Hi Steve. That's very interesting! Thanks for that. People should be commended for making things accessible to us! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve Pattison" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "PC Audio" <Pc-audio@pc-audio.org> Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 7:39 AM Subject: Fwd: Anna Dresner in E-Access Bulletin
> >>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >>>NBP author Anna Dresner was quoted in the most recent issue of E-Access >>>Bulletin, in an article on accessible mp3 players. Anna's latest book is >>>"The iPod Experience: Gaining Access to the iPod Shuffle," available in >>>braille from NBP for $6. >>> >>>www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/IPOD.html >>> >>>Here's the article: >>> >>>The Portable Audio Revolution >>> >>>By Mel Poluck. >>> >>>It seems like every other person in the street these days is wearing an >>>mp3 >>>player to listen to music they are the 'Walkman' of the present day, and >>>even more popular than those original portable music devices. >>> >>> >>> >>>It is no surprise therefore that mp3 players have also proven hugely >>>popular >>>with blind and vision-impaired people, with their capacity to fit a vast >>>amount of music or other audio content into a tiny device that fits >>>comfortably in the pocket. >>> >>> >>> >>>The problem for vision-impaired users comes with the accessibility of the >>>device itself, such as the design of its screen or its buttons. >>> >>> >>> >>>For example, when Sue Allard of the British Retinitis Pigmentosa Society >>>bought Creative Labs' Nomad ZenXtra mp3 player >>>(http://fastlink.headstar.com/creative1 ) she had some vision, and could >>>navigate her way around it using a magnifier >>> >>> >>> >>>"However, now I can no longer see the screen, I have had to give up quite >>>a >>>few of its features as it is menu-based," she says. Without a >>>text-to-speech >>>option, Allard says she no longer has access to features such as >>>'bookmarking,' an experience she describes as "really frustrating. >>> >>> >>> >>>"I have worked out how to get to the list of albums, artists and authors >>>and >>>can locate individual books or tracks by storing them in alphabetical >>>order, >>>but I can no longer use playlists. It's a brilliant but not accessible >>>machine," Allard says. >>> >>> >>> >>>One advantage of music storage devices for vision-impaired users is that >>>they neatly double up as audio book players, and can be used to listen to >>>'podcasts': a term for distribution of audio content over the internet >>>such >>>as that used by many internet radio stations. On the other hand, most >>>standard players are not as sophisticated or flexible as the generally >>>larger, specialist devices which are designed purely to play back audio >>>books. "Most mainstream mp3 players offer few navigation options," says >>>Anna >>>Dresner, Publishing Associate from the National Braille Press in the US >>>and >>>author of 'The iPod Experience: Gaining Access to the iPod Shuffle' >>>(http://fastlink.headstar.com/nbp1 ). >>> >>> >>> >>>"If you're trying to read particular pages or look something up in a >>>reference book, you need [standard e-book format] DAISY navigation >>>features," Dresner says. "DAISY's ability to synchronize text and audio >>>is a >>>very exciting idea as well, because it would make it possible to search >>>for >>>specific words, check the spelling of unfamiliar words and make the book >>>available to deafblind people if a Braille display could be used with the >>>DAISY device." >>> >>> >>> >>>However, there are music players designed with vision-impaired users in >>>mind, and which handle e-books well. The Book Port ( >>>http://sun1.aph.org/products/bp_bro.html ) from the American Printing >>>House >>>for the Blind ( http://www.aph.org ) for example, plays music files, >>>DAISY >>>files, and text, including Word documents and has more advanced >>>navigation >>>features than mainstream players. >>> >>> >>> >>>The problem with Book Ports, however, is that they use removable media. >>>"You >>>are then faced with organizing, carrying and sorting memory cards," >>>Allard >>>says. "With my Nomad I have my entire music collection with me at all >>>times >>>and just about as many Audible books as I can download; and all in a >>>device >>>a bit bigger than a cigarette packet." >>> >>> >>> >>>While levels of accessibility vary from player to player, Apple's iPod >>>Shuffle - a device the size, shape and weight of a cigarette lighter with >>>the most basic of buttons and space for 120 tracks and up to 120 hours of >>>audio book time - rates high for accessibility. >>> >>> >>> >>>"Except for the battery gauge, the iPod Shuffle is completely accessible, >>>and very easy to use," Dresner says. "The major disadvantage is that >>>Windows >>>does not treat it like a standard USB drive, so you have to use other >>>software to manage it, and iTunes, the most common iPod management >>>program, >>>is difficult to use without scripts or set files," she says. "This means >>>that you have to spend more money to get software that allows you to >>>manage >>>it effectively." >>> >>> >>> >>>To answer this problem, last month Brian Hartgen, technical consultant at >>>UK-based assistive technology consultancy TandT Limited, released >>>accessible >>>scripts for 'iTunes,' >>>(http://www.tandt-consultancy.com/itunesscripts.html ), allowing >>>vision-impaired users of the JAWS for Windows screen- reader to manage >>>their >>>music files. It costs 30 pounds. >>> >>> >>> >>>Other solutions include Steve Holmes's Window-Eyes set files for iTunes >>>(http://www.holmesgrown.com/window-eyes/itunes.zip ) and the Anapod >>>Explorer >>>(http://www.redchairsoftware.com/anapod/ ) from Red Chair Software in the >>>US >>>which costs about 20 pounds. This, according to Hartgen, allows you to >>>"treat your iPod a little like windows explorer in the sense that you can >>>copy files to and from the device using explorer as an interface." >>> >>>So the market for both mainstream and specialist mp3 players is >>>expanding, >>>and for those devices that are inaccessible, solutions are emerging at a >>>rapid pace. The mp3 revolution continues. >>> >>>Copyright 2005 Headstar Ltd http://www.headstar.com . Taken from e-access >>>bulletin, a free monthly email newsletter: http://www.headstar.com/eab > > Regards Steve, > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > MSN Messenger: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Skype: steve1963 > > > _______________________________________________ > PC-Audio List Help, Guidelines, Archives and more... > http://www.pc-audio.org > > To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > _______________________________________________ PC-Audio List Help, Guidelines, Archives and more... http://www.pc-audio.org To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
