as text printers, via the parallel port. Braille can be formatted and compressed in a number of ways. The Braille translation packages are flexible to enable the production of Braille to the individual specification and format requirements of the user.

Braille note-takers

The traditional metal Perkins Brailler is a common recording tool for many blind students. However as the demands of the curriculum increase, and the learner needs a more efficient production and storage device, many choose an electronic Braille note-taker. The layout of the Braille keyboard contains a key or button for each of the six Braille dots and a space bar, allowing the user to use the conventional Braille code when typing. This results in a compact keyboard – important in a portable device.

Text can be entered, edited, read back via speech or an integral Braille line. It can then be transferred to a PC for viewing or printed in ink or Braille to the users specifications. Note-takers are also available with a ‘QWERTY’ rather than Braille keyboard.

Example 3a

Hamed is fourteen years old and has no useful vision. He has developed good keyboard skills and is able to use a word processor competently alongside a screen reader.

Within lessons he prefers to use a Braille note-taker with a refreshable Braille display. Whilst the teacher is talking and he is involved in discussion, he is able to turn off the voice output and rely on the Braille display to give him feedback about what he has written. Because of the contracted nature of Braille, Hamed is able to jot down notes very quickly whilst at the same time participating in the lesson.

He found that when he tried to use a laptop in lessons he was too distracted by the speech output to concentrate on what was actually being taught. At the end of the lesson, he is able to obtain and print a Braille copy of his notes, or transfer them to disc to edit or complete during private study time using the laptop.

Where he is not able to use his note-taker he also has the option of using a Perkins Brailler and a pocket recorder to note down thoughts.

Key skills and equipment

The key skills for the above example are the ability to:

• understand the Braille code
• understand the necessary commands to use the note-taker
• use a Braille translation program
• set up a Braille embosser

The key equipment is:

• Braille note-taker
• embosser
• pocket recorder

Tactile diagram production

The production of tactile diagrams for students with a visual impairment can be complex; it is therefore important to decide on the most appropriate production method. There are several ways of constructing tactile methods, such as a fuser and swell paper or vacuum forming.

When using a fuser, a print version is produced on standard paper with clear black outlines or areas and photocopied onto microcapsule or swell paper. This then passes through the fuser where it is heated. As the black areas absorb more heat than the white areas, they rise and swell to form tactile areas.

Vacuum formed diagrams use a raised diagram or collage as a template over which plastic is vacuum formed to produce a more permanent tactile resource. The equipment is often referred to as a Thermoform. It is often used to reproduce complex diagrams which include Braille labels, or where multiple copies of Braille texts are required.

There are some important points to consider when determining the best approach:

• Will the material being produced be used once or many times?
• Does the diagram need to offer contrast as well as tactile areas?
• Are varying texture qualities and depths required?
• What are the features of the diagram to be produced?

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