             COMPUTER SCIENCE UPDATE - SUMMER, 1991


                          Published By
                                
                National Federation of the Blind
                       in Computer Science
                                
                    3530 Dupont Avenue North
                  Minneapolis, Minnesota  55412

                     Phone:  (612) 521-3202



                        Table of Contents



CD-ROM: A MEDIA THAT WILL CHANGE OUR LIVES
by Robert Jaquis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1

HOT DOTS VERSION 3.0 BRAILLE TRANSLATOR
by Steve Jacobson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  2

JAWS VERSION 2:  HOW DOES IT RATE?
by Cathy Schroeder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  5

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE . . . . . . . .  8

VOCAL-EYES
by Steve Jacobson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

ARTIC VISION VERSION 3
by Curtis Chong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

TURBO-BRAILLE TRANSLATION PROGRAM
by Steve Jacobson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

MINUTES OF THE 1991 ANNUAL NFBCS MEETING . . . . . . . . . . . 24

ODE TO AN ERROR MESSAGE
Copied by Dr. Abraham Nemeth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

MISCELLANEOUS UPDATES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27



           CD-ROM: A MEDIA THAT WILL CHANGE OUR LIVES
                        by Robert Jaquis

A revolutionary new media is making itself felt in the computer
industry and is gaining acceptance in the consumer marketplace. 
This media is called CD-ROM.  CD-ROMs are one of three types of
optical disk media now available.  The three types of media are:
WORM, erasable and CD-ROM.

WORM (Write Once Read Many) discs are most often used for large
archiving tasks.  As the name implies they can be written on once
but read many times.  These discs come in two general formats.  One
form looks like a giant 3.5 inch diskette and is about 6 inches
square.  Like its smaller floppy diskette cousins it has a sliding
section that exposes the actual media.  These diskettes can be
flipped over so they can be written on both sides.  They hold
between 200MB and 400MB.  The second type of WORM disc is sometimes
called a "laser disc".  It is 12 inches in diameter (The size of a
standard LP record.).  It is related to the video discs now making
a resurgence in the market.  The laser discs can contain up to
1.2GB per side.  They are used for larger archiving requirements
and are sometimes loaded into a jukebox machine that can allow 140
of these to be accessible to a computer.  The WORM discs are mainly
confined to industrial applications.  However, drives are available
for a PC.

Erasable discs are just beginning to be available.  The Next
computer uses one, and Panasonic has a 900MB unit available for PCs
costing about $7000.00.  The erasable discs are a removable media
and therefore lend themselves to backing up systems and large
archive collections.

The optical disc that is making the most impact is the CD-ROM.  CD-
ROM stands for Compact Disc Read Only Memory.  It looks just like
the CDs you use in a stereo system.  A CD-ROM will hold 672MB of
data.  This is about 250,000 printed pages or 10,000 pictures.  CD-
ROMs are mass produced like their music counterparts and are very
inexpensive to make.  The replication cost is about $2.00 per disc. 
If you have your data prepared with a special program you can get
a master made for less than $1,000.00 and additional copies for
$2.00 each.

Because of the relatively low costs involved, there are some new
and exciting products available.  For the consumer market the
Groliers Encyclopedia, Oxford English Dictionary, Bible
collections, complete works of Shakespeare, stories of Sherlock
Holmes  and the CIA Factbook are a few examples.  Some products
oriented toward industrial and business applications include: Books
In Print, Patent Abstracts, All About Cows, telephone directories,
Guide To Periodic Literature and the Thomas Register.

CD drives are a 5.25 inch half height unit that can go into almost
any PC that has a hard disk.  They usually require an additional
slot for a controller card.  Depending on where purchased, drive
prices range from $400.00 to $700.00.  Some suppliers are bundling
drives with a collection of CDs to use in them.  The newer drives
are equipped with an audio interface so you can play music from
your computer.  The audio capability also allows for multimedia
CDs.  One such CD is Birds Of North America.  This CD shows a
picture of the bird, provides data about the bird and plays its
song using the audio part of the drive.

CD-ROM offers the potential of access to a great amount of printed
material.  Watch your favorite computer magazines for more
information on this revolutionary new media.

If you have any questions please call or write Disc Over at the
address shown below.

     Robert S. Jaquiss Jr.
     Disc Over
     1001 Southwest 5th Avenue
     Suite 1000
     Portland, Oregon  97204
     Phone:    (503) 223-2884 (Office)
                     626-7174 (home)
    Toll free: (800) 234-7226
     Fax:      (503) 228-2058


             HOT DOTS VERSION 3.0 BRAILLE TRANSLATOR
                        by Steve Jacobson

If you are already confused as to which braille grade II translator
you should buy, this article will probably make things worse by
describing yet another good one for IBM compatibles.  Hot Dots
version 3.0 from Raised Dot Computing has been largely rewritten to
include many improvements and new features.  It has joined the
growing list of translators that can convert word processor files
directly into formatted grade II braille.  One thing that sets Hot
Dots apart is that it can handle over thirty different word
processors, the greatest number known to us.  In addition, Hot Dots
3.0 provides modules for translating, backtranslating, text
formatting, global search and replace, and special drivers for some
of those hard to handle braille printers, including support for
paperless braille devices.  A complete manual, including thorough
interfacing notes for most embossers, is provided in ink-print, on
audio cassette, and on diskette in both text and translated braille
formats.  A comprehensive 23-page reference "card" is supplied in
braille.  The price for all of this is $350.00, making it one of
the least expensive braille translating systems for IBM
compatibles.  For more information or to receive a demonstration
diskette, write to Raised Dot Computing at 408 South Baldwin
Street, Madison, WI  53704, Phone: 608-257-9595.

Raised Dot Computing's approach to braille production divides the
process into four steps.  These are:  importing text from a word
processor; translating the text; formatting the text; and printing
(brailling) the text.  As mentioned earlier, there are separate
programs that perform each of these tasks, but these steps are also
neatly tied together.  The user can select which steps to execute
from an easy-to-use menu, or batch files are provided that
automatically run the required steps in sequence.  Although the
experienced user will want to understand each step, the beginner
can take a document from beginning to end by typing: "DOTS1234
DOCUMENT WORD-PROCESSOR PRINTER-LOCATION" and that's it.  The
"PRINTER-LOCATION" is simply the desired serial or parallel port
name.  In this way, Raised Dot Computing has attempted to offer the
best of two worlds.  One can either feed a document straight
through and get pretty accurate formatting, or one can fine tune
the process after each step.

To make formatting easy and flexible, Hot Dots has numerous
formatting commands that can be placed within a document.  Some of
the formatting functions supported include centering, right
justifying, Arabic and Roman Numeral page numbers, print and
braille page numbering, headers, footers, tab stops, hanging indent
paragraphs, and conditional page break.  Anyone working with
braille translators has likely found the centered title of a
section on the bottom of a page with the body of the text on the
next page.  One of the Hot Dots centering commands will
automatically go to a new page if the last line of the current page
is centered.  There is, of course, a way to center the bottom line
if that is required.  Page numbers can be automatically placed at
the top or bottom of the page.  In addition, page numbers can be
placed anywhere in a header or footer line.

