[Ccb-alumni] Accessible Anywhere Based Braille Display Petition
George McDermith
george.mcdermith at gmail.com
Wed Dec 24 04:00:54 UTC 2008
A petition has been started by George McDermith, asking Braille display
manufacturers to base their drivers on the human interface protocol, found
on all Windows computers. Such a design philosophy will ensure that users
can be certain of having support for their Braille display on any computer,
not just one which has been custom-configured for such access, and will
eliminate the need to depend on specific screen reader drivers. The text of
the petition reads as follows:
"To: Braille display manufacturers
We, the undersigned, who are Braille display users, friends and family of
Braille display users, and teachers of the blind,
*: Believe that accessibility to information for the blind on a par with
their sighted piers is a right. Believe that due to this right, and due to
the cost of Braille displays, accessing Braille through the use of Braille
displays should not be limited by the type of screen reading solution used
by the blind.
*: Strongly request that all manufacturers of Braille displays cease basing
the drivers of their Braille displays off of particular screen reader
drivers, but rather base all Braille display drivers off of the Human User
Interface Protocol, which can be found on all Windows computers.
*: This will allow true portability and equal access to information for the
blind, as they will be able to use their display with any computer. This
will create greater competition in the market for the best Braille display
to stand out, grant greater literacy in Braille through greater access to
electronic Braille books and other materials, and support the right of all
blind people to have accessibility anywhere."
Visit the petition web page at
http://www.petitiononline.com/brldis/petition.html to add your support to
this worthy cause.
NEWS RELEASE
Wednesday, December 03, 2008, 1:36:13 PM | noreply at blogger.com (Michael
Lauf)
For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
E-mail pr at serotek.com
612.720.1068
Technical Contact :
E-mail info at serotek.com
Serotek First to Offer 64-Bit Support
System Access 3.0 Sets New Standard in Assistive Technology
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn - December 3, 2008 - Serotek Corporation, the leading
provider of internet and digital information accessibility software and
services, today released version 3.0 of its award-winning System Access
software. With this release, Serotek now offers the first full-featured
screen access product with support for 64-bit operating systems. This is a
breakthrough for blind and visually impaired consumers and IT professionals
alike.
Blind information technology professionals have long struggled with the
issue of being a step behind their sighted counterparts due to a lag in
access technology and its inability to support the latest mainstream
developments. With the release of System Access 3.0, the only existing
screen access support for 64-bit Windows operating systems on the market,
Serotek has leveled the employment playing field for skilled IT
professionals. Without it, blind IT professionals would be locked out of
administering 64-bit servers and work stations which are prevalent in most
corporate environments. With it, a blind IT professional can plug in a USB
drive containing the System Access 3.0 software and instantly provide
technical support services to anyone in the world.
Increasingly, retailers are stocking computers running 64-bit versions of
Windows so blind consumers were facing a similar dilemma. Now, new
computers, from the smallest Netbook to the most powerful server, that are
running OEM versions of 64-bit Windows, are instantly accessible with System
Access 3.0. Consumers who are blind or have low vision can purchase a
computer product without wondering if it will be accessible.
"Consumers and IT professionals alike no longer need to concern
themselves with whether a computer is running a 32 or 64-bit operating
system," said Mike Calvo, CEO, Serotek Corporation, "System Access provides
easy access in either scenario."
Version 3.0 also features voice over IP, speech and refreshable Braille
output, and the most compelling support for iTunes 8 on the market.
"With this release, Serotek continues to raise the bar in the
assistive technology industry" said Calvo, "and exponentially boosts the
digital lifestyle for the blind and visually impaired while at home, work or
traveling."
The update to version 3.0 will happen seamlessly for existing
System Access customers with no need for user intervention. New customers
can begin a free trial or purchase the product by visiting www.satogo.com.
For a complete list of features and enhancements, visit
http://www.serotek.com/whatsnew.html.
Serotek Corporation
Serotek Corporation is a leading technology company that develops software
and manufactures accessibility solutions under the System Access brand.
Committed to the mission of providing accessibility anywhere, Serotek began
with the launch of the first online community specifically designed to meet
the needs of people with visual impairment. Since then, Serotek has
introduced several powerful, affordable solutions that require minimal
training and investment. For more information, visit
www.serotek.com
Serotek Extends offer of $200 off the purchase of $399 or more Through Dec.
3RD, 2008
Monday, December 01, 2008, 3:43:52 PM | noreply at blogger.com (Michael Lauf)
Due to popular demand, we are extending our offer of $200 off the purchase
of $399 or more through Wednesday, Dec. 3RD at Midnight Eastern. Get $200
off System Access screen reader version 3.0, System Access Mobile Network,
Neospeech, Document Scan, additional machine licenses, or a Netbook computer
with System Access. Call toll-fre 866-202-0520 or visit the
Serotek Purchase Page
Second SeroTalk Podcast Holiday Special
Thursday, November 27, 2008, 4:24:16 PM | noreply at blogger.com (Michael Lauf)
Listen to the second SeroTalk podcast holiday special
Mike Calvo announced the official release of System Access 3.0, and $200
Black Friday discount from Nov 28 thru Dec. 1st. For more access for less,
call 866-202-0520 or visit
www.serotek.com
Mike Calvo recommends the ultimate coffee, tea and hot chocolate maker
technology called Tassimo. He recommends getting the Bosch brand TAS10 for
$99 if you have filtered water, or the TAS45 for $129 if you need your water
filtered
TassimoDirect.com
Michael lauf spoke with Tom bozikis with the
Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org
They discussed reading U.S. and Canadian business reliability reports at
search.bbb.org
filing a complaint at complaint.bbb.org
online safety and the very informative
Tri-State BBB Consumer Education Blog at www.bbbConsumerEducation.com
Seven people recommend their favorite websites for purchases.
Four sites mentioned by two or more people were:
overstock.com
NewEgg.com
TigerDirect.com
and
amazon.com
Three sites for comparing prices were mentioned:
froogle.com from Google
nextag.com
and
PriceGrabber.com
Other sites mentioned for computers, electronics and tech toys included:
BlindBargains.com
Buy.com
and
Geeks.com
For custom built computers and parts,
cmsProducts.com
mWave.com
MagicMicro.com
For audio gear like mixers and mics for musicians and DJs:
SweetWater.com
and
J&R Music - www.jr.com
Two sites for radios, antennas and communications gear:
C. Crane Company - CcRadio.com
and
BearCat1.com
Daily special sites offering only one product per day updated at midnight:
Woot.com
and
MidnightBox.com
For cell phones, GSM phones unbranded or also referred to as unlocked:
ImportGSM.com
MobileCityOnline.com
and
NegriElectronics.com
For fragrances:
Scentiments.com
FragranceNet.com
and
Perfume.com
For books, music and movies:
Half.com
For smaller and personal items:
haband.com
HarrietCarter.com
and
llbean.com
SeroTalk Podcast
Friday, November 14, 2008, 5:04:08 PM | noreply at blogger.com (Michael Lauf)
Hello, my name is Michael lauf. Some of you may remember me from the
internet radio show called Handi-Talk back in 1999. I met many great peple
from doing that program, including Mike Calvo. I am excited to now be a
part of the Serotek team as of November 3, 2008. In addition to taking the
variety of content on the System Access Mobile Network to a whole new
leverl, I will also be creating two podcasts each month.
SeroTalk is both a podcast and blog discussing ways people use access
technology to improve the quality of life. The web site is
serotalk.com
The website, podcast and blog will offer a wealth of information on new
technologies, useful websites, cool software, education, information and
entertainment. User comments will be read from those sending us e-mail.
resources at serotalk.com
Voicemails will be played from those calling a dedicated toll-free number
which is 866-997-2522.
Persons can instantly recieve the latest podcasts and blog postings by
adding the following URL to their web browser, RSS news reader or podcatcher
http://serotalk.com/feed/
As I write this, we just posted our first podcast, showcasing ten new and
exciting features in System Access version 3.0. You can hear our absolutely
awesome voice chat technology in action as I talk with six other staff
members including Mike Calvo, Ricky Enger, Matt Campbell, richard Wells,
Brian Kevelighan and Raymond bishop.
Topics included: 64-bit support, simplified user menus, awesome voice chat
technology, support for FireFox Web Browser Version 3, Microsoft Internet
Explorer 8, refreshable braille support via the ALVA BC640 Braille display,
automatic updates and auto-repair, new and more-responsive Neospeech voices,
75 percent smaller and subsequently 75 percent faster start time for
SAToGo
support for iTunes 8.01, AllInPlay, and offline document scanning.
We also discuss the variety of new
economical and powerful Netbook computers.
We will play selected voicemails, and read selected e-mails during each
podcast, as we are all about interaction. We hope you will sign up and
provide feedback to our posts.
