KURZWEIL NFB HANDHELD READER: CONVERTS TEXT TO SPEECH

exploring the future of entertainment & media

WORLD'S FIRST HAND HELD READING MACHINE NOW IN U.S. TRIALS...By Joyce Schwarz, author, analyst and emerging tech consultant, www.joycecom.com. imagine you'll never be able to read a book again, imagine you cannot check the headlines of the local newspaper, imagine you'll never be able to read the ingredients label of a box of cereal-- even worse, imagine that when you reach into your cupboard you can't tell the difference between a can of corn and a can of peaches! That's what it's like to live with low or no vision. But, it may soon change for at least some people as the world's first hand-held reading machine rolls out in trials in the USA. Why my interest and including it in Hollywood2020 -- because it's going to be an increasing issue as Baby boomers grow older and my own mom's courageous journey during the past nine months with low vision is inspiring me to greater awareness of what options are and should be out there for all of us as we get older.

SIMULATION OF LOW VISION: If you can't imagine what I've been talking about then head over to this wonderful website that actually creates low vision simulations and let you 'see' like someone who has Macular Degeneration and/or Cataracts.Take a look at these two pix below courtesy of : http://www.webaim.org/simulations/lowvis.html:

Simulation of normal vision courtesy of www.webaim.org

Simulation of macular degeneration courtesy of www.webaim.org.

KURZWEIL NFB READER IN TRIALS

(Baltimore Sun story link):

Device provides words to live by Hand-held reader that can convert text into synthesized speech may increase independence for the visually impaired ........ By Frank D. Roylance,Sun reporter,Originally published April 14, 2006....REPORTER Roylance describes the device in his story by saying: "the world's first hand-held reading machine for the blind - just developed by NFB in collaboration with Kurzweil Technologies Inc. of Wellesley, Mass." He adds that it combines " a 5-megapixel digital camera with a personal digital assistant, or PDA, the 13-ounce Kurzweil-NFB Reader converts digital images of text into synthesized speech".

GOING ON SALE THIS SUMMER! THE SUN article explains that the device is now in final field tests before its release for sale by Kurzweil this summer, the device was officially unveiled last week at ceremonies at NFB headquarters in South Baltimore. James Gashel, an executive at the National Federation of the Blind is one of 75 people trying out the new Kurzweil NFB handheld reader. He says, "It's liberating --You start to think about your capabilities differently."

1.3 Million Blind People --High Demand from Older People

In addition to many of the nation's 1.3 million blind people, Gashel also predicts a demand from older people with failing eyesight, and young people with dyslexia or learning disabilities. Inventor and futurist,Kurzweil: Life Is the Fast Lane (see story in BioITworld.com) Ray Kurzweil's collaboration with the NFB began in the 1970s when he develoed the first Kurzweil Reading Machine that weighed more than 50 lbs and was the size of an office copier-- but it could scan a document and reader it in a computer synthesized voice --the price tag was outrageous at $50,000 each.

For more information on Kurzweil go to: About Ray Kurzweil

For more information about Kurzweil companies go to:

The Kurzweil Companies. For a quick update on this outrageously brilliant guy --go to: Raymond Kurzweil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Kurzweil systems are also available in public schools and outreach programs for students with learning disabilities too -- here's a link to more info on those devices and software systems: www.kurzweiledu.com/ - 12k - Cached -

For more info on the NFB/Kurzweil reader go to:

www.nfb.org/nfbji/reader.htm Cached

ALSO CHECK OUT THE NEW COOL CONSUMER ELECTRONICS that are being adapted for the blind

just found those on the NFB site-- here's the link Accessible Home Showcase list nice to see some major companies like Maytag.

Thanks to my pal and neighbor Jan Tuck, former Chair of the The U.S. Access Board for referring me to the BALTIMORE SUN article. Did you know that the board is an independent federal agency that coordinates governmentwide efforts to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities.