HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: Keith.Bucher@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Keith Bucher)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: SlimWare Window Bridge
Date: 12 Aug 92 19:03:32 GMT
Reply-To: Keith.Bucher@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/89.0 - BlinkLink, Pittsburgh PA
X-Fidonet: Blink Talk Conference

Index Number: 23735

[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

 Quoting Darrell Shandrow to David Tanner 31 Jul 92 13:10:08

 DS> i also was not offered a
 DS> chance to have a handson demo of it even though there was no one else
 DS> at the table at that time.

Nope, and neither was I.  For you see, Synthavoice would rather not have
hands on demos.  We might find out how it really works, or what most
likely is the case:  What really does not work.  This is just more of
the flim flammery they use.  Just trust us, give us your money. That's
Slimware Synthavoice for you.  I don't think they even showed up at NFB.
Hey Slimware, where's the beef?  Where's that windows bridge demo?  You
know, guys, you could always come out with it and prove me wrong.
Keith Bucher.

... "OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MY MIND!"

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From: dashiell@nadc.nadc.navy.mil (Jude DaShiell)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: fighting tactics
Date: 12 Aug 92 16:02:36 GMT
Reply-To: dashiell@nadc.nadc.navy.mil (Jude DaShiell)
X-Fidonet: Blink Talk Conference

Index Number: 23681

large numbers are great in open spaces, get into a narrow
passage though and it's one on one and you'd better hope
who you send is up to the job at that point.
Large numbers have another advantage or can potentially have an advantage
in that one person's strong points can cover for another's
weak points if and only if the networks are connected well
enough that people know where to cover.  Not often true in large
detached organizations (much of the time members have
alienation problems) and that's absolute proof that that organization has
thrown away that advantage along with many others.
If we want the drug problem to stop we'll have to make the
determination to find out what everybody in this country
is good for and can do well or can do well with investment
and then the investment will have to follow.  And most important let each
one know and be valued for their special talents and place here!  That in
itself would constitute the fourth American Revolution.

jude <dashiell@nadc.nadc.navy.mil>
From: Juan.Mojena@p2.f203.n2603.z1.fidonet.org (Juan Mojena)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Talked to xerox yest
Date: 12 Aug 92 19:01:06 GMT
Reply-To: Juan.Mojena@p2.f203.n2603.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:2603/203.2 - The Shop Mail Only, Flushing NY
X-Fidonet: Blink Talk Conference

Index Number: 23719

[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

 > conventions I am beginning to wonder whether the best idea is to buy
 > Window Bridge or Screen Reader for OS2 and get Calera's Word Scan
 > software at a much cheaper price than the Arkenstone software.  Since
 > Arkenstone has decided to hang their future on Windows then we may as
 > well go buy their commercial product for windows and use it with Window
 > Bridge

Excuse me for buting in on your conversation.  This is just the
conclusion that I was coming too.  Window Bridge and Word Scan Plus
can be purchased for the same price as the Arkenstone software.
I'm not talking about the retail price but the street price of the
Kolera software.  Of course, it's a gamble as to how it will all
work under Windows.

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From: David.Tanner@f168.n129.z1.fidonet.org (David Tanner)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Braille Manuals
Date: 12 Aug 92 21:16:04 GMT
Reply-To: David.Tanner@f168.n129.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/168 - Braille Bank BBS, Pittsburgh PA
X-Fidonet: Blink Talk Conference

Index Number: 23832

[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

You speak of not receiving a Braille manual with some Braille
displays.  The first Braille manual we got with the Alva Braille
Carrier had been printed using the Carrier and was largely in
poorly formated Braille and if I remember correctly was strictly
Grade 1 Braille.  I'm not sure whether I would have prefered tape
to that kind of a manual as the page numbering was even screwed
up.  The fact is that it was a poor excuse for Humanware who
certainly could have done better.  But then again I think your
Humanware rep is the same as ours and he ain't nothing to brag
about.