Serotek CEO Announced as Tekne Award Finalist
Tuesday, October 07, 2008, 3:02:35 PM | noreply at blogger.com (Serotek Team)
For Immediate Release
Media Contact: pr at serotek.com
Technical Contact : info at serotek.com
Calvo recognized as one of Minnesota's top technology innovators and leaders
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn - September 30, 2008 - Mike Calvo, founder and CEO of
Serotek Corporation, the leading provider of Internet and digital
information accessibility software and services, was named as a Technology
Executive of the Year finalist for the 2008 Tekne Awards. The awards
recognize Minnesota companies and individuals who have shown superior
technology innovation and leadership. The Technology Executive of the Year
category honors an individual member of an executive team who is responsible
for the advancement of technology and technology strategy within a company
or organization. Leadership within the business as well as civic and
community level involvement are considerations.
Born blind, Calvo committed to making a difference from a young age and
today, hundreds of thousands around the world, including the elderly,
visually impaired, and those with limited mobility, are using Serotek
products to operate computers and access the Internet. Calvo conceived of
and led the delivery of several industry firsts including the first Web 2.0
based accessibility software, the first Microsoft Vista-ready product line,
the first accessible software-as-as-service offering, the first remote
incident and remote access management systems for corporate technology
support personnel, and he was the first to remove financial barriers by
providing world-wide computer accessibility free of charge by donating
Serotek's screen reading product to a foundation he helped found.
Additionally, Calvo established and co-sponsored with Lenovo and Microsoft
the Serotek Technology Camp for Children, and launched a program for K-12
students in the United States to obtain free accessibility software for
their schools. "Recognition for accomplishments that required the
cooperation of so many is humbling," said Mike Calvo, CEO, Serotek
Corporation, "but I'm honored to represent those who have influenced and
changed the lives and careers of so many through technology access."
Presented by the Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) in partnership with
Enterprise Minnesota and LifeScience Alley, the Tekne Awards annually
recognize Minnesota's leading technology users and developers in innovation,
development, education, commercialization and management of technology in
Minnesota. A list of finalists is available online at www.tekneawards.org.
"Every finalist should be proud of this accomplishment," said Kate Rubin,
president of MHTA. "For nearly a decade the Tekne Awards have shined a
spotlight on our state's best and brightest technology innovators. Great
leaders and innovators like Mike Calvo give us hope that we'll be in good
hands for years to come." On Oct. 30, one recipient from three finalists
will be named in this category at the Awards ceremony. Award categories
recognize leaders and technology businesses that are emerging (with annual
revenues under $50 million) and established (with annual revenues of $50
million or more). This year's Tekne Awards ceremony will be emceed by Kerri
Miller, host of "Midmorning" and "Talking Volumes" on Minnesota Public
Radio.
Serotek Corporation
Serotek Corporation is a leading technology company that develops software
and manufactures accessibility solutions under the System Access brand.
Committed to the mission of providing accessibility anywhere, Serotek began
with the launch of the first online community specifically designed to meet
the needs of people with disabilities. Since then, Serotek has introduced
several powerful, affordable solutions that require minimal training and
investment. For more information, visit www.serotek.com.
Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA)
MHTA accelerates the growth, sustainability and global competitiveness of
Minnesota's technology-based economy through public policy advocacy, member
collaboration and education, and community outreach. MHTA is the only
membership organization representing Minnesota's entire technology-based
economy. MHTA members include organizations of every size involved in
virtually every aspect of technology creation, production, application and
education in Minnesota. MHTA works in partnership with AeA, which represents
Minnesota's technology organizations nationally. Find out more online at
www.mhta.org.
Ipod and Itunes are now accessible to the blind!
Thursday, September 18, 2008, 11:52:25 AM | noreply at blogger.com (Mike Calvo)
This was an important week for blind people. Apple, a company that has long
ignored the need for accessibility in it's consumer devices brought out a
new 4th generation version of the Ipod Nano that, when combined with Itunes
version 8,is accessible. GW Micro took Apple where no other AT company has
been able to lead them. It is a wonderful success and a gift to blind people
everywhere.
Us blind folks are tough critics and the ink will be hardly dry on the
announcement before people will be griping that the new Ipod doesn't do one
thing or another. Hush. Something more important than features happened
here. Thanks to GW Micro, Apple made the digital lifestyle accessible. In
doing so, Apple recognized that accessibility is not about compliance. It's
not about some minimal legal requirement to grudgingly make it possible for
a blind person to have some small taste of what's available to the general
public. It's about making fun accessible. It's about eliminating barriers
and making fun an eyes-free experience.
Think about it.
Ipod is the ubiquitous companion of the young and the young at heart. It is
everywhere. In just a few short years this device has completely disrupted
and reinvented the music industry; it has added a huge new dimension to
social networking; it has become a delivery mechanism for information and
entertainment of all kinds.
And now it's accessible. Now it speaks and you can find what you want and
enjoy what you want to enjoy without looking. As the New York Times
describes it: "The Nano can now speak its menus, song names, and on-screen
messages as you navigate. That should assist anyone who's blind and anyone
who insists on fiddling while driving."
Let me add: "Or while jogging or biking or reading a book or painting a
picture or.the list goes on." Anyone whose eyes are otherwise occupied is no
longer hampered in finding the tune or other feature she wants to hear.
What do you think our multi-tasking kids from grammar school to graduate
school are going to do with that capability? I'll bet they spend half of
their navigating time eyes-free.
This one announcement is a giant step towards full, ubiquitous
accessibility. Because if we can find our tunes eyes-free, we are going to
want to do many other things eyes-free. And that means a future where blind
people like you and me no longer have to struggle for accessibility just
moved a whole lot closer.
GW Micro did the spade work, Serotek and hopefully other AT companies will
pile into the hole and start shaping it into something bigger and better. I
know we are on that path. Our upcoming product release will be just an
opening salvo. Now that GW Micro has broken ground in the Apple space we'll
all be there competing for the Ipod user's attention. Hopefully we'll be
able to do it better. That's what competition is about. You'll be the judge.
But let's all admit we wouldn't even be on this playing field without GW's
heroic work.
GW Micro and Apple have combined to make every blind person's future
brighter. As a competitor I salute you. As a blind man, I thank you.
WINNERS OF SUMMER SIZZLE READY TO COOK
Tuesday, September 09, 2008, 6:54:56 PM | noreply at blogger.com (Serotek Team)
Since its announcement in early June, eager contestants have entered and
anticipated the drawing for the Serotek Summer Sizzle, a contest offering
$2000 worth of products comprising a Digital Lifestyle Makeover for the
lucky winner. Nearly 2000 people from some 30 countries entered the online
drawing, simply by completing a survey identifying personal styles and
preferences as blind computer users.
As anticipated, the winner was announced on the Marlaina Show, a program of
ACB Radio, Sunday evening, September 7. The lucky winner, Amy Ruell, is
known to many in the blind community for her work in the areas of technology
and braille literacy. In addition to her work distributing materials through
the ReadBooks program for National Braille Press, Boston, and hosting
webinars for parents of blind children for that agency, Ruell is also
passionate about her work as president of a Boston area computer users
group, VIBUG (Visually Impaired Blind Users Group.) Either directly or
indirectly, her Summer Sizzle prize will benefit the VIBUG community, which
is dedicated to demonstrating new products and providing information on both
mainstream and adaptive technology.
"I've been a user of SA To GO for a long time," Ruell commented, explaining
that she often uses the free online version of System Access when traveling.
It is so much easier to use the computer offered in a hotel business center,
she said, than to carry her own somewhat heavy equipment.
"It will be wonderful to have the System Access software available to me all
the time now," she said, "and to demonstrate it to others."
As winner of Serotek's Summer Sizzle, Ruell's prize included An ASUS 8G 2
pound Netbook PC with 1 gigabyte of main memory and an 8 gigabyte hard drive
fully equipped for accessible, wireless networking A complete Serotek SAS
package including System Access Mobile; four years of System Access Mobile
Network; and Neo Speech
Victor Reader Stream audio book player Zen Stone MP3 Player
And choice of any MobileSpeak screen reader courtesy of CodeFactory.
Serotek CEO Mike Calvo also surprised ten lucky runners-up in the Summer
Sizzle contest, each of whom received a one-year subscription to the System
Access Mobile Network. The runners-up are: Pat Lenahan, John Manchester,
David Taylor, Mike Nicol, Roger Fordham, Jay Pellis, Jessica Miller, Shawn
Bever, Brandon Bracey, and Marjolijn Terlingen.
"We've learned a great deal from the Summer Sizzle survey," Calvo commented,
"but primarily what this proves is that blind people want the digital
lifestyle and accessibility anywhere that is Serotek's mission."
