In Case you were Wondering, (II)
                        By Michael Gorse (01)


[Note: This was originally printed in Newspeak, WPI's newsletter, but I've modified it a little to keep it up to date.]

     Hi; it's me again.  My name is Michael Gorse, and I am a freshman here
studying computer science.  I am totally blind.  I am writing this article as a
follow-up to answer some more questions that I am frequently asked about the
way I do things.  This time, my focus is on academics.

Q: How can you use a computer?
A: I use a voice synthesizer; it reads what is on the screen.  The synthesizer
I use is called a Speak-out; it attaches to a computer through the serial or
parallel port, and a software program interacts with it so that it reads the
screen.  Braille displays also exist like in the movie "Sneakers", but they're
expensive and can usually only display 20 or 40 columns of one line at a time. 
Apparently it is expensive to create a reliable mechanism which allows dots to
be raised and lowered to create braille.  Also, these displays often use the
space above and below the line of displayed braille to help support it, so
creating a multi-line braille display would be difficult as well as expensive.
I personally don't see any use for them, but then I have never really used one.  However, many people prefer to use them, especially for activities such as computer programming.  I type the same way other people type; the Speak-out is not a dictation system. 
(I'm not sure why I get asked about this so much, but I do.  An experienced
typist will not need to look at the keyboard while typing.)  A dictation
system has the potential to help a blind person who has another disability
which makes typing difficult, although I'm not sure if any of the ones
currently on the market work well with screen readers.

Q: Can you understand the voice synthesizer?  What is it saying?
A: Yes, I can understand it.  It takes getting used to, but I have it set at a
fast rate.  Also, some speech synthesizers (i.e., the DEC-talk) are easier to
understand; the DEC-talk is probably becoming the most widely-used type of
synthesizer.  DEC-talks are sometimes used to give information over the
telephone on computerized information lines.  Also, there are now a few
"software synthesizers" on the market which are programs that generate speech
using the standard sound cards that a computer cannot be without today.  These
synthesizers are still being perfected, but they are much less expensive (ie,
$100-$250) than the hardware-based synthesizers.  The newest version of Jaws for Windows comes bundled with a perfectly-usable software synth, so anyone who buys jfw will not need to buy a synthesizer separately in order to use it.

Q: Does your speech synthesizer read letters or words?
A: It depends.  I have it set to read letters when typing, but Vocal-Eyes (the
software I'm using) can be set to read characters or words, or to be silent
while the user is typing.  It normally reads by words when just reading the
screen, but it also allows the user to move around the screen character by
character.

Q: How do you work in the lab?
A: I can use a pc by hooking up the Speak-out to it and installing either
Vocal-Eyes (for DOS) or JAWS for Windows (for Windows 3.1 or 95).  I cannot use
x-terminals or workstations since I cannot run the needed software on them.  If
I need to log in in a lab which has those computers (in a CS class, for
example), it is easiest to get an extra cable in the lab so I can get on the
network using my laptop.

Q: Do you use a mouse?
A: Jaws allows the user to emulate a mouse with the keyboard.  However, it is
often unnecessary to use a mouse since there are generally equivalent keyboard
commands in Windows to do what is usually done with a mouse.  For example,
pressing alt brings up a menu bar, and pressing the first letter of an option
on the bar will bring up that menu.  One can get around dialogue boxes with
keys like tab, ctrl-tab, and the arrow keys.

Q: How do you take notes?  How do you get notes off the chalkboard?
A: I take
notes using my laptop.  I try to let professors know that they should explain
anything they demonstrate or write on the board.

Q: What do you do with handouts?  How do you take tests?
A: I use a scanner; I have ocr (optical character recognition) software that
will take an image of a page produced by the scanner and convert it into text
so that I can read it with my voice synthesizer (provided that the text on the
page is typed and fairly clear).  It makes it easier if I can just get an
electronic version of something rather than scanning it since ocr software
makes mistakes (making the resulting text somewhat more difficult to read with
a screen reader).  Since all of my professors have had their tests on a
computer anyway, it has been easiest for them to just give me a disk with the
test on it so I could just take it during class on my laptop.

Q: How do you use textbooks?
A: Recording for the Blind and Dislexic (RFB&D, formerly just RFB) has a large
library of books that have been recorded by volunteers.  I try to get my books
from there.  If I can't, I will need to scan the book or get someone to read it
to me if I cannot scan it easily.  Math books, for example, will be hard to
scan since my software won't translate mathematical symbols.  Occasionally (in
a philosophy class, for example) a professor may assign a version of an
uncopyrighted classic, in which case I may also be able to get a version from
the internet.  Sometimes, RFB&D may have a different edition of a book that a
class is using, or a different translation of the classic.

     I hope that I have answered some questions that you may have had about the
way I take classes.  Please feel free to ask if you have any further questions.

I look forward to meeting you.