----- Original Message ----- From: "BlindNews Mailing List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2007 10:28 PM Subject: 21st Century Entrepreneurs (features Ethan Smith, 25, the founder of Tactile Response)
> The Times Online (UK) > Thursday, November 15, 2007 > > 21st Century Entrepreneurs (features Ethan Smith, 25, the founder of > Tactile Response) > > By Emily Ford > > (Extract) > > That disabled people face disadvantages in today's society is, sadly, > nothing new. But in our increasingly computer-dependent world, the blind > community in particular struggles with modern technology so central to > most people's personal and working lives. Attempts to make computers > suitable for blind people to use have been largely unsatisfactory, says > Ethan Smith, 25, the founder of Tactile Response and a finalist in the > Tomorrow's People category. Studying for a masters in computer science and > psychology at the University of Central London, he spotted a gulf in the > provisions for blind and partially sighted people - and a potential market > niche. > > "I saw that it was very difficult for blind people to use computer > systems. Current Braille display readers just show one line at a time - > it's cumbersome and frustrating." Hence Tactile Response, the company he > set up to market BrailleScreen, a revolutionary computer screen that > allows blind people to feel the icons, boxes and text, using their fingers > as a mouse. Smith estimates that the equipment will cost less than $200 > (£100) to purchase - compared with current readers costing more than > £2,000 ¬- and will change the lives of 20 million people coping with sight > loss. "It's been a long time coming," he says. > > > http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/enterprise/article2876370.ece > BlindNews Mailing List > Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] with "subscribe" as subject > > Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] with "unsubscribe" as subject > > Moderator: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Archive: http://GeoffAndWen.com/blind > > RSS: http://GeoffAndWen.com/BlindNewsRSS.asp > > More information about RSS feeds will be published shortly. Send instant messages to your online friends http://in.messenger.yahoo.com 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
