Hello from Halifax on this cold, cold day.
Today I had the pleasure of observing a 6-year old use this game for the very first time. Sierra, who can be quite tempermental", does not always enjoy new things. However, the smiles and giggles while being helped through her first game of Snakes and Ladders were memorable and infectious. She helped count the spaces, loved the auditory feedback, worked on taking turns and even activated the dice roll independently towards the end of her playing time. What a wonderful opportunity this game will provide for peer interaction as her classmates will line-up to play it with her. Finally, her itinerant teacher of the visually impaired credits the TTT and the SAL2 software with Sierra's newly developed awareness of braille and her willingness to track a line of braille characters to receive the auditory feedback and praise.
Many thanks for this new game.
Eva

Eva McFadden
APSEA Assistive Technology Consultant
5940 South St.,
Halifax Nova Scotia

Greetings colleagues,

The students and instructors of the Kaizen Program have been privileged to try out the Talking Tactile Tablet prototype of the Touch Graphics talking book version of Touch The Sun.

Before summarizing our experience I want to remind people of Steven Landau's description of the TTT version of Touch The Sun, which was posted on the list on Thursday, March 16, 2006 7:27 AM. I don't think I can describe it with as much accuracy and detail, so I will restate Steve's description
here:

"It is an Illustrated Digital Talking Book, based on Noreen Grice's Touch the Sun. It uses the same images that were in Noreen's book, but rather than read the text in Braille, you place a tactile overlay sheet on a TTT and then navigate through the text by pressing the right and left arrows to go forward or back. Like in DAISY books, you can also press the up and down arrows to change the navigation level (the increments you move when you press the right or left arrow), which can be set to chapter, paragraph, sentence, word or letter. When you want to explore the pictures, you do that by touching lightly, then pressing down on any part you want to hear audio description for. You can also hook up a Braille display to the computer, if you prefer to read the text that way."

We received the Touch The Sun TTT program last week, and my partner, Robby Barnes, installed it without any difficulty.

Then, before introducing it to our students, both of us tried it out. Robby is partially sighted and I am totally blind, and we both found it easy to use. It needs some rough spots ironed out to make it operate more smoothly and with fewer little errors, but it is very accessible.

Then I used it with three of my adult new English learners who have been reading the book in braille with me and enjoying the tactile graphics. They also participated in Noreen's prototypical science lessons with similar tactile graphics, but slightly different interactive activities involved.

My students are now very enthusiastic about the whole experience, including especially the TTT part! One man in his fifties, who did not learn to read and write in braille or in any format until he came to this country ten years ago, is now so enthusiastic about reading the book that he wants to get it himself. This is the first book that has made him truly excited about reading! So, I am thrilled.

All of the students enjoyed having access to the same material that fully sighted people have. They all are more and more interested in learning about science topics as part of learning English. And, the TTT version of Touch The Sun makes it very easy for them to feel fully supported in exploring the tactile graphics on their own, going over and over them.

So, thank you! thank you! all at Touch Graphics for producing and sharing this material.

Sincerely,

Sylvie

Sylvie Kashdan, M.A.
Instructor/Curriculum Coordinator
KAIZEN PROGRAM for New English Learners with Visual Limitations 810-A Hiawatha Place South Seattle, WA 98144, U.S.A.

Touch Graphics,

I used the original SAL system extensively with a Kindergarten student and it was wonderful. He loved the instant feedback and independence. For me, as the teacher, I could really tell how his braille skills were progressing. I often used the Tactual Development Program and then reinforced the lesson using SAL. This worked so well! I also have quite a bit of experience with the new version, called SAL2, which runs on the Talking Tactile Tablet. I think one of the best things is that it is a very stable unit. It is extremely easy to use and it is very reliable. The SAL2 courseware is exactly the same as it was on SAL. The student record keeping that comes with SAL2 is wonderful. You can easily see what pages the student completed, what their score was and their time.

Stepanie Herlich
Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Castro Valley Unified School District (California)

A student using the Picture Viewer!

Touch Graphics,

Today I cannot even imagine making a tactile diagram without audio labels. The TTT has simplified the labeling process. The scale of the diagram is no longer dependent on incorporating Braille abbreviations. There is no need for extension lines to label small areas thus confusing the original design. With the TTT, layers of information for each diagramed object can convey a wealth of information. Adapting my file of existing tactile diagrams to the TTT means simply to tape them to a template, use the authoring tool to outline regions, lines, and points, then type in audio labels as prompted for each defined object.

How easy is this product to use? Consider this. The same day that the TTT arrived, I unpacked it, literally flipped through the manual, plugged the TTT into the USB port of the computer, and installed the software. The next day I contacted tech support to correct a hardware problem that was easily fixed. I played with one of the sample tactile diagrams given. The software guided me through the process. I celebrated its usefulness by showing colleagues. Taking a closer look at the manual, I made a quick study of the menu layout on page 9 of the manual. The glossary was most helpful in identifying the capabilities of the TTT at a glance. I am a big picture whole concept kind of a person who learns by experimentation rather than following a step-by-step process outlined in a manual. So with much confidence and a high degree of expectation I grabbed a tactile diagram from my files, taped it onto a template and followed the prompts of the software. A simple pressure trace of already drawn lines on my tactile diagram produced a colorful diagram on the computer monitor. The enjoyment of this process could be likened to finger painting in kindergarten. I typed each audio label when prompted to do so. Immediately after saving the file, I put it to the test and used the picture viewer software. Success! … I felt like a genius. Fellow teachers and students were amazed.

Educationally the TTT is a valuable concept development tool. Before the TTT, students associated places with the extent of the Braille label e.g. North America is equal to the label “North America”. With the TTT, students realize that North America is a region. Touching anywhere within that region broadcasts the audio label “North America”. Independently, they begin to explore the extent within raised boundary lines. In the same way the concept of the continuity of rivers flowing into seas is conveyed much better using the TTT.

Thanks,
Sister M. Elaine George, IHM
Teacher of the Blind/ Visually Impaired
St. Lucy Day School for Children with Visual Impairment
Upper Darby, PA

A young student of Mrs. Bedolla using the Picture Viewer!

Touch Graphics,

I was amazed at how quickly and easily I was able to create an overlay for the TTT. It's exciting to think that a student could potentially explore new tactile materials independently and receive the same amount of information that they would with a sighted person sitting next to them explaining everything. What an awesome experience for a blind learner to be able to initiate active learning instead of being a recipiant of what a sighted person is willing to share. With the TTT, the student who is blind is able to really take control of what he/she is learning! Overall, an amazing product that is easy for both teachers and students to use!

Thanks,
Erica (Ziegler) Bedolla
Teacher of the Blind/ Visually Impaired
Crofton Elementary School
Crofton, MD

Authoring Tool Wisconsin map

Touch Graphics,

Thought I'd share an image of the latest project we used the TTT for. This was part of a geography unit where the students had to identify major rivers, a lake, and key cities in the state. Cardinal directions where important (i.e. which state is located west of Wisconsin?).

Everyone Participated in recording the labels, which made the activity seem less like work (learning) and more like fun. Both of my students were featured in a local school district TV program called "Kids First", including a clip of them accessing the TTT.

Thanks again for including us in this project.

Diane Noblitt
Teacher of the Blind/ Visually Impaired
Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist
LaCrosse, WI

Touch Graphics,

We found the Talking Tactile Tablet to be a very helpful teaching tool for beginning braille learners. All of the students found the overlay stimulating and a definite positive motivation to explore and become familiar with the new reading material in braille. For all four of them, both the two blind students and the two students with low vision, the availability of the audio feature helped reduce the frustration often experienced by new braille learners when first encountering new materials. It also enabled all of the students to engage in more independent braille reading and English learning practice than they would have if the audio feature were not available.

Sincerely,

Sylvie Kashdan, M.A.
Instructor/Curriculum Coordinator
and
Robby Barnes, M.A.Ed.
Instructor/Program Director
KAIZEN PROGRAM for New English Learners with Visual Limitations
Seattle, WA, U.S.A.

Morten using the TTT!

Touch Graphics,

Finally I have the world under my fingertips! The tactile world atlas is simple to use, a powerful work of reference, an essential training tool and even great entertainment. I am blind, 38 years old, live in Norway and run my own business! The tactile world atlas has been helpful when travelling to foreign countries as well as a reference in connection with news, literature and everyday subject of conversation.

Morten Tollefsen
MediaLT
Oslo, Norway

Go to the MediaLT website (english version)

Touch Graphics,

Had the Talking Tactile Atlas been available to me when I attended school, I am certain I'd be a whiz at geography. It’s clear, easy to understand prompts make it ideal for any student. The "earcons" are fantastic, breathing life and fun into learning. While working with it I felt a sense of independence and joy at being able to locate and retrieve facts about places around the world.

I'd given up on doing printed crossword puzzles and never had the interest in searching for such games online. When I was given the opportunity to try the tactile crossword puzzle, my interest was piqued and my enthusiasm spiked to 100%. Wow! I was actually able to insert the letters for the word and didn't have to worry about small print. What a wonderful game. I know that once I have the Talking Tactile Tablet in my possession I'll enjoy hours of exploration and entertainment.

Lynnette Tatum
Senior Instructor
Baruch College
Computer Center for Visually Impaired People

Touch Graphics,

I am very pleased with the success my students had making graphics for the TTT. The students were enthusiastic about creating the maps, of the Center's new kitchen, the Center's main floor and the student housing complex. When it came to programing I only had to show one student how it worked and the others learned one from the other very quickly. I will be working map creation into the art curriculum. Next we will be teaching the travel instructors how to use our TTT.

Sincere thanks,
Ann Cunningham
art teacher
Colorado Center for the Blind

Touch Graphics,

This afternoon I received the TTT and National Geographic maps. These are wonderful! Thank you so much!

I've always been good in geography, so my initial work was with North America just to make sure I know how to use the various features. I was amazed on how much information is available to me using your system. It's truly marvelous.

