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What is Screen Reading Software?
Product Range Overview
About Dolphin
About GW Micro
Dolphin Supernova Reader/Magnifier
Dolphin Hal
Dolphin Pocket Hal
GW Micro Window Eyes
Two leading publishers of screen reading software for use by people who are blind are; the UK based Dolphin Computer Access and the US company GW Micro, established in 1986 and 1990 respectively.
In the early 1980s, Doug Geoffray, a young PC programmer, and Dan Weirich, an electronics engineer, were working for Computer Aids Corporation. After Computer Aids Corporation shut down in 1990, Geoffray and Weirich founded GW Micro, primarily to complete the development of Vocal Eyes, which went on to become the most popular DOS based screen readers in the history of assistive technology.
Dolphin is shaping the industry with innovations such as; "Supernova", the world's only combined magnification, speech and Braille solution, the "Dolphin Pen", a mobile screen access solution on a 6 cm by 2 cm USB flash drive which permits one to use any available PC without the need to first install screen access software, and "Pocket Hal", a full screen reader compatible with PDAs running Windows Mobile 2003 Pocket PC 2003 or Windows Mobile 2003 Phone Edition.
The unique integrated screen access solution, Dolphin's Supernova Reader/Magnifier, includes a full screen magnifier for low vision users and a full featured screen reader for people who are blind. Supernova is thus ideal for situations where the degree of visual impairment of the employee or student varies. This means that a PC installed with Supernova will cater for blind users who use speech output only, for blind persons who use Braille output only, for those blind users who like to use both speech and Braille output, and for partially sighted persons who use screen magnification, and in some cases both screen magnification and speech (Speech reinforcement is often used by partially sighted folk when their eyes become fatigued). For the system administrator, having a single combined package such as Supernova avoids compatibility and stability issues as the speech output, Braille output and screen magnification components of the software are all contained in one executable program.
Supernova and Hal work with most popular applications "out of the box", non standard applications which do not work perfectly, can however usually be "mapped" (or “scripted” configured). Map files are continually being created and updated by Dolphin and by users who know the mapping code. Map files are posted to the Dolphin website for free download.
The Dolphin Pen is essentially a small USB memory stick onto which Supernova or Hal has been installed. As the software is run from the Pen it doesn't have to be installed onto the PC. As the Pen measures only 7 by 2 cm, it can be carry in a handbag or pocket. The individual user's settings, which are saved on the Pen, are automatically applied to the system. As soon as the Dolphin Pen is permanently removed, the software ceases to run and the PC is ready for another user.
Since the launch of Window Eyes in 1995 GW Micro has listened carefully to screen reader users and incorporated many of their suggestions into Window Eyes. The result is a wide variety of popular speech features and the flexibility needed for running many of today's most advanced Windows applications. GW Micro prides itself in Window Eye’s "rock solid" stability and strives to offer a screen reader that is adaptable to one's specific needs and likes, and yet work automatically enough for one to focus attention on application programs, not so much on operating the screen reader. With the recent introduction of a scripting capability, Window-Eyes like Dolphin Supernova and Hal, can now be customised to work flawlessly with proprietary applications such as PBX systems and call-centre terminals.
Although Window-Eyes now has a scripting capability, GW Micro continues to adhere to a philosophy that a screen reader should work "out of the box" without the need for a long learning curve. With Window Eyes therefore there's no real need to learn the scripting language in order to use most popular non Microsoft products. This is because GW Micro take great care to perfectly configure their screen reader in house to work with a wide variety of such “third-party” applications and make these configuration files free to download by those who require them.
Dolphin Computer Access has been creating software solutions for people with visual and print impairments since 1986. The company's leading edge multi-lingual products have enabled thousands of customers to enjoy the same level of independence as their peers. Dolphin exports to more than thirty countries throughout the world, with offices in the UK, US and Sweden. Dolphin employs over 60 people worldwide to create and deliver the widest variety of software products for people with print and visual impairments. It is a privately owned company and over one third of their annual gross revenue is re invested into design and development.
Dolphin's roots are in assistive technology and they are proud to have developed one of the first commercial screen readers, "Hal", named after the talking PC on board the space ship in the movie "2001 A Space Odyssey". Developed for Hal was the "Mimic", followed by the Apollo, Jupiter and Juno series of hardware speech synthesizers (many of which are still in daily use in South Africa).