Although one could type text into an ASCII file along with the
desired formatting commands thereby creating a perfect braille
copy, the Hot Dots IMPORT program does most of this work
automatically.  Among the thirty or so word processor types that
can be analyzed are several styles of ASCII files.  What this means
is that a "print image" file can be converted into a file
containing Hot Dots format commands, allowing just about any word
processor's output to be turned into formatted braille text.

Unfortunately, through no fault of Hot Dots, the conversion of ink-
print formatting to braille is not an exact science.  For example,
without intervention, Hot Dots, like several other braille
translators, will indent the salutation line of a letter, regarding
it as a new paragraph.  The point here is not really to criticize
Hot Dots.  Rather, be aware that the ability to fine tune the
formatting is very important, and Hot Dots supports that very well. 
Much of the formatting work, particularly centering, suppression
and skipping of blank lines, indenting normal paragraphs, and
underlining usually convert accurately.  Also, the Hot Dots manual
provides some guidance as to how one can improve automatic
formatting by altering one's formatting style.  As a test, I
brailled documents from WordPerfect 5.1, Microsoft Word 5.0, and
Peachtext 5000, and the results were really quite nice without any
fine tuning.

The braille translation also appears to be very good.  I placed a
word with an imbedded apostrophe inside single quotes which were,
in turn, inside double quotes and the translation was correct. 
When writing the name Al, and when referring to the ALT key, the
letter sign was also used correctly.  Even 'tis and "'tis," came
out right.  Raised Dot Computing recognizes that Hot Dots isn't
perfect and has provided commands to insert opening and closing
single and double quotes, as well as the apostrophe and letter-
sign.

The grade II translation table cannot be modified by the user. 
However, a global search and replace program can be used to correct
words and names that are translated incorrectly.  This module
allows one to store "rules" in files on disk, and these rules can
be automatically applied when documents are brailled.  Rules files
can also be used to handle some additional format conversions
saving the user even more work.  It should be noted, though, that
Hot Dots handles such problem words as "chemotherapy" and "dished,"
as well as several problem names that are often translated
incorrectly.

To further insure translation accuracy, a "financial incentive" is
offered by Raised Dot Computing to those who find and report errors
in translation.

A great variety of output options are provided by Hot Dots. 
Modules to further prepare braille output for fussy printers like
the LED-120 make braille production smoother.  The manual provides
a great deal of specific information on most braille embossers to
make the setup process a smooth one.  In addition to embossers,
paperless braille devices are also supported.

In short, Hot Dots worked well.  The manual was both clear and
complete.  It would be nice if the program had the ability to
direct output to a second file to automate the production of tables
of contents, but it has plenty of company in that regard.  Even so,
it did a nice job of taking documents from word processor to
formatted braille, and it did so fairly quickly even on an IBM XT. 
Hot Dots 3.0 is a very complete braille translation and formatting
system.


               JAWS VERSION 2:  HOW DOES IT RATE?
                       by Cathy Schroeder

In the computer world, we, as blind people, are continually faced
with new types of speech output software.  Selecting the best piece
of software for our needs is a tough decision to make.  The choices
continually vary as the products mature and new companies come onto
the scene.  Through this article, I hope to inform you of the
advantages and disadvantages of one product, JAWS VERSION 2, a
screen reading program for IBM PCs and compatible machines that is
designed to work with several types of speech output devices.  JAWS
Version 2 is marketed by Henter-Joyce, Inc., 10901-C Roosevelt
Boulevard, Suite 1200, St. Petersburg, Florida  33716, Phone: (813)
576-5658.

To begin this discussion, I will explain what type of hardware I am
using.  I have a Packard Bell 386-SX computer with 1 megabyte of
RAM.  The hard drive will hold 40 megabytes of data.  I have a VGA
monitor.  In addition, I have a 3.5 inch floppy disk drive, a 5.25
inch floppy disk drive, a mouse running through COM1, a laser
printer on LPT1, and a braille printer on LPT2.  The speech board
that I am using with JAWS is the Accent PC internal board.  JAWS
does not seem to have any problem with this configuration.

I find the Accent speech to be fairly clear.  The only real problem
I have is that I find it hard to get the speech rate set to a
comfortable pace.  The fastest settings are almost too fast to
understand, while the next lower setting seems to drag.  The JAWS
software allows much flexibility in adjusting the different speech
settings.  It is possible to change volume, rate, pitch, and tone,
for the keyboard, screen, JAWS cursor, JAWS speech pad, and a
global voice, if you do not wish to have separate voices for
different functions.  There are additional options available for
some of the voices including key echo, how numbers are spoken, and
many others.  This allows for flexibility between users.  This type
of flexibility is an advantage that allows each user to set the
speech differently.

JAWS contains all of the functions that I find essential in any
screen reading package today.  They include:  an easy to use set of
screen reading commands, an easy to use menu system for changing
speech parameters, an independent cursor from the application
cursor, the ability to set up windows for reading and monitoring,
the ability to search for different screen attributes, and the
ability to save a speech configuration for later retrieval.  More
importantly, JAWS is easy for a beginner to start using but also
allows an advanced computer user to change anything he/she wishes. 
Additional features that make JAWS a more valuable speech package
are the extremely powerful macro editor, the availability of
trained technical staff if problems arise, and the continual
updating of software by a committed staff.

JAWS has an easy to use set of screen reading commands.  It
utilizes the numeric keypad on the right side of a 101 key
keyboard.  The INSERT key is often used in combination with other
keys to allow a wider range of commands.  This causes the JAWS
screen reading commands to conflict with very few application
programs.  The only disadvantage to this system is that it causes
the user to always remove his/her hands from the keyboard to review
the screen.  There is a solution to this problem, however.  JAWS'
Macro system will allow the user to assign new key combinations to
these screen reading functions, if desired.  This takes some
computer knowledge and should be attempted with care.

JAWS' menu system allows the user to change voice parameters, load
or save configurations, set up or change speech windows (which JAWS
calls frames), define or change macros, search for colors or other
screen attributes, etc.  This menu system is very intuitive once it
has been experienced a few times.  It is set up very similar to the
Lotus 123 menu system.  Once the menu system has been entered,
pressing the right or left arrow keys will speak the choices and
down arrow will select a choice.  Typing the letter of the item you
wish to choose will also allow you to make a menu choice.

The independent JAWS cursor allows the user to review any part of
the screen at any time without going into the traditional Review
mode.  This allows the screen to be read with the JAWS cursor
without having the application "freeze" up.  Once text has been
found with the JAWS cursor, the program has the ability to route
the application cursor to the JAWS cursor location.  An additional
feature that would make the JAWS cursor more powerful is the
ability to use the JAWS cursor with the arrow keys that are located
to the left of the regular number pad on a 101 key keyboard. 
Another screen reading program that I use has this feature, and I
have found it valuable.

The JAWS program contains a very sophisticated windowing system. 
Windows used in JAWS are called frames.  Frames may be set up as
active speech frames to be read at any time, frames to be
continually monitored for change (after which a macro can be
performed), and frames that are specifically designed as quiet
areas within which speech is suppressed.  This provides the user
with a great deal of flexibility and control over how data on the
screen is to be spoken.

