Some new sensory aids for the visually impaired

A new computer access system for the blind has been developed, allowing a major simplification in computer use for this population. The system (called the SKERF-Pad) uses a touch-pad (connected to the game port on any IBM PC or compatible) to represent the computer screen, so that a blind user can ´read´ any part of the screen merely by pointing to the corresponding location on the touch-pad. An inexpensive speech synthesizer connected to the computer´s serial port enunciates the screen contents. The system is now being evaluated by blind computer users. A new low-cost electronic braille notetaker is also in the evaluation stage and appears to offer advantages over conventional braille notetaking methods. The pocket-sized device uses a nine-key braille keyboard upon which text is entered, and storage of up to eight pages of braille is accomplished in a RAM.<>