[Promotion-technology] Fwd: DeafBlind Newsletter Jan-Feb 2008

[David Andrews]

>
> >>> "Jim Halliday" < 
> <mailto:jim.halliday at humanware.us>jim.halliday at humanware.us > 
> 2/18/2008 9:03 AM >>>
>The January-February edition of HumanWare's Deafblind Newsletter has
>been pasted below for those of you who prefer a text version. A more
>formalized .pdf version with photos has been attached to this email. If
>you missed our earlier newsletters, either check them out on our website
>at:
>
><http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/products/deafblind>http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/products/deafblind 
>
>
>or I can forward email copies to you. Feel free to forward this
>newsletter to others who might be interested.
>
>
>
>Cheers!!!
>
>Jim
>
>
>
>Jim Halliday
>
>President Emeritus
>
>HumanWare US
>
>
>
>925-566-9222
>
>
>
>HumanWare
>
>
>
>DeafBlind Communicator - Field Testing Fun
>
>
>
>Hopefully, you have been reading our DB Newsletters over the past few
>months. (If not, check them out on our website at
><http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/products/deafblind>www.humanware.com/en-usa/products/deafblind 
>). You should know by now
>that HumanWare is working with Washington State ODHH to develop a new
>DeafBlind Communicator (DBC). One aspect of the development process
>that becomes particularly exciting is when the product faces the real
>world for the first time. Will the concept work? Does product do what
>it's supposed to do? Is it usable? What needs to be improved? This is
>a scary time, but it's also a fun time. We call it "field testing."
>
>
>
>Our first field test involved analyzing the DBC's face-to-face
>communication capability. (The DBC consists of a BrailleNote mPower
>with the addition of special DB software connected wirelessly, via
>Bluetooth, to a cell phone with a QWERTY keyboard and visual display
>that also contains special DB software). We asked Marlaina Lieberg, a
>blind BrailleNote user in the Seattle area, to help us out. Her job was
>to assume the role of a deafblind person and to try to communicate with
>sighted people in numerous settings using a DBC prototype. A third
>party, who remained totally uninvolved in the process, observed the
>interaction to assess any problems that might arise.
>
>
>
>Marlaina's award-winning efforts gave our third party observer an
>extremely accurate look at the strengths and weaknesses of the simulated
>DeafBlind Communicator. With each new venue, Marlaina would activate
>the special DB-Phone from her DB BrailleNote. The DB-Phone would show
>on its visual display and also speak "Hi, I'm deafblind. Please use
>this device to communicate with me." Marlaina would then hold the unit
>out and wait for the sighted person to take the unit. She did this on
>buses, in shops, at Starbucks and Burger King, in restaurants and a
>number of other venues. The person behind the counter was often
>confused by the situation, but when this happened, another employee or
>another customer would inevitably jump in to help. Despite a couple of
>technical glitches with the prototype, Marlaina was able to successfully
>communicate in every situation. Some venues took longer than others,
>but each test ended with smiles and a sense of accomplishment on all
>sides. Even in its semi-prototype state, the DeafBlind Communicator did
>its job with the added benefit of revealing the inherent goodness in
>people.
>
>
>
>One interesting discovery we made was that sighted people don't
>immediately grasp what "deafblind" means, so in later development
>models, we have changed the initial greeting to "Hi, I'm blind and I
>can't hear..." This simple change seems to give the average sighted
>person more time to process the situation. This and other discoveries
>allowed us to go back and rework a number of prompts and functions so
>that the product was more intuitive and ready for our deafblind focus
>group.
>
>
>
>With the aid of some fabulous interpreters, Marlaina then trained four
>members of our focus group on an alpha version of the DBC. This
>training again revealed more ways to make the DBC more usable and
>intuitive. After each member of the focus group had received some basic
>training, we asked these folks to sit down with over a dozen deafblind
>people who visited the Lighthouse for the Blind in Seattle. You'll be
>interested in the results of this first exposure of the DBC to the
>broader DB community. Deborah Schow, the Communications Consultant for
>DSHS did a great job of capturing the day in the article I have
>attached, with Deborah's permission, to the bottom of this newsletter.
>Enjoy!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>DSHS Article:
>
>
>Promises kept and voices heard -
>ODHH leads the nation with life-changing technology
>
>________________________________
>
>
>By Deborah Schow, Communications Consultant
>
>Department of Social & Health Services
>
><mailto:schowdl at dshs.wa.gov>schowdl at dshs.wa.gov < 
>mailto:schowdl at dshs.wa.gov >
>
>360-902-7891
>
>
>
>DSHS, OB2, 1115 Washington Street, SE
>
>(Mailing address) PO Box 45100
>
>Olympia, WA 98504-5100
>
>
>
>
>
>The DSHS Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH) is at the forefront
>of a communication technology upgrade that could make a profound impact
>on the lives of all DeafBlind people.
>
>At about half the size of a laptop computer,, the "DeafBlind
>Communicator" (DBC) is considered by its prototype users to be the first
>truly portable and user-friendly Braille technology system for
>communication with the larger public.
>
>The new device offers the DeafBlind immediate access to engage people in
>the mainstream public in direct two-way conversation, whether in person,
>over the telephone or via the Internet.
>
>The approximately 200 ODHH clients in Washington who are DeafBlind will
>be the first to use the DBC when it is released this spring, but other
>states and agencies are expected to follow the ODHH lead.
>
>
>"Life-changing" innovation
>
>
>The result of a partnership between the ODHH and New Zealand assistive
>technology manufacturer, HumanWare, the DBC is a much-needed evolution
>from the original Tele-Braille systems, launched in the '80s.
>
>Focus group users who are DeafBlind confirmed that this new assistive
>technology will allow them greater independence when accessing services
>and in daily interactions with their hearing and sighted peers. Several
>said through a sign language interpreter that having the DBC would be
>"life-changing."
>
>
>Tele-Braille
>
>
>"Tele-Braille" was the first product that could incorporate Braille text
>from Text Telephone (TTY) phone calls, or Telecommunications Relay
>Service (TRS) phone calls. It was a major breakthrough in telephone
>access for the DeafBlind and offered new possibilities for interaction
>and inclusion.
>
>Tele-Braille systems were cutting edge technology when first put on the
>market more than 25 years ago. But with few major upgrades since its
>initial impact, it became outdated in this century. The devices had a
>short life span as technology was quickly changing and, at a price of
>$6,500 for most models, they were beyond the reach of most DeafBlind
>without financial assistance.
>
>As manufacturers deemed the market too small to be profitable for the
>additional research and development, they stopped making the older
>Tele-Braille systems. Cost for maintenance and parts skyrocketed.
>
>
>Subhead: Quality of life issue
>
>
>Like an old computer or car, the cost of upkeep became impractical or
>impossible as parts wore out and machines were quickly failing beyond
>repair. Still, the Tele-Braille system remained a vital door to
>communication for its DeafBlind clients, and the ODHH continued to patch
>up the much-needed machines while an alternative was sought.
>
>The Research Laboratory of the Helen Keller National Center for
>DeafBlind Youths and Adults developed the first Tele-Braille devices.
>The research laboratory has since been disbanded, leaving a void in
>assistive technology research for the DeafBlind. When no agency or
>organization was willing or able to conduct the research to develop a
>new product, DSHS and ODHH worked to find a manufacturer to partner with
>to produce a more compact and lightweight device that fit the specific
>needs of DSHS's DeafBlind clients. It is part of the ODHH's core mission
>to provide resources that enable its clients to have equal access and
>effective communication.
>
>Born out of necessity and with direct input and consultations with
>DeafBlind individuals, the ODHH and HumanWare created the unique
>technology and software design used in the DeafBlind Communicator.
>
>
>Demonstrations of delight
>
>
>In focus groups with DeafBlind users at the Lighthouse for the Blind
>last month in Seattle the device was a hit. Users wanted to take the
>prototype home with them right then as demonstrations of delight filled
>the room as DeafBlind clients tried it out.