For more information about Serotek and System Access products, go to
www.serotek.com.
Dr. Mark Maurer's letter encouraging rehab centers to give their blind
clientele their choice when it comes to selecting accessibility tools
Tuesday, September 02, 2008, 4:44:20 PM | noreply at blogger.com (Mike Calvo)
I am a little tardy responding to Dr. Mark Maurer's letter, at the end of
this post, encouraging rehab centers to give their blind clientele their
choice when it comes to selecting accessibility tools, such as screen
readers. We agree with Dr. Maurer wholeheartedly. There are two
considerations, however, that the letter did not address:
1. To make an informed choice, blind consumers need access to all their
options and valid, easy to access information about the plusses and minuses
of each possible choice. They need to understand the functional capabilities
and they need to understand how much time they will have to invest to become
proficient using each potential tool. Not all rehab centers are currently
able to present this information on all products.
2. Choices have different costs. In a free market scenario the client would
make his or her own cost-benefit choice. But if the product is being
purchased by vocational rehab funds or other public sources, the client
never sees the cost side of the equation. The vocational rehab center does,
though. And a client who chooses an expensive product that has more
capability than he or she needs, may be limiting the rehab center's ability
to serve all of its clients. Conversely, forcing a low-cost decision on the
client when the product falls short of his or her needs is clearly not an
acceptable answer. Rehab centers can and should guide clients towards
products that fit their needs and make the best use of center resources.
I believe Dr. Maurer's letter should be a clarion call to vendors of
accessibility products to:
1. Make sure every rehab center has full access to product functional
specifications; sample products; and demonstration materials that
professionals can use to help clients evaluate which tool best meets their
needs.
2. Provide accessibility capability at the lowest possible total cost
(hardware, software, and training).
3. Structure products in a fashion where users can select a product that
meets their specific needs on a cost/benefit basis.
Our hat is off to Dr. Maurer for making the call. Now it is up to Serotek
and other vendors to make sure rehab centers can follow through with both
the knowledge and the resources to both give their clients choices and serve
their entire constituency.
Now Here's the letter:
August 20, 2008
To All Rehabilitation Agencies in the United States
Dear Colleagues:
Sometimes I am told that rehabilitation officials have formed the opinion
that they should decide for the clients what products or services may be
offered to them. Sometimes I am told that the opinions of rehabilitation
personnel are put into effect despite contrary opinions expressed by the
blind. As an example, I am told that there is no choice offered the clients
regarding the screen reader that may be selected by clients for use in the
rehabilitation process.
It is desirable to give the clients a choice in the rehabilitation products
these clients receive. This is true for two reasons: 1) The clients who
participate in selecting their own products are more likely to use the ones
they select; and 2) The right of choice is part of the Rehabilitation Act.
It is good for the client, and it is good for the rehabilitation programs to
encourage free choice. Should Window-Eyes be used, or should Jaws be used?
Should HAL be used, or should System Access To Go be used? The answer to
these questions is yes. The client should participate in the choice,
deciding which screen access program is preferable in the circumstances.
Access to information is of vital importance to the blind. Rehabilitation
can enhance access to information, assisting blind people in vital ways. I
encourage you to incorporate these thoughts in the process of
rehabilitation.
Sincerely,
Marc Maurer, President
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
Cc: GW Micro
Freedom Scientific
System Access To Go
Dolphin
CEO Joins Students at Technology Camp
Tuesday, August 12, 2008, 5:26:40 AM | noreply at blogger.com (Serotek Team)
Students everywhere are enjoying the last few weeks of summer before the
school year begins. When asked to describe how they spent their summer
vacation, 12 lucky students in Cincinnati, Ohio will undoubtedly have quite
a story to tell. The students attended the first technology camp hosted by
the Clovernook Center for The Blind and Visually Impaired.
Mike Calvo had the opportunity to join in the fun this week as the children
learned to send email, download audio-described movies, and explore web
sites such as Bookshare and NLS.
You can read this excellent article about the camp which appears in the
Cincinnati Enquirer. You can also view the news story which aired on WXIX
Fox 19 and see footage of Mike, the campers, and the Clovernook staff as
they discuss this year's camp experience.
The students will return home from a week of immersion in technology
carrying with them not only a greater understanding of how to use a
computer, but with a tool allowing them to put such knowledge in to practice
no matter where they are. The students are participating in the Keys for
K-12 program, which provides any child in the United States enrolled in
grades k-12 with a free, annually renewable license to install System Access
on a U3-enabled USB thumb drive. Any windows-based computer becomes
instantly accessible when plugging the drive in to an available USB port. As
the students at this year's technology camp will attest, having
accessibility anywhere is not only practical, it's lots of fun as well.
If you know of a child who is eligible to participate in the program, we
encourage you to check out the KK12 page for more information.
Isn't It Ironic?
Thursday, July 17, 2008, 5:48:43 PM | noreply at blogger.com (Mike Calvo)
IBM gained a bit of press with its recently announced Social Accessibility
Project which promises to broker a service that makes Web sites accessible
to users of Jaws and Internet Explorer. Almost immediately thereafter,
WebVisum was touted for its tools that make sites accessible via Firefox.
Both of these efforts are stragglers, wandering onto the field some four
years after Serotek announced C-Saw, which enlisted the blind and low vision
community to help itself by making not-so-accessible sites more accessible
with graphics tags, form fields, links, etc. Serotek has a library of over
4,000 heavily trafficked sites that have been made fully accessible via
C-Saw.
When we created C-Saw we approached every AT vendor and offered it to them,
free of charge with the goal of making the Internet more accessible for
everyone. We got no takers. So the work that has been done is the result of
volunteers using Serotek's System Access and/or the System Access Mobile
Network. And these volunteers have done very good work indeed.
It is disheartening to introduce a capability that benefits the community,
offer it to everyone, and get the cold shoulder only to see a behemoth like
IBM waddle in and make a half-hearted gesture along the same lines and get
considerable favorable press. All so they can market tools for accessibility
to website designers. It's disheartening, but not unexpected. This sort of
thing happens all the time in the technology industry. Everyone pays
attention when the eight-hundred pound gorilla scratches.
More disheartening is the fact that the IBM effort is unlikely to make
important things happen for the community. It could, like Sprint's voice
dial capability, be discontinued tomorrow and no consideration given to
those who have come to depend on it. Those who contribute to the database
will be professionals, doing their part, but not invested in the outcome.
C-SAW volunteers are from the blind and low-vision community. They represent
the blind community doing for itself - an independent attitude we kind of
like here at Serotek.
We'd like to suggest that the three efforts be merged and that the AIR
Foundation become the repository for the accessibility database. We imagine
there are good things to be learned from IBM and Visum and Serotek can offer
up its current data base of accessible sites and our cadre of experienced
volunteers. By taking the site accessibility database out of the hands of
any company, we protect against the corporate retooling that can (as it did
with Sprint) wipe out a non-profit service without a thought as to the
consequences.
Let's make Web site accessibility a community right! Please post your
comments and try your best not to be anonymous.
Mike Calvo Presents at the General Session of the 47th Annual ACB Convention
Wednesday, July 09, 2008, 7:57:54 PM | noreply at blogger.com (Serotek Team)
Mike Calvo gave a well-received talk at the July 9rd morning General Session
of the 47th Annual Convention of the American Council of the Blind. Everyone
is now invited to listen to an archive of this special event.
This Year's Convention Adventures
Wednesday, July 09, 2008, 4:01:15 PM | noreply at blogger.com (Mike Calvo)
So I am now getting ready to go home after 2 long weeks on the road. Wow!
What a rush it's been. From Dalis to Louisville I have had a blast hanging
out with many of you and being humbled with your good wishes and encouraging
support.
I had so many things to say and for several reasons just decided to speak to
the people I had in front of me, from the heart, and post my actual speech
here. Should I have stuck to the script? I don't know really. Quite honestly
I am just way to tired to even have an opinion. But hey, here it is, you
decide.
It is truly an honor to have this opportunity to address you from the podium
today. .
Maybe you've never heard of Mike Calvo or Serotek Corp., or SA To Go or
System Access.
I'll try to bring you up to speed.
I am one of you. I grew up in the schools and streets of Miami as a blind
kid. (If you want to know more details, you can read an article in
AccessWorld by Deborah Kendrick, called from Street Kid to CEO. That article
tells you where I came from - and where I'm definitely going.)
In the interest of time, though, I'll tell you that I'm a blind guy who had
a dream seven ears ago. I love technology. But I didn't like the fact that
we, as blind people, needed to pay more for it, use tools different from
everyone else's, and always seemed to be playing catch up with the sighted
world wanting to accomplish the same tasks. My dream has grown and grown and
is now spreading around the world. I used to say it's something like AOL
meets WEB-TV for blind folks - and that's still true, but now, System Access
is so much more.