The ability of JAWS to search for colors and other video attributes
also allows it to be much more interactive with commercial, off-
the-shelf applications.  Many applications use colors to denote
different features.  For example, WordPerfect sets off a misspelled
word by using a specific combination of foreground and background
colors.  The ability of JAWS to search for a given attribute allows
it to pronounce the misspelled word without speaking extraneous
data.

Once you have set up all of JAWS' parameters to work well with a
given application, you may save this configuration for later
retrieval.  This allows the JAWS system to work well with all
applications.  The staff at Henter-Joyce have designed several JAWS
configurations.  They include: WordPerfect (all versions), Lotus
123, Symphony, Dbase III+, Avatar mainframe emulation, etc.

One of the more widely used word processing packages, WordPerfect,
has been given quite a bit of attention by Henter-Joyce.  There are
configurations available for all versions of WordPerfect that are
being used today.

I worked with WordPerfect 5.1 extensively.  I found a major problem
with the predefined set of macro instructions.  JAWS does not
always use the same commands to navigate around the screen as
WordPerfect.  An example of this problem is moving one word forward
in a document.  WordPerfect accomplishes this task by using the
CONTROL RIGHT ARROW key combination.  A WordPerfect user would
naturally want to move the cursor in this manner, as they are told
to do by the WordPerfect manual.  If you press CONTROL RIGHT ARROW
when JAWS is running however, the cursor will move but the next
word will not be spoken.  Instead JAWS says "CONTROL RIGHT ARROW." 
To move to the next word and have it spoken by JAWS, you must use
the INSERT RIGHT ARROW key combination.  I found this to be an
unnecessary problem.  It would have been much easier if JAWS would
have been designed to use the CONTROL RIGHT ARROW key combination
to do this task.  One might argue that I can easily redefine the
macro key definitions.  I would answer, yes I can, but I have a
background in computer programming.  Most computer users are not
going to take the time to redefine these keys.  An easier solution
would be for Henter-Joyce to redesign the key definitions.  A blind
computer user should not be required to use different key strokes
to accomplish the same tasks as their sighted coworkers.  This
seems like a hair splitting argument, but it is not.  I work in an
office filled with sighted people and so do most other blind
computer users.  I learned my computer skills from my sighted
coworkers, not someone from an agency that specialized in teaching
the blind how to use computers.  Every time we as blind people are
forced to use different key strokes from our coworkers, it
reinforces the stereotypical notion that we are somehow different. 
Since there is an easy way to fix this problem, I believe that the
authors of JAWS should be glad to help.  After discussing this
problem with one of the JAWS programmers, he agreed that the
problem needs attention.  He believes that a configuration can be
designed to resolve this issue.

An additional feature that makes JAWS very powerful is its macro
capability.  It is possible to define a set of instructions for
keys that are pressed in conjunction with the ALT, CONTROL, 
INSERT, etc.  Since the speech keys are all macro defined
functions, if there is a conflict with an application that is being
used, it is very simple to move the function to a new macro.  This
allows for much versatility in the program.  It also allows for
making certain jobs for blind people much easier.  If a blind
person is continually looking at the same screen all day, it would
be very helpful to define macros that go directly to the needed
portions of the screen.  In this way, a blind user need not read
through unnecessary data every time the screen is brought up.  The
only concern I have is that the majority of computer users today
have no desire to even look at macros, much less understand what
they can do.  For this reason, unless macro definitions are
predefined and provided at the time of purchase, it is likely that
this feature will be underutilized.

In closing, I would say that JAWS version 2 is an excellent piece
of software.  It is very powerful and will allow blind computer
users to meet all of their needs.  The problems that I have found
are easily overcome.


         ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE

     Editor's Note:  This announcement came to us a few months
     ago.  We print it here not so much to announce a job
     opening as to demonstrate to discerning minds exactly how
     much further the IRS has yet to travel before it reaches
     the end of the long road of equal opportunity for its
     blind employees.


Announcing

an advanced training opportunity for persons who are blind or
visually impaired.

Assembly Language Specialist for the Internal Revenue Service.

Lions World Services for the Blind
2811 Fair Park Boulevard
P.O. Box 4055
Little Rock, Arkansas  72214-4055
Phone: 501/664-7100

Qualifications

Independent mobility, good energy and vitality level, emotional
maturity, high school diploma or equivalent, accurate typing
ability, twelfth-grade spelling level, reading speed of 100 WPM
with good comprehension when reading technical materials, high
school knowledge of business math, working knowledge of braille if
needed, strong logical reasoning ability.

Dates

Clients must be on campus by May 28, 1991, to begin thirty-day
evaluation.  The course starts on June 24, 1991 if selected by the
IRS Admissions Committee.  Clients will graduate in March, 1992 if
they successfully complete the nine month course.

For More Information

Contact Ramona Sangalli, Director of Vocational Services, P.O. Box
4055, Little Rock, Arkansas  72214-4055, Phone: 501/664-7100

The Job

Graduates will be employed as computer programmer-analysts who
specialize in the IBM 370 Assembler Language.

They will be placed as Assembler Language programmers within
Information Systems Management (computer services) of the Internal
Revenue Service in the Washington, DC area.

Join over 35 other persons who are blind or visually impaired who
have already graduated from vocational programs at LWSB and are
enjoying the IRS pay checks and white collar working environment in
Washington, DC.

Many graduates in Washington have gone beyond the non-competitive
level of Grade 12.

Opportunities

There is a higher non-competitive promotion potential in the
Washington, DC area than other IRS district offices scattered
across the US.

Those who successfully complete the course have the potential in
Washington to be promoted non-competitively up to Grade GS-12 which
pays an annual salary in excess of $35,000.  Entry level is at the
GS-5 through GS-7 levels.

Many vocational opportunities for cross training are available in
the Washington, DC area.  You can learn other languages such as C
once employed.

The Washington area within the IRS structure has the capability to
offer more potential for upward mobility within the organization.

Graduates will have the support of over thirty-five other LWSB
graduates working in the Washington, DC offices as well as a strong
IRS-organized support system for employees who are blind or
visually impaired.

Individuals will have the opportunity to enjoy the considerable
cultural activities in the power seat of the world--Washington, DC.

The Course

Participants will learn the IBM 370 Assembler computer language
used in the IRS national headquarters mainframe computer systems.

They will also learn COBOL programming language, PC/DOS and
MultiMate.

Hands on experience and personal interaction with the computer is
stressed.

Each student will log approximately 1,000 hours of terminal and
computer time during the training course.

Students will be required to develop approximately 50-55 programs
of increasing difficulty spanning the fullest extent of the
language possible.

The course will be of nine months duration.  Clients who
successfully complete the course will graduate in March, 1992, and
go to work with the IRS after that date.

Adaptive Aids Available in the Classroom

IBM XT's, CRT viewing systems for magnification, video terminals
and talking terminals, personal braille terminals, voice
synthesizers, Texas Instruments 990 mainframe, ZILOG-130.