>
>All who participated in last month's trials confirmed that the DBC can
>open new lines of communication and give them added confidence and
>independence, especially when traveling or doing errands without an
>American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter. During the Seattle trials,
>DeafBlind product testers broke into broad smiles, shared laughter, and
>exchanged hugs with their instructors and HumanWare and ODHH staff.
>
>
>American Sign Language
>
>
>For many people who are DeafBlind, ASL is their first language. Those
>who are completely without sight understand ASL by touching letters and
>words in the hands of another person who knows ASL. They need an
>interpreter who can sign ASL to have conversations with hearing people.
>
>It is financially and otherwise impractical for most to have the
>much-in-demand services of a qualified interpreter around the clock. The
>designers at HumanWare noted that while the DBC cannot take the place of
>an interpreter, it does open doors to direct accessibility to banking,
>restaurants, and other amenities that hearing-sighted people enjoy. It
>can strengthen family bonds and friendships as communication
>opportunities widen with those not proficient in ASL.
>
>
>How it works
>
>
>In phone communications the device converts calls relayed through an
>operator into Braille characters.
>
>
>In face-to-face meetings, a recorded spoken greeting explains that the
>user is DeafBlind. It gives the sighted person instructions to type on a
>standard keyboard. Their words will appear on a screen in Braille for
>the blind user to read. The DeafBlind reply using their choice of
>Braille or standard keyboard and the message is displayed in words on a
>screen for the hearing-sighted person to read.
>
>When interviewed after test-run encounters where a DeafBlind person
>approached hearing-sighted people with the device seeking directions,
>some people said they were startled at first by the device, but all said
>they understood how to use it immediately.
>
>
>Would you like fries with that?
>
>
>With no buttons to press and widespread familiarity with keyboards in
>random tests, most people said they had no difficulty operating the
>device. All who participated said they "felt good" about the
>interaction. None had had any kind of contact with a DeafBlind person
>before and all reported that they would stop again if approached by a
>person with a DBC.
>
>At one fast food restaurant the employee taking orders was confused when
>the device was put on the counter. He quickly called co-workers over and
>soon all wanted to take a turn at "talking" to the woman and wanted to
>take her order. This is a marked difference with other situations where
>the DeafBlind person only has a card with written words to present to a
>counter person and little possibility of interaction.
>
>
>Essential to independence, employment
>
>
>The cost of the equipment to DSHS clients is, as with other
>telecommunication devices, on a sliding scale based on income. Access to
>assistive technology for those who require it is far more than a
>convenience; it can be an essential to independence and employment
>opportunities for our clients.
>
>Funding of the project stems from a telephone tax placed on telephone
>land-lines. The price per device has not been finalized. It is estimated
>that most low-income DeafBlind clients will not have to pay anything out
>of pocket to obtain a DBC and all will get training to use the
>technology.
>
>
>A voice heard and a promise kept
>
>
>The delivery of the new telecommunication device when it is released in
>the spring will fulfill a promise kept by the DSHS Office of Deaf and
>Hard of Hearing (ODHH) to their DeafBlind clients.
>
>For people who are DeafBlind, a device that allows for outreach with the
>entire community adds to a better quality of life. For the
>sighted-hearing population, it offers the opportunity to interact with a
>vital group of people who have been isolated from the greater world far
>too long. With the aid of fresh technology and communities that embrace
>diversity, the DeafBlind will be a tool that will give them a voice in
>the mainstream.
>
>
>
>
>
>If you know of others who may be interested in receiving this
>newsletter, request a subscription by sending an email to
><mailto:jim.halliday at humanware.com>jim.halliday at humanware.com . If 
>you want your name removed from the
>newsletter list, send a request to "unsubscribe" at this same email
>address.
>
>
>
>For more information about HumanWare and its other fine products visit
>our website at <http://www.humanware.com/>www.humanware.com
>
>
>
>
>
>

David Andrews and white cane Harry.
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