Just a related question:
How old is this child?
He clearly isn't intellectually challenged as he was using touch screen
devices before his blindness, why then should he be unable to use them now
that he is blind remembering that these devices have been extensively
devised to work for people without vision?
Why would it be necessary to restrict the controls to two or three buttons?
There are a number of devices out there which play MP3 and other sound files
designed specifically for blind users, the PlexTalk Pocket, the Humanware
Victor Reader Stream and the BookSense lines. Additionally there are several
braille display devices which play all sorts of sound files including the
various talking book formats.
Certainly they use more than two or three buttons and they must assume
normal intelligence.
I am really uncomfortable with your apparent motivation. This child is
getting older by the day while you invent a device for which there are
already far more capable alternatives available off-the-shelf.
If you are doing this for your personal satisfaction I understand that. If
you are doing this out of a belief that this child is of well below average
capability and competence then unless he is truly developmentally very
delayed then you are insuring he will be delayed below his natural level of
competence.
Everyone including little blind kids will perform to the level of
expectation. You apparently have very low expectations of this child's
capabilities. I can't help but wonder why? The usual objective of parenting
is to develop our children's increasing independence until they insist on
moving out of the family circle. Our role is not to teach them dependence
and limit them.
Your feelings, perhaps pity, your desire to be protective are all
understandable and in some sense even admirable but misguided in my opinion.
It is true that some of these devices are expensive but they are far more
versatile than what you envision. This is because blind people are far more
capable than you apparently envision. How will this child achieve what most
of the people on this list have achieved nearly each and every one of whom
are blind.
Play with your Pi all you like for your personal edification but please
don't limit this child's experience while you solve a problem which just
doesn't exist. Get him hooked up with your local talking book system so he
can choose to listen to books when ever he likes just as seeing kids can
pick up books and look at them when ever they like.
I was a very young child when my parents purchased a record player, you know
the sort with the turntable that goes round and round and where you put the
arm with a needle on it down on a disk so I could listen to talking books.
33 RPM records were new at the time and there were a few records also
produced at 16-2/3rds RPM so special record players with those speeds were
required to play the talking books that came through the mail in big square
boxes.
My mother used to enjoy doing the ironing and listening in to the stories I
would play, Treasure Island, some of those old westerns Zane Gray ...
Admittedly there were only 3 buttons, on/off volume and a tone control and
the speed selector lever but there were records to play in sequence and to
be turned over for side two.
There will be a couple left on this list who will remember that early
technology I expect. Now talking books can be accessed on-line. My daughter
is showing Kinder Garten aged children how to use both specialized devices
like the Stream and more generalized devices like iPads to do exactly that
in her roll as educator of the blind and low vision.
I have three seeing grand children all of which were using their parents
tablet computers from about age 3, actually earlier although admittedly in
rather random ways which probably wouldn't be of much interest to a blind
kid, maybe not, the one lad seemed to love some Monster Truck game or site
with the roaring trucks, perhaps a blind child would enjoy that too,
certainly little Oliver didn't understand the gaming function. Now the boys
are older they are making remarkable use of the devices and will be well
advantaged over any blind kid of similar age who has been denied access to
similar devices. There will be other kids in their group similarly
disadvantaged by economics where their families don't have such devices just
as there are kids raised in homes without written materials such as books
who are disadvantaged when they get to school but to disadvantage this child
out of some misplaced attitude or sense of pity or what ever is your
motivation is beyond acceptable.
It would be terrible if your child is denied all advantages because you
think he can't manage a device with at most three buttons. The people on
this list didn't get here by being limited to three buttons.
I hope I am missing your point and I will try not to further burden this
list with this subject. The attitude though is exactly what continues to
impede the progress of all sorts of minorities. One cannot be equal if one
is special. these are conflicting concepts. Aim for equity. Insist on
accessibility over specificity.
Dale Leavens.
Dale Leavens.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jinhui Yang" <kingway.young@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <raspberry-vi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, February 03, 2017 1:16 AM
Subject: [raspberry-vi] Re: changed subject audio player for blind son:
Hi Jacob,
This looks interesting. It can certainly be useful when Ethan is older.
For now, I think he should start with something simple. The first thing is
to train him with maybe three buttons: up, down and OK. And then go from
there. If there is existing product I'll go for it. If not, I have to
develop one myself.
