The News Room
International BiOptic Driving Conference
July 4-6, 2003 are the dates for an extremely important conference to be held at the Mark Masons' Hall, 86 St. James Street, London SW1A 1PL. Organized by the BiOptic Driving Network (BDN) and the International Society for Low-Vision Research and Rehabilitation (ISLRR), this conference is designed to:
1. Stimulate discussion regarding formalized BiOptic Driving among national driver licensing authorities, legislative authorities, advocacy groups, eyecare specialists, vision rehabilitation centers, driving schools, and insurance companies.
2. Advance and stimulate research on the utility and safety of BiOptics. This includes but is not limited to the development, implementation and validation of standardized low vision driver screening, training and assessment, and testing practices of BiOptic driver applicants.
Attendees will include adults with low vision, low vision associations and organizations, clinical low vision specialists, medical and paramedical professionals, driving education training instructors, orientation and mobility professionals, and representatives of national governments driver licensing personnel., and representatives of national governments driver licensing personnel., and representatives of national governments driver licensing personnel.
Qualified individuals wishing to submit free papers are encouraged to send abstracts for review by e-mail to rjose@uh.edu or fax to +44.7801.789576 no later than March 1, 2003. Acceptance notification will be sent by April 1, 2003. BiOptics and Driving related topics include, but are not limited to:
Clinical low vision evaluations for driving
Alternative driver education curricula
Research on driving performance of low vision drivers
Orientation and mobility skills
BiOptic device evaluation
Driver evaluation
Choice of vehicles for visibility
The Conference Program Committee Head is Randall Jose, OD, FAAO, Director, Center for Sight Enhancement/University Eye Institute, University of Houston/College of Optometry, 505 J. Davis Armistead Bldg. Houston, TX 77204-2020 USA Tel: 713.743. 0799 Fax: 713.743.0190. Other members are: Dr. Aart C. Kooijman, Professor, Visio Chair of Videology, Director of the Laboratory of Experimental Ophthalmology, Clinical Physicist Vision Rehabilitation, Groningen, The Netherlands. (Joint Editor-in-Chief (V.I.R.); Dr. Anne L. Corn, Professor of Special Education, Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Cornelis A. Verezen, BSc.Optom., FAAO, ERGRA Low Vision, The Netherlands. Low vision specialist at University of Nijmegen, Leiden, Amsterdam (VUMC), Rotterdam, and the Rotterdam Eye Hospital; Eli Peli, MSc, OD, Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Consultant in Optometry, Department of Ophthalmology, VA Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; and John Collins, BA, CQSW, Wessex Sight Centre, Salisbury District Hospital, Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK.
For complete information regarding conference fees, pre-registration deadlines, and program schedule, visit http://www.BiOpticDriving.org
Sources of 2003 Braille, Print/Braille, or Large Print Calendars
American
Printing House for the Blind (APH)
P.O. Box 6085
Louisville, KY 40206-0085
502.895.2405
800.223.1839
info@aph.org
www.aph.org/products/index.html
Accepts orders by mail or telephone.
8-1/2 x 11-inch large-print/braille (36 point) APH InSights Art Calendar. Includes holidays and moon phases. Features selected art from the APH juried competition. English edition, catalog #5-18971-03. Spanish edition, catalog #5-18973-03. $7.50.2 x 3-1/2-inch (business card size) braille pocket calendar. Allows a braille user to track dates for an entire year. JaJo Braille Pocket Calendar 2003, catalog #1-18990-03. $2.
Large-print (60 pt) low vision calendar in a three-ring binder. Each page enumerates and holds space for four days of the month, with room for notes. MasterPlan 2003 Calendar (with binder) catalog #1-07900-03, $26. Inserts only, no binder catalog #1-07901-03, $20.50.
Big Type
Company
W136 N5265 Campbell Court
Menomonee Falls, WI 53051
262.783.6500
800.933.1711
262.783.6599 - Fax
Accepts orders by mail or telephone.
A desk calendar that opens up to an 11 x 17-inch large-print (42 pt) month-at-a-glance calendar. Includes space for notes or appointments. $10.95.
Braille
Institute Press
741 North Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90029
323.663.1111, ext. 1513
800.272.4553
Accepts orders by telephone or on Website.
8-3/4 x 11-inch print/braille (18 point) monthly wall calendar. Includes a large-print/Braille edition of the Rose Bowl parade schedule. Free.
John Milton
Society for the Blind
475 Riverside Drive, Room 455
New York, NY 10115
212.870.3336 for orders
212.870.3229 Fax
order@jmsblind.org
www.jmsblind.org/pubs.htm
Accepts orders by mail or telephone.
12-1/2 x 10-1/2-inch braille calendar. Features a motto on each page. Free.
The Lighthouse
of Houston
Attn: Reflections
3602 West Dallas Street
Houston, TX 77019
713.284.8466
713.284.8165 Fax
products@houstonlighthouse.org
www.thelighthouseofhouston.org
Accepts orders by mail or telephone.
11 x 17-inch large-print (36 point) monthl-at-a-glance calendar. $6.
Lutheran
Mission with Blind and Visually Impaired Persons
Library for the Blind
Attn: Lynne Borchelt
1333 South Kirkwood Road
St. Louis, MO 63122,
800.433.3954, ext. 1322
www.blindmission.org
Accepts orders by mail or telephone.