Have you ever wished you could just sit down at your sighted friend's
computer and show them how to do something - but there's no screen reader?
Have you ever wished you could use the computer in the library or an
internet café or your sighted child's school? With SA To Go, you can have an
instant screen reader on any computer, anytime, anywhere - and have it there
in seconds. If the computer is used by sighted people who don't like the
sound of synthetic speech, you don't have to worry, because it goes away
when the computer is turned off.
System Access and the System Access Mobile Network are the flagship products
we sell at Serotek. I could spend all my time just telling you about the
news, entertainment, movies, music, and more you can find and find easily on
the System Access Mobile Network. But I'm talking today about access for
everyone, free, everywhere.
In January we partnered with a new foundation (headed up by your own Art
Schreiber) called Accessibility is a Right: AIR. Because of the partnership
between Serotek and AIR, any blind person anywhere in the world who has
access to any computer with an internet connection can download SA To Go for
FREE, and have speech and magnification on that computer to make it
accessible in the way so many of us in this room have come to associate with
using. Technology.
(And yes, Braille access is part of our plan as well.."
With the newest release of System Access Mobile, everything on the screen
can be read with the Alva BC640 Braille display. Why is this the only
display added at this time? Because it meshes with the Serotek philosophy
that we, as blind people, should not have access only with limited,
specialized tools that are available in limited settings.
Our intent is to do for accessibility what Google did for Web searches. That
is, make the idea of accessibility fundamental to using the Web. We want to
make accessibility second nature.
Why?
We believe that blind and low vision consumers have a right to be on a par
with sighted consumers in enjoying the full benefits of the digital
lifestyle. But we have a problem. Only a tiny portion of the blind and
low-vision community is "access-enabled."
Microsoft commissioned a study by Forester Research in 2004 to look at the
opportunity in accessibility. The reports (there are two of them) are
available on Microsoft's Web site. The reports showed that only 1% of people
who could benefit from screen readers were using them and only 5% of people
who could benefit from screen magnification were using magnification. That
means that 99% of blind and 95% of low-vision people were being excluded
from access to the digital lifestyle. There are only a few hundred thousand
"access-enabled" blind and low-vision consumers worldwide - and everyone
here is undoubtedly counted among that elite group. But there are many
millions of blind people in the world who are not "access-enabled." And that
number is growing.
When you've spent your life in the digital world, you become aware of how
fast change happens. I've got some old timers in my company who remember
when computers weighted tons and took up whole air conditioned buildings to
deliver a few kilobytes of memory at processing speeds barely faster than a
mechanical adding machine. These so-called old timers - and there are some
in this room -- are only in their sixties. The time they are remembering is
only about forty years ago. Computer technology has undergone nearly forty
generations in that time. We are watching evolution on fast-forward. The
conventional approach to access-enabling blind and low-vision users cannot
come close to keeping up with the pace of technology innovation. Thus even
access-enabled blind and low vision people, like you and me, are falling
behind the state of the art if we are locked into current screen reader
technology.
The blind community is falling further behind with each new generation of
digital products and services. And as the gap increases we become less and
less visible.
And there is no need for there to be a gap at all. The very nature of
digital information makes it easily accessible. Whether it is presented as
text, as voice, as Braille, music, graphics, or in multimedia combination is
all a matter of how digital information is displayed. The intrinsic truth -
the word, the note, the picture - is there, represented by 1's and 0's,
arranged in well-known code structures. With almost no effort at all, every
bit and byte of mainstream digital information could be inherently fully
accessible allowing the user to choose how he or she would receive it.
But mainstream software companies and Web designers don't recognize that
they have a potential user base of millions who are being excluded. We, the
blind community, are invisible to them and even as our numbers grow, we will
become less rather than more visible unless we take dramatic steps to
increase the percentage of us who are access enabled.
That is what System Access to Go is about. It is about enticing thirty or
forty million blind and low vision people into the digital mainstream by
making it possible for them to have access any time they are connected to
the Internet. It's about getting those people into the digital lifestyle,
using the social networking tools, enjoying the music and entertainment,
staying current with the news, and buying products in sufficient numbers for
mainstream companies to take notice.
Our goal with System Access to Go is to make accessibility software
obsolete. There is no reason whatsoever for accessibility not to be embedded
within every software product, every Web site; every digital player and
device.
SAToGo is our gift to the blind community and we ask nothing for this gift
except that people make a small effort to be access-enabled. We believe an
access-enabled blind community will be a vibrant market with ample
opportunity for many businesses to prosper serving the community's digital
lifestyle needs. Will we achieve the ubiquitous recognition of Google? Well
we could probably have chosen an easier to use name. You hardly ever hear
anyone saying "SAY-TOGO that for me, will you?" Nonetheless, thousands of
users are downloading SAToGo every day. We are making it possible for today's
blindness professionals to reach out to more people and meet the growing
demand.
Look for Serotek to continue along this path - bringing easy, affordable
access to the digital lifestyle for all blind people. Come by the Serotek
booth to learn more about SAToGo and the SA Mobile Network and to enter our
Summer Sizzle to win a digital lifestyle prize worth $2000. And thank you
for allowing me to spend this time with you this morning.
Thank you.
Mike Calvo Presents at the General Session of the 68th Annual NFB Convention
Thursday, July 03, 2008, 11:40:06 AM | noreply at blogger.com (Serotek Team)
Mike Calvo gave a well-received talk at the July 3rd morning General Session
of the 68th Annual Convention of the National Federation of the Blind.
Everyone is now invited to listen to an archive of this special event.
In Memory Of Clarence Whaley
Monday, June 16, 2008, 2:20:20 PM | noreply at blogger.com (Mike Calvo)
I am saddened by the passing of Clarence Whaley. He is one of the special
people you meet from time to time in the adaptive technology industry whose
only interest is making life a little fairer for blind people. I just saw
him and Raul at CSUN. He's one of the people who helped convince me that a
guide dog would make my life a whole lot easier.
Clarence was a great role model showing us that you don't have to have a
chip on our shoulder to get noticed. I remember when Serotek was the new kid
on the block that he and all the other folks at GW Micro made us feel like
part of the adaptive technology family. This was important to me because we
were new in an industry that was really skeptical of any new player.
Clarence always had a kind and encouraging word even though we were
competitors in the field.
Clarence Whaley was always a gentleman. The industry will miss him.
Serotek Summer Sizzle: Win a Complete Digital Lifestyle Makeover
Monday, June 02, 2008, 9:06:50 AM | noreply at blogger.com (Serotek Team)
Serotek's Accessible Digital Lifestyle is a hot topic and getting hotter.
Here's your chance to add some sizzle to your life by participating in our
online survey and enrolling to win a complete digital lifestyle makeover.
Here's what you can win:
ASUS 8G 2 pound Netbook PC with 1 gigabyte of main memory and an 8 gigabyte
hard drive fully equipped for accessible, wireless networking
A complete Serotek SAS package including System Access Mobile; four years of
System Access Mobile Network; and Neo Speech
Victor Reader Stream audio book player
Zen Stone MP3 player
1 copy of any Mobile Speak screen reader courtesy of Code Factory
The digital lifestyle makeover is worth more than $2,000 and all you have to
do is answer a few really easy questions. What's to lose? Now is your chance
to get hot and warm up your life with Serotek's fully accessible digital
lifestyle.
The winner of our Summer Sizzle contest will be drawn on September 7, the
Sunday after Labor Day, on ACB Radio's Marlaina program, and the winner must
be at home to win.
Of course you don't have to wait to win to get access and be accessible. You
can start your makeover now. This summer we're putting the Sizzle in
accessibility. If you're one of the first 100 people to sign up for Serotek's
four-year software as a service package, for only $24.95 per month, in
addition to System Access Mobile for two computers and a memory stick; a
four-year membership to the System Access Mobile Network, and Neo Speech, we'll
send you a ZEN Stone MP3 player at no charge. Who says accessibility is just
about your job? Serotek provides you Life Access With Speech.
For more information please visit Serotek on the web at www.serotek.com and
click the Summer Sizzle link.
Changes in System Access 2.5.0
Monday, May 26, 2008, 8:36:23 AM | noreply at blogger.com (Matt Campbell)
Accessible Digital Lifestyle
Fixed a problem which prevented the SA Mobile Network browser from starting
the Amazon MP3 Downloader.
Eliminated an error message which was appearing when logging into Napster
from the SA Mobile Network browser. Note that other error messages still
appear when using Napster with the current beta of Internet Explorer 8; this
isn't a problem with System Access or the SA Mobile Network browser, but
we're still working with Microsoft to remedy it.
Fixed problems with the log-in form on Pandora.com.