                           VOCAL-EYES
                        by Steve Jacobson

It seems only yesterday that Vocal-Eyes from GW Micro entered the
screen reading software market, but the recently released version
2.0 contains significant improvements and additions.  At $450.00,
Vocal-Eyes is positioned in the middle of the price range for such
software, yet it has many of the features of higher priced
competitors.  If you are in the market for a speech synthesizer as
well, you can get Vocal-Eyes along with the Sounding Board for
$795.00, a savings of $50.00 off the total cost. Considering that
Vocal-Eyes has a very complete review mode, sixty-one optional and
relocateable "hot keys," forty-six cursoring keys, key labels,
screen monitoring, character pronunciation dictionary and more, it
is surprising that Vocal-Eyes runs in a moderate 46 to 63K.  In
addition, it can make use of expanded and extended memory taking
only 4K from those memory-hungry spreadsheets and word processors. 
For more information, write to GW Micro at 310 Racquet Drive, Fort
Wayne, Indiana  46825, or phone 219-483-3625.

Because of the numerous Vocal-Eyes features that can be accessed
directly from whatever application you are using, you seldom need
the power  provided in the review mode.  Since many features are
controlled from there, though, the review mode is a good place to
start.  The "review mode" is entered by pressing and releasing the
ALT key by itself.  This normally is completely transparent to any
other software that you are running, since the ALT key is generally
used in combination with another key.  If this key assignment is
not convenient, you can move the review key to the SHIFT, CONTROL,
or even the SCROLL LOCK key.  Once in "review" a great variety of
commands and options to read, examine, and even process the
information on the computer screen are only a keystroke or so away. 
Not the least of these is the ability to move the "review cursor"
without moving your hands from the typewriter portion of the
keyboard.  This is accomplished by using the H, U, J, and K letter
keys to duplicate the functions of the left, right, up, and down
arrow keys respectively.

Up to ten normal and five hyperactive windows can be defined at a
time, although even this limit can be overcome by other Vocal-Eyes
features.  Windows can be defined either by specifying the columns
and rows that make up the window's four edges, or the cursor can be
used to mark the top left and bottom right corners.  One of four
modes can be assigned to each regular window:  neutral; silent;
speak; and float.  Neutral windows simply provide information upon
request through the appropriate "read window" keys or commands. 
Silent windows suppress the speaking of information that falls
within their boundaries.  Speak windows allow information falling
within their influence to be spoken when sent to the screen through
the computer's BIOS.  Float windows will speak lines you designate,
but only the parts of those lines that correspond to the horizontal
position of a light bar.  This feature can be used to read the
column heading tied to the highlighted cell on a spreadsheet.  The
reading of text within a window can be controlled in several ways. 
One option forces each word to be spoken and then spelled, which is
ideal for spell checkers.  Also text of specific colors can be
selected with the remaining text ignored.  A window can also be
linked to another so that a single key can initiate the reading of
several windows in sequence.

Up to five hyperactive windows can be defined to automatically
monitor changes on the computer's screen.  These windows can be
optionally made to react to any changes in the text that is
displayed within them, and they can detect the presence or absence
of specific character strings as well.  In addition, hyperactive
windows can be triggered by color in a similar manner, that is,
changes in color as well as the absence or presence of specific
color combinations can trigger a hyperactive window.  When a change
has been detected, Vocal-Eyes can be made to beep, speak any
defined window, look for and read a box, read another window,
change windows, change configurations, or speak a message.  As if
this were not enough, up to three of these options can be
automatically executed sequentially.  Since each window is
processed in sequence, that is from 0 to 9 and A through E, the
user can control how silent and hyperactive windows interact making
many useful combinations possible.  Such combinations can be used
to make off the shelf software speak automatically.  Any of the
normal windows can be selected as the "current window" thereby
limiting what is read by the various reading keys described later. 
Also, the effect of the current window while in "review" can be
temporarily or permanently suspended.  In addition, any window can
be read directly from inside or outside "review" using the "read
window" hot keys.

In addition to defining windows, two other features aid the user in
getting information from the screen.  Markers can be set that allow
the user to return to any of up to ten points on the screen with
but two keystrokes from review mode.  A temporary dynamic window
can be used to read any area of the screen, with the user setting
the boundaries at the time of the read.  This and all windows can
be defined using the markers instead of entering coordinates.

Searching for text and colors has become increasingly important as
software becomes more complex.  Vocal-Eyes is very strong in this
area as well.  While in review, pressing "s" will cause Vocal-eyes
to look for a change in color which will likely indicate the
beginning or end of a field of data.  The "find" command is very
fast, searching an entire screen in half a second or less on an
original IBM-XT.  Text strings can contain "wildcard" characters
that match any character, and foreground and background colors can
be associated with the entire string or even with each character. 
A color selection menu can be activated from within the "find"
command that allows colors to be chosen without knowledge of
attribute numbers.  In addition to specific foreground and
background colors, such options as "bright" "blinking" "not white"
and "not black" give the user great flexibility when constructing
searches.  Besides all of this, searches can be initiated and
repeated in either direction.

Several other functions are initiated or controlled from within
review mode.  "Light Bar Tracking" is a feature that allows the
selected menu item, determined by its color, to be automatically or
manually spoken.  This is very useful when running software that
moves the cursor off the screen and uses light bars to indicate
what is happening.  Though this feature is primarily used outside
of review mode, the colors to which Vocal-Eyes responds are set
here.  You can either find text of the desired color and press the
letter B, or you can use the color selection menu mentioned above
to pick the colors.  Different light bar colors can be associated
with each window.  A second set of colors, called the "user
attribute" can also be specified from "review."  A "user attribute"
key is provided that will read any text displayed in the "user
attribute" color from outside review mode.  Commands and phrases
can be sent directly to the speech synthesizer, but the power of
Vocal-Eyes virtually eliminates the need for this function. 
Another interesting aspect of the review mode is the ability to
copy text from your screen so that it can later be used somewhere
else.  An address can be captured from a database, for instance,
and inserted in a letter.  Vocal-Eyes also has what is commonly
called "cursor routing," where the real cursor is moved to the
location of the review cursor upon request.

Lastly, Vocal-Eyes has a good on-line help facility that summarizes
all review functions, including a number not covered here, and
others that relate to later topics.  The user can page back and
forth through the help text much as paging through a book.  Even
though there is no topic search available, the compact yet complete
help text makes finding the desired information quick and simple.

Although Vocal-eyes has included many powerful features as part of
its review mode, its real strength emerges when this mode has been
left behind.  Built into Vocal-Eyes are sixty-one "hot keys" and
forty-six "cursoring keys" that can perform functions from outside
of review mode.  Before panic sets in, though, not all are
activated nor are they all likely to be required, but they are
there if you need them.  Key labels can also be defined so that
pressing particular keys will cause a description to be spoken
rather than just the key's name.  Hot keys, cursoring keys, and key
labels provide the means to accomplish nearly everything normally
accomplished with macros.  To better understand this, let's take a
closer look at "hot keys" and "cursoring keys."