        D. T.

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From: David.Tanner@f168.n129.z1.fidonet.org (David Tanner)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Braille translators
Date: 12 Aug 92 21:24:01 GMT
Reply-To: David.Tanner@f168.n129.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/168 - Braille Bank BBS, Pittsburgh PA
X-Fidonet: Blink Talk Conference

Index Number: 23870

[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

In a message of <05 Aug 92  15:56:00>, Stew Bowden (1:377/6) writes:

 > > >Hi Susan: perhaps I should not join in this discussion regarding braille
 >translators, but having just retired as a school administrator, in a
 >school for the blind, I used the Duxbury braille translator for several
 >years. Found it to be excellent. I am not familiar with Megadots, but I
 >cannot help but question the efficiency of a braille translator which
 >includes a word processor. Seems to me there would have to be come
 >compromises somewhere, and usually, it is the translation that suffers.
 >Hotdots is another translation program by Peter Durran, but since I have
 >not used that program, I am not in a position to say just how good it is.

This is not correct. Hot Dots is made and programmed by David
Holiday and Karen Mavey of Raised Dot Computing.  Their Braille
Edit, BEX and Transcribex are without a doubt the finest Braille
translation software package around.  They have now transported
their excellent work over to the PC.  Mega Dots is no doubt their
equivelent of Transcribex for the Apple.  I think that if you were
to check with the majority of Braille transcription groups accross
the U.S. you would find that most have used Transcribex to achieve
the most accurate Braille transcriptions available with computer
software.  The question of real importance is do you need a
translation software that gives you transcriber quality Braille but
requires a lot of special editing of your text files or do you want
a translator which is simple, easy to use, and gives excellent
results without doing a lot of special editing.

 >Hope you find something you like, but I would give Duxbury a very close
 >look. It is also speech friendly if that is a concern. Stew
 >

Again for the average individual Duxbury is expensive overkill.
For an individual who is not planning on producing large amounts of
Braille for a book or magazine, etc. they would be well advised to
evaluate the Braille output of Turbo Braille and its' simplicity of
use for $295 versus Duxbury for $500 or Mega Dots which is in the
same price range as Duxbury.  If your needs are for transcriber
quality Braille translation then you may wish to consider Mega Dots
because this product comes from a company with over 10 years of
experience producing the finest Braille translation software on the
market.  But for individual use most people don't feel that the
costs of the more expensive translators is worth the difference in
price.  We should have a demo version of Mega Dots available for
download here at Braille Bank BBS (412) 655-0806 by friday August
14.  You may want to check after that date for megadots.zip in the
new uploads area here.

        D. T.

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From: Jeff.Belina@p91.f20.n3603.z1.fidonet.org (Jeff Belina)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Indexing
Date: 12 Aug 92 19:05:57 GMT
Reply-To: Jeff.Belina@p91.f20.n3603.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:3603/20.91 - Mercury Opus NEC360, St Petersburg FL
X-Fidonet: Blink Talk Conference

Index Number: 23751

[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

Once upon a midnight weary...

28 Jul 92 23:21, David Tanner wrote to Gary Petraccaro:

 DT> you heard when you shut up the speech.  At present all the Accent
 DT> synthesizers include indexing, Dectalk Multivoice has indexing, Audaptor,
 DT> and the new Echo also have the feature.  So far as I know they are the

David, I thought you might be interested in the following, it is
accurate to my knowledge.  The Echo support of indexing is pretty
limited with the size of their buffer.  JAWS 2.2 doesn't yet
support indexing on the new Echo, but I'm sure that will change
before long. The JAWS for the Dectalk PC supports indexing.  Also,
we are working on indexing for the Braille 'N Speak, which I
believe is a new feature from Blaize.

Bfn,
Jeff Belina
Technical Support and Sysop of the Henter-Joyce Support BBS (1:3603/5297)
Henter-Joyce, Inc.

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From: Mike.Murray@f408.n208.z1.fidonet.org (Mike Murray)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Pain
Date: 12 Aug 92 21:26:09 GMT
Reply-To: Mike.Murray@f408.n208.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:208/408

Index Number: 23880

[This is from the Chronic Pain Conference]

First, let me say that The Beemer Board is Proud to be echoing this
conference from Manteca California.

Second, I am living? with pain every day, I have had 3 Back
surgery's and I am Fused from S-1 to L-3, and have degenerative
Arthritis through out my body, so I understand Chronic Pain.