Internet Explorer and SA Mobile Network Browser
Improved access to pages such as the Comcast.net home page that have areas
which frequently update themselves.
Improved access to Google applications, especially Gmail and Google Docs.
Fixed a bug in the new SA Mobile Network browser which prevented the browser
from coming to the foreground on startup.
Windows Live Mail
This update introduces support for Windows Live Mail, Microsoft's latest
desktop email software for home users and the successor to Outlook Express
and Windows Mail. As well as providing access to Windows Live Mail itself,
System Access now provides fully automatic speech output in Windows Live
Installer, making it easy to install and start using Windows Live Mail.
Miscellaneous
If you tap the Control key twice quickly, System Access will stop automatic
speech in the current foreground window, such as reading of progress bars
and status indicators, until you switch to another window.
Improved access to the Microsoft rich edit control, resulting in better
access to the freeware Jarte word processor, among other programs.
Your SA Mobile Network notes will now be stored on SA Mobile Network servers
instead of your home machine and/or U3 smart drive. This means that you'll
have access to all of your notes in one place whether you're using your home
machine, a U3 smart drive, or SA to Go.
An Open Letter To Independent Living Adult Blind Professionals
Thursday, May 15, 2008, 2:33:03 PM | noreply at blogger.com (Mike Calvo)
Independent Living Adult Blind (ILAB) service organizations face a unique
challenge as baby boomers become seniors and many experience vision loss.
The impact of a rapid loss of vision can be devastating. In very short
order, a person loses every point of reference. They feel cut off, isolated,
disoriented, and afraid. A once-friendly world is suddenly an alien place
with everything that was once familiar, now strange and threatening.
We who are blind know that with time, a person can find a new equilibrium -
well-oriented and secure. Millions of blind people live independently and
there is no inherent reason why a newly blind senior can't recapture an
independent lifestyle. But it requires the help of caring and skilled
organizations and individuals to make that transition.
ILAB's job is to be a lifeline, offering support in re-achieving
independence and helping newly blind seniors find a path to:
Orientation
Mobility
Safety
Home and personal management skills such as identifying money, cooking,
cleaning, and labeling foods and medications
Employment skills such as typing and computer use
Quality of life skills including talking books, Braille, writing guides
Self-actuating skills such as assertive communications, goal setting and
coping
The duty of an ILAB organization is to help individuals discover a way to
find new reference points, reconnect to people, relearn basic living skills,
and roll back the fear.
Accessible computers, the Internet, and a whole raft of digital devices and
services can be important tools for making that path smoother and with fewer
obstacles. That is only true, however, if the tools themselves are not a
challenge beyond the newly blind person's ability. Fortunately, the baby
boomers experiencing age-related vision loss are more computer savvy than
seniors were just a few years ago. A majority have used computers in some
fashion either at work or at home before experiencing vision loss, and while
they are not computer geeks by any stretch of the imagination, neither are
they completely intimidated. The number of computer savvy individuals will
continue to grow among the senior population as each succeeding wave is more
attuned to the digital lifestyle than the preceding group.
When Serotek created the first accessible digital lifestyle products back in
2001, we were focused on the needs of the newly blind who were even less
sophisticated than the baby boomers. We realized that accessible meant more
than simply reading a screen or a document. Accessible meant being usable by
anyone, no matter how much or how little computer background they might have
had. We believed then and now that accessible means accessible to anyone,
anywhere. It is that belief, and how we put it into practice, that makes
Serotek the perfect partner for ILAB services.
Living Better Digitally
While it is intuitively obvious that digital technology is essential to
vocational rehabilitation, it may not be so obvious that the computer, the
Internet, and the wide variety of digital tools are even more important to
independent living. Consider the challenges listed below:
Orientation - or where am I? Cell phone global positioning will become
widely available within the next few months. That means a blind person can
get step by step instructions on how to get from here to there, wherever
they are on the planet.
Mobility - or how do I get where I need to go? Mobility is always an
enormous challenge for the newly blind, but the accessible Internet can
greatly reduce the need to travel. With access to the Internet, a person can
shop from home, work from home, attend classes from home, and enjoy a wide
range of entertainment without ever setting foot outside the door. That
takes a lot of pressure off the mobility challenge and makes it much easier
to deal with the occasions when staying home isn't an option.
Safety - When you lose your sense of where you are, the world is a
frightening place. Again, the Internet allows a person to deal with
challenges of being newly blind, while staying in the relative safety of his
or her own home until he or she gains the confidence to become more mobile.
Home and personal management - Shopping, banking, access to medical
information, managing personal finances, accessing home maintenance
services, recipes and more are all available via the Internet and by using a
computer.
Employment - Work from home using voice over Internet protocol and the
computer. The computer and Internet make it possible to work anywhere in the
world and never leave your home.
Quality of life - Arts, entertainment, social interaction - all available
via the broadband connection including talking books, described videos,
infinite radio channels, and more. Connect to family via e-mail and old and
new friends via an ever growing variety of social networking sites.
Self-actuating skills - It is easier to be assertive online than in person.
The truth is, our society is completely connected today using the Internet,
cell phones, and the growing Wi-Fi network. The majority of life experiences
are available regardless of whether or not a person is sighted. The
Internet, the computer, and the many other digital devices are great
leveling tools. Across a digital connection, everyone is the same regardless
of the quality of their vision, provided they have a fully accessible
connection.
Unfortunately, however, accessibility has not been an easy thing in the
past. The tools offered by traditional adaptive technology vendors have been
expensive and complex. A person might require 30 or more hours of class room
training to become competent on a traditional screen reader and even after
30 hours, not everyone succeeds. License fees for accessibility software
have been high and bundled with a string of conditions that assure the
vendor a steady revenue stream. While the tools are adequate for most
vocational rehab applications they often fall far short when being used to
surf the Internet and enjoy the wide variety of products, information,
services and entertainment available on the web. Many Web sites have been
designed with little regard for screen reader requirements and are thus
totally inaccessible to traditional screen readers.
Serotek made the accessible user interface its design priority. Our System
Access product family has won accessibility awards from the MS Foundation
and the American Foundation for the Blind. Typically a user can be trained
and fully functional using System Access with about two hours of
instruction. Many computer savvy users can function with System Access with
no training, just relying on its extensive Help menu as necessary. We do
recommend that users take advantage of training when it's available. The
more familiar the user is with the computer and the Internet, the easier it
is for them to use System Access because in general System Access uses the
same command structures they are used to, without layering on special
"screen reader" commands.
Serotek has also made accessibility completely mobile. System Access Mobile
can be loaded on a thumb drive and plugged into any computer, making it
instantly accessible. If a computer is connected to the Internet, System
Access To Go (SAToGo) is available at no charge to be instantly downloaded
and used while the computer is connected to the Internet. SAToGo is made
available to anyone, anytime at no cost through The AIR Foundation, which
believes that "accessibility is a right."
When cost is a major issue, ILAB organizations can train the newly blind
using SAToGo. There are good reasons, however, for the user to invest the
small amount necessary to have the full complement of Serotek Products. We
make available System Access Mobile for two computers, NeoSpeech, and the
System Access Mobile Network for a monthly service charge of $24.95, with a
four-year commitment. That includes all software updates and maintenance.
The user can connect a work and home computer using System Access Mobile;
and load System Access on a thumb drive to plug into any computer anytime.
Access to the System Access Mobile Network (SAMNet) gives the user e-mail, a
powerful search engine, access to the largest assembled collection of
accessible content anywhere on the Web including news, sports, Internet
radio, described video and more; accessible shopping, blogs, forums, etc.
SAMNet is a key to independent living. The online community delivers
immediate connection to family and friends via e-mail; it connects the newly
blind person to the world via news and entertainment channels; the newly
blind individual is welcomed into a caring community of others who are happy
to share experience and advice over forums and chat groups. SAMNet provides
full access to online shopping using, for example, the Amazon.com family of
shopping services providing everything from groceries to electronics and
other gifts - and they still do audio books. The SAMNet community uses a
Serotek tool, called C-SAW, to make Internet sites more accessible. Every
SAMNet user automatically benefits from the improved accessibility when they
connect to any of the thousands of C-SAW improved sites. Being online gives
users access to a growing supply of online applications for business and
personal use. We have recently made Quicken Online accessible for users to
manage their personal finances.
Reaching and Teaching
One of the biggest challenges for ILAB organizations is simply reaching the
newly blind seniors and accommodating the ever increasing numbers. Serotek
is the only adaptive technology company that seems to have given any
consideration to the huge workload that these baby boomers represent and the
limited resources ILAB organizations have to deal with them.