8-1/2 x 11-inch braille calendar entitled Words to Live By. Features a monthly verse from the Bible. Also available as an 8 1/2 x 14-inch large-print (21 point) edition. Free.
National
Braille Press
Attn: Customer Service
88 St. Stephen Street
Boston, MA 02115
617.266.6160
800.548.7323
617.437.0456 Fax
orders@nbp.org
www.nbp.org/winnieo3.html
Accepts orders by mail or telephone.
8-1/2 x 11-inch print/braille calendar with Winnie the Pooh motif. $10.99.
National
Federation of the Blind
Materials Center
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
410.659.9314
410.685.5653 Fax
materials@nfb.org
Accepts orders by e-mail, fax, mail or telephone.
6 x 6-1/2-inch braille calendar. Features one page per month, a personal day page, and a listing of major holidays. Free.
National
Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapaped
(NLS), Library of Congress
1291 Taylor Street, NW
Washington, DC 20542
Attn: Referece Section
202.707.9275
800.424.8567
nlsref@loc.gov
Accepts requests by e-mail, mail, or telephone.
The NLS braille datefinder and signature guide covers a 12-month period from July of the current year to June of the next year. Measures 5 x 3-1/2 inches. Free.
Society for
the Blind, Inc.
Products for Independence Store
2750 24th Street
Sacramento, CA 95818
916.452.8271, ext. 302
916.452.2622 Fax
www.societyforblind.org/ssbstore/main.htm
Accepts orders by mail or telephone
5-1/2 x 8-1/2-inch braille desk calendar with 2 days per page. At the top of each page is the day of the week, date, and month. Catalog #20-06-01 for base and refill, $47.95. Catalog #20-06-01 for base and refill, $47.95. Catalog #20-06-02 for refill only, $39.95.11 x 17-inch large-print (72 point) calendar, catalog #18-02-05, $8.95.
8-1/2 x 11-inch large-print (36 point) calendar, spiral bound with room for notes, catalog #18-02-06, $10.95.
South Dakota
Industries for the Blind
800 North Lake Avenue
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
800.223.5145
800.332.7047 Fax
www.sdib.org/lp1.htm
Accepts orders by mail, telephone, or website.
23 x 17-inch (folded) large-print (72 point) monthly wall calendar with bold black and vibrant white for easy viewing. Large blocks to allow keeping of birthdays and appointments. $10.
2002-2003 Media Directory Released
The 8th edition of the America's Telability Media directory is now available in print and on computer disk in Microsoft Word format. This 370-page book includes more than 1,400 mass media resources that serve people with disabilities.
This directory edition contains a full description of 1,200+ magazines, newspapers and newsletters, about 80 broadcast producers, 20 newspaper columnists, 40+ dial-in newspapers for the blind, and nearly 40 professional organizations, along with complete contact information, including websites and e-mail addresses. The material is current and will serve as an excellent marketing tool for corporations and a thorough reference guide for libraries and service organizations.
Unlike prior years, this new edition will not be available online.
Price: $50 for the print edition; $40 for the computer disk edition, and $250 for mailing labels and e-mail addresses in MS Excel format.
Contact:
National Telability Media Center
PO Box 1488
Columbia, MO 65205-1488
Tel: 573.445.7656
New Eyes for Blind in
Mexico: A First In Latin America
The "Guide Dog Training School for the Blind - Mexico"
Founded by Silvia Lozada in 1997, the school has provided guide-dogs to more than 30 blind individuals of limited resources throughout the country of Mexico.
Ms. Lozada, a blind person herself, received the benefits of having a guide-dog in her school years. Now a graduate in Law and happily married, she directs the institution together with a dedicated staff of 9 (of the 20 needed to run the school), as well as volunteers, donors, adoptive families for the puppies and others. Their dedication is beginning to bring amazing results.
The school installations are modest, but well equipped and sufficient to present needs. They include a fully equipped clinic and pension, and dormitory, as well as training grounds.
Having been trained in the United States, Ms. Lozada found that the training for a country like Mexico needed to be different. In fact, the demographic, social and cultural conditions that a blind person faces in Mexico are quite different from the ones they have to face in the US. She now has two locally trained professionals who collaborate with institutions such as Leader Dogs for the Blind in adapting the dogs trained in the US but assigned to people in Mexico. The Guide Dog Training School for the Blind - Mexico is registered and complies with all Mexican laws. An external Advisory Board assesses that the resources are well spent and the plans are viable before implementation.
When asked about her challenges, Ms. Lozada's voice is loud and clear as she says: "We need 10 trainers in order to be able to provide 120 guide dogs every year to the blind people of our country. Of course, we need resources and they are scarce in Mexico nowadays. In five years we will need new installations to accommodate both dogs and the blind people during the month they have to work together before going on with their everyday life as a trained guide dog team. But I'm certain we can do it!"
The school is looking for financial support. Donations will qualify as tax deductible contributions in the US in accordance with IRS rules and regulations and also in Mexico.