When I was in the seventh grade at the school for the blind in Los Angeles, they were throwing out a lot of ancient Braille books. I took as many as allowed including two ancient map books. Even though the world maps were completely out of date, I've continued using them just to get relative position of different areas. This map book is so old that it shows the Austro-Hungarian Empire as being much of east and south Europe. Many of the cities are obviously still accurate (some with name changes), so I continued to refer to it when traveling in that part of Europe.

I mention all this because when I pulled the Europe maps out of the bundle today, I had to laugh and say to my wife, "If these maps don't show the Austro-Hungarian Empire, I might get lost!" It's really great having up-to-date maps and all of the information about the locations!

Africa? You may know that I am a radio ham and talk to people all over the world all the time. I've been licensed since 1954 so have lived through continual chaos when trying to figure out African locations. Today I really got a lesson in African geography thanks to you! I certainly had a lot of places misplaced in my mental maps.

The only problem now is trying to find time to do other things I should be doing. This is definitely a magnet for my interest. Hopefully I can budget my time enough to get other things done, but I am already an addict to the TTT and the maps.

Congratulations on a marvelous product, both hardware and software, and a most sincere "THANKS" for providing me so much pleasure and educational opportunities. My role was pretty small in this endeavor. I just brought you and the Pfanstiehls together, and then you got together with National Geographic. I knew that you had the technique for making maps available with all the needed information, but the final product truly goes beyond my dreams.

Continued success in your other software development, but you are off running with an outstanding product.

Warmest regards,
Larry Scadden
Former Program Officer
National Science Foundation

Touch Graphics,

For the blind student, combining touch and hearing for learning is a powerful combination. Tactile graphics allow for repeated examination of the components of an idea, with relationships clearly represented; auditory feedback enhances the detail provided by the graphics and increases speed of access. This combination makes the Talking Tactile Tablet an ideal tool for presenting complex ideas through a device that allows students to benefit from both senses.

Mr. Landau has been highly responsive to input from blind researchers, colleagues and students who field tested the device, adapting each new version according to the feedback he received from users. The expansion of functions to include authoring tools, a world atlas, and auditory/tactile games supports the versatility of the TTT and the possibilities for future applications in education. I look forward to a time when the TTT will be available to all blind students as a means of offering multisensory information to increase learning efficiency.

Jane Erin
Professor
University of Arizona
College of Education
Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation and School Psychology

Touch Graphics,

I have had the privilege to be associated in a small way with the Talking Tactile Tablet (TTT) project for about a year. I am impressed with the progress that has been made in turning this idea into a real product; one that could very well be commercially viable in its current state. The proof-of-concept phase of this project, in my opinion, is successful. I believe that further development of the concept will lead to a family of products that can improve the lives of children with visual defecits. Technology is racing forward, but mostly in graphical/visual/multimedia areas - as far as computers are concerned. Without efforts like the TTT, people who are blind and visually impaired, have little chance of participating fully in the brave new world that is being created. By making devices accessible, consumers and producers both win. The approach taken with the TTT is simple, effective, and apparently very extensible.

It is common knowledge in my field of systems engineering, that the cost of implementing any change to a system increases geometrically as a function of time since project inception. That is, it costs next to nothing, comparatively, for accessibility to be designed into systems from the outset - but it is often cost-prohibitive to implement accessibility as an afterthought. The TTT project has two benefits, as I see it. One, it can directly enrich the lives of children with visual impairments in its present state. Second, and more importantly in my opinion, the TTT raises the consciousness of designers of consumer equipment everywhere. These people don’t ignore accessibility because they are cold hearted, they don’t think about it, or by the time they do - it is late in the design cycle, and the cost of implementation is too high to be approved by the bean-counters. Early design-in of accessibility features into consumer devices is cheap, benefits both consumers and producers, and is long overdue.

The applications for the TTT seem limited only by the imagination of the developer; games, computer-aided instruction, delivery of tests, orientation devices for buildings, and many more I am certain. One very important feature of the demonstration ‘match game’ program, is that sighted players bring no advantage - which means sighted kids can have fun playing a game with kids without sight. This has important psychological benefits for both players. I know that my daughter frequently plays alone, because her sighted friends get tired of playing the few games that they can share. I would like to have a prototype TTT for my daughter to use now, I know it would be a catalyst to better socialization as well as better utilization of computer tools.

In summary, while I supported the early development of this idea, and participated in a couple of interchanges with the developers, I did not have the creative vision to comprehend how wonderful the outcome would be. I can clearly see now that the prototype TTT has tremendous potential for lots of applications - and believing that now, I am sure I am underestimating the reality of it.

I sincerely hope that funding for further development and commercialization of this product is forthcoming. Not only is it the ‘right’ thing to do, not only will it greatly benefit my daughter’s life, not only will it facilitate instruction, play, and orientation, but it ought to provide a healthy return on investment.

Best Regards,

Lars Anderson
Father of 10 year old Kari, who is totally blind
Senior Principal Systems Engineer w/Honors, Raytheon Systems Company