[nabs-l] scanning documents was RE: curing blindness
Chris Nusbaum
dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com
Tue Oct 2 00:50:40 UTC 2012
Hi Sophie,
I know Serotek's DocuScan Plus scanning software is supported by the =
Mac.
Not sure about Kurzweil though.
Chris
-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Sophie Trist
Sent: Monday, October 01, 2012 7:40 AM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] curing blindness
Can a Macbook laptop scan documents? I have the Saytext app on my phone =
and
am still figuring it out, but it doesn't seem all that accurate.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"=20
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Mon, 1 Oct 2012 00:14:33 -0400
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] curing blindness
Gerado,
Yes the I phone can OCR documents, but there are some limits on it and I
heard its not as accurate as a desk top scanner.
-----Original Message-----
From: Gerardo Corripio
Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2012 11:12 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] curing blindness
Hey Ashlee and list
Can't those of us with IPhone already Ocr pamphlets? Sorry for my
ignorance, but I've had IPhone alnost 2 months; some things I still =
don't
know.
Thanks for info.
Enviado desde mi iPhone
El 30/09/2012, a las 21:44, "Ashley Bramlett"=20
<bookwormahb at earthlink.net
escribi=C3=B3:
Desiree,
Thanks for the info. So when is the braille plus coming out?=20
Then, how
much will this cost?
I hope less than human ware and freedom scientific charge.
You're right it will be able to scan documents. But you still would =
have
to have this thing in a paper form to scan it. Many information literacy
things I speak of are not something you can handle, but are things you
simply look at as a pedestrian or traveler traveling by. But, still, I
think this is a big step in bringing us information literacy the =
sighted
people have; many things are able to be handled after all. =20
Restaurants
have paper menus for people to look at for take out food. Most =
brochures
and tourbooks you can grab and would be scannable. I'll research the
braille plus. I did not know APH was remaking that product and coming =
out
with a new version.
Ashley
-----Original Message----- From: Desiree Oudinot
Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2012 10:32 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] curing blindness
Hi Ashley,
That's a good point about restaurant menus and brochures, but
technology is improving in regards to that. I was just reading=20
about
the new Braille Plus which is made by APH, and how it's going to=20
be
running Android, so will be an extremely powerful note taker. I=20
bring
this up because it also includes a camera, and it said that=20
something
like that could be used for scanning menus and other things like=20
you
described. I'm not sure if it's going to be able to do bar code
scanning. Perhaps so, considering that you're supposed to be=20
able to
download Android aps, but since I'm pretty unfamiliar with the=20
Android
OS, I'm not sure if there is one for bar code scanning yet.=20
Anyway,
this is a big step up for people who don't want to use touch=20
screens
but desire some of the things you describe, since I know the=20
IPhone
can do this stuff too, but some people have their reasons for=20
not
wanting to use touch screens.
On 9/30/12, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
Arielle,
That is my reaction too. It made Mr. Lloyd able to pass as=20
sighted, but
his
vision was so fuzzy that it really did not help him act like a=20
sighted
person. Want to bet that when he got to work, he had to use jaws=20
or other
adaptive tools to do his work? His vision simply was not at that=20
point to
read print and use a computer to function as sighted at work.
I share your concern that those getting treatment to restore=20
some vision
would give up proven blindness techniques in favor of the=20
rudimentary
vision
and therefore they would struggle more than they were as a blind=20
person.
I am not sure if I'd take treatment to get all vision. I think=20
it would
be
such a psychological and physical adjustment. I'd have to really=20
weigh
the
pros and cons if such a thing were avaiable; I'd also consider=20
any side
effects such treatment had. One benefit to having more vision is=20
the
ability
to read; if my vision were say 20/100 I might be able to read=20
more easily
without fatigue. I'd only need some magnification and I'd be=20
able to read
pretty well. I often wondered what it would be like to walk into=20
a hotel
and
be able to pick up those brochures about local events, read the
restaurant
menu as I pass by, pick up a local newspaper from the concierge,=20
and then
go
up to my room and read the tv listings on screen.
I would have a very different experience. Oh, and I'd be able to=20
read the
labels on the shampoo and lotion, and not have to ask someone. I=20
can see
the
colors, but they are often the same color, so still have to ask.=20
I do not
want to put cream in my hair!
Anyway, it?=99s a complex topic and I suspect that as treatment=20
comes
available, some will take it while others will not. Those that=20
do not
will
opt out for many of the reasons articulated here.