Contact:
Guide Dog Training School for the Blind - Mexico
Avenida Canal Nacional 1075
Colonia Villa Quietud
Delegación Coyoacan
04960 Mexico
D. F., Mexico
Tel: +55.8589.4000 or 8589.5000
E-Mail: information@perrosguia.org.mx
Web: www.perrosguia.org.mx
The Soundproof Book: Exploration of Rights Conflict and Access to Commercial eBooks for People with Disabilities
by George Kerscher and Jim Fruchterman
Abstract:
The electronic book should be a boon to people with disabilities. Unfortunately, the nascent eBook industry has often soundproofed its books, preventing access by people with visual and learning disabilities using adaptive technology. Persons using synthetic text-to-speech technology or electronic braille systems are not allowed access to the underlying text of the eBooks, and thus are cut off from the content. The leading eBook technology providers, Adobe and Microsoft, have provided the option to disable disability access in their publishing systems, at the request of publishers. This is not because of an explicit effort to deny access to the disabled community, but rather is due to concerns over audio book rights and enabling piracy of book content. We explore these conflicting visions of accessible eBooks and set forth the essential background for the search for a solution that meets the needs of both publishers and people with disabilities.
Contents
Introduction
The Open eBook Forum (OeBF) provides the ideal "forum" for the exploration of issues related to ePublishing. In addition to standards and growing the industry, there are often issues, sometimes controversial, relating to various rights holders that come before the OeBF. This document will lay out the heated rights controversy concerning the use of synthetic speech - Text-to-Speech (TTS) as it relates to the use of eBook publications by persons with disabilities.
Books are increasingly appearing in formats other than the traditional printed book. These formats appeal both to members of the general population as well as to those with disabilities who cannot read a printed book. Audio and eBook formats provide both new opportunities and new challenges, some of which are illustrated by the following examples.Imagine a famous actor seated in a recording studio with a printed book in front of him. The room has been carefully constructed to shield the recording process from extraneous sounds, and the sound engineers take great care to achieve the best results. The sonorous tones of Shakespeare are carefully captured in this soundproof room, and the resulting cassette tapes and CDs will delight many thousands of listeners. Whether the listener has a long commute, or has a visual impairment, this audio form of the book delivers great value.
Imagine the digital form of this same text, the eBook form. This same book is available in many different digital formats, delivering the text of the book rather than a recording. The form of the text is analogous to the text in a word processing file or a Web page. Dedicated eBook reading systems will provide a way to download this eBook and read it on the device's display, and PC-based reading systems will present this text on the computer's screen. Thanks to access technology, individuals who are blind and other persons with print disabilities will be able to read this text independently. Depending on the needs of the individual, the text may be presented as braille or enlarged text, but the most common access method is synthetic Text-to-Speech (TTS). TTS has improved over the past twenty years, but still sounds distinctly mechanical. While most words can be pronounced clearly, there is much room for improvement with phrasing and expression. However, its ability to make digital text accessible has made it an incredible instrument of equality to many people with disabilities.
Now imagine a person who is blind sitting at a PC, listening to that Shakespeare passage with an eBook reader using TTS. The mechanical tones are far less evocative than those of the professional narrator, but the listener who is blind can see past the quirks of the robotic voice. Long experience has made the TTS familiar and the user can focus on the content.
Next, the user goes to the Web, makes a purchase and downloads the latest best-selling novel, just out in eBook format. With the same eBook reader, the user opens the eBook and hits the start speaking button. And, nothing happens. No sound comes out of the PC's speaker. The eBook has been soundproofed. If the person is lucky, it may be possible to get a refund for this eBook purchase. But, the person won't get access.
This paper will describe the technical and legal issues behind the soundproofing of this book. The differing rights of publishers and individuals with print disabilities, under contract and under law, have led to choices in the structure and delivery of eBooks that sometimes deliver access and sometimes do not.
Human Recording
and Synthetic Speech Excerpt for your Review
(Sound tracks not reproduced here. Go to http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue7_6/kerscher/index.html
)
One minute sample recording of an audio book using professional narrator. Human recording of passage
One minute recording of the same text using synthetic speech. Synthetic Version
Note:This audio extract is taken from the title Almost a Crime by Penny Vincenzi. It may not be reproduced outside the context of this paper, and may not be re-published or broadcast in any form. We thank the publisher, "Orion," for their kind permission to use this 1999 publication.
The Challenge of Book Access
That wonderful vehicle for presenting ideas, thoughts, and experiences - the book - is usually inaccessible to persons who are blind and to others who have disabilities that prevent them from reading standard print. Blindness, obviously, prevents one from getting information visually and the challenge of laying one's hands on published materials in accessible formats has always been a lifetime challenge. In the U.S., for example, fewer than 7,000 of the 70,000+ books published each year are ever made accessible in a recorded or braille format. Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D), the largest provider in the world, adds 4,000 titles per year to their collection by taking advantage of over 5,000 volunteers in 32 recording studios around the country (see http://www.rfbd.org for more information). The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), a division of the Library of Congress, records approximately 2,500 each year, and other smaller organizations contribute additional titles in braille or audio, but collectively less than 10 percent of published books ever make it into an accessible format.
To say "the plight of the student with a print disability is extremely difficult" would be a gross understatement. It is common for students to be without their accessible version of a textbook at the beginning of the school year. It takes many months for volunteers to produce the recorded version at RFB&D. For the college student, the situation is even worse. As a student progresses in his or her education, the likelihood of textbooks being accessible decreases due to the specialized nature of the material being studied. At the colleges, Services for Students with Disabilities have the responsibility to make courseware accessible. The use of scanners and OCR software is common, but there is no consistent and effective way to create a high quality accessible textbook within the time demands and financial constraints facing the students and the Disabilities Services offices. The result is that students drop courses and change careers based on information availability in their fields.