Hope to talk with y'all soon.           Mike....

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From: Robert.Thurlow@p0.f5109.n124.z1.fidonet.org (Robert Thurlow)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: I AM DEAF
Date: 12 Aug 92 21:37:08 GMT
Reply-To: Robert.Thurlow@p0.f5109.n124.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:124/5109.0 - National Amputee Co, Dallas TX
X-Fidonet: Silent Talk Conference

Index Number: 23932

[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

Laurel, I understand how you feel about losing your hearing after
having grown up with it.  I believe I'd feel a greater sense of loss
from losing my hearing than I would from being blind or losing a
limb exactly because of my love for music.  Many of the amputees in
our support group clearly believe that life would be better if they
still had their missing limbs.

But then there are the people who were born without limbs, or have
grown so much since their amputations that they would not choose to
go back to being the way they were before.  These people do not feel
such a sense of loss, but have come to accept it all as simply the
way it is.  These groups do not necessarily understand one another.
In peer support, the congenital amputees are best at reassuring the
parents of other congenitals that life will be okay, while the folks
who lost limbs later in life are best at reassuring other acquired
amputees.  The best sort of attitude to take is one of acceptance,
where both "sides" remember that the other person's way of living
is best for them, and not something that is open to more than a little
friendly discussion.  I wish all of the participants in this debate
could try a little harder to accept that theirs is not the only valid
viewpoint.

Take care,
Rob T

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From: Paige.Louie@f6.n3800.z1.fidonet.org (Paige Louie)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: RSD Medline Search
Date: 12 Aug 92 21:27:15 GMT
Reply-To: Paige.Louie@f6.n3800.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:3800/6 - CompuChurch (tm) IH, Baton Rouge LA

Index Number: 23886

[This is from the Chronic Pain Conference]

hi michael...well, the dr. tried many meds. on me..the latest being
'toradol' which my tummy couldn't tolerate ...it helped the pain, but
it made me sooooooooo nauseated,i ate nothing.
 so i use a 't.e.n.s.' unit most of the time...plus get in spa often
for water therapy...i can take 'soma compound' during day.
 tell me more about yourself,
take care...
paige

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From: Walter.Siren@p18.f5.n396.z1.fidonet.org (Walter Siren)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: GUIDE DOG BLUES
Date: 12 Aug 92 19:13:49 GMT
Reply-To: Walter.Siren@p18.f5.n396.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:396/5.18 - Pontchippi, New Orleans LA
X-Fidonet: Blink Talk Conference

Index Number: 23803

[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

 V> I am sad to report that after some contact with N.F.B., Sue Sullivan at the
 V> Social services department of Guide Dogs for The Blind and the California
 V> State Guide Dog Board as well, that dog guide legislation is not exactly as
 V> seriously applied and as functional as it seems exacting in the way that it
 V> is written.  In short, despite legislation seemingly to the contrary,
 V> landlords, if they really want, can most certainly get away with charging a
 V> pet deposit because of a dog guides presence!

Vixen, from what you quoted in thel aw, I don't believe this is
true.  Furthermore, it sounds to me like they don't want to get
involved.

 V> Kris made arrangements through triple A and they contacted two very nice
 V> hotels at the cape. Both hotels had vacancies. Sounds good, right? Well,
 V> guess what gang, as soon as they found out we were traveling with a dog
 V> guide, both hotels said "no way!"  The triple A travel representitive told
 V> each hotel manager or owner that Massachusetts law prohibits refusal of
 V> occupancy in a motel or hotel because of the presence of a dog guide. Just
 V> the same, and even though each hotel is aware of the law, one manager
 V> simply refused to discuss the matter with the triple A agent and the other
 V> manager was very polite but offered some Jive story about someone having an
 V> allergic reaction. Massachusetts law says such refusal of occupancycan cost
 V> them fines of up to three hundred dollars. On top of this, these hotels are
 V> triple A affiliated!

