In this article the authors present the transient thermal analysis for a developed thermal linear actuator based on wax paraffin used to drive the cells of a Braille device. A numerical investigation of transient heat transfer phenomenon during paraffin melting and solidification in an encapsulated recipient has been carried out using the ANSYS…

This study extended the research on a special text messaging system, which allows persons with multiple disabilities to (a) write and send messages to distant partners and (b) have messages from those partners read out to them. The study involved two women with multiple disabilities (including blindness or minimal residual vision). The system…

A few decades ago, Braille was on the wane. Technology was seen as likely to replace the tactile communication method, as text-to-speech readers and recorded books, for example, offered access to classroom materials. Students at special schools for the blind moved into regular classrooms, which are rich in text, but not text that is accessible to…

English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities are required to participate in all state and district assessments similar to their peers without disabilities. This includes assessments used for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title I accountability purposes for demonstrating proficiency in academic content, assessments used…

Presented is a compilation of the February 1976, August 1976, December 1976, July 1977, and October 1977 issues of the "Braille Research Newsletter". Each issue usually includes an editorial, several articles, and a listing of publications and reports. Among the articles are the following titles and authors: "Discussion Paper on the Desirability…

A project summary and 20 related papers are presented on the Argonne Braille Machine, a device which produces braille-equivalent information on magnetic tape rather than embossing dots on paper. The summary traces the machine's development while 10 papers cover such issues as user reactions, evaluation proposals, use and care of the machine, the…

Describes an eight-dot computer Braille notation, COBRA, with integrated mathematical and scientific notation that achieves immediate print-Braille compatibility through one-to-one representation of letters and other characters. Text can be entered from the Braille or the Qwerty Keyboard and can be viewed simultaneously on the Braille display and…

Detailed product information on peripherals for the blind computer user is provided and applications, availability, reliability, price, and selection considerations are described. Chapters address the following topics and product categories: (1) scanners (optical character readers, Kurzweil Reading Machine); (2) a buyer's guide to modems; (3)…

Described is a project which produced the book, In Darkness, to explore the use of DOTSYS III (a braille computer translation program) and to demonstrate the use of BRAILLEMBOSS (a braille page printer designed to emboss braille at similar or faster rates than teletypes) as a means of producing Grade II braille output. Explained are successive…

This guide provides clear, graphic step-by-step instructions to introducing Braille 'n Speak technology to students with visual impairments. Braille 'n Speak is a notebook computer for individuals with visual impairments. Individuals input text using Braille keys and get speech feedback. The guide is intended to help classroom teachers with…

This paper addresses issues of current and future technology use for and by individuals with visual impairments and blindness in Florida. Present technology applications used in vision programs in Florida are individually described, including video enlarging, speech output, large inkprint, braille print, paperless braille, and tactual output…

IN ORDER TO EXPLORE THE TECHNICAL AND PRACTICAL PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN BRINGING THE HONEYWELL MODEL 222 MODIFIED BRAILLE PRINTER TO FULL UTILIZATION, THREE OBJECTIVES WERE DEVELOPED--(1) EXPLORATION OF THE PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TRANSLATOR SYSTEM, (2) EXPLORATION OF A SYSTEM FOR DIRECT INPUT OF GRADE TWO BRAILLE SO THAT THE…

This historical study describes the development of braille and non-braille devices designed to aid the blind in arithmetic computations. Several such devices are described and evaluated. The author concludes that documentation of the development of arithmetic devices is unavailable, especially about the nature of 17th and 18th century devices…

Information sheets on resources, assistance, software, and hardware for visually handicapped (VH) students in England are collected in this document. The first information sheet, "Getting Help--What, Where, and Who," lists general sources of assistance, equipment, and books. The second information sheet, "Computer Hardware Used in…