Text to speech (in MP3 format)

Techlearning blog has an article on a site that apparently uses text to speech software that allows you to upload a document and it will give it back to you in an audio file that you can download and put on an MP3 player or ipod. Documents can be in a variety of formats including Word, pdf or html.

ReadtheWords.com is a free site and can read English as well as Spanish and french (though you must choose the reader that is "fluent" in that language.) There are 15 computerized voices to choose from. The English voices include US English, UK English and Nina, "US Female/ Indian Accent". At first listen, the voices are amazingly clear, and have a greater variety than the straight speech to text software available. For a list of free versions of text to speech software, visit the MaineVRC site.

This site could be a great tool for users with learning disabilities, allowing them to convert materials to audio versions for use on the fly. Though available in some commercial products, the ability to convert text to audio files for download (or stream from the site) is boosted by the fact that its web based and FREE.

(In the interest of full disclosure, the article does reference the http:\\MaineVRC.googlepages.com site affiliated with this blog, though did not impact the opinions of this author. )

Disaboom and Barack

CNN Money has an article on how Barak Obama has a profile on Disaboom, "premier resource and on line community for people living with or touched by disability." His profile notes that he has been a member since March 11, 2008.
The article notes that the profile has

"position statements, his record on disability issues, a blog detailing both campaign events and key statements, video messaging from Obama, and opportunities for Disaboom community members to ask questions of the candidate and participate in political forums."

Reviewing the blog entries, they appear to be largely press releases, and testimonials. I clicked through from his profile page on the Disabilities link and was taken to his campaign site on a section regarding disabilities. The featured video, though it says its captioned by Project Read On, there was no captioning and nothing to turn it on, nor is there a transcript. To be fair, the video channel on his site, Barack TV does have a captioning link on the right site, which allows the user to view the video in a pop up window with captioning. I was unable to find the disability video on Barack TV though.
A bit of equal time here, Hillary Clinton's site has 144 videos, of which 34 are captioned, and she uses the same Project Read on for her captioning. However, it is through a pop up reader, which is not in time with the video unless they're started at the same time.
And John McCain? Well, his site has many videos and no indication whether they're captioned (though that's not to say they're not though, but I couldn't find one that was.) On a hunch, I thought I'd check out Project Read On since his Democratic contenders are using them for captioning, but no luck.

Though not where I intended to take this post, this quick swing of the candidates sites has been interesting. Look for yourself, and see what your candidate has to say.
I have e-mailed all three campaigns regarding the captioning (or lack of it), and will keep you posted regarding the results.

Student design at Univ. of Illinois

An industrial design class at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign takes on rehabilitation engineering. Students were required to put their design skills to work to design items for their fellow students, with some positive results. <Link to Article>

I always cringe when I hear about a "disability awareness day" on a college campus or employer which has people use a wheelchair or blindfold to allow people to know what it's like to be disabled. While awareness is great, this approach likely creates more sympathy and "awareness" how difficult it must be for these poor unfortunate disabled people.
I love this project for the prime reason that it gets students to look at how to make the individual more independent, and empowered. It demands that they create solutions, rather than stopping at awareness.

New accessible technology bill on the horizon

CNET reports that there's a bill being proposed that would require greater accessibility of newer technologies, such as voice over internet protocol (VOIP) such as Skype. It also looks to require mobile devices which show video to have the ability to show captions, much like TV sets do.

Accessibility in new technolgies is definitely an area which is in need of attention. Legislation is a piece of this, however, given that the web is world wide, the legislation would impact only devices sold in the US and sites originating in the US. Consumer forces are what's driving the changes on the web, and as businesses find different models for making money through the web, accessibility can and will play a part.

As an aside, with Google's purchase of YouTube, I would love to see them put their "Do no evil" mantra to work and start making YouTube more accessible with captioning.

Psych Fun

Psychoanalyist fingerpuppets get Sigmund Freud, Anna Freud and Jung (and a finger couch) for $20 via Uncommon Goods
Also Available are Freudian Slippers (get it?)

Over at the Unemployed Philosophers guild, you can get a Freud Watch, Wind up Freud, Freudian Sip (now, did you get it?),
I'm a sucker for psych stuff (I have a Freud action figure on my desk, thanks Dad).

Anyhow, if you're not a fan of the old boy, then perhaps Archie McPhee is more your taste. Archie's is the only place I know where you can get Inflatable Toast, Gummie Haggis, and a Corn Dog air freshener and have categories like Bacon.

I hope you find something for the whole family.

Disability in Print

Great article about english professor, Georgina Kleege. But more than an article about an accomplished woman who is blind, Georgina (and the article) challenge the notion of disability memoirs.
It notes that in her lectures, Georgina poses the question

"Do autobiographies written by people with disabilities demystify disability and offer a valuable view into lives at the margins of culture, or are these memoirs merely another form of freak-show, helping to reinforce the notion that disability is a tragedy to be heroically overcome?"

Citing Temple Grandin's Thinking In Pictures and Hellen Keller's World I live in, "While both of these books do provide glimpses into the lives of extraordinary disabled people, they’re also myth-making — perpetuating the notion that successful disabled people are somehow superhuman in their achievements. "

She found that memoirs about blindness either "There were the blind whiners … On the other extreme were the blind mystics, who kept alive the ancient myth of compensatory powers.”

She has written two books about her own blindness, reportedly challenging and shattering myths and stereotypes about blindness and disability ; Sight Unseen and Blind Rage. The latter a work of creative nonfiction that "engages the ghost of Keller in a fictional conversation about the nature of blindness and coping with disability"
While I have yet to read either book, they are on my list. It is a discussion that needs to happen more.

Red Sox Stats Man

In case you missed it, 60 Minutes had a great piece on the Red Sox statistician, Bill James. He approaches baseball stats like no other, and has been partially credited with helping the Sox win their two World Series (as well as trading Johnny Demon;).

Q & A on the Freakonomics blog with Bill James