---------------------------------------- > Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2006 22:47:58 +0200 > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL > PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [accessibleimage] Press Release Unveil Prototype of > Braille-Embossed TouchBook > > > The National Federation of the Blind, Jernigan Institute and Somatic > Digital Unveil Prototype of Braille-Embossed TouchBook With Digital > Capabilities > Tuesday July 11, 8:03 am ET > > BALTIMORE, July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Federation of the Blind > (NFB) announced today that it recently demonstrated a prototype tactile > book with a computerized Touch User Interface (TUI) at its national > convention in Dallas, Texas on July 1-7, 2006. The book entitled Touch > the Earth is the first Braille book combining MODIS Sensor imagery and > science content from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration > (NASA) along with the TUI technology of Somatic Digital. Touch the > Earth, conceived by the NFB Jernigan Institute, offers new educational > opportunities for blind students to break through barriers to accessing > printed and pictorial information in existing materials. > > According to Dr. Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of > the Blind, "Touch the Earth is an effort to examine how we can use > Braille in conjunction with technology to produce multi-sensory > educational experiences in ways that have never before been imagined. > Furthermore, we believe these multi-sensory learning experiences are > important not only because they are accessible to the blind but also > because they provide more meaningful learning opportunities to all > students." > > Touch the Earth is a proof of concept demonstrating how a paper-based > Braille book with tactile images can be connected to supplemental > digital content stored on a computer simply through the touch of a page. > The demonstration book includes five Braille pages, four tactile map > images created from NASA satellite imagery, and an additional tactile > page, which serves as a remote control to access the associated digital > content. The NFB believes this innovative approach to educational > material could serve as the guide to produce a full-scale book to help > teach Earth science concepts to both blind and sighted students alike. > > Dr. Elissa Levine, a research scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight > Center and collaborator on the book, says, "The cutting edge approach of > this book is an expression of NASA's vision to inspire and engage the > next generation of explorers. The concepts and technology used in > creating Touch the Earth can be applied to many new educational > products, which will broaden the pool of people inspired by NASA and > deepen science literacy nationwide." > > According to Jason E. Barkeloo, president, Somatic Digital, "We are > proud of this work under the leadership of the Jernigan Institute. By > working with the NFB we are focusing on bridging the digital divide for > all students. We know that by connecting those who are blind, hearing, > motor, cognitively, or socio-economically impaired, we can connect > everyone to digital content through the ubiquitous paper-and-ink medium. > We are converging print and digital with the book being the point of > convergence rather than a new appliance." > > The TUI technology enables regular printed pages to connect directly to > digital content and communication protocols. When the print or tactile > page is touched, a signal is sent to a computer to execute the > associated command. The TUI technology is an open technology designed to > enable educational publishers to create interactive digital and print > hybrid workbooks, texts, and supplements. > > This technology is ideal for providing a multi-modal learning > environment to all students. The TUI allows individual books to be > customized to the needs outlined in students' individualized education > plans. Properly designed TUI-based TouchBooks, such as the Federation's > Touch the Earth, should meet the requirements outlined in the National > Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) and the inclusive > learning requirements of laws such as the Individuals with Disabilities > Act, No Child Left Behind Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. > > About the National Federation of the Blind > > With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is > the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people > in the United States. The NFB improves blind people's lives through > advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging > independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in the > blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. In January > 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan > Institute, the first research and training center in the United States > for the blind led by the blind. > > About Somatic Digital > > Somatic Digital, LLC, is the developer of the Touch User Interface (TUI) > technology as the TouchBook platform. The TUI technology connects paper > directly to digital content that can reside on optical media, the > Internet, or hard drives. It enables a bridge over the digital divide > because it eliminates barriers that previously prevented people from > connecting to digital content. > > > > _________________________________________________________________ Express yourself: design your homepage the way you want it with Live.com. http://www.live.com/getstarted To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