For books not available in accessible form, readers with print disabilities either rely on a human reader or on a scanning system. Reliance on a human reader is expensive and not always available when access is needed. Scanning an entire book with OCR software can take hours, and the resulting text will have recognition errors. Although a new Web-based service has been recently launched to provide shared access to scanned books, Bookshare.org (see http://www.bookshare.org for more details), scanned books are not equal in quality to electronic books. Textbooks and technical books are often unusable when scanned because of complex content beyond today's character recognition technology. Access to eBooks offers a major step forward for people with print disabilities.
eBooks Provide Hope to Persons who are Blind and Print Disabled
When the work on the eBook Publication Structure started, the disability community eagerly joined in the effort. The focus was to ensure that the file specification for eBooks was completely accessible. The disabled community found great support in the working group's development of the eBook Publication Structure 1.0, which became a standard in September of 1999. The XML data encoded in this file specification is completely accessible. However, it is important to point out that the XML data is compiled for distribution into a proprietary wrapper that includes a Digital Rights Management (DRM) component, which often prevents accessibility. Nevertheless the disability community continues to work within the OeBF to ensure that eBooks will evolve as accessible reading material "right off the shelf." If you have the structure and content encoded in XML with sufficiently rich semantics, there is no reason why the presentation of the information cannot be tailored to meet each person's needs. This is true for all people and at all times; this is the promise that ePublishing holds for persons who are blind and print disabled.
DRM Implementations Block Access by Screen Readers
The personal computer is the information access tool of choice for many persons who are blind. The computer is made accessible through a screen reader program. Screen readers use a text-to-speech synthesizer (TTS) to speak aloud the information that a sighted person would visually read on the computer screen. These screen readers intercept the text being written to the display and keep track of it, so that it can be vocalized in response to the user's control. For example, pressing certain keys will cause the screen reader to read the current word, line or paragraph. Screen readers also permit the use of dynamic braille displays instead of, or in addition to, the TTS.
The screen readers are external applications to the PC-based eBook reading software. The DRM wrappers are designed to work with reading applications that present the text visually without allowing the text to be copied, to prevent the illegal distribution of the book. Unfortunately, these anti-copying provisions also prevent the screen reader from providing access with TTS or braille. The secure reading application views these external applications as security threats and blocks their access. As a result, persons who try to use their screen reader with eBook reading systems find that their screen reader is not allowed to do its job and leaves the person who is blind with no access to the ePublication, unless the reading application builds access directly into the user interface.
Adobe and Microsoft Provide Access Through TTS
In 2000 Adobe was the first to provide a version of an eBook reading system with speech capabilities. This product uses TTS to present the textual information. Blind people and their advocacy organizations were disappointed when Microsoft's initial eBook products came out and didn't work with the screen readers. Late in 2001, Microsoft's Reader group released a version that included an interface that used TTS to present information. With the host of eBook reading systems on the market, it is only Adobe and Microsoft that provide access to persons with print disabilities through TTS.
Various federal laws mandate accessibility for persons with disabilities, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, or Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which specifies that the federal government should purchase products that are accessible to people with disabilities. In addition, the copyright law concept of fair use is often used as a justification for access. For example, an individual scanning a printed book for TTS or braille access for his or her personal use is generally considered fair use. In addition, there is a provision in the copyright law permitting nonprofit organizations such as RFB&D and Benetech to provide accessible books. However, the interaction of these laws with eBooks is an open question.
Audio Rights
In some cases the authors and publishers have sold the rights to the audio version of their books. The intention of the audio publisher is to make a sound recording of the book available for sale commercially, usually in the form of a cassette or compact disc, but also, more recently, as a digital product available for download distribution via the Internet.
When technology companies such as Adobe and the Microsoft Reader group discussed requirements with publishers, the topic of TTS came up. Both Adobe and the Microsoft Reader Group were told that in many cases the potential eBook publisher had sold the audio rights to another company. This evolved into the requirement for the technology provider to disable TTS in certain classes of eBooks. The requirement to have control over the use of TTS is being put forward by the publishers to resolve this rights issue; both Adobe and Microsoft have implemented this disabling feature. In simple terms, some people consider the TTS presentation an audio rendition, and therefore permitting the TTS presentation would be an infringement on the audio rights holder. People with disabilities do not agree with this interpretation, since the eBook is delivered as electronic text and not as recorded human speech, and since turning off access prevents them from reading the eBook.
Persons with print disabilities purchase and enjoy commercial audio recordings. While productions of audio books are increasing, the availability of audio books falls well behind that of traditionally published titles. In addition, the print disabled community can benefit from the combination of textual presentation on the screen, accompanied by the synthetic speech, word spelling capabilities, and the added flexibility of specific page positioning.
Protecting the Audio Rights
Microsoft and Adobe, which have implemented the use of TTS in their eBook reading systems, have heard from publishers that the audio rights to their eBooks may have been sold. Therefore a feature has been added that allows the use of TTS to be turned off. This means that at the time of creation, a decision can be made by the publisher to disable the use of TTS for this particular eBook.
The cost of TTS has dropped from $4,000 in 1985 to almost free, now that it is being implemented as software using the standard PC sound cards. The quality of TTS is steadily improving, and while the quality of TTS may not be considered serious competition to a professional narration today, this may change sometime in the future.