Hot keys cause Vocal-eyes to read something or perform some action
without the need to enter review mode.  The word processor,
spreadsheet, or  other software you are running doesn't know that
a key is pressed.  Some of the things that can be done with hot
keys include the speaking of the previous, current, or next
character, word, line, sentence, or paragraph (fifteen right
there).  Hot keys can also read any window, the contents of a box,
text displayed in the light bar or user attribute colors, as well
as blinking, inverse, underlined, or highlighted text.  Other hot
keys can control the mode of the light bar tracking facility,
announce the cursor position, speak the colors and ASCII value of
a character, and even change the current window assignment. 
Finally, there are several provided to both speak and move the
cursor.  From within many word processors, you can move ahead or
backward by sentence or paragraph much like the CONTROL LEFT and
RIGHT ARROW keys move word by word.  A hot key is also provided to
read to the end of your document.

Cursoring keys, on the other hand, are passed to the software being
run.  The cursor movement keys are the simplest and most obvious
examples of this category.  When the right arrow is pressed, a word
processor sees it and moves the cursor one character to the right. 
Once things have settled down, Vocal-Eyes speaks the character upon
which the cursor has landed.  There is nothing exceptional here,
but let's take it another step.  In WordPerfect, the plus key on
the numeric pad causes the next screen of text to be displayed.  In
the WordPerfect configuration, supplied with Vocal-eyes, the plus
key has been designated as a cursoring key.  The "PLUS" is sent to
WordPerfect and the next screen of data is displayed.  But in this
instance, when things settle down, Vocal-eyes will read the entire
new screen.  Pressing this key repeatedly allows you to read
through documents a screen at a time.  Cursoring keys can
automatically read the current character, word, sentence, or
paragraph.  They can speak the contents of any of the ten windows,
the light bar, fields of data, and the contents of a box.  It is
even possible for a cursoring key to change to another
configuration in memory.  With nearly twenty options for each of up
to forty-six cursoring keys, and with the ability to link two
commands to each key, you have great flexibility indeed when
considering how to make a given piece of software speak
automatically.

What really ties all of this together is the "Voice Control Panel,"
an easy-to-use collection of menus.  After pressing CNTRL
BACKSLASH, whether in or out of review, you simply select the
desired option by number or by using the UP and DOWN arrow keys. 
Most options lead to submenus that work in the same manner.  From
the Voice Control Panel, hot keys and cursoring keys can be
activated, deactivated, or reassigned.  Speech parameters for the
screen and keyboard can be altered independently, and settings can
be saved or loaded from disk files.  In addition to rate, pitch,
tone, and volume, speech parameters include such things as the
pronunciation of numbers, whether keys are echoed by character or
word, and whether a character dictionary is to be used.  How
capitalization, blank lines, spaces, and repeating characters are
spoken is also determined here.  Other miscellaneous options
available from the voice control panel give you the ability to: set
right margin warning bell; control generated sound effects; turn
voice and/or hot keys on and off; load another character
dictionary; specify the amount of delay after cursoring keys have
been pressed; determine the type of cursor tracking, and control
the state of light bar and color change announcements.  If you
count cursoring and hot keys, the voice control panel neatly
organizes well over one hundred options into categories that are
easy to access.

Once you get all of these options set to your liking, you can save
them in "set" files through the voice control panel for later use. 
They can be loaded through the voice control panel or by running
Vocal-Eyes again.  The program is smart enough to know that it has
already been loaded into memory, and that only settings are to be
loaded.  Vocal-Eyes will even try to automatically load the right
settings for a particular program.  For example, when WordPerfect
is run by typing "WP," Vocal-Eyes will look for a file of settings
called WP.set. If the file exists, it will be automatically loaded
into memory along with any key label or character dictionary files
using WP as the file name.  Vocal-Eyes will keep track of the last
fifteen "SET" files used, so that when you leave a program you will
likely get the correct "set" file reloaded automatically.  This
scheme virtually eliminates the need to have special "BAT" files
for each application solely to load and restore configurations.

Multiple groups of settings can be loaded into memory at one time
permitting the user to switch between them, without accessing the
disk, using a hot key or the voice control panel.  As mentioned
earlier, groups of settings can also be changed automatically by
hyperactive windows and even cursoring keys.

There are several other features worth mentioning that don't really
fit into any of the above categories.  A "VE" cursor is provided
that, when activated, allows you to move around the screen while
outside review mode.  On keyboards with two cursor pads, both the
"VE" and the applications cursor can be active at the same time. 
Speaking of cursors, you can also redefine what Vocal-Eyes uses as
its cursor.  Besides the BIOS and hardware cursors, a specific
character or color can be made the reference point for cursoring
activities.  Even the light bar can be chosen as the cursor.  The
light bar itself has several options to aid the isolation of the
correct text when the light bar color appears in more than one
place.  You can instruct Vocal-Eyes to use the first, last,
longest, or shortest occurrence of the light bar color as the
actual light bar.  Finally, you can specify that Vocal-Eyes be
constantly watching for text boxes that occasionally appear out of
nowhere.  There are still other features that simply cannot be
covered here due to space limitations.

The general performance of Vocal-Eyes is very good.  Although the
manual recommends GW Micro's Sounding Board synthesizer, it worked
well when used with an Echo-PC and an Artic 210 board using Sonix
and TTS speech software.  Drivers are supplied for a variety of
synthesizers, and a "generic" driver is included if you should need
to use one not yet supported.  The supplied drivers permit the use
of external word pronunciation dictionaries, even if such
dictionaries are not supported on the synthesizer itself.  The
echoing of keystrokes and cursor movement is very fast, limited
only by the software being used and the cursor delay factor.  A
wide range of possible delay settings allows Vocal-Eyes to be used
with telecommunications software that supports cursor movement at
slower data transmission speeds.  Much attention has been given to
the use of computer memory.  Vocal-Eyes takes from 46 to 63k
depending on the area set aside for the character dictionary, key
labels, buffers, and the number of configurations needed in memory
at one time.  These can all be set by the user, allowing one to
find the best compromise between potential power and memory usage. 
Conventional memory usage can be reduced to about 4K if expanded or
extended memory is available.  Besides permitting the reassignment
or deactivation of hot keys, a bypass key is provided to cause any
hot key to be ignored by Vocal-eyes.  Speech can be automatically
silenced whenever a key is pressed, and this feature worked well. 
The manual, supplied on cassette and diskette, is written in an
entertaining yet informative style.

As screen reading software becomes more and more complex, it is
less and less possible to cover every nuance.  If your favorite
option is not discussed here, check with the vendor before making
the final decision.  When looking for a good medium priced screen
reading program, Vocal-Eyes is well worth considering.


                     ARTIC VISION VERSION 3
                         by Curtis Chong

Artic Vision and Artic Business Vision Version 3 have finally hit
the market!  People who are familiar with earlier versions of Artic
Vision and Business Vision will find Version 3 to be substantially
different in terms of feature sophistication, memory consumption,
ease of use, and support for popular software packages such as
WordPerfect.  In terms of speed and responsiveness, the program
still has all of the features that users of earlier versions have
come to know and love.

This article is not intended to be an exhaustive review of the
functions and features of Artic Vision Version 3.  Rather, it is
intended to provide the reader with a "flavor" for the program as
compared to other screen reading systems for the IBM PC and
compatible computers.

