[laptop-accessibility] keyboard for the blind

Tue Oct 23 08:09:42 EDT 2007

Are the current single dots on F and J sufficient? That would make the
manufacturer happy. But if a few more guide dots would be helpful,
especially to young children, we should investigate.

-walter

On 10/22/07, Peter Korn <Peter.Korn at sun.com> wrote:
> Hi Walter,
>
> I believe the XO already has a single dot on the 'f' and 'j' keys, which
> is sufficient to locate the home row, and from there to use the home row
> for chording Braille text entry if that were desired.
>
> I can't imagine anyone wanting a full Braille representation on the keys
> themselves.  For one thing, it wouldn't be localizable...
>
> Regards,
>
> Peter Korn
> Accessibility Architect,
> Sun Microsystems, Inc.
>
> > We were debating whether or not it would make sense to make a version
> > of the OLPC keyboard that had raised dots for Braille. I imagine that
> > it would be relatively easy to make a new mold for the rubber membrane
> > keyboard. We'd consider it if it was useful globally--a percentage of
> > these keyboards could be included in every order. But it isn't clear
> > that would be particularly useful.
> >
> > Of course, we'd need to get the back-end support working as well.
> >
> > -walter
> >
> > On 10/22/07, Aaron Cannon <cannona at fireantproductions.com> wrote:
> >
> >> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> >> Hash: RIPEMD160
> >>
> >> Hi Manu.
> >>
> >> I just want to clarify some things.  First, when you say Braille keyboard,
> >> do you mean a regular keyboard with Braille labels on the keys, or a
> >> keyboard that will allow the user to type in Braille?
> >>
> >> I assume the latter, but would just like to make sure.
> >>
> >> There are two general types of Braille in use in the world, six-dot and
> >> eight-dot.  Most languages use six-dot Braille.  This is the type of Braille
> >> used in the English Braille Code, the new Unified English Braille code,
> >> Braille music, the Nemeth Braille code for mathematics, Spanish Braille, and
> >> many others.  An eight-dot code is also sometimes used for certain foreign
> >> languages, as well as certain types of computer Braille.  Many manufacturers
> >> of Braille keyboards simply make the 8-dot type, and the users just don't
> >> use the lower two keys.
> >>
> >> If those were the only differences, then there would be no problem.
> >> However, making a computer understand Braille requires not just getting the
> >> Braille into the computer, but also translating it to print.  This is much
> >> more complex than it may seem at first glance.  Because Braille was not
> >> designed to be read by computers, there are several ambiguities.  (There
> >> were bound to be; you have only 63 dot combinations in 6-dot Braille, and
> >> they have to represent close to a hundred different symbols.)  Fortunately,
> >> these ambiguities are quite obvious to a human.  Unfortunately, they are
> >> quite difficult for a computer.  If that weren't bad enough, many Braille
> >> codes, including English and Spanish, employ contractions.  Braille is big,
> >> and one way we reduce the size of Braille is to write in short hand.
> >> Contracted Braille in English is very well defined, but unfortunately, it is
> >> still often ambiguous to computers.
> >>
> >> There is a publication available from the National Library Service for the
> >> Blind and Physically Handicapped, a division of the Library of Congress,
> >> which gives some details about each of the formalized Braille codes in the
> >> world.  If you'd like I can dig up the title.
> >>
> >> Are you considering making the Braille keyboard a separate USB device, or
> >> replacing the existing keyboard with the Braille keyboard?  I would strongly
> >> recommend keeping it separate.  Blind people have been typing on standard
> >> keyboards for years with absolutely no problems, and many prefer doing so,
> >> my self included.
> >>
> >> However, if you are in fact planning on making a separate Braille input
> >> device, then by all means, go for it.  Just know that getting the Braille
> >> into the computer is the easy part.  Back-translation to print is what's
> >> hard.
> >>
> >> Finally, a third alternative is to simply use the standard keyboard for
> >> Braille input.  Whether or not this will work will depend on the hardware,
> >> but many blind people type Braille on a standard qwerty keyboard.  They
> >> press the f, d, s, j, k, and l keys in various combinations to make the
> >> different Braille symbols.  I've done it my self, and it seems to work ok.
> >> I think I prefer a true Braille input device for typing Braille, but I could
> >> probably get used to it.
> >>
> >> Anyway, I hope that that helps.
> >>
> >> Let me know if you have any further questions or need any clarifications.
> >>
> >> Aaron
> >>
> >>
> >> - --
> >> Skype: cannona
> >> MSN/Windows Messenger: cannona at hotmail.com (don't send email to the hotmail
> >> address.)
> >> - ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Manusheel Gupta" <manu at laptop.org>