Our solution, being used in state organizations successfully, is called
Remote Incident Manager (RIM). RIM is a fully-accessible distant learning
and technical support tool that lets the trainer or technician share the
student's computer desktop over the Internet. The trainer can make technical
adjustments if the student is having difficulty with his or her machine. The
trainer can download software or call it up from the student's machine and
work directly with the student on the application being trained, whatever it
is. This one-on-one training is very powerful and students grasp much more
quickly than they do in a classroom setting. Using the phone or Voice over
Internet protocol, the trainer and student have a full hands-on learning
experience and neither needs to travel to make it happen. This saves
precious travel time and cost and multiplies the number of successful
training sessions a trainer can have per day. Trainers and students both
claim that when using RIM, they are enjoying at least a three-to-one
advantage with one hour of RIM time being worth at least three hours of
class room time. RIM can be used to train conventional screen readers, but
when it's used to train the System Access accessibility anywhere tools, the
time from start to full independent living is shortened by an order of
magnitude. The $1,000 annual license pays for itself several times over.
It's All About Independence
When a person loses his or her eyesight to macular degeneration or any of
the several age-related conditions, their world crashes. To be newly blind
is to be alone and afraid. There is a huge gulf between how life was and how
it seems now and independence seems like an unreachable goal. Fortunately,
for many, there are ILAB organizations that are ready and willing to reach
across that gulf and bring the newly blind into a new dimension of
independent living. The digital lifestyle is a big part of the transition
and Serotek Corporation has not only made the digital lifestyle accessible,
it has delivered the tools to help trainers and students bridge the gulf
more quickly.
For us, the reward is that newly blind baby boomer's independence. An
independent blind person is a potential customer for other accessible
digital lifestyle products and services and that's where we see our future.
Independently living blind people bring their appetites for all the exciting
digital lifestyle tools and toys that their sighted peers enjoy and Serotek
intends to be the leader in making these products and services accessible.
Losing one's sight is life changing, but thanks to ILAB organizations and
companies like Serotek that support them, it need not be the end of the
world. It can be the beginning of a whole new, rewarding and productive
life.
Serving More People, Better, And For Less
Thursday, May 08, 2008, 3:30:05 PM | noreply at blogger.com (Mike Calvo)
"The baby boomers are coming! The baby boomers are coming!" You can hear the
cry ringing out in agencies and organizations that work with blind and low
vision people throughout the country. And, just when they need more money
and resources to deal with the influx of newly blind seniors, the Federal
and state governments, feeling the crunch of a poor economy and a raging
Federal deficit, are scaling back. Our brave, blind services militia is
standing exposed, running out of ammunition, and seeing the hoard descending
upon them. Wise people know that if this first line of defense fails and
cannot contain the influx of newly blind seniors helping the majority of
them to live independently with a high quality of life, society will feel
the impact several times over with Medicare and Medicaid costs soaring and a
huge demand society cannot fill for specialized housing, transportation,
personal attendants, and more.
You might think that the adaptive technology industry and the vendors who
have, for years, made a healthy profit selling traditional screen readers,
hardware, and services to this community, would now step up to the plate and
help the home team meet the challenge. But that doesn't seem to be the case.
So far it looks as if traditional screen reader vendors will simply sit back
and profiteer with little concern for the social impact of failure.
Guerrilla Tactics
When conventional forces cannot prevail the only option is to use guerrilla
tactics. Fortunately guerrilla tactics are what Serotek knows best. And we've
created the tools our blind services militia can use to reach out to more
people, provide them with an almost instant ability to live independently,
and do it even as budgets are being squeezed.
First, Serotek has given the home team an unlimited supply of free
accessibility software. That's right. System Access To Go (SAToGo) is
Serotek's award-winning access tool available at no charge to anyone
connected to the Internet. Compare that to licenses costing $1,000 or more
from traditional vendors. How many more customers can you serve on your
budget? As many as you can introduce to SAToGo - that's how many. Your
organization doesn't need to spend scarce resources buying software and
maintenance licenses for your clientele.
Not everyone will want to use an Internet-based accessibility tool For those
who want the software resident on their machine and want the ability to
interact between their home and work computers you can point them to Serotek's
software as a service offering (SAS). For less than $25 per month they can
have it all: System Access Mobile, NEO speech, and four years of System
Access Mobile Network. This is a cost within almost anyone's budget (less
than a cup of coffee per day).
Even with free software, though, your agencies resources will be taxed to
the max. How can you physically serve the number of people who will be
begging for help in the coming decade? The answer is Remote Incident Manager
(RIM). RIM is Serotek's powerful distance learning tool. Your trainers can
work from the office or from home directly contacting clients at home. RIM
allows the trainer and client to share the client's "desktop." The trainer
can adjust the client's computer, if necessary and then either using a
separate voice line or Voice over Internet Protocol, teach the application
in a hands-on fashion. Everything the client sees, the trainer sees. The
trainer can intervene as necessary, point out errors, and gently steer the
client to right process. Any application can be trained remotely including
those overweight, overpriced conventional screen readers that some people
insist they need.
Does it work? Joe Devine said, "In my experience, the one hour a week
[remote] session was a more effective and efficient use of the instructor's
time. I was able to progress much more rapidly than in the three hour
classroom session. My proficiency has greatly improved. I am happy and
relieved to have improved enough to be functional on my computer."
How about System Access? Can it handle real screen reader duties? Larry Klug
of Clovernook in Cincinnati reports: "I am proud to announce that my
consumer Jim Keller, who uses System Access, received the Blind Employee of
the Year award last Friday at the annual Clovernook Center for the Blind
Annual Banquet."
And we just heard from a user who walked into a job interview at a company
where the systems were not accessible. She accessed SAToGo, demonstrated
that she could do the work, and got the job.
The fact is that thousands of users are now looking to System Access and
System Access to Go for at least some of their accessibility needs. Major
institutions, like Ohio State University, are making their entire network
accessible using Serotek's enterprise solutions.
If you are sitting in a state blind services organization or a vocational
rehabilitation training facility and wondering how you are going to survive
this imminent crush of baby boomer demand, look no further. The Serotek team
is on your side with solutions that work, that are far less costly, and that
allow you to do so much more with the precious resources you have.
You see, at Serotek we view the challenge differently. Conventional AT
players see accessibility as their only opportunity to make money from blind
folks and the current government subsidized software approach works just
fine for them. But Serotek sees the opportunity as selling fun, digital
lifestyle products to people who already have accessibility. And that means
anything we can do to increase the number of people with accessibility makes
our opportunity grow. You may be groaning when you see the hoard of newly
blind seniors on your doorstep. We're licking our chops. As soon as we can
help you get these folks online, we can reach out and sell them devices that
will improve their quality of life ten-fold. Your success is our
opportunity.
And together we can make it happen.
Retooling for Baby Boomers: Helping Vocational Rehab Organizations Meet The
Coming Surge in Demand
Tuesday, April 29, 2008, 7:18:25 AM | noreply at blogger.com (Mike Calvo)
Retooling for Baby Boomers:
Helping Vocational Rehab Organizations
Meet The Coming Surge in Demand
There has always been a strong link between age and blindness. Numerous
diseases and conditions we associate with aging that result in impairment or
loss of vision. This year, the first of the baby boomers reach retirement
age and what follows will likely be a rapidly increasing demand for
rehabilitation services for the blind. This should not come as a surprise to
anyone in the blind services field. This NCSAB conference is a direct
recognition of the impending increase in demand.
If state agencies were limited to the tools of the past, the impending boom
in demand would be a crisis. Traditional, one-size-fits-all screen readers
are hugely expensive and notoriously difficult to train. While baby boomers
have some computer literacy, they are still mostly neophytes when it comes
to dealing with the technical awareness required by most screen readers. If
they are newly blind and just beginning to learn the basics of independent
living, the screen readers can be overwhelming. Yet, if they are to achieve
independence and full communion with their families, they need to have
access to the computer and the Internet. Digital access is fundamental to
living independently and to attaining and enjoying a quality of life that
compares to their lives before they lost their vision.
If state agencies could count on an enormous increase in funding,
commensurate with the growth in demand, it might be possible to assemble
reduced-functionality training programs using conventional screen readers.
Increases in funding, however, are generally wishful thinking. Reality will
likely be an increased workload and little in the way of additional
resources.
Strange as it may seem, with its initial business plan in 2000, Serotek
started out to address precisely this issue. The plan recognized both the
challenge and the opportunity in the "graying of America." Its fundamental
strategy was to treat blind and low vision Americans and others throughout
the world as customers rather than welfare recipients.
This was not a popular position because conventional wisdom in the
investment community said that blind folks don't have any money. If you want
to sell them products, you have to get the government to pay. Over time, our
original vision has proven true, but it hasn't been easy.
We took this position for a number of reasons:
Conventional screen readers had a vast amount of capability but were
packaged with a "one-size-fits-all" mentality. People come in all sorts of
shapes, sizes and needs, and for most people, particularly elderly blind
people, conventional screen readers are far too complex and difficult to
master.