First and foremost, it should be said that "Vision 3" (as the
program is known) represents a revolutionary step forward from
earlier versions of Artic Vision.  Aside from the fact that the
program can now run in less than 30K of system memory, Vision 3 is
unique in its handling of screen windows and monitored screen areas
(referred to by the program as "Smart Zones").  In addition, in the
works but not yet released is the promise of a new and
sophisticated key macro capability.

Here are some of the changes between Artic Vision Versions 2 and 3:

 1.  Reduced memory consumption.

 2.  Multi-Point Independent Tracking System.

 3.  Docu-Pilot Reading System.

 4.  Smart Zones (Business Vision only).

 5.  Improved window management.

 6.  New Easy-Read keys.

 7.  One standard sub-directory for all Artic Vision modules and
     files.

 8.  Stand-alone Artic Business Vision calculator.

 9.  Double Click Pass Through.

10.  Review Mode now called Control Mode.

11.  All Artic Vision functions configured using a standardized
     menuing approach.  All menus visible on screen.

Reduced Memory Consumption

It is possible to run Vision 3 in what is termed "high memory". 
This requires a memory manager software package.  As of this
writing, Vision 3 has not had any problems with a single one of
these programs.

Vision 3 has a Memory Miser feature which provides considerable
savings in the area of memory use.  Memory savings are achieved by
taking advantage of unused portions of video memory and disk
overlays that are swapped in and out of memory as required.

Multi-Point Independent Tracking System (MITS)

Without going into a traditional "Review Mode," you can use what is
called the Artic Cursor to scan any portion of the screen.  This
cursor, separate and distinct from the system cursor, can be moved
about the screen using either the standard numeric keypad or the
extended cursor keys (used on an extended 101-key keyboard).  If
you don't have access to an extended keyboard, you can share the
standard numeric keypad between the system cursor and the Artic
cursor simply by toggling the Artic cursor off and on with a press
of the Alt-Numlock key.  Unlike Review Mode, MITS allows your
application to keep on running while you move about the screen. 
For those individuals who still prefer a traditional Review Mode,
this feature is still available by entering Vision 3's Control
Mode.

Easy-Read Keys

Vision 3 now provides a variety of keys on the QWERTY keyboard for
Easy-Read functions.  Using these keys in combination with the ALT
or CONTROL keys, you can perform such functions as "read current
line," "read previous line," "read current word," "read previous
word," etc.  Even more significant, these keys can be re-defined or
disabled at your discretion.

Docu-Pilot Reading System

This feature allows you to read a file that is being edited by your
word processor from the current cursor position to the end of the
file, without regard to the dimensions of the screen.  Once
invoked, Docu-Pilot reads forward through the file.  As the bottom
of the screen is reached, the down arrow key is repeatedly passed
to the word processor, instructing it to scroll the screen.  As you
read through the file, you can jump forward and backward a line,
paragraph, or page at a time.  This allows you to "skim" your file
without having to press an inordinate amount of keys.

Improved Window Management

Vision 3 provides you with 128 speech windows.  In addition to the
128 windows, you can define up to 10 quiet zones.  These quiet
zones can be used to suppress speech for output written to specific
parts of the screen.  Unlike earlier versions of Artic Vision, the
active window does not limit the speaking of output sent to the
screen with DOS or BIOS calls, hence the need for quiet zones.

Speech windows for Vision 3 are a definite improvement over those
used with earlier versions of the program.  Any speech window can
be read with keystrokes entered from Ap-Track mode.  Each window
can be defined to have one of three reading styles: text-trax
(where text is spoken in words), spell-trax (where text is read and
then spelled), and Pop-Trax (where the window is searched for a box
and the box is spoken).  In addition, each window can be defined
with a pre-selected pair of foreground and background colors. 
Whenever the window is read, only text displayed with the pre-
defined color combination will be spoken.  Finally, with Business
Vision 3, using a feature called window chaining, you can indicate
the number of the next window to be read.  Defining a series of
windows in this way permits you to read a number of windows in
sequence.  Remember, this chaining feature is only available with
Artic Business Vision 3.

Another feature available only with Business Vision 3 is called
Window Palettes.  Up to four window palettes can be defined.  A
window palette is simply a list of logically related windows
through which you may need to move quickly.  You might use a
palette to quickly search for and speak text with three or four
different video attributes.  Suppose, for example, that you wanted
first to hear text that was displayed with a white foreground and
a black background.  Then, suppose you wanted to hear text with a
red foreground and a blue background.  Simply define two windows in
a window palette with these attributes: one window with a white
foreground and a black background and the other, red and blue. 
Then, you can quickly jump between these windows using the Window
Palette.

Smart Zones

Perhaps the most sophisticated improvement that users of Vision 3
will notice is the Smart Zone.  This feature (available only with
Artic Business Vision 3) provides an elaborate set of screen
monitoring functions that can (with work) enable your application
to speak many prompts automatically.  Artic Technologies provides
each Business Vision 3 user with smart zone configurations for
WordPerfect Version 5.1.

You can design up to ten smart zones to monitor ten specific
sections of the screen for changes.  Here are some questions that
you answer to establish a smart zone:

 1.  Which zone has priority?  Assume you are monitoring ten
     different areas of the screen.  Which area should be spoken
     first if a change is detected?

 2.  What section of the screen (coordinates) should be watched?

 3.  Should the trigger be exclusive (no other zone will be allowed
     to trigger within this zone's area)?

The following is a list of options that you can choose as
conditions for zone triggering:

*  Any changes, ignore color match.
*  Any changes, color match.
*  Color changes, ignore color match.
*  Color changes, color matches.
*  Text changes, ignore color.
*  Text changes and color match.
*  Zone erases, ignore color.
*  Zone erases with color match.
*  Any of the above conditions with string present.

Once a zone is triggered, you have to figure out what actions
should be taken.  You can read the area monitored by the zone.  You
can read one or two windows not at all related to the area
monitored by the zone.  You can execute a macro.

All in all, defining smart zones can be a rather complicated
affair.  Nevertheless, once defined, they are indeed a powerful and
time-saving tool.

One Subdirectory

All Vision 3 files (including dictionary and configuration files)
are now located in a single subdirectory: \ARTIC\VISION.  When
loading or retrieving dictionaries or configuration files, you need
only supply the eight character name.  Vision 3 will supply the
required extensions and subdirectory information.

Stand-Alone Calculator

Business Vision 3's calculator is no longer accessed from Control
or Review mode.  Instead, you invoke the calculator by entering
CALC from the DOS prompt.

Double Click Pass Through

To the best of my knowledge, Vision 3 is currently the only program
employing this method to pass keystrokes, otherwise recognized by
it, directly to your running application.  This feature applies to
all ALT and CONTROL key combinations normally used by Vision 3. 
Here is how it works.

The ALT-Y key combination, for example, is used by Vision 3 to read
the previous line of text.  Suppose that you need to pass this key
combination to WordPerfect.  What you do is to strike the ALT key
twice.  On the second strike, hold down the ALT key and press the
Y.  That's all there is to it.

Of course, you can always use the CTRL-N key, which is Vision 3's
default pass through key, but for my money, the double click works
much better and takes less time.