I have found in the past, that you don't tell them in advance that
you will have a guide dog.  You are giving them chance to turn you
down.  If you would just have gone without telling them, you
probably would have been allowed in.  If not, you might have to
draw some attention by not leaving, but you would not have given
them chance to come up with some other reason.  Since you did this,
then now you have to follow through, or this sort of thing will
continue to plague all guide dog users.

Walter

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From: Cindy.Hallenbeck@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Cindy Hallenbeck)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: why bns
Date: 12 Aug 92 19:05:33 GMT
Reply-To: Cindy.Hallenbeck@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/89.0 - BlinkLink, Pittsburgh PA
X-Fidonet: Blink Talk Conference

Index Number: 23748

[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

KB>  Quoting Chuck Hallenbeck to William Wilson 31 Jul 92 20:39:52

 CH>> Boy, that BNS is really being pushed to be something that it is not. I
 CH>> recently paid $1000 for a brand new notebook computer that weighs five
 CH>> pounds, has 640k, a 20M fixed disk, a 3.5 inch floppy, and runs DOS 5,
 CH>> the 4DOS shell, and I installed WordStar version 7 and a whole
 CH>> shipload of other neat stuff. How much do they want for the BNS 640
 CH>> nowadays that runs one external program?

 KB> Hello Chuck, I could be wrong, but I think it's about $1,300.00
 KB> or so.  Furthermore, Blazie wants $500.00 for an external 3.5
 KB> floppy drive.  Oh well, what can I say.  You know Chuck, I've
 KB> said on this echo before, and I'll say it again.  It isn't all
  KB>  for the price of that bNS, and taking in to account
 KB> how little it can actually do along with the notebooks out
 KB> there such as yours, why in the world does everyone and his
 KB> brother, and sister, for that matter, seem to have one?
Hi, Keith,

I know when I bought my BNS, it seemed to be the only thing of its kind
that was somewhat affordable and easy to haul around.  Besides, we
wanted to be able to support it with Provox (from Chuck's point of view)
but I mainly use it and I bought the upgrade because I could get it
cheaper (not the latest one, must check into that).  However, I am using
this little notebook that Chuck mentioned, and I can't for the life of
me see why it is necessary to continue to try to push that BNS to be
more than a notetaker when the regular computer market has such good
prices.  The only disadvantage to the little computer is a short battery
life and the need (in the case of this one anyway) to use an external
speaker, but it can do all of what my big computer can do for less
money.  I am sold!

Cindy Hallenbeck

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From: David.Tanner@f168.n129.z1.fidonet.org (David Tanner)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Slimware Window Bridge
Date: 12 Aug 92 21:24:13 GMT
Reply-To: David.Tanner@f168.n129.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/168 - Braille Bank BBS, Pittsburgh PA

Index Number: 23871

In a message of <09 Aug 92  01:26:11>, Jeff Dubois (1:163/266) writes:

 > >> When I asked about a demo  of
 >
 >> the Window Bridge, I was told that there was no need for
 >> a demo
 >> since blind people do not have Windows so why have a demo?
 >>
 >> Great logic, huh?
 >I have windows, but I don't like taking the windex to them.
 >Bill, have you used any of Syntha-voice's products yet?
 >Bill, what colour would a choking smurf turn?
 >Bill, are Cheerios really baby donuts?
 >Bill, if you were in a car, travelling at the speed of light, and you
 >turned on your headlight, would anyone be home??
 >
 >My apologies Bill, if this sounds harsh, and we've all struggled big time
 >with our hardware/software configs, but unless you live in a shit house
 >you shouldn't throw bumwad.
 >
 >Criticize a product, after you've taken it for a test drive.
 >

The problem is getting a chance to take a test drive isn't it?
Since you seem to have some clout with the Syntha-voice people why
not tell them that if they really want people to see that they are
serious about improving their image and want to not take a bad rap
from a lot of folks who remember them for a lot of bad experiences
then they really should strongly consider a demo of Window Bridge.

Just as David Andrews said about having a computer waiting for
their copy of Window Bridge; I know several others who ordered the
product at least a month ago who don't have their real copies yet.
They had better get a demo out there that some of us who do have
Windows can try out to see if it is any good or I am afraid they
are going to continue to hear a lot of loud complaints here and a
lot of other places.

