Fwd: RE: Looking for voice portal

>From: "Michael R. Burks" <mburks952@worldnet.att.net>
>To: <e-access@wallonie-isoc.org>, <WG-Website@ISOC-VN.org>
>Cc: "Mike Calvo" <mcalvo@freedombox.cc>, <techsupport@wemedia.com>,
> <kirk@braille.uwo.ca>, "Trinh Minh Thanh" <tmthanh@yahoo.com>
>Date: Sun, 7 Apr 2002 22:38:03 -0400
>Subject: RE: Looking for voice portal
>
>Stefan,
>
>the point about speaking Vietnamese is one of the other big problems for
>both voice input and voice output. The companies or programmers who do
>these things only do them in English. Not good. This was the subject of a
>LONG discussion when I was in Bulgaria Last year.
>
>I had a long discussion with at least one software group about this but they
>did not seem to catch on.
>
>We need to keep pushing and pushing. If having one or more disabilities has
>taught me anything it has taught me to never give up! I remind myself of
>this when my hands are so weak I cannot button my shirt! <grin>
>
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Mike Burks
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: e-access-request@wallonie-isoc.org
>[mailto:e-access-request@wallonie-isoc.org]On Behalf Of Stefan Probst
>Sent: Thursday, April 04, 2002 8:36 PM
>To: WG-Website@ISOC-VN.org; e-access@wallonie-isoc.org
>Cc: Mike Calvo; techsupport@wemedia.com; kirk@braille.uwo.ca; Trinh Minh
>Thanh
>Subject: RE: Looking for voice portal
>
>
>Hello Denise,
>
>thanks a lot for your efforts.
>I think, the cost side of the problem *might* be a smaller one for
>institutions (e.g. shools), but it *is* a problem for disabled individuals
>here, and an "exit condition" for webmasters. You might know, that a
>CD-ROM, e.g. with Windows and Office (I think there was one, where they
>combined both onto one CD) "costs" here right now 11.000 VND, which is
>about 0.73 US$....
>
>And I am wondering which for-profit corporation is willing in such a
>situation to develop a SW that can "speak Vietnamese". The only solution
>which I see, is Free SW/Open Source SW.
>
>
>Pls. keep us informed, when you see something!
>Thanks,
>
>Stefan
>
>
>At 02:59 05.04.2002 +0930, Denise Wood wrote:
>-------------------------
> >Thanks Stefan
> >
> >I understand where you are coming from and the issues you face. I am
>pleased
> >you feel some of these links have some potential value to help you in your
> >quest. I will keep on the look-out for anything that may help you now I
>have a
> >clearer understanding of what you require.
> >
> >Sincerely
> >
> >Denise
> >
> >Dr Denise L Wood
> >Lecturer: Professional Development (online teaching and learning)
> >and Online Instructor (EASI)
> >
> >City East campus, Level 2, Room 29 Playford Building
> >(GPO Box 2471) North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000
> >Ph: (61 8) 8302 2167 / Fax: (61 8) 8302 2363
> >Mob: 0413 648 260
> >Email:Denise.Wood@unisa.edu.au
> >WWW: http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/staff/homepage.asp?Name=Denise.Wood
> >and at EASI: http://easi.cc/workshops/advwbsyl.htm
> >
> >
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Stefan Probst [mailto:stefan.probst@opticom.v-nam.net]
> >Sent: Thursday, April 04, 2002 1:16 PM
> >To: WG-Website@ISOC-VN.org; e-access@wallonie-isoc.org
> >Cc: Mike Calvo; techsupport@wemedia.com; kirk@braille.uwo.ca; Trinh Minh
> >Thanh
> >Subject: RE: Looking for voice portal
> >
> >
> >Hello Denise,
> >
> >At 03:57 04.04.2002 +0930, Denise Wood wrote:
> >-------------------------
> > >Stefan
> > >
> > >While you are waiting I suggest you do follow Mike's advice and download
>a
> > >demo
> > >version of screen reader software such as JAWS:
> > >http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_downloads/jaws_form.asp. It is time
> > >limited
> > >only in so far as it times out after 20 minutes of use and then you need
>to
> > >reboot. However there is no time limit as to how long you can retain it
>on
> > >your
> > >system
> >
> >That's the point: This is fairly useless and we have a classical case where
> >Open Source SW would be needed:
> >
> >We want to tell webmasters in Vietnam to create accessible websites.
> >Awareness for accessibility in the real world is very low here, so there is
> >virtually none for accessible webdesign.
