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Here are a few of the new products and services coming out in 2000 that bear watching: A new speech-therapy monitor: Prentke Romich Co. is coming out with a product to improve the delivery of professional services to people who can't speak or have speech impairments such as stuttering. The Language Activity Monitor (LAM) will allow speech-language pathologists to collect data over months, even years, on one program, and from that build a better diagnostic plan to help patients with speech disorders. An individual speaks into a microphone, and LAM will do the rest. It's a cheaper, more focused alternative to numerous visits to a doctor. LAM's development and testing have been supported by a grant from the National Institute for Deafness & Other Communication Disorders of the National Institutes of Health. For information, contact Barry Romich. A better video monitor for the sight-impaired: Telesensory Corp. in Sunnyvale, Calif., the leading global supplier of products to assist people with vision problems, is rolling out the Aladdin Ultra, an upgrade of its current system. It provides the best voice quality that I've heard in years in converting text from printed materials into high-quality speech. It's also easy to learn to use, making it especially attractive for older people with vision problems. As with all video magnifiers, the Aladdin Ultra uses closed-circuit television technology to enlarge written materials and small objects. This enables a person with low vision to both read and write. The display can be monochrome or full color, and the products are available in a variety of screen sizes and magnification levels. The system is easy to hook up to a personal computer. To learn more about this product, visit telesensory.com. Another great new product in this area: In January, JBliss Imaging will be releasing Version 3.0 of its VIP Scan/Read/Write Software. One of the strengths of VIP Version 3.0 is its improved optical-character-reading software for scanning printed documents. It can display these documents in a variety of ways -- different fonts, colors, sizes, and spacing -- and it also has excellent speech conversion. VIP also provides an enlarged image of the page that can be manipulated with a mouse or a trackball. Unlike some programs, VIP contains a word processor for writing memos and e-mail, an address-book database, and an autodial feature. A talking clock is another great feature for blind and visually impaired users, and there's a library and picture album for storing text and pictures. For more information, visit jbliss.com. A new ergonomic keyboard design: DataHand Systems is offering new improvements in its DataHand, an ergonomic keyboard that supports the hands in such a way that all the typing is done by the fingers alone. While other keyboards require the fingers and hands to move to find the keys, the DataHand places all keys within a short reach of the fingertips. Doctors studying repetitive stress syndrome consider DataHand to be one of the best designs on the market. I have carpal tunnel syndrome, and I can vouch for that. But DataHand has other applications as well. You don't have to see the keys to operate it, which makes it a wonderful tool for the blind. In fact, the typing speed record on a DataHand keyboard is held by a blind operator, who learned the concept and achieved 90 words per minute in less than an hour. Sighted operators experienced on flat keyboards often need up to a month to get up to speed on the DataHand keyboard. It takes time to adapt to its different, lighter touch and feel. But in the end, the effort is worth it. For information visit datahand.com. Software that reads forms for you online: Many blind, visually impaired, and learning-disabled people have a hard time filling out forms online. To help, many use a screen reader. Now, Future Forms is rolling out a new program called SayIt that enables the screen reader to format most forms in a way that allows disabled users to read them and fill them out. The SayIt program scans your PC, first determining if a screen reader is present and active. If a screen reader is present, the software will actually decipher the form on the screen for the user. If no screen reader is present, then the software remains quiet and allows the user to complete the form. For additional information on accessible electronic forms, visit futureforms.com. New phone services for the disabled: Come 2000, four more states -- Texas, North Carolina, Illinois and Virginia -- will provide a special telephone service for people with speech disabilities (such service is already available in Arizona, California, Maryland, Nevada, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Georgia, Minnesota, and Washington). The Federal Communications Commission is considering requiring all states to furnish the service by 2003. Called Speech-to-Speech, operators are on call 24 hours a day, specially trained to understand people who have difficulty being understood by the public, whether because they are deaf, or have cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, or Parkinson's disease. If you have a speech disability, you can dial a toll-free number to reach one of these special "communications assistants," who will make telephone calls for you and repeat your words exactly. Already, about 5,000 calls a month are made nationally using the Speech-to-Speech system. Speech-to-Speech is especially useful for people who use a speech synthesizer to communicate. Most voice menus don't recognize speech synthesizers as a human voice, so Speech-to-Speech provides the only way for these people to communicate through voice-mail systems over the phone. People who stutter or have had a laryngectomy also may use Speech-to-Speech. You can try it out or get more information by calling (800) 854-7784 and asking the operator to call Dr. Bob Segalman at (916) 263-8689 (work) or at (916) 362-0982 (home). Or you can visit stsnews.com. More telephone services for the deaf: WorldView has combined traditional teletype writing (TTY) capabilities with the power of a PC to provide a complete communications platform for those who are hearing- or speech-impaired. A deaf person can write a phone message to another person who has the same capability right on the computer. And an upgrade to WorldView NTS Systems soon will provide complete interactive voice-response capabilities, messaging, and mail services for TTY users. Business and government should take note because the system will bring their workplaces into compliance with the Americans with Disability Act as well as Section 255 of the Telecom Act regarding accessibility for TTYs. The system is compatible with virtually any existing system and qualifies for a federal Disability Access Tax Credit. New voice-enhancing technologies: Speech Enhancer is rolling out a new product called SpectrumVP. It's a tiny, eight-ounce device that fits snugly under the chin of people who have spasmodic dysphonia and paralyzed vocal cords. And it does a wonderful job amplifying voice, dramatically reducing the effort required by patients to speak. It works well even in the noisiest of environments. How powerful is SpectrumVP? One of the biggest challenges for people with voice impairments is dealing with the side effects of a popular clinical treatment, Botox injection. Botox helps them regain their voice power. However, as a side effect, patients will often lose their voice totally for a few days, sometimes for a few weeks, just after the injection. Spectrum VP has a "power mode" that allows even those who have had recent Botox injections to make themselves heard. Small wonder most insurance companies and the Veterans Administration will pay for Spectrum VP. For more information, you can e-mail Donna Jordan. Want more information on new assistive-technology products? Keep reading this column. I'll be reviewing new products all year long. Share your opinion of Bowe's new book on BW Online's Assistive Tech Forum. Or, if you have a question about assistive technology, write to John at JMMAW@aol.com EDITED BY DOUGLAS HARBRECHT |