In the case of Microsoft Reader, if the highest level of security is selected, TTS access will be disabled. Unfortunately for people with disabilities, the latest and most popular eBooks are almost always released at this highest level of security. So, while some eBooks formatted for Microsoft Reader now talk, the ones in greatest demand generally do not.
Adobe takes a different approach that does not associate TTS with security. Adobe's eBook authoring tool provides the option to turn off TTS access. Publishers using this option sometimes turn off this access because they are not certain they have the rights to turn it on.
Call for Discussion
At the beginning of this document are links to sample MP3 files that represent a TTS version of a passage and the same passage being read by a professional narrator. The relevant issues and positions of the rights holders have been described. To summarize:
Persons who are blind and print disabled use screen readers to access all sorts of applications and information using TTS and refreshable braille, that is devices that are used to read text that a computer sends to the monitor;
The OeB Publication Structure is 100 percent accessible and is the recommended mechanism for producing eBooks;
Some applications block access by screen readers, because access to the content in this way is viewed as a security threat;
Adobe and Microsoft have made their applications self-voicing as an accommodation to persons who are blind and print disabled; and,
Authors and publishers have required technology companies to provide the capability to turn off TTS because of audio rights concerns.
Providing a Forum for discussion
Audio publishers feel having TTS enabled infringes on their rights; eBook publishers want maximum security for their electronic documents; and persons who are blind and print disabled believe they have a human right to read published documents and especially ePublished materials they have purchased, not to mention rights under various federal and state statutes.
Clearly, the Open eBook Forum must provide for discussion of the issues surrounding this conflict. We have produced this presentation of the facts to clearly explain the issues. Now, it is up to the various rights holders to discuss ways to address this controversy.
We invite thoughtful comments through the OeB Forum's Web site http://www.openebook.org. The discussion items relating to this thread will be placed on the OeBF Web site. It is our hope that a clear direction will emerge from this discussion and all rights holders, including people with disabilities, will be the winners.
About the Authors
George Kerscher is the Chair of the Open eBook Forum, Project Manager to the DAISY Consortium, and Senior Officer, Accessible Information, Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D), as well as Co-Chair of the W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative's Steering Council. George's focus is on ensuring the accessibility of electronic information to people with disabilities worldwide.
E-mail: kerscher@montana.com
Jim Fruchterman is the President and CEO of The Benetech Initiative, a leading nonprofit technology developer in the field of disability access. He is also the creator of Bookshare.org, the Web-based library of accessible scanned books, the Arkenstone reading systems for the blind and two successful high technology companies founded in California's Silicon Valley. He focuses on socially beneficial applications of technology to meet the needs of under-served communities.
Web: http://www.benetech.org/about/fruchterman.shtml
E-mail: jim@benetech.org
Editorial history
Paper received 9 May 2002; accepted 10 May 2002.
Copyright ©2002, First Monday
The Soundproof Book: Exploration of Rights Conflict and Access to Commercial EBooks for People with Disabilities by George Kerscher and Jim Fruchterman
First Monday, volume 7, number 6 (June 2002),
URL: http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue7_6/kerscher/index.html
VWW Remembers Dr. Henry
"Hank" Hofstetter, A Gentle Giant
(September 10, 1914 - May 10, 2002)
by Patricia (Pat) Price
Few readers and friends of Vision World Wide (VWW) realized the true significance and international impact its longtime medical advisor, Dr. Henry W. Hofstetter, had upon the field of optometry. To VWW "Hank" was a gentle man whose presence was always felt but was never intrusive. He demonstrated a rich sense of humor in life around him, always had positive things to say about people, was remarkably disciplined, organized, and totally committed to providing knowledge, guidance and support, even while outside the United States on three sabbatical leaves for the Indiana University School of Optometry
Dr. Hank Hofstetter, as he was known worldwide, began his teaching career in a one-room school in Middlefield, Ohio. Three years later, he enrolled in The Ohio State University for his degree in optometry. He then enrolled in graduate school to earn the first Ph.D. degree in physiological optics. In the latter studies and during the next six years on the Ohio State University faculty, his research was in the graphical analysis of ocular accommodation and convergence interrelationships and their clinical interpretation, in which subject matter he became a leading authority. In 1948, he was appointed Dean of the Los Angeles College of Optometry (now Southern California College of Optometry). In 1952, he joined the Indiana University faculty to organize and develop the legislatively mandated program in optometry and graduate study in physiological optics. In 1970, he withdrew from administrative duties to pursue full-time teaching and research, at which time the program had become variously rated among the top three optometric institutions.
During his tenure at Indiana University, Dr. Hofstetter dedicated his three sabbatical leaves to surveying and observing optometric education and professional development in 26 countries. This led to more than fifty published reports, most of which were subsequently reprinted in the local journals of the subject countries. For more than two decades, he was regarded as the best authority on international aspects of the profession.
His publications, including two textbooks and five editions of the co-edited Dictionary of Visual Science and Related Clinical Terms, total over 450, the majority based on direct research. Dr. Hofstetter served as president of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, the American Optometric Association, the Optometric Historical Society and served on numerous national and international committees until his death. He was awarded five honorary doctorates and given several major citations. In 1974, he was named Rudy Professor Emeritus of Optometry at Indiana University.
