Hello, Curtis.
Here are my responses to your questions. You will note that I am
somewhat uncomfortable with touch-screens and feel that a full
physical alphameric keyboard or, at the very least, a physical
hex keypad should be provided. But to the questions.
>1. What devices have we been able to use independently that have
> worked particularly well for us?
>
Typewriters and computer keyboards, touch-tone telephones, VCRs
with actual physical buttons for programming, microwave ovens
with presure-sensitive keypads which can be overlaid with Braille
dymo labels, Tvs with ten-key remote controls or up/down
buttons and, of course, Braille 'N' Speaks.
>
>2. Assume that you are walking up to a touch screen information
> kiosk. There are no buttons, and the device initially does
> not say anything. How would you like to be able to accomplish
> the following tasks:
>
> A. Activating speech output so that the kiosk can be used by
> a blind person;
>
I would at least like one large button or key, labeled in
Braille with a legend such as "TALK" which would get the ball
rolling. Since you have elininated this possibility, a legend in
Braille could be affixed to the kiosk cabinet/enclosure directing
the blind user to press a particular area on the screen (for
example, the bottom right corner).
>
> B. Controlling the pitch, volume, and rate of speech from
> the touch screen so as not to interfere with selectable
> items that are displayed for the benefit of the sighted
> public;
>
Again, I would prefer real knobs, rocker switches or up/down
buttons to accomplish these tasks but if, as above, we are
restricted to using touch-screens, legends in Braille could be
affixed to the kiosk describing where on the touch-screen one
could press to increase/decrease volume, pitch, etc. The areas
used for these functions should be obvious, as,for example,
along the edges of the touch-screen, preferably in the corners
(I'm assuming the screen to be square). The areas could toggle
thru volume/pitch settings as with the volume of the voice on the
NFB clock radio or one could have "up" and "down" areas next
to each other. Alternatively, one could use the left and right
edges of the screen as "sliders", wherein one could slide one's
finger up the screen to increase volume or pitch and move one's
finger down the screen to decrease volume or pitch.
> C. Once you have moved your finger across the screen to hear
> the choices, selecting a specific menu item;
>
I am uncomfortable with associating particular areas of the
screen with particular menu choices without tactile markings (on
the touch-screen). I'd rather have a specific place on the
screen designated as a "virtual button" which could be pressed
to toggle thru menu items. There would be a virtual "SELECT"
button, which, when pressed, would activate the user's selection.
>
> D. Entering information that would normally be keyed in from
> a virtual keyboard that is visually displayed on the
> screen;
>
I am of the opinion that there is no good substitute for a
real, physical keyboard as on a computer or, perhaps, a Braille
keyboard as on a Braille 'N' Speak; there is no good way to
make a keyboard which appears on a screen as do radio buttons in
the Windows environment accessible, short of actually tactually
marking the touch-screen -- something that, IMHO, is unlikely.
>
> E. Moving between menus--specifically, moving to a higher or
> lower menu;
>
One could have "previous menu" and "next menu" areas. It
strikes me, however, that, if one needs a keyboard (either
QWERTY or Braille) to enter data, one could impliment a simple
command language to do all these things from the keyboard;
this would be my scheme of preference since our screen is now
becoming rather cluttered with virtual buttons <grin>.
>
> F. Reading everything on the screen without disturbing the
> system--browsing;
>
Here, either a physical keypad with "prior line", "current
line", "next line", "prior word", "current word" etc., would be
most preferable. Alternately, the keyboard used to enter data
could be used to read thru text as with screen-reading programs.
>
> G. Stopping speech instantly;
>
How about a virtual "shut up" button? Again, the keyboard I
posit could be used.
>
>3. You will note from the foregoing questions that I assumed
> speech output would be the alternative mode of presentation
> for the blind. Is this the only form of output that should be
> provided? Remember that we are attempting to provide
> accessibility to *ALL* blind people who want and need to use
> public information kiosks.
>
How about an RS232C interface so that one could plug one's
laptop, Braille 'N' Speak, VersaBraikle, etc. into the kiosk
for access?
>
>4. Do we have to settle for a touch screen as the sole means for
> using an information kiosk, or Should we instead push
> vigorously for a real, physical keyboard?
>
WE SHOULD **VIGOROUSLY** PUSH FOR A REAL KEYBOARD. Anything
else is, IMHO, awkward, at best.
>
>5. The information kiosk that is being developed for our
> Department of Economic Security generates digitized, human
> quality speech. It does not use a speech synthesizer. All
> responses and verbal presentations are pre-recorded. How do
> we feel about this?
>
Doesn't bother me. Digitized speech is often clearer, especially
for the inexperienced user, than is synthesized speech. One
would assume that the speech has been tailored to the material
to be presented so that there are no mispronunciations, etc.
An alternative to modifying the kiosk per se would be to have
a touch-tone telephone attached to the kiosk. Picking up the
handset would automatically activate a system which would
present the material in the same manner as do our talking
newspapers in California, Michigan, New Mexico, NFB HQ, etc.
That way, kiosks would not have to be redisigned and proven
technology and techniques could be used to make the material
accessible. The system disseminating the information could
be located in a centrally-located place
off-site.
Being a curmudgeon, I am forced to wonder how log John Q. Public
will stand for these kiosks before he/she demands live assistance
again? I also wonder how well such kiosks will resist vandalism
and how robust they will be when confronted by a plethora of
ruthless users! TRIMET, the transit authority in Portland, Oregon,
has displays at some downtown bus shelters which are supposed
to display useful information such as bus schedules to bus
patrons. In my experience, very few of these displays work
consistently. I wonder if kiosks might not also be more trouble
to maintain than they're worth.
Hope these answers help.
Cordially,
-- Mike Freeman | Internet: mikef@pacifier.com GEnie: M.FREEMAN11 | Amateur Radio Callsign: K7UIJ ... Ask not for whom the <^G> tolls.
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