The complexity of conventional screen readers exists in part because they
are built on a legacy of past investment. No one wants to reinvent the
wheel. It's easier, faster and cheaper to pretty up the old one. Best of
all, by dressing up the existing model, it will still fit with all the old
hardware and software. Unfortunately, it also means that the most current
screen reading technology is still a generation or so behind the state of
the art in mainstream software. Thus in addition to paying a huge price for
accessibility, blind folks are forced to run on the previous generation's
operating system. Companies that make their software accessible are
similarly hindered by having their corporate technology held back in order
to remain compatible with current conventional accessibility tools.
There is a whole host of neat toys - digital candy if you will - that make
life more fun. These PDAs, MP3 players, games and such are totally forgotten
by the conventional accessibility industry. We like these toys and we know
other blind people would like them too. This is particularly true of the
newly-blind baby boomers who have been huge consumers of such digital
lifestyle products.
In effect, there is an accessibility barrier that keeps the blind and low
vision community at a disadvantage in the workplace and from enjoying the
lifestyle advantages of the digital age.
There is another problem with the conventional screen reader technology. It
is difficult to teach and depends on the network of vocational
rehabilitation organizations to train people in its use. The training
process is long and expensive both in dollars and in trainer time. Bringing
a newly-blind, non-computer user to competence is no easy matter using any
of the major conventional screen readers. Despite the dependent relationship
between adaptive technology vendors and vocational rehabilitation personnel,
the vendors have done precious little to make training easier and more
consistently successful.
We took on this barrier from two perspectives. First, we created System
Access to Go and made it available free of charge to anyone who wishes to
use it. We did this in cooperation with The AIR Foundation, which promotes
accessibility as a fundamental human right. For those who aren't aware of
the da Vinci-award-winning System Access, it is highly intuitive and easy to
learn. Although we do not position it or market it as a vocational rehab
tool, it handles most of the major off-the-shelf business applications like
Microsoft Office and delivers a host of special capabilities. One such
capability allows a user to access a home computer from the road and run it
just as if he or she were sitting at the keyboard. System Access to Go,
which just won the 2008 AFB Access Award, is a web-based version of System
Access that can be used anytime a person is connected to the Internet, at no
charge.
Our second program is called Remote Incident Manager (RIM) and it is a tool
designed specifically for trainers and technicians. Using RIM, a vocational
rehab trainer, working from her home or office, can conduct one-on-one
training of a blind or low vision person with a computer and access to the
Internet wherever they might be. The trainer can be on the trainee's desktop
sharing the same application and providing direct instruction, using voice
over Internet protocol. He or she can help adjust and install new software
on the trainee's system and help the trainee work through applications in
real time. The trainer can teach any application including conventional
screen readers. The whole interactive process is fully accessible.
Serotek is basically changing the economics of blindness. The SAToGo
accessibility tool meets one hundred percent of most people's needs for
accessibility - at least in their everyday lives. It's available anywhere,
costs nothing, and it is relatively easy to learn and use. The software
includes a screen reader, braille access and text magnification. This is the
perfect tool for newly blind baby boomers and for many others. Many of the
people who use SAToGo may choose to purchase System Access Mobile and have
an accessibility tool permanently installed on their home system and on
their portable systems. Many would also enjoy the benefits of being part of
the online community, System Access Mobile Network. Priced as a service,
this costs the user less than $25 per month for everything. That's well
within most budgets. And for those who require state assistance for this
payment, it is still far less expensive than any other accessibility
solution.
Remote Incident Manager (RIM) is priced at $1,000 per seat. This software
pays for itself many times over by saving commute time for clients in rural
areas. It also allows vocational rehab trainers to reach and successfully
train more people in a larger geographical area at less total cost. RIM
eliminates the burden of travel - always one of the biggest barriers for the
newly blind.
Combining the two products, System Access (including SAToGo) and RIM, makes
it possible for a vocational rehab center to take on the added burden of
newly-blind seniors and to provide them with the tools for independent
living and a high quality of life. Equally important, the tools allow the
vocational rehab center to spend less of its precious resources providing
products to their clientele and to focus resources on delivering service.
The coming boom in demand for vocational rehab services is inevitable as
baby boomers age. Serotek gives vocational rehab providers the tools to meet
this surge and to continue delivering the high quality services that give
newly blind seniors a path to independent living.
For more information on how Serotek's award-winning products and services
can enhance the way you interact with your consumers, please contact:
Ricky Enger
Serotek Corporation
http://www.serotek.com
(612) 246-4818 Ext. 104
Toll free: (866) 202-0520 Ext. 104
ricky.enger at serotek.com
Changes in System Access 2.4.8
Thursday, April 10, 2008, 12:47:00 PM | noreply at blogger.com (Matt Campbell)
Internet Explorer and New SA Mobile Network Browser
Fixed a bug which caused System Access to hang the browser when tabbing
through some pages, such as the results page on Froogle.
SA Mobile Media Library
You can now play WMA files in your media library and transfer them to a ZEN
Stone.
Victor Reader Stream Support
When you connect to the Victor Reader Stream, the SA Mobile Network browser
will now offer to download the latest Stream software update if your Stream
isn't running the latest software.
Dining with Giants
Tuesday, April 08, 2008, 11:55:22 AM | noreply at blogger.com (Mike Calvo)
We had an opportunity on Friday to have dinner with some folks who have made
a difference in each of our lives. The occasion was the annual American
Foundation for the Blind accessibility awards dinner and we were there
because Serotek received the award for System Access To Go. My wife and I
were in rare company and we were honored to be there. SAToGo has indeed made
a difference in many people's lives and will continue to do so for years to
come. But I don't want to talk about us today. I sat in a room full of
giants - people making a difference every day and not getting a whole lot of
press. I want to celebrate these people - both the recipients and the
members of the American Foundation for the Blind who came together to
recognize these contributions.
There were three recipients of the 2008 Accessibility Award. In addition to
Serotek, the award was given to Code Factory and to Lainey Feingold and
Linda Dardarian.
At the same event, Anita Aaron, Executive Director of the San Francisco
Lighthouse for the Blind received the 2008 Gallagher Award.
My good friend Eduardo Sanchez Palazon, CEO of Code Factory, came from Spain
to receive the accessibility award for making cell phones, smart phones, and
PDAs accessible with Mobile Speak and Mobile Magnifier. I truthfully could
not do my job without these powerful tools that let me tap into our network
from my smart phone and run Serotek from wherever I am. In December, Code
Factory signed an agreement with AT&T to make accessible cell phones
available to the blind community at a discount. Eduardo is unique because he
sees us blind folks as customers - not the agencies, not the government, but
just us blind folks. And he treats us like customers, not like welfare
recipients looking for a handout. Eduardo not only serves our communication
needs, but he gives our self-esteem a huge shot in the arm and for that
alone the man deserves all the awards and kudos that are heaped upon him.
Lainey Feingold and Linda Dardarian are lawyers who have been making the
case for accessibility for several years. Lainey and her co counsel
developed a process, called "Structured Negotiation" which replaces costly
and contentious litigation with formal, structured negotiation as a means of
solving accessibility issues. Her success rate is awe-inspiring. Thanks to
Lainey you and I can access ATM's and point of sale terminals at thousands
of banks and stores nationwide. She has agreements with 7-11, American
Express, Bank of America, Bank One, Citibank, Radio Shack, Safeway,
Wal-Mart, Trader Joe's, Wells Fargo and many other banks and retail
operations. In our litigious, contentious society it is a breath of fresh
air to see a different approach - reasonable people working together to
solve an issue - and actually succeed.
Anita Aaron, who received the 2008 Gallagher Award, is legendary in San
Francisco where she has been Executive Director of the Lighthouse for the
Blind for seventeen years. She also serves on the San Francisco Commission
on Aging and Adult Services, is on the Board of Directors of the Curry
Senior Center and a member of the Blind Services Advisory Committee of the
State Department of Rehabilitation. California's and specifically San
Francisco's leadership in accessibility issues is largely due to Anita's
firm hand.
The award recipients weren't the only giants at the affair. Our host, Carl
Augusto, the President and CEO of the AFB certainly has left his imprint on
our lives, extending the AFB's scope to influence corporate America to make
accessible products and acting as unifying force, bringing service
organizations of and for the blind together in a collaborative way to
further the common objective of accessibility and independent living. Under
Carl's tutelage the AFB is promoting accessibility for seniors who are
losing their vision from age-related conditions.
The room was filled with many business and community leaders, serving on the
AFB's Board of Directors, many of them blind. They come from all walks of
life: banks, universities, major corporations, law firms; and a wide variety
of government and NGOs serving the needs of the blind. I am sure, however,
that Mike May, our emcee was the only blind individual in the room who had
both set world records as a blind downhill skier and worked for the CIA.
