[Trainer-talk] an intro and a question about deaf-blind relay services on iOS devices

Wed Dec 18 22:30:00 UTC 2013

Thank you to everyone for all the wonderful suggestions. I have a little more research to do, but many of the messages in this thread have giving me some areas to look into.

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Sent from Raul's rectangular glass - 832.554.7285
Please excuse any auto complete or dictation weirdness.

> On Dec 17, 2013, at 12:15 PM, Laine Amoureux <laine.amoureux at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Have you tried contacting the Helen Keller national Center in New York? I know that one of their instructors uses an app, I think from purple communications…
> In the past, I have also used the Google voice apps for iOS… So far, I have had the most success with talk-a-tone & IMPlus, though, with IMPlus I did not have luck with voice and instant messaging combined...
> Is the iPad paired  with a dedicated brill display like the focus 40 or other… Or, is it connected to a notetaker like the braillenote? If it is paired with another note taker, is it possible for the user to switch between note taking mode and terminal mode? If so, you may be able to utilize the note takers chat function
> Laine Good luck
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Dec 17, 2013, at 8:07 AM, "Raul A. Gallegos" <raul at raulgallegos.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi, we didn't go this route because MS tablets are yet not as accessible as iOS. Also, this is basically what we are doing now with iOS and Skype.
>> 
>> --
>> Raul A. Gallegos
>> Twitter and Facebook user ID: rau47
>> 
>>> On 12/17/2013 8:53 AM, Denise Robinson wrote:
>>> Raul
>>> Has he ever thought to use a tablet running Microsoft and skyping that way.... as it will work..hook a key word and all sorts of options will open up. He talks verbally, they text, he reads from Braille display and life is good
>>> 
>>> Denise M Robinson
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>> 
>>>> On Dec 17, 2013, at 9:49 AM, "Raul A. Gallegos" <raul at raulgallegos.com> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Hello all. My name is Raul Gallegos and I am an assistive technology trainer in the Houston Texas area. One of my latest projects is as an assessment and training specialist for the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program or better known as I Can Connect, http://www.icanconnect.org.
>>>> 
>>>> I have a client who is deaf-blind. He communicates using his voice for expression and reads Braille for reception. He uses an iPad with a Braille display. he also has a TTY system so when he makes phone calls out via a relay service, he reads what the relay person types yet he can speak directly to the person he is on the line with. The relay person then types what is said so he can read it in Braille.
>>>> 
>>>> Now onto my question. Is there a way that we can do this similar type of communication using the iPad? I was thinking of using Skype  because it offers both audio and text chat. meaning, that we can connect with Skype and that way he can talk and I can hear him talk. When I want to say something to him I write what I say and he reads it via the Skype chat text. The problem is that the current version of Skype doesn't work well with Braille displays in iOS 7. So, I'm not sure if relay services which use traditional landlines have iOS solutions which do similar but over the Internet. Also, instead of using Skype, I thought of perhaps using the Messages app and texting via iMessage from his iPad to one of my own iOS devices. Then if possible doing a facetime call so I can hear what he says. This seems like a cobbled solution though and in case there are any apps specific for deaf-blind using some sort of relay services I don't know of them. So, that's why i write here.
>>>> 
>>>> If there is another list I can ask about this, please let me know as well.
>>>> 
>>>> Thank you.
>>>> 
>>>> --
>>>> Raul A. Gallegos
>>>> You know what seems odd to me?   Numbers that aren't divisible by two. - Sheldon Cooper
>>>> Twitter and Facebook user ID: rau47
>>>> 
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