Supporting inhouse developments and offtheshelf software, blazie provides services for software assessment, development, and developer support to help make your applications accessible to users with disabilities. Popular examples of screen access programs that support the braille n speak include asap, jaws, and vocaleyes. Connecting the blazer to your computer the blazer works with an ibm pccompatible or apple computer, a braille n speak, braille lite, or type n speak. David goldfield product accessibilityuser acceptance. Bns will be used through out this document to represent any of the devices. Eventually, both blazie staff and some talented users began releasing software for it including games, braille translators, a macro editor, two terminal programs and other utilities. Some synthesizers and speech access programs are linked and sold as a. Also supports standard speech synthesizers and a regular keyboard. Brailleterm or vterm software telecommunication software for the bns from blazie engineering. Sites of interest to blind and visually impaired people. Windows master blazie engineering uses braille n speak for both input and output. Over the last 22 years, i have had the opportunity to experience many different notetaking devices ranging from the braille n speak from blazie engineering to the braillenote and braillesense.
You can use software that supports the powerbraille to have it automatically move. The next generation laboratory interface for students with. Other products, such as type n speak, offer the standard qwerty keyboard for text inputting rather than braille. In the case of a parallel printer, you will need the serialto parallel cable available from blazie engineering. Note that the b key is missing from the keyboard, but the button beneath it is still working properly. Braille users may choose the braille lite 2000 blazie engineering which is a very small notetaker which uses a braille keyboard, refreshable braille display, and speech output. This device is the same as the braille n speak 640 except that it has a regular computerstyle keyboard instead of a braille keyboard. Blazie engineering makers of braille n speak, type n speak, braille blazer, screen reading software and more.
A bit of notetaker history may be instructive at this point in our discussion. Others have builtin refreshable braille displays for monitoring and editing in braille as well. Most screen access programs have a driver for the braille n speak. Even the braille n speak loses quite a bit of quality as you speed up. Sign up text to speak and synthesis app using the web speech api. I have used them for both work and leisure activities. Winvision artic technologies requires artic synphonix 215 speech card or transport external synthesizer and artic business vision speech access software. My restored blazie type n speak echoing the nato phonetic alphabet.
The braille n speak is equipped to run additional software for added capabilities. Headquartered in forest hill, maryland, blazie engineering is best known for its awardwinning braille n speak. This document provides basic information on how to the blazie engineering family of notetakers to use email or connect to the internet. Their output may be in synthesized speech, in refreshable braille, or in both. May 03, 2016 it also had the ability to run external software.
It is critical to him, holding information that isnt backed up anywhere else all of his contacts, calendar appts, sermons hes written and other priceless text. In this exclusive audio interview, we talk to blazie about his career and some history of blazie engineering, as well as his involvement in a project which may yield a forthcoming affordable notetaker. It can run as a command line program to speak text from a file or from stdin. This family of portable electronic note takers allow blind students to independently take written notes in class or on the go. So you should be able to direct your screen access program to work with the blazer.
The measurements also fit the mobile category with the largest one having the. If you are using a braille n speak or other notetaking device, or a second. Other blind students may prefer the type n speak 2000 blazie engineering which uses the standard qwerty keyboard with speech output. Speak to us today about our development services to help make your software applications accessible. Powerbraille 406580 user manual freedom scientific.
For nearly seven years, i provided technical support for blazie engineering, which was one of the great leaders in this industry, known for breakthrough products such as the braille n speak. Since their introduction over a dozen years ago, the braille n speak and braille lite, both products from blazie engineering, have enjoyed the lions share of the notetaker market. These devices fall into two camps, one of which uses a proprietary operating system and application software, like the braille n speak, and one that is based on a standard operating system and application software, like the myna. The other din port connects the type n speak to the blazie engineering portable external disk drive. Speech turns people with disabilities into technological leaders.
In 1992, blazie released the type n speak, a bns type device with a wonderful qwerty keyboard. A speech server for emacspeak and yasr or other screen readers that allows. What has that purchase meant to blazie engineering. My friend is a visually impaired senior citizen who relies heavily on a note taking device called a braille and speak 2000. Speech access technology education development center. In 1987, deane blazie introduced his now ubiquitous notetaker, the braillen speak.
Some of these devices, such as the blazie engineering type n speak 2000 offer the three options whereas others offer just one type of input. If you want to use freedom scientifics own braille n speak with the blazers serial port, use the special serial cable that comes with the braille n speak to connect to the blazers serial port. I guess the next stage for you then was to form blazie engineering. Sites of interest to blind and visually impaired people dave mielke. Jan 28, 2010 deane blazie was a recipient of the 2010 migel medal, for his work on the brraille n speak and his contributions to the assistive technology field. The company got its start in 1987 when it introduced the braille n speak at the national federation of the blind convention, and has since become the leading manufacturer of notetakers for the blind. Braille jymico production of graphics using raised contours and musical texts in braille. If the printer you want to use is a parallel printer, the cable and interface kit alone will not be enough. From within braille n speak you can set line and page length, left and top margin values. Blazer, braille lite, braille n speak, power braille, type lite, type n. Braille only users, users preferring to type, users preferring to braille. Braille blazer blazie engineering model bb11 portable. Blazie engineering tns1 type n speak educational development keyboard system there are some marks and wear on the keyboard from general use.
A highlight of the opening of the states technology showcase was the exhibit of computer software and devices for the blind. Type n speak is a standalone word processor with voice output, which features a standard qwerty keyboard. Freedom scientific braille blazer owners manual pdf download. Braille lite blazie engineering personal data assistant with speech output and a refreshable braille display. Chris turns on a type lite so you can hear what it sounds like. This is why you need to learn how to talk to developers. This app uses the web speech api which is experimental and may not fully work in some versions of certain browsers. If you want to use freedom scientifics type n speak 2000. The powerbraille refreshable braille display users guide blazie. Blazie engineering announces the immediate availability of a one handed keyboard option for the braille n speak. This remarkable device, which is the size of a videocassette and looks like little more than a box with seven keys, made it possible for visually impaired users to store up to 30 files of notes, keep a calendar and phone directory, check the time and date, and have quick access to a calculator and stopwatch.
Celebrating a major milestone25 years of service in the. That early version, now referred to as the classic braillen speak, weighed in at 2. Both included simple word processing, a calendar, a clock, and a calculator. The cable which comes with your unit often can be used alone or in.
Blazie engineering has cables which connect braille n speak to many of the printers in common use. Mar 28, 20 this is why you need to learn how to talk to developers. This option allows the braille n speak pocket computer to be operated by persons who lack the full use of all fingers or hands. By pressing as few as one key at a time the braille n speak can be used to its full extent. The dro also has power braille 40 refreshable braille display unit, braillenspeak notetakers, type nspeak notetakers, and a blazie engineering braille blazer portable embosser available for checkout for student or departmental use. Braille blazer blazie engineering model bb11 portable printer embosser speech synthesizer. All these devices can be considered mobile with their weight varying between 200g and 400g. This interface, although far more cost effective, was difficult to replicate due to customization needed in pin configurations on connector cables between laboratory equipment and. Blazie engineering is the leading designer of portable, note taking. Blazie assistive technology services blazie engineering. Since 1999, blazie has provided assistive technology consultation, software, and training for a variety of business sectors across the uk and ireland.
Type n speak 2000 blazie engineering recently introduced type n speak 2000, an enhanced talking notetaker for blind and visuallyimpaired people. Creaters of mega dots braille transcriber aanscriber and word processor for the blind. You could make it talk very quickly, without losing quality, which was one nice thing. Nov 04, 2018 in addition to producing products such as the braille n speak and braille lite, blazie engineering was also a distributor of many thirdparty products, such as screen readers and speech synthesizers, and the company had been selling jaws for dos when i first began working there. Although our interfacing experience only extends to the braille n speak, other blazie engineering products, namely the type n speak and the braille lite, which are capable of 2way rs. Blazie engineering limited officers free information from. Blazie engineering provider of braille n speak, braille lite, and the braille blazer. The dro uses duxbury translation software to emboss course materials into braille. If you have any questions or comments, please give us a call or send us an email and well contact you as soon as possible.
Remembering the type lite and other blazie engineering hardware chris and kim remember the type lite and share some experiences with early assistive technology. The braille n speak has long been used by blind students and professionals as a notetaking device, and more currently, as a speech synthesizer for a computer. For 15 years, blazie engineerings braille n speakwith a braille keyboard and speech output, joined later by its braille lite identical with the addition of a braille displaydominated the adapted notetaker market. Each machine has its own distinct advantages and disadvantages. Blazie engineering limited free company information from companies house including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity. The software helps the bns connect with the modem and interact with internet services. The braille lite, type n speak, and most computers let you print or braille through a parallel connection, so the blazer comes from the factory with the parallel port activated and the. Remembering the type lite and other blazie engineering. If you want to use freedom scientifics type n speak 2000, braille lite 18, braille lite 40, or braille lite 2000 models.
Blazie engineering is an information technology and services company based out of 105 e jarrettsville rd, forest hill, maryland, united states. Blazie engineering, braille n speak type n speak this family of portable electronic note takers allow blind students to independently take written notes in class or on the go. Blazie engineerings braille n speak is a pocket talking computer with. The blazie notetakers include braille n speak, type n speak, and braille lite. Its voice replaces a computer screen for anyone who has trouble reading print.
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