In more recent years Dolphin have helped to shape the industry with innovations such as:
• Supernova the world's only combined magnification, speech and Braille solution.
• the "Dolphin Pen" a mobile screen access solution on a 7 by 2 cm USB flash drive which permits one to use any available PC without the need to first install screen access software.
• Pocket Hal a full screen reader compatible with PDAs running Windows Mobile 2003 Pocket PC 2003 or Windows Mobile 2003 Phone Edition.
Pocket Hal provides full access to Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, Pocket Outlook and Pocket Internet Explorer, as well as many other applications including MSN and phone services. For the first time Blind users have a real low cost alternative to traditional dedicated portable Braille devices. There is a rapidly growing trend for mobile phone technology to merge with that of the PDA, producing what is being called the Smart Phone. As this technology becomes the norm, Dolphin will be well placed to offer full access to it for its customers using Pocket Hal.
Research has shown that in addition to problems with print, people with dyslexia tend to have short term memory problems. Because of this, Dolphin's reading and writing tools have been designed to have easy to use interfaces.
Dolphin's altformat solutions allow employers and educators to comply with international disability legislation and make provision for vision and print impaired stakeholders including staff and customers. They has created an exciting range of tools to allow people with vision and print impairments, their employers, educators and family to convert standard print into alternative formats such as MP3 audio and DAISY (Digital Accessible Information Systems) output. Standard print can be re rendered into MP3 audio or DAISY text and audio output in a couple of button presses.
Dolphin has been at the core of DAISY (Digital Accessible Information Systems) development since the DAISY standard was conceived back in 1996. They developed the first software to make DAISY a reality. Since then their tools, which include production systems to create DAISY books and reading tools to play them back, are leading the way to new frontiers of accessibility for anyone who is either visually or print impaired.
"Microsoft is committed to working closely with leading accessibility aid developers like Dolphin Computer Access to improve screen access for people with visual disabilities." Ellen Mosner, Accessibility Product Manager, Accessible Technology Group, Microsoft Corporation
"Dolphin are enabling visually impaired people to succeed through the changing needs of education and employment. They're able to offer compatible products for magnification, speech and Braille users on all of the major Microsoft operating systems, making it much easier for employers, schools and universities to provide an accessible IT system which caters for different needs." Richard Orme, Head of Technology in Learning and Employment, Royal National Institute for the Blind.
While still a high school student in the early 1980's, Doug Geoffray worked for Bill Grimm at Computer Aids Corporation, where he helped develop some of the earliest dedicated talking software products for people who are blind. These included programs such as Word Talk, File Talk, and Calc Talk. Also working for Grimm was Dan Weirich, who produced the Sounding Board ISA internal speech synthesizer and later the SpeakOut external speech synthesizer. After Grimm shut down Computer Aids Corporation in 1990, Geoffray and Weirich founded GW Micro to complete the development of Vocal Eyes, which Doug had begun writing in 1988. Vocal Eyes was and remains one of the most popular DOS based screen readers in the history of assistive technology. Combined with the power of the Sounding Board and SpeakOut, Vocal Eyes made a formidable marketing package.
In light of the emergence in 1992 of Windows screen readers such as Slimware's Windows Bridge, it became clear to Geoffray and Weirich that if they were to remain competitive, they would need to develop a Windows screen reader. It took three years to complete, but in 1995 Window Eyes was born. Since those early years GW Micro has listened carefully to screen reader users and incorporated many of their suggestions into Window Eyes. The result is a wide variety of speech features and the flexibility needed for running many of today's most advanced Windows applications.
GW Micro strive to to have a screen reader that is adaptable to one's specific needs and likes, and yet work automatically enough for one to focus attention on application programs, not so much on operating the screen reader. Like Dolphin Computer Access, GW Micro adhere to a philosophy that a screen reader should work "out of the box" without the need for a long learning curve. Furthermore, with Window Eyes there's no need to learn a complicated scripting language in order to use various non Microsoft products. This is because GW Micro take great care to perfectly configure their screen reader in house to work with a wide variety of so called third party programs and make these configuration files free to download by those who require them.
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