Vision 3 Control Menus

All Vision 3 options are now configured in its Control (formerly
Review) mode.  Each menu is visible on the screen, facilitating
work with a sighted peer.  You move between menu options with the
Up and Down arrow keys, and you select an option by pressing the
Enter key.  Major menu categories are accessed with the PGUP or
PGDN keys, depending upon whether you are moving up or down to a
major category.  This standardization of menu movement is a welcome
change.

Conclusion

Although initially released with a few bothersome bugs, Vision 3
has now remained relatively stable and bug free for a few months. 
New purchasers of SynPhonix screen technology are shipped Version
3.03.  Documentation for Vision 3 is available in print, on
cassette, and on disk.  Because of its many and sophisticated new
features, there is a lot of documentation to read, but not everyone
needs to read all of it.  Although the new Smart Zone feature
provides a tremendous potential for automatically generating speech
for programs that write directly to the video buffer, the user is
still required to engage in a lot of programming and testing
activity before they will work properly.

Artic Technologies has provided Smart Zone configurations for the
popular WordPerfect program.  This move is to be commended.  It is
hoped that more configurations for other popular software will be
forthcoming.

For more information about Vision 3 or Business Vision 3, contact:

     Artic Technologies
     55 Park Street
     Suite 2
     Troy, Michigan  48083
     Phone: (313) 588-7370


                TURBO-BRAILLE TRANSLATION PROGRAM
                        by Steve Jacobson

When Kansys Inc. says "Another Sound Alternative," it is usually
playing on the fact that its products are designed to speak. 
Turbo-Braille is an easy-to-use one step braille formatter and
translator that can accept WordStar versions 3.0 through 6.0,
WordPerfect versions 4.2, 5.0 and 5.1, and ASCII documents.  You
can either translate and format such documents directly into
braille, or use Turbo-Braille's many formatting commands to tailor
the output.  In addition to the user manual and reference chart, an
extensive on-line help facility is accessible directly from the
program.  At $249.00, this is the least expensive of the braille
translators.  However, there is a lot of power and flexibility in
this economically priced braille translation program.  For more
information, contact Kansys Inc., 1016 Ohio, Lawrence,  Kansas
66044.  The phone numbers to call are (800) 279-4880 or (913) 843-
0351.

There are two ways you can run Turbo-Braille.  First, you can
supply all parameters on the command line to take a document from
start to finish.  This translator will even process multiple files
in sequence from a single command line entry.  The other mode,
probably best described as the interactive mode, allows a braille
session to be started much as you might do with a database or
spreadsheet.  Though there are many uses for the interactive mode,
it is most commonly used to load, examine, and save Turbo-Braille
configurations (explained later).

Turbo-Braille can automatically provide formatting for documents or
you can do the job yourself.  This is accomplished through the use
of "braille intermediate files" denoted by a file extension of BIF. 
Turbo-Braille can be instructed to produce BIF files instead of or
in addition to translated documents.  These BIF files contain the
original text of the document along with the formatting commands
that Turbo-Braille has determined to be appropriate.  You can then
simply modify these codes as necessary.  More often than not,
modification of these codes is not required.

To accomplish formatting, Turbo-Braille has a complete set of "dot"
commands.  This name is derived from the fact that each command
begins with a period.  The program's command set supports running
headers and footers, print and braille Arabic and Roman Numeral
page numbering, conditional end of page testing to keep titles with
the correct text, and all of the tools necessary to handle hanging
paragraphs and other varieties of indentation.  Turbo-Braille can
be instructed to automatically place horizontal dividing lines on
each page to facilitate folding.  "Spring characters" force
surrounding text to the left and right margins separated by guide
dots, hyphens, or spaces for quick formatting of tabular
information such as tables of contents.  Complicated commands or
often used text can be stored in any of twenty-six predefined
strings and recalled with two keystrokes.

An unusual and interesting feature of Turbo-Braille is its ability
to use multiple configuration files.  Parameters such as page size,
margins, and initial formatting instructions can be stored in these
files that can then reside in various subdirectories along with
other programs.  For example, a configuration file that sets
parameters to best deal with spreadsheets could be placed in the
subdirectory with a spreadsheet program, while another to braille
names and addresses could reside with your database program.  Then,
translating "BIF" files from either of these subdirectories would
cause the output to be formatted properly.

In our experience with Turbo-Braille, we have found its strongest
points to be the speed with which it formats and translates and the
accuracy of translation.  It handled some of the legendary words
such as dished and chemotherapy correctly, but if it were to
scramble your name, you can, if you are adventurous, add exceptions
to its translation table.  However, apostrophes are always brailled
as such, leaving the insertion of the two-celled inner quotation
marks to you.  Automatic formatting was also quite good.  Bold and
underlined text was accurately converted to braille italics, and
centering, particularly of long lines, was handled well.  The first
line of an inside address and the salutation line of a business
letter were indented as paragraphs, but this is common among
translators that automatically format braille because of the
inconsistent manner of showing paragraphs in print.  Neither of the
two common methods for producing hanging indented paragraphs in
WordPerfect resulted in braille hanging indents, and automatic
tables of contents cannot be produced.  Yet, correcting these by
modifying the BIF file is certainly much faster than doing the
entire job unaided, and that is what the BIF files are for.  In
addition, Turbo-Braille commands can be hidden within WordStar
documents as "comments" thereby permitting braille translation and
formatting commands to reside in your print document without
appearing on the printed page.

Turbo-Braille works well with screen reading software.  In
particular, we found two features worth mentioning.  First, have
you ever wondered if your braille translator was even running due
to long periods of silence?  Well, Turbo-Braille provides a
periodic count that indicates that progress is being made.  Also,
you can select the level of "verbosity" to meet your fancy.

As you can see, there is a lot of power here for the dollar. 
Automatic formatting, speed, and low price make Turbo-Braille (to
steal a phrase from Kansys Inc.) a "sound alternative" to consider.


            MINUTES OF THE 1991 ANNUAL NFBCS MEETING

The 1991 annual meeting of the National Federation of the Blind in
Computer Science was held in conjunction with the National
Federation of the Blind convention at the Hyatt Regency hotel in
New Orleans, Louisiana.  The meeting occurred on Tuesday, July 2.

The meeting was called to order by President Curtis Chong at 1:02
p.m.  All  officers were present.

The minutes of the 1990 meeting were read and approved.  It  was
moved/seconded to dispense with the Treasurer's report.  The motion
carried.

President Chong next delivered the Presidential Report.  It was
announced  that (as with last year) a synthesizer had been donated
to the NFBCS for  fund-raising purposes.  A drawing will be held at
the banquet.  Tickets will be priced at $5 each.

Mr. Chong reported that Prodigy Information Services was trying to
get  publicity from the fact that Ned Johnson's ISOS screen-reading
software can  now access Prodigy.  Mr. Johnson received no help
from Prodigy and Prodigy  still appears to be unresponsive to
screen-reading software vendors and the  blind.  It was suggested
that those wishing to make known their views to  Prodigy should
call Mike Pepper at (914) 993-8328.

Next, Mr. Chong read an announcement from the Federal Internal
Revenue Service describing a training program at the World Blind
Lions' Center  (successor to AEB) for blind persons interested in
becoming IBM Assembler programmers.  Trainees are ostensibly hired
by the IRS after successfully completing the program.  The
excessive self importance and condescending tone of the
announcement and its  negative assumptions about the blind elicited
comments of disapproval from the  audience.  Many expressed the
view that blind programmers should be  hired/trained by IRS through
its normal hiring procedures rather than  requiring prospective
programmers who are blind to go through a special course  during
which they are not paid.

