[optacon-l] Re: The Optacon User List Activities
- From: "Janet Wallans" <janetcw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 09:20:59 -0600
Hi Catherine,
First, I would like to compliment you on the wonderful work you are doing
with this list.
You mentioned a tip sheet on signing documents. I do use the Optacon for
that, but would be interested in seeing if there are other ways for
improving my technique. So, if you would please send that information, I
would appreciate it.
Thank you.
Janet Wallans
----- Original Message -----
From: "Catherine Thomas" <braille@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 3:11 AM
Subject: [optacon-l] The Optacon User List Activities
> Hi, Everyone,
> Judy and the other new members of the Optacon User list might be pleased
> to know that the Optacon is still very much alive and well. Beginning in
> April of 2006 the Optacon User list launched its own Optacon preservation
> project. These are the things which we have accomplished so far. If I
> leave out anything I hope other members will fill in the gaps.
>
> We Optacon users launched a campaign to let everyone know that Optacons
> could still be repaired. There are authorized repairers in the U.S.,
> England, Canada, and Australia. We also asked for dead or non-working
> Optacons which we called corpses to be used for parts or, if possible to
> be repaired and returned to the hands of active users. As a result of our
> efforts quite a few people who thought they would never use Optacon again
> have been reunited with their machines or with new, actually
> re-conditioned machines, both Optacon r series and Optacon II's.
>
> Oehm Electronics in San Jose California, one of our authorized repairers,
> fabricated a new retina calbe which can be substituted for those cables
> badly broken or damaged.
>
> The Optacon Users prepared a survey which was revised to add a couple of
> extra questions. The object was to find out just what current Optacon
> users were doing with their Optacons. The five most common uses of the
> Optacon are: reading mail, signing checks and other legal correspondence,
> verification that labels and other printed material had lined up
> correctly, reading of private documents, and used in conjunction with a
> scanner to determine what and where to scan. There are other common uses
> but these recurred the most in the surveys. We have close to 200 surveys
> at this time. We are expecting more.
>
> We also wanted to isolate those uses of the Optacon that are uniques and
> have never been replicated by any other device. Among the unique uses that
> have been described in detail by list members or takers of our survey are:
> reading of print music; reading documents that are written in more than
> one language, reading the surfaces of appliances to find out which buttons
> do what; reading schematics and diagrams; using fat books such as phone
> books or dictionaries or large computer manuals; reading bottles, cans,
> jars, prescription information; Etc.
>
> Some of our members have placed articles in various braille magazines to
> let people know that Optacons can still be repaired and that we are also
> looking for them. Each time an article has appeared, we have gotten a
> burst of emails.
>
> Two of our list members have worked hard to supply as much of the original
> Optacon documentation as possible electronically. If anyone needs the
> manuals for any of the Optacon units or for the CRT lens they have only to
> ask. Also, on the Freedom Scientific web site, apparently the current
> owners of the TeleSensory rights, one of our list members arranged for the
> original training manual to be placed there as a .pdf file. We explain to
> anyone interested that this document is meant to be printed out before
> use.
>
> In addition to all of this, we are working to possibly re-develop the
> Optacon at a future time. There have been several efforts made in this
> direction but most of them have been glorified scanners. The object of any
> device developed by our users would be a device that retains the Optacon's
> biggest advantage which is the ability to see uninterpreted print in real
> time. Two examples for instance are the ability of the Optacon to know
> that information did in fact fit on a label and did not accidentally land
> partially on another label or, the ability of the Optacon to show what
> sort of margins a document has. This can be very handy if pages need to be
> photocopied.
>
> We have the talent right here on this list to design a new Optacon that
> might be able to read let's say the displays on CD and DVD players or the
> menus on cell phones or TV screens. We are in search of certain schematics
> and some source code which is among the missing. Those on our list who are
> engineers woule really love to have these things, particularly those
> relating to the software which turned the Optacon II into a screen-reader.
>
> Ww have accomplished these things without spending a dime. That in itself
> is praiseworthy. Eventually of course, to develop a new Optacon, even a
> prototype, we will need money. For now we continue to collect data which
> will support our search for funds when the time comes. One of the
> interesting issues whcih keeps coming up is the mention by people who are
> not Optacon users that they wish they had been.
>
> We do have several list members who are new Optacon users. Every so often
> they let us know how they are doing. Many on the list have been more than
> willing to partner with a new user to help get them started.
>
> If any list member wants to read some of the itneresting stories posted to
> this list over the years, visit the list archives. Perhaps someone can
> once again post the address of the archives. I never have it when I need
> it.
>
> In summary, the Optacon is alive and well. Currently, due to donated
> units, our repairers have enough Optacons for anybody who wants one.
> However, our search goes on for more broken units or stashes of parts. So,
> once again we urge all list members to dig trough those agency closets and
> storerooms and to speak to anyone you ever knew who used an Optacon or
> might have had a friend who did.
>
> Our list moderator can confirm this for sure but I believe that since we
> began our initiative in 2006 the Optacon list membership must have
> doubled.
>
> Optacon lenses and accessories have also been bought and sold on this
> list. If anyone has a CRT lens, typewriter lens, calculator lens, small
> print lens, etc. that they no longer use, someboedy else will be
> delighted.
>
> Lastly, we also have complied a few tip sheets to help Optacon users.
> These are composed of suggestions that users have made on how to perform
> certain tasks. We have a tip sheet on signing documents, and another on
> using the Optacon to help with scanning. We also have a wish list which
> mentions many of the fetaures that we might like in a new Optacon. If
> anyone would like any of these or a copy of the survey, please write to me
> privately.
>
> Speaking of surveys, we also tried to find out how people who don't use
> Optacons manage certain tasks. We didn't pursue this very far but the
> replies we got to the urvey we created were very enlightening.
>
> There is most definitely still a need for an Optacon. We have met with
> great success in our efferts to preserve it and, we hope with the aid of
> our group of engineers and instructors and trainers as well as our users
> to develop a device that will be very useful to the next generation.
>
> Please feel free to add anything I left out.
>
> Catherine
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
> -Catherine Thomas
> braille@xxxxxxxxx /
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
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