> >
> >Instead of telling webmasters on paper, I want to let them hear, what they
> >are designing. Such an "a-ha" effect is probably worth 100 times the best
> >printed or online tutorial.
> >
> >Now do you think, that any webmaster here is willing to spend a dime on a
> >screen reader? Surely not.
> >
> >And do you think, they will use it, if they have to reboot their machines
> >every few minutes? Fogedaboudit.
> >
> >And as the next step, we would need of course a Vietnamese language module.
> >There are at least two academic institutions in Vietnam working on
> >Vietnamese text-to-speech SW (one on a vocabulary approach, the other one
> >with synthesis), so if the screen reader would be Open Source, they could
> >look to plug their packages into that program and have a Vietnamese
>version.
> >
> >A "free time limited trial" does not help at all.
> >
> > >You could also try free voice browsers such as WeMedia which can be
> > downloaded
> > >from their site: http://www.wemedia.com. Although very basis and only
>useful
> > >for testing browsers it is OK for that purpose - and it is freeware!
> >
> >This looks more promising. Again: If it would be Free, Open Source SW, then
> >we could try Vietnamese language.
> >Although obviously not mentioned on their website, this "Talking Browser"
> >might be interesting for developing countries which have problems with
> >analphabetism. I hope it can read also without enlarging/distorting the
> >screen.
> >I will download that and look....
> >
> >
> > >I don't know anything about this BETA except what the Website tells us as
>I
> > >have not had time to download and check it out but this free BETA of an
>AI
> > >program that can output to speech might be worth looking at.
> > >
> > >There is much more open source work being done for the LINUX OS. See
> > >http://www.linux-speakup.org/
> >
> >YES! and No.
> >This is the kind of stuff I was looking for. Thanks for the link. Since we
> >start to push for Open Source SW in Vietnam soon, this fits perfectly.
> >(NB: I did a search for "screen reader" on Sourceforge.net and nothing very
> >promising showed up)
> >I will talk with one of the Vietnamese text-to-speech groups, whether they
> >are interested in making their system work with this "Speakup" screen
> >review package.
> >And the authors should consider making it available for Mandrake 8.2, since
> >this has been meanwhile translated 100% into Vietnamese and will hopefully
> >get some market here....
> >
> >Unfortunately, although quite perfect for "real use" for blind people, it
> >does not help much in "educating" webmasters, who usually use Windows based
> >systems....
> >
> > >and for MAC: http://www.stazsoftware.com/yspeak/
> >
> >same.
> >
> > >It's a start...
> >
> >Yes. Thanks a lot!
> >
> >Stefan
> >
> >
> > >Denise
> > >
> > >Dr Denise L Wood
> > >Lecturer: Professional Development (online teaching and learning)
> > >and Online Instructor (EASI)
> > >
> > >City East campus, Level 2, Room 29 Playford Building
> > >(GPO Box 2471) North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000
> > >Ph: (61 8) 8302 2167 / Fax: (61 8) 8302 2363
> > >Mob: 0413 648 260
> > >Email:Denise.Wood@unisa.edu.au
> > >WWW: http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/staff/homepage.asp?Name=Denise.Wood
> > >and at EASI: http://easi.cc/workshops/advwbsyl.htm
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >-----Original Message-----
> > >From: Stefan Probst [mailto:stefan.probst@opticom.v-nam.net]
> > >Sent: Thursday, April 04, 2002 1:14 AM
> > >To: e-access@wallonie-isoc.org
> > >Cc: Mike Calvo
> > >Subject: RE: Looking for voice portal
> > >
> > >
> > >At 12:39 02.04.2002 -0500, Michael R. Burks wrote:
> > >-------------------------
> > > >Stefan,
> > > >
> > > >you can get evaluation copies of various voice output programs...
> > >
> > >That's the point: only time limited evaluation versions. No Free SW, not
> > >even Freeware.
> > >
> > >I remember there is somewhere a site, where "sponsors" can offer to pay
>for
> > >the development of ordered Free SW / Open Source SW. Would it be possible
> > >to find a sponsor for something like that?
> > >
> > >
> > > >Try the page at
> > http://www.icdri.org/community_technology_center_acce.htm It
> > > >has some free trial listings as well.
> > > >
> > > >You also might contact Mike Calvo at www.freedombox.cc he is copied on
> > this
> > > >message, he may have some suggestions.
> > >
> > >I am waiting ;)
> > >Cheers,
> > >Stefan
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > >Sincerely,
> > > >
> > > >mike burks
> > > >
> > > >-----Original Message