Cheers,
Jinhui
On Feb 3, 2017 16:27, "Jacob Kruger" <jacob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Jinhui,
There's also an adaptation of the android platform that's a bit more
expensive, but, offers a form of screen overlay - literally a form of
rubber sheath to simplify the usage of their customised form of
interface, and, it's a brand called doro claria - idea with it is that
it both offers handset protection, but, also simplifies usage for forms
of accessibility:
https://www.doro.co.uk/doro-820-mini-claria.html
In other words, it's a pretty much standard android phone, but, it can
offer a form of interface with accessibility specifically implemented,
allowing someone to work with it without having to focus too much on the
touch screen interaction as such, but anyway.
And, yes, I tested this handset for a local service provider this side,
but, issue was pricing, etc.
Stay well
Jacob Kruger
Blind Biker
Skype: BlindZA
"Resistance is futile, but, acceptance is versatile..."
On 2017-02-03 00:15, Jinhui Yang wrote:
Hi Pranav,any
I have been browsing button products on Adafruit and some other site. But
I'm lost. There are many of them. I don't know what to choose. Is there
product you suggest? It will be great if the layout of the buttons can bewhen
adjusted, including buttons being added and removed. Maybe by using one
of
these (I don't know what they are called): https://goo.gl/images/nhwO8I.
I didn't know that battery could be an issue. I thought a portable USB
phone charger would work. The portability is less important if it's too
troublesome. The last time I touched an circuit diagram was in the middle
school. I may be able to do it if it isn't too complicated/difficult.
Cheers,
Jinhui
On Feb 3, 2017 02:31, "Pranav Lal" <pranav.lal@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi Jinhui,
I am using my pi for protyping a few ideas I have in electronics. It is
easier
to use than an arduino for instance because it has a lot of accessibility
infrastructure. To answer your questions about buttons, you use the gp/io
headers on the pi. You connect a button to it. You then need to detect
thepressing
button is pushed. This will happen when a pin is raised. This is a very
crude
explanation so I suggest you search for terms like
"raspberry pi" gp io switch
You can write a menu system in a python script to invoke the audio player
via
the command line each time a pin is raised in response to the user
aYou
switch.
The pi has a headphone jack so you can easily connect a speaker to it.
You
can
then connect an USB microphone and have a recording function.
Your biggest problem is probably going to be the battery. You will need
to
do
some battery management. Do you know how to interpret circuit diagrams?
doFoundation.
get UPS(s) for the pi so they may help but they are not particularly
portable.
Pranav
===========================================================
The raspberry-vi mailing list
Archives: //www.freelists.org/archives/raspberry-vi
Administrative contact: <mike.ray@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
-----------------------------------------------------------
Raspberry Pi and the Raspberry Pi logo are trademarks of the Raspberry Pi
Foundation.
This list is not affiliated to the Raspberry Pi Foundation and the views
and attitudes expressed by the subscribers to this list do not reflect
those of the Foundation.
Mike Ray, list creator, January 2013
===========================================================
The raspberry-vi mailing list
Archives: //www.freelists.org/archives/raspberry-vi
Administrative contact: <mike.ray@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
-----------------------------------------------------------
Raspberry Pi and the Raspberry Pi logo are trademarks of the Raspberry Pi
and attitudes expressed by the subscribers to this list do not reflect
This list is not affiliated to the Raspberry Pi Foundation and the views
those of the Foundation.
Mike Ray, list creator, January 2013
===========================================================
The raspberry-vi mailing list
Archives: //www.freelists.org/archives/raspberry-vi
Administrative contact: <mike.ray@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
-----------------------------------------------------------
Raspberry Pi and the Raspberry Pi logo are trademarks of the Raspberry Pi
Foundation.
This list is not affiliated to the Raspberry Pi Foundation and the views
and attitudes expressed by the subscribers to this list do not reflect
those of the Foundation.
Mike Ray, list creator, January 2013
===========================================================
The raspberry-vi mailing list
Archives: //www.freelists.org/archives/raspberry-vi
Administrative contact: <mike.ray@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
-----------------------------------------------------------
Raspberry Pi and the Raspberry Pi logo are trademarks of the Raspberry Pi
Foundation.
This list is not affiliated to the Raspberry Pi Foundation and the views
and attitudes expressed by the subscribers to this list do not reflect
those of the Foundation.
Mike Ray, list creator, January 2013