The main program consisted of presentations on two topics: (1)
current  efforts to make software using a Graphical User Interface
(GUI) accessible to  the blind and (2) how various screen-reading
packages are attempting to deal  with unconventional software.
Topic 1 consisted of presentations by Beth  Mynatt of Georgia Tech
on a project to make XWINDOWS accessible through  three-dimensional
sound patterns, James Thatcher of IBM's Thomas J. Watson  Research
Center on the current work to make OS/2 Presentation Manager and
its  applications accessible to the blind, Ned Johnson of Interface
Systems  International on his work to make Prodigy accessible with
his ISOS  screen-reading package, and Mark Sutton of Berkeley
Systems on current efforts  to make OutSpoken access a wider
variety of software on the Macintosh. Topic 2  consisted of
presentations by David Mansoir of TeleSensory (purveyors of VERT,
VERT+,  SoftVERT, etc.); Ned Johnson of Interface Systems
International (creator of  ISOS); Chuck Oppermann from Henter-Joyce
(maker of JAWS); Doug Geoffray from GW Micro, (developers and
marketers of the Vocal-Eyes screen reading program);  Randy Knapp
from Artic  Technologies (marketers and developers of Artic Vision
and Artic Business Vision); and Steve Smith of Omnichron (creator
of FLIPPER).  Each discussed  how their products attempt to deal
with non-conventional software. There was  general agreement among
the screen-reading software vendors present that it  would be
helpful if commercial software vendors (most notably MicroSoft)
would either (a)  provide "hooks" in their software that would make
it possible for  screen-reading packages to access the output as
text or (b) provide sufficient  information to vendors of
screen-reading software to facilitate interpretation  of graphics
output.

The meeting adjourned at approximately 4:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Mike Freeman, Secretary


                     ODE TO AN ERROR MESSAGE
                  Copied by Dr. Abraham Nemeth

Once upon a midnight dreary
Fingers cramped and vision bleary
System manuals piled up high And Wasted paper on the floor
Longing for the warmth of bed sheets
Still I sat there doing spreadsheets

Having reached the bottom line I took a floppy from the drawer
Typing with a steady hand, I then invoked the SAVE command
But got instead a reprimand
It read: "ABORT, RETRY, IGNORE."

Was this some occult illusion,
Some maniacal intrusion?
These were choices Solomon himself had never faced before.
Carefully, I weighed the options.
These three seemed to be the top ones.
Clearly, I must now adopt one:
Choose ABORT, RETRY, IGNORE.

With my fingers pale and trembling
Slowly toward the keyboard bending,
Longing for a happy ending
Hoping all would be restored
Praying for some guarantee
Finally, I pressed a key.
But on the screen, what did I see
Again, "ABORT, RETRY, IGNORE."

I tried to catch the chips off guard.
I pressed again but twice as hard.
Luck was not in the cards.
I saw what I had seen before.

Now I typed in desperation,
trying random combinations,
still there came the incantation:
"Choose ABORT, RETRY, IGNORE."

There I sat--distraught, exhausted,
by my own machine accosted.
Getting up I turned away and paced across the office floor.
Then I saw an awful sight--a bold and blinding flash of light.
A lightning bolt had cut the night
and shook me to my very core.
I saw the screen collapse and die!
"Oh no, my data base!" I cried.
I thought I heard a voice reply:
"You'll see your data never more."

To this day I do not know
the place to which lost data goes.
I bet it goes to Heaven where the angels have it stored.
But as for productivity, well
I fear it goes straight to hell.

And that's the tale I have to tell.
Your choice: ABORT, RETRY, IGNORE.


                      MISCELLANEOUS UPDATES

Braille WordPerfect Documentation Available  The National
Federation of the Blind in Computer Science has produced a braille
document entitled Introduction to WordPerfect.  Written by Steve
Jacobson, our vice president, this document provides beginning
WordPerfect users with a quick and easy way to become familiar with
the program.  Introduction to WordPerfect can be obtained from the
Braille Action Lab for a modest ten dollars, payable to NAPUB of
Kentucky.  For further information, contact the Braille Action Lab
at (502) 588-8258.

Dues, Dues, and More Dues  At the 1991 meeting of the National
Federation of the Blind in Computer Science, held in New Orleans,
many of you had the opportunity to pay your dues: $5.  Others of
you did not have such an opportunity.  Now is the time to renew
your membership in NFBCS.  If you have not paid your dues for the
1991-1992 year, send a check for $5, payable to the NFB in Computer
Science, to Susie Stanzel, Treasurer, National Federation of the
Blind in Computer Science, 11905 Mohawk Lane, Leawood, Kansas 
66209.

New From Artic Technologies  Federationists who had an opportunity
to tour the exhibit area at this year's NFB convention were
probably intrigued by some new hardware being unveiled by Artic
Technologies of Troy, Michigan.  For the very first time ever,
Artic Technologies displayed a portable, battery-powered external
speech synthesizer.  A lot of us liked the feel of the heavy but
compact prototype case and urged Artic to consider using this
sturdy case in the final version of its unit.

Initially, the external speech synthesizer is designed to work only
with Artic Vision.  However, Artic Technologies says that it has
plans to provide information that will enable other screen reader
developers to provide support for its synthesizer in their
software.

The second piece of hardware unveiled by Artic is something called
a "gismo pad".  This device connects to a modified version of the
SynPhonix speech card and enables all Artic Vision functions to be
controlled from an external keypad.

For further information (e.g., price and availability) contact:

     Artic Technologies
     55 Park Street
     Suite 2
     Troy, Michigan  48083
     Phone: (313) 588-7370

New Synthesizer From AICOM  AICOM Corporation, developers of the
well-known ACCENT line of speech synthesizers, this year
demonstrated a new battery-powered ACCENT Stand-Alone unit.  This
latest version of the ACCENT/SA is powered by a rechargeable
nickel-cadmium battery and can provide up to fifteen hours of
continuous speech output.  The price: $995.

For further information, contact:

     AICOM Corporation
     1590 Oakland Road
     Suite B112
     San Jose, California  95131
     Phone: (408) 453-8251

National Federation of the Blind Bulletin Board  At this year's NFB
convention, held in New Orleans, Louisiana, it was announced that
the NFB has established its own computer Bulletin Board.  NFB-NET,
as it is called, will enable blind computer users to participate in
a variety of computer discussion groups dealing with subjects
revolving around blindness.  In addition, NFB-NET makes it possible
for Federationists to download machine readable copies of the
Braille Monitor and other useful Federation material.  NFB-NET can
be accessed by a variety of modems, including those running at 9600
bits per second.  To Logon to NFB-NET and register to be a user,
instruct your modem to dial (301) 752-5011.  For further
information about NFB-NET, contact Dave Andrews, Director, Braille
and Technology Center, National Center for the Blind, 1800 Johnson
Street, Baltimore, Maryland  21230, Phone: (301) 659-9314.