Warm and charming, Mike was entertaining and inspirational. I have his book,
"Crashing Through," written with Robert Kurson on my list of "must reads."
Blind from the age of three, Mike is one of a small group of individuals who
had some vision restored with stem cell transplant surgery less than a
decade ago. Most of us can imagine his emotional and intellectual struggle
whether or not to go through with this life-altering and very "iffy"
surgery.
I am grateful to the AFB for honoring our Serotek team by making us part of
this affair. They did everything right. It was at the same time elegant and
casual; people dressed to the nines, but warm and friendly. The food and
company was superb. There was no competition among the industry people.
Rather there was a universal appreciation for what each had brought to
benefit our community. Maybe it was the never empty wine glass, but by the
end of the evening I was thinking that it is a great misperception when
people complain that our blind youth have no heroes - no one to look up to
and see what is possible. This room was filled with heroes - everyday heroes
making a difference in peoples' lives, not in any way restricted by the fact
that they are blind or have low vision. Every one of us has an opportunity
to be that kind of hero. We only need to follow our passion and believe that
we can.
Changes in System Access 2.4.7
Saturday, April 05, 2008, 12:15:57 AM | noreply at blogger.com (Matt Campbell)
This update introduces two features related to the accessible digital
lifestyle: access to the Songza.com music search engine and Internet
jukebox, and improved access to Major League Baseball's audio and video
streams.
Songza
You can now use Songza with System Access, in either Internet Explorer or
our own browser, to search for songs, listen to the songs you find, create
playlists, and more. You can control Songza's music player with the same hot
keys as in the Napster Web-based player; for a listing of the special hot
keys in either of these Web-based players, press Modifier+F1. We're excited
about the access we've been able to provide to this cutting-edge Web 2.0
application, and we hope you enjoy it. If you have any questions, problems,
or suggestions, please share them on the Serotek Users Forum.
Major League Baseball Multimedia
This update fixes a few problems which rendered Major League Baseball's
subscription-based audio and video streams inaccessible with SA. Again, if
you still have problems, please let us know.
Internet Explorer and New SA Mobile Network Browser
Fixed a bug which sometimes caused SA to lock up Internet Explorer when
using Windows Update.
SA no longer interrupts continuous reading of a Web page to announce changes
on the page. This is especially important for news articles which have
frequently updating advertisements.
Added check boxes to our browser display preferences section which let you
indicate that our browser should always use your preferred colors, font,
and/or font size, even when visiting a site that provides its own settings.
These have the same effect in our browser as the accessibility options in
Internet Explorer.
Word
Fixed a bug which prevented SA from speaking the new horizontal position
after pressing Tab.
Changes in System Access 2.4.4
Friday, March 21, 2008, 9:28:14 PM | noreply at blogger.com (Matt Campbell)
Starting with this update, you should no longer need to use our old browser,
which will go away in a week or so.
Instant Messenger
Our instant messenger is now available in the new SA Mobile Network browser.
Made sign-in and sign-out alerts configurable per account.
You will no longer hear sign-in and sign-out alerts when the SA Mobile Media
Player is in the foreground.
Miscellaneous
You will no longer hear SA Mobile Network email alerts when the SA Mobile
Media Player is in the foreground.
Changes in System Access 2.4.0
Wednesday, March 12, 2008, 7:39:26 PM | noreply at blogger.com (Matt Campbell)
Screen Magnification
System Access 2.4 introduces full-screen magnification. The screen can be
magnified with a factor from 1.25x to 6x, adjusted in 0.25x increments. The
colors can also be inverted, so black becomes white and vice versa. For more
information, including magnification-related keyboard commands, refer to the
System Access online help.
System Access Browser
This update also re-introduces the display preferences section which was
present in the old browser, so you can adjust the font size and colors that
our browser uses.
Serotek CSUN 2008 Announcement
Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 6:26:57 PM | noreply at blogger.com (Serotek Team)
We cordially invite you to join us at booth 357 at the Marriott LAX for the
annual CSUN conference, March 12 through March 15. We'll be showcasing
several exciting new features of System Access and the System Access Mobile
Network that you won't want to miss.
First, we are proud to announce the addition of magnification to our System
Access software. Magnification ranges from 1.25X to 6X, and can be increased
in increments of .25. This update is available in all paid System Access
packages as System Access version 2.4, and it is also part of the free
online version of System Access to Go. There is absolutely no charge for the
update, and it will automatically be downloaded and installed for all
current users of System Access.
Serotek continues its commitment to the accessible digital lifestyle by
introducing features for portable devices that will ensure that you have
access to all your favorite content from the System Access Mobile Network,
even when you aren't near a computer. Supported devices include the Victor
Reader Stream from Humanware using the latest firmware update, and the Icon
from LevelStar. You can send your email, news, podcasts, radio dramas, and
even your favorite movies right to your portable device. Just plug in to any
available USB port on your computer, and any content from the network that
you've added to your sync list will be downloaded to your device and ready
for you to take with you on the road. If you haven't yet upgraded the
firmware on your Victor Reader Stream, no problem! We'll automatically
detect which version of the firmware you're running and initiate the update
process for you. Note that you will not be able to transfer content from the
SA Mobile Network to the LevelStar Icon until a few weeks after the CSUN
conference, but we will be demonstrating this feature at CSUN.
We are also excited to announce that we have partnered with De Witt and
Associates to produce a line of TrainingWareT designed for use by
individuals and training facilities to increase independent living skills
through the use of a computer. In just a few hours, users will learn how to
send and receive email, surf the Internet, participate in online shopping,
utilize Microsoft Office applications such as Outlook, MS Word and Excel,
and perform many other computer-related tasks for personal and business
needs.
Packages including a printed teacher's manual and student workbook, along
with a CD containing these materials in MS Word and Braille-ready formats
will be available both for individual use and as a site license for use in
training facilities. A copy of the student workbook in Daisy format will
also be available for purchase, and can be downloaded for use on a computer
or portable device such as the Victor Reader Stream.
To find out more about the latest from Serotek, visit us at www.serotek.com
or call us toll-free at (866) 202-0520.
Changes in System Access 2.3.0.195
Wednesday, March 05, 2008, 2:07:42 PM | noreply at blogger.com (Matt Campbell)
New Browser
Added an explanation of keystrokes which changed from the old browser to the
new. If you previously used the old browser, this message will appear when
you run the new browser for the first time, and never again.
In the "Notes" section, voice notes now work in the new browser, as they did
in the old.
Added support for Audible Manager to the new browser. Note that you must
still install Audible Manager on your computer first.
Document Scan
When you scan a page with Document Scan in the new browser, the text of the
whole page will now be read, as it was in the old browser, instead of just
the first line.
Miscellaneous
The keystrokes for moving to the previous and next sentence have changed
from Shift+Modifier+S and Modifier+S to Alt+Up Arrow and Alt+Down Arrow,
respectively. These commands don't interfere with the ability to open
drop-down lists by pressing Alt+Up Arrow or Alt+Down Arrow.
Improved support for edit controls in .NET applications such as EdSharp.
Changes in System Access 2.3.0.189
Wednesday, February 20, 2008, 3:29:22 PM | noreply at blogger.com (Matt
Campbell)
System Access Browser
Re-added the "Copy Shortcut" command to the context menu for links.
Changes in System Access 2.3.0.188
Wednesday, February 20, 2008, 1:51:48 AM | noreply at blogger.com (Matt
Campbell)
Starting with this version, the new System Access browser is used by default
when you choose to connect from the SA Mobile Network from the System Access
menu, or when you launch the SA Mobile Network icon on the Windows desktop.
The old, Mozilla-based browser is still available; it's now the second
option on the System Access menu. If you previously set the old browser as
your default browser, the new browser will become the default when you
install this update. You'll want to use the old browser if you want to use
our instant messenger; otherwise, you should use the new browser.
Changes in System Access 2.3.0.187
Tuesday, February 12, 2008, 7:35:22 PM | noreply at blogger.com (Matt Campbell)
Accessible Digital Lifestyle
Audio demos of the features described below are available.
The new SA Mobile Network browser now supports the Amazon MP3 downloader,
which we strongly recommend that you use when buying music from the Amazon
MP3 store.
You can now transfer described movie audio, other SA Mobile Network audio
content such as old-time radio, RSS news articles, podcasts, email, and
forum messages to a Victor Reader Stream. Note that you need at least
version 1.2 of the Victor Reader Stream firmware, which we expect to be
released within a few days of this blog post. You can also transfer music
and podcasts to a Creative ZEN Stone MP3 player. Please check the online SA
Mobile Network help for more information about these new features.
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