Ashley
-----Original Message-----
From: Arielle Silverman
Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2012 6:01 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] curing blindness
Hi all,
I have studied this topic a bit because it was the subject of my
honors thesis when I was an undergraduate student. I did a=20
survey
about six years ago (a few of you may have participated) to=20
assess how
blind people felt about the prospect of having their sight=20
restored.
One of the most interesting findings was that when asked whether=20
or
not one would take a magic pill that would restore full vision
immediately with no risks or side effects, only 72% of the=20
sample said
they would do it. While most of the participants said they would=20
do
it, a substantial minority (about 20%) said no. Some of the=20
people who
said no cited concerns about losing their identity as blind=20
people,
or having to adjust to a new sense and that possibly taking=20
away
from their quality of life.
Another finding from the survey was that most people said in=20
order for
a sight-restoring technology to be worthwhile, it would have to=20
give
them most or all functional vision. I personally don't have any
objection to the technology like the Argus II being developed. I=20
do
think it could be a problem, though, if technologies that only=20
give
very rudimentary vision become popularized. They could perhaps=20
lead
people like the man in the article to forego using a proven=20
travel aid
like a cane in favor of using very rudimentary vision. As a=20
result,
people who have these procedures could actually end up=20
struggling more
than they were before. Based on the article, I am not convinced=20
that
Lloyd has actually gained any independence from the artificial=20
vision,
beyond what he would have gotten with a cane. Instead, it makes=20
him
better at passing as a sighted guy, but possibly worse at=20
navigating
his environment because he is no longer using a cane. I think=20
the
challenges and self-esteem issues associated with "passing"=20
without
actually having good skills are evident to many of us.
I don't think I would undergo a procedure to improve my vision,=20
for
several reasons. I wouldn't even consider it until the=20
technology was
extensively tested and perfected, and then, only if it could=20
actually
give me full functionality (driving etc.) Even then, I'm not=20
sure I
would do it because I am terrified of surgery and only want to=20
go
through that if it is absolutely medically necessary, and I do=20
not
want to put the rest of my life on hold to learn how to see. I=20
have
more ambivalent feelings about how much I want to support=20
research on
curing blindness, and I'm curious to know others' thoughts about=20
this.
I have a genetic eye condition and have been told I should send=20
my
blood to a lab to have my gene identified because this will aid
research on genetic treatments. I've debated whether or not to=20
do it
and at this point I am mostly indifferent. On one hand, I do=20
think
that treatments could legitimately help some people who don't=20
have
access to technology or who live in communities where blindness=20
is
viewed very poorly. On the other hand, I am bothered by the=20
negative
press about blindness that is often propagated by cure-oriented=20
groups
like Prevent Blindness America or Foundation Fighting Blindness,
making me not want to support these causes. Furthermore, I=20
believe
that no matter how good treatments get, some people will=20
continue to
be blind. So I would rather direct my limited energy toward=20
finding
ways to make life better for those who are blind rather than=20
wiping
out blindness. What do you think?
Arielle
On 9/30/12, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
Hi all,
I know NFB doesn?=99t focus on treatment of blindness or low=20
vision; they
focus
on living with it and adapting to the world with training and=20
equipment.
But many organizations do focus on this such as Foundation=20
Fighting
Blindness and the organization mentioned in this article.
The link is below to the article. I think this guy in the=20
article was
sure
taking a gamble with his life to walk to work without a cane and=20
only
relying on unclear vision. At least the quote from him indicates=20
its
hard
to
focus and learn to see with this artificial vision; not as if he=20
claims
its
perfect. Still he is happy with the artificial vision he does=20
have
through
the camera.
I?=99ve had very limited vision all my life and I was fortunate=20
to be
taught
braille after they taught me large print, but realized its=20
shortcomings;
so
I learned braille and I had a cane in mid elementary school.=20
Training in
O&M
was a lot to be desired, but I did learn how to use it as well=20
as other
alternative techniques from my teacher of the vision impaired.
Therefore, I?=99m adapting and still learning with what I have.=20
Techniques
will
also change with technology; for instance, when I was young, we=20
had no
digital recorders, digital NLS players, no book share or any way=20
to
download
books in braille, no bar code readers, and scanners were around=20
although
not
to the efficient degree we have today. So, with all that said,=20
I?=99m not
sure
I?=99d want more vision. But this article paints a picture of=20
getting some
vision back as a good thing. I certainly would not want to enter=20
the
sighted
world as I would not know how to function.
If you read the article, what do you think? Would you take=20
artificial
vision? This is becoming a reality and they are going to improve=20
the
technology. The chip sends signals to the camera which sends=20
signals to
the
eyes so the person can see some images.
Here it is.
=20
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57522740/new-technology-may
-bring-sight-back-to-blind/
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