        D. T.

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From: Tandy.Way@f6.n377.z1.fidonet.org (Tandy Way)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: flipper
Date: 12 Aug 92 21:22:34 GMT
Reply-To: Tandy.Way@f6.n377.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:377/6 - T.A.B.B., Tampa Fl
X-Fidonet: Blink Talk Conference

Index Number: 23863

[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

I talked to the author last thursday and he said a new flipper was
in beta trials right now with 5 or 6 testers. he was going to
release it to a wider group of testers soon then public release. no
time frames given. tandy

Tandy

... Buy in haste, repair at leisure
=== Via Silver Xpress V3.01

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From: Steve.Matzura@f203.n2603.z1.fidonet.org (Steve Matzura)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: using readcom with speech
Date: 12 Aug 92 19:05:49 GMT
Reply-To: Steve.Matzura@f203.n2603.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:2603/203 - The Shop Mail Only, Flushing NY
X-Fidonet: Blink Talk Conference

Index Number: 23750

[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

 > What's wrong with htype.  It can be made from the command line to go
 > through the bios.  It works great, at least the latest upgrade does.

A-hah!  "at least the latest upgrade" tells it all.  LIST Has been
able to go through the BIOS for years!  And you can do
cut-and-pastes with LIST to external files that do not affect the
contents of the file being read, and it's got a hex mode, and it
color-highlights found text and can find forward and backward and
can be case-sensitive or -insensitive, and ... and ... I could go
on ...

 > It even has a bookmark so you can go back to where you left off from.

Now there is where LIST falls to the ground.  If it has such a
thing, I know about it not.

 Bad weather forecasts are more often right than good ones.

... Via FrontDoor 2.02/NC

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From: Warren.Figueiredo@f6.n3800.z1.fidonet.org (Warren Figueiredo)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Lavender Braille
Date: 12 Aug 92 19:13:22 GMT
Reply-To: Warren.Figueiredo@f6.n3800.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:3800/6 - CompuChurch (tm) IH, Baton Rouge LA
X-Fidonet: Blink Talk Conference

Index Number: 23801

[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

The Lavender Braillewriter was intended to be a less expensive
alternative to the Perkins brailler. It was manufactured during the
60's and has long since bit the dust.
Warren

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From: Walter.Siren@p18.f5.n396.z1.fidonet.org (Walter Siren)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Punctuation and Speech
Date: 12 Aug 92 19:13:58 GMT
Reply-To: Walter.Siren@p18.f5.n396.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:396/5.18 - Pontchippi, New Orleans LA
X-Fidonet: Blink Talk Conference

Index Number: 23804

[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

 DT>         I had my Accent set up this evening with pause set really high and
 DT> the speed set up to 16 to do some scanning of a book and I was surprised
 DT> that I actually understood everything very clearly even at 16 rate.  It was
 DT> great though because I was not all that interested in what I was scanning

David, I have tried to set my pause high, and I can't see any
difference in doing that, and slowing down the speed of jaws.  I
just leave my pause set at 0, and set the speed at which I want to
listen to it.  When I raise the pause, it seems to have the effect
of slowing the speech down.  So frankly I can't see what good it
does to put in a pause.

Walter

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From: Doug.Coyle@f6.n377.z1.fidonet.org (Doug Coyle)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Art and the blind
Date: 12 Aug 92 21:21:06 GMT
Reply-To: Doug.Coyle@f6.n377.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:377/6 - T.A.B.B., Tampa Fl
X-Fidonet: Blink Talk Conference

Index Number: 23856

[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

Did you read the article in last month's Braille Monitor regarding
the exhibit in Chicago which is doing tours for blind people, and
the reporter who went through it with his eyes closed to experience
what it would be like for a blind person to go through the house?
The article the reporter did was absolutely ridiculous, and a blind
patron of the arts wrote a letter to the editor of the Chicago
Tribune which the Monitor reprints.  I'm like you, not into touch
art, but this lady is someone who has been into it all her life,
and you may want to try to contact her if you are interested in
learning about it. d/c

===
 * SLMR 2.1a * when agnostics die do they go to the great perhaps?

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