He was known worldwide as a result of his interest in international optometry and his focus on optometric practice and education throughout much of the world. In 1991 he was recognized as the International Optometrist of the Year by the International Optometric and Optical League for his "profound influence upon the visual welfare of mankind." In 1999 at an International symposium held in his honor at Indiana University, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the World Council of Optometry.
With all these accomplishments, Dr. Hofstetter himself considered his most significant achievement to have been his influence on optometric curriculum, where he introduced much of his own personal philosophy into courses, including cultural and broad-based scientific background rather than a purely clinical approach.
Yes, Dr. Hofstetter was truly a gentle giant. All of us are better for having had the unique opportunity to call him our colleague and friend. While his physical presence is no longer with us, the legacy he left behind will live forever in our hearts and minds.
Top of Page
Guidelines For Designing Legible Text
(By Aries Arditi, Ph.D, director of vision research, TheLighthouse Inc.)
Print Legibility and Partial Sight
According to the National Eye Institute, about one in every 20 people has partial sight-a serious vision problem that cannot be corrected by ordinary contact lenses, eyeglasses, or surgery. Researchers are still working to understand how specific types of visual impairment interfere with complex visual tasks such as reading. However, there are some basic guidelines you can follow to make text more legible.
How Vision Affects Legibility
Impaired vision often makes reading difficult by:
Reducing the amount of light that enters the eye
Blurring the retinal image
Damaging the central portion of the retina which is best suited to reading.
Light reduction and blurring reduce the effective contrast of the text, while central retinal damage impairs the ability to see small print and to make eye movements that are crucial to reading. Several guidelines can be followed to make text more legible for older readers and those who have low vision.
Ten Basic Guidelines
1. Contrast
Text should be printed with the highest possible contrast. There is good evidence that for many older and partially sighted readers, light (white or light yellow) letters on a dark (black) background are more readable than dark letters on a light background. However, the traditional dark on light may be aesthetically preferable.
2. Type Color
Very high contrasts are difficult to achieve with color combinations other than black and white. Printed material, generally, is most readable in black and white. Different colors may be important for aesthetic or other reasons; but it is better to use such combinations only for larger or highlighted text, such as headlines and titles, and, where possible, to maintain as high a contrast of light and dark (as opposed to color) as is feasible.
3. Point Size
Type should be large, preferably at least 16 to 18 point, but keep in mind that the relationship between readabilityand point size differs somewhat among typefaces.
4. Leading
Leading, or spacing between lines of text, should be at least 25 to 30 percent of the point size. This is because many people with partial sight have difficulty finding the beginning of the next line while reading.
5. Font Style
While there is little reliable information on the comparative legibility of typefaces, there is some evidence that an ordinary typeface, using upper and lower cases, is more readable than italics, slanted, small caps, or all caps.
6. Font Selection
Avoid complicated, decorative fonts, and reserve such styles for emphasis only. Standard roman or sans serif fonts, with familiar, easily recognizable characters are best. Bold versions of any typeface are often more legible, since the letters are thicker.
7. Letter Spacing
Text with close letter-spacing often presents difficulties for readers who are partially sighted, especially those with central visual field defects. Where possible, spacing should be wide. Mono-spaced fonts seem to be more legible for such readers than proportional-spaced fonts.
8. Margins
An extra-wide binding margin is especially helpful in books and other bound material, because it makes it easier to hold the volume flat. Many visual devices, such as stand- and video-magnifiers, are easiest to use on a flat surface.
9. Paper Finish
Paper with a glossy finish can lessen legibility, because many people who are older or who have partial sight also have problems with glare.
10. Color
Visual impairment often makes it difficult to find a book or other document that is buried among similar publications, especially for sets whose volumes differ only in title or number. Use of distinctive colors, sizes and formats on the covers can be especially helpful to older and partially sighted individuals.
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Sources of Financial Aid for Eye Care
To secure financial assistance to assess or treat an eye problem, you might contact one or more of the following programs:
1. Eye Care America - The National Eye Care Project, coordinated by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) provides free and low-cost eye exams for U.S. citizens 65 and older who have not had access to an ophthalmologist in the past three years. Tel: 800-222-EYES (3938). Web: www.aao.org/public/pi/service/necp.html.
2. VISION USA, coordinated by the American Optometric Association (AOA), provides free eye care to uninsured, low-income workers and their families. Screening for the program takes place only during January of each year, with exams provided later in the year. Tel: 800-766-4466.
3. Lions Clubs International provides financial assistance to individuals for eye care through local clubs. There are Lions Clubs in most localities and services vary from club to club. Check your telephone book for the telephone number and address of your local club or call the National Office at 630-571-5466.
4. Mission Cataract USA, coordinated by the Volunteer Eye Surgeons Association, is a program providing free cataract surgery to people of all ages who have no other means to pay. Surgeries are scheduled annually on one day, usually in May. Tel: 800-343-7265
5. Celebrate Sight: Do You Know Your Glaucoma Risk? coordinated by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, is a program offering free examinations and treatment for glaucoma to people who do not have medical insurance. Tel: 800-391-EYES (3938). Web: www.aao.org/public/glaucoma/gl_2001.html
6. The Medicine Program assists people to enroll in one or more of the many patient assistance programs that provide prescription medicine free-of-charge to those in need. Patients must meet the sponsor's criteria. The program is conducted in cooperation with the patient's doctor. Mailing Address: P.O. Box 4182, Poplar Bluff, MO 63902-4182. Tel: 573-996-7300. E-Mail: help@themedicineprogram.com. Web: www.themedicineprogram.com
7. Sight for Students, a Vision Service Plan (VSP) program in partnership with The Entertainment Industry Foundation, provides eye exams and glasses to children 18 years and youger whose families cannot afford vision care. Tel: 888-290-4964. Web: www.sightforstudents.org/
8. Knights Templar Eye Foundation provides assistance for eye surgery for people who are unable to pay or receive adequate assistance from current government agencies or similar sources. Mailing address: 5097 North Elston Avenue - Suite 100, Chicago, IL 60630-2460. Tel: 773-205-3838. E-Mail: ktef@knightstemplar.org. Web: www.knightstemplar.org/ktef
9. New Eyes for the Needy provides vouchers for the purchase of new prescription eyeglasses. Mailing Address: 549 Millburn Avenue, PO Box 332, Short Hills, NJ 07078-0332. Tel: 973-376-4903.
10. Directory of Prescription Drug Patient Assistance Programs 1999-2000, published by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, identifies company programs that provide prescription medications free-of-charge to physicians for their needy patients. A copyof the directory is available online at www.phrma.org/patients. Tel: 800-PMA-INFO (762-4636).
11. You may also contact a social worker at a local hospital or other community agency. Social workers often are knowledgeable about community resources that can help people facing financial and medical problems.
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Recycling Old Eyeglasses
Recycling old eyeglasses is certainly a worthwhile endeavor. To do so,cyou might onsider donating them to The Jewish Heritage for the Blind, 4045 Sheridan Avenue - Suite 433, Miami Beach, FL 33140-3665. The glasses will be given to the poor in the underdeveloped countries.
The organization requests that donors not send broken frames or frames without lenses.
You will also want to enclose your name, address, and telephone number with each shipment. If you wish to receive an acknowledgment, enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
It is our understanding that the organization cannot assign a value to donated materials.
Braille Cookbooks
Over 50 different Braille cookbooks covering a variety of categories are now available from Helping Hands for the Blind. They range in price from $25 to $30 each, depending upon the book's size. Anyone buying just one book a year is eligible to enjoy the special benefits of Club membership -- like earning free cookbooks! Visa, MasterCard & Discover accepted.
For more information, contact:
Helping
Hands for the Blind
20734-C Devonshire Street
Chatsworth, CA 91311
Toll-Free: 888-386-3442
Tel./Fax: 818-341-8217
E-Mail: rjacosta@concentric.net
Web: www.announce.com/quikscrybe/hands.html
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Find Phone Numbers Without Knowing Area Code
It is now possible to find phone numbers to anywhere in the U.S. without knowing the area code. Just dial 1 + 411. This is the number you've always used for local directory assistance but it now provides national information, too. Not only will you never need an area code when you dial 1 + 411, but you will save approximately 32% over dialing 1 + area code + 555-1212.
Remember also that many telephone companies allow free directory assistance for visually impaired customers. Contact your local phone company for details and an application.
Reader's Digest Large Edition
Low vision readers who find the regular type-size of Reader's Digest difficcult to see will be pleased to know that this popular magazine is now available in large print. Features of this edition include:
BIGGER: It measures 8" x 10 1/2", yet it's easy to hold and will stack neatly on a bookcase.
BRIGHTER: Each issue is illustrated in bold, beautiful color.
EASY-ON-THE EYES: Soothing non-glare paper ensures maximum eye comfort. Single-column format is less distracting and easier to read.
HARD TO PUT DOWN: All the same great quality Reader's Digest is famous for is found in the Large Edition. All this -- with the ease LARGE TYPE offers.
Annual subscription cost: $19.95.
Order from:
Reader's
Digest
Large Edition
PO Box 3013
Harlan, IA 51593-2104
Tel: 800-807-2780
Three Typing Tutorials Worth Noting
1. "Typing for Everyone" is a free 26-lesson audiotape correspondence course for people with visual impairments. To register, contact: Hadley School for the Blind, 700 Elm Street, Winetka, IL 60093-0299. Tel: 800-323-4238. Fax: 847-446-0855. E-Mail: <info@hadley-school.org> Web: <www.hadley-school.org>
2. For the computer user, "Talking Typing Teacher" (1999) provides verbal guidance to the user from basic ASDF drills to long sentences. The program includes a computer diskette and instruction manual in print and audiotape. Cost $34. Order from: I Can See Books, 88 Captain Morgans Blvd., Nanaimo, British Columbia V9R 6R1, Canada. Tel: 250-616-7414. E-Mail: <info@icanseebooks.com> Web: <www.icanseebooks.com>
3. Geared more for schools, "Talking Typer for Windows" (2000) provides typing lessons through instruction, drill, practice, and games. The program is available on CD-ROM or through electronic download. Cost: $79. Order from: American Printing House for the Blind, 1839 Frankfort Ave., PO Box 6085, Louisville, KY 40206-0085. Tel: 800-223-1839 / 502-895-2405. Fax: 502-899-2274. Web: <www.aph.org> Demo Version: <www.aph.org/tech/tt_info.htm>
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Tactile Cards For Geometry Students
Geometry Tactile Cards are 3-dimensional tactile drawings representing the shapes used in geometry textbooks. The 12 hand-mbossed cards pair each geometrical shape with its name and formula. The shapes featured include: cube, triangular prism, rectangular prism, cone, sphere, square pyramid, and right triangle. Cost $25.
For more information, contact: P. Hunt, PO Box 404, Pfaff Town, NC 27040. E-Mail: <leannajo@aol.com>
Equipment To Access DVS
If you are interested in buying a television set for someone who is vision impaired, here are some guidelines you might find useful.
In order to receive Descriptive Video Service (DVS) on television, viewers must have either a television with stereo, a VCR with the Second Audio Program (SAP) - both of which are standard features - or a stand-alone SAP receiver. To access the narrated visual descriptions on a television program or home video, simply activate the SAP feature, which can be located by consulting the equipment manual or by calling the equipment manufacturer. A stand-alone SAP receiver, which functions somewhat like a radio, can be tuned into a channel that broadcasts the description soundtrack. The SAP device may be used in addition to a television or for audio only, and is available either pre-tuned or adjustable. SAP receivers may be purchased from Avocet Instruments, Inc. 1-800-443-0728, and FM Atlas, 218--879-7676.
Editor's Note:
A program guide and other relevant information about Descriptive Video Service is available electronically, in Braille, on audiocassette, and in print from WGBH, 125 Western Avenue, Boston, MA 02134. DVS Information Line: 1-800-333-1203. Tel: 617-300-3600. Web: <www.dvs.wgbh.org>
Sources for
Braille Writer Repair
(Vol. 6 No. 1, 2001)
Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Responding to several requests we have received from our low vision subscribers who use Braille for labeling, note taking, etc. and Braille transcriptionists, Vision World Wide has compiled the following list. If known to us, those companies where employees have been factory trained are marked with an asterisk (*).
*Ackley's
Appliance Service
4301 Park Ave. - #540
Des Moines, IA 50321
Tel: 515-288-3931
E-Mail: <aackley@braillerman.com>
Web: <www.braillerman.com>
*APH -
American Printing House for the Blind
PO Box 6085
Louisville, KY 40206-0085
Tel: 1-800-223-1839, 1-800-572-0844 or 502-895-2405
Fax: 502-899-2274
E-Mail: <info@aph.org>
Web: <www.aph.org>
Arizona
Instructional Resource Center
Attn: Inge Durre
The Foundation for Blind Children
1235 E. Harmont Drive
Phoenix, AZ 85020
Tel: 602-331-1470
Web: <www.the-fbc.org>
Braillery,
The
5 Cumberland Circle
El Paso, TX 799p3
Tel: 915-565-0179
Fax: 915-565-7524
E-Mail: <resimon@worldnet.att.net>
Web: <www.thebraillery.com>
Chuck's
Brailler Repair
(Charles S. Whitehead)
12388 Marmont Place
Moreno Valley, CA 94557
Tel: 909-242-3750
E-Mail: <kwhiteh453@aol.com>
Currey
Enterprises
9468 Singing Quail Drive
Austin, TX 78758
Tel: 512-467-0246
Jim
Currey
2725 McCartney Lane
Bloomington, IN 47401-4323
Tel: 812-333-4659
George's
Brailler Repair
5506 Cheltenham
Houston, TX 77096
Tel: 713-729-2928
E-Mail: <tutu_zayde@juno.com>
Herbert
G. Hasemann
7619 Oak Leaf Drive
Santa Rosa, CA 95409
Tel: 707-539-8481
*Howe
Press
Perkins School f/t Blind
175 North Beacon Street
Watertown, MA 02172
Tel: 617-924-3434
Fax: 617-926-2027
Leif
Johnson
75 Rio Vista Avenue
Oakland, CA 94611
Tel: 510-654-3572
Rick
McGuire, Brailler Mechanic
PO Box 3738
57226 Island Road - Meadowhouse #26
Sunriver, OR 97707
Tel: 541-593-1078
E-Mail: <rmmcguire@uswest.net>
Web: <www.users.uswest.net/~rmmcguire/>
Lloyd
Pender
913 Country Road 612
Lewiston, MI 49756
Tel: 517-786-2335
E-Mail: <pender@12K.com>
Prose
& Cons Braille Unit
800 Pioneer Blvd.
Lincoln, NE 68502-2500
Tel: 402-471-3161 Ext. 3373
Fax: 402-471-3472
(Service only to non-profit agencies. Not individuals.)
*Samuel
DePiero Brailler Repair
270 Arden Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15216-1441
Tel: 412-341-8014
E-Mail: <depieros@worldnet.att.net>
Web: <http://home.att.net/~depieros/>
Telephone Pioneers of America
Attn: John T. Hyland
4409 Avenue H
Brooklyn, NY 11234
Tel: 718-339-2048
Volunteers of Vacaville, Inc.
Attn: Jerry Smith
CMF - Vacaville
1600 California Drive
PO Box 670
Vacaville, CA 95696
Tel: 707-448-6841 Ext. 2276
Wesley H. Werth
329 North Hampton
Wichita, KS 67206
Tel. & Fax: 316-683-3688
John Wilen
805 North Polk
Papillion, NE 68046-4338
Tel: 420-597-3110
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Vision
World Wide
5707 Brockton Drive, #302
Indianapolis, IN 46220-5481
Phone: 317-254-1332
Toll Free: 800-431-1739
Fax: 317-251-6588
E-Mail: info@visionww.org
© Copyright
1995-2003
by Vision World Wide Inc. All rights reserved.
Updated January 14, 2003