> >> To: "Aaron Cannon" <cannona at fireantproductions.com>; <bigone at qon.lao.net>;
> >> "Peter Korn" <Peter.Korn at sun.com>
> >> Cc: "Discussion of accessibility on the OLPC"
> >> <accessibility at lists.laptop.org>; "Walter Bender" <walter at laptop.org>;
> >> "Samuel Klein" <sj at laptop.org>
> >> Sent: Monday, October 22, 2007 10:48 AM
> >> Subject: Re: [laptop-accessibility] keyboard for the blind
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>> Thanks Aaron, Peter, and Big One(Sorry! I don't know your name) for the
> >>> introduction and help.
> >>>
> >>> Me and Walter are currently working on the development of OLPC-Braille
> >>> Keyboard.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Aaron, you wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> What adaptations are you considering?
> >>>>
> >>> We are at an initial stage, and are in the process of looking for a
> >>> suitable
> >>> layout.
> >>>
> >>> The first question we are searching about, at the moment is: Is Braille
> >>> in US the same as Braille in India as Braille in China as Braille in Peru?
> >>> If so, we can sum up with a separate keyboard mold for use
> >>> everywhere--economies of scale.
> >>>
> >>> Any pointers/feedback about it will be highly appreciated.
> >>>
> >>> Regards,
> >>> Manu
> >>>
> >>> Manusheel Gupta
> >>> One Laptop Per Child Inc.
> >>> http://laptop.org
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On 10/22/07, Aaron Cannon <cannona at fireantproductions.com > wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> >>>> Hash: RIPEMD160
> >>>>
> >>>> Hi Peter.
> >>>>
> >>>> I wrote to the person leading the effort as well as CCing the list as I
> >>>> thought it would be of interest.
> >>>>
> >>>> I got the information from the weekly email update to the
> >>>> community-news at laptop.org mailing list from Walter Bender:
> >>>> "18. Keyboards: Manusheel, Sayamindu Dasgupta, Roshan Kamat, Tushar
> >>>> Sayankar, Jens Peterson, and Walter Bender have finished the layout for a
> >>>> Deva keyboard (See http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Devanagari_Keyboard ). We
> >>>> hope
> >>>> to finish the Nepali and Pashto keyboards in the coming weeks. Manu is
> >>>> leading a discussion on an OLPC keyboard for the blind. Please send your
> >>>> ideas/feedback to manu<at>laptop<dot>org)."
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Aaron
> >>>>
> >>>> - --
> >>>> Skype: cannona
> >>>> MSN/Windows Messenger: cannona at hotmail.com (don't send email to the
> >>>> hotmail
> >>>> address.)
> >>>> - ----- Original Message -----
> >>>> From: "Peter Korn" <Peter.Korn at Sun.COM>
> >>>> To: "Discussion of accessibility on the OLPC"
> >>>> <accessibility at lists.laptop.org>
> >>>> Cc: <manu at laptop.org>
> >>>> Sent: Sunday, October 21, 2007 11:09 PM
> >>>> Subject: Re: [laptop-accessibility] keyboard for the blind
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>> Hi Aaron,
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> I have been informed that you are in the process of designing a
> >>>>>>
> >>>> keyboard
> >>>>
> >>>>>> for
> >>>>>> the blind for the XO.  Being totally blind my self, and having learned
> >>>>>>
> >>>> to
> >>>>
> >>>>>> touch-type at age six, I am curious about the project.  First, why is
> >>>>>>
> >>>> it
> >>>>
> >>>>>> believed that a specialized keyboard is needed?  Is there something
> >>>>>> unique
> >>>>>> about the current XO laptop which makes it difficult to touch type
> >>>>>>
> >>>> with?
> >>>>
> >>>>>> What adaptations are you considering?
> >>>>>>
> >>>>> You have reached an e-mail discussion list, where folks interested in
> >>>>> accessibility for the OLPC/XO discuss these matters.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> I am not aware of any work going on around a specific "keyboard for the
> >>>>> blind for the XO".  However, if someone is working on that, it is a
> >>>>> reasonable guess that they might be on this e-mail list.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> From where did you hear this?
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Regards,
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Peter Korn
> >>>>> Accessibility Architect,
> >>>>> Sun Microsystems, Inc.
> >>>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>>> accessibility mailing list
> >>>>> accessibility at lists.laptop.org
> >>>>> http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/accessibility
> >>>>>
> >>>> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
> >>>> Version: GnuPG v1.4.6 (MingW32) - GPGrelay v0.959
> >>>> Comment: Key available from all major key servers.
> >>>>
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> >>>> x4D5tEq0un/QPkyIxphqRfw=
> >>>> =EvaG
> >>>> -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
> >> Version: GnuPG v1.4.6 (MingW32) - GPGrelay v0.959
> >> Comment: Key available from all major key servers.
> >>
> >> iD8DBQFHHOG6I7J99hVZuJcRA7b3AKDGOwnRJcty7EyBS313aV9xzcVW0gCgwHl+
> >> 5tHOo7MdxjlJCNEosDDSK4I=
> >> =EFlW
> >> -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
>
>

-- 
Walter Bender
One Laptop per Child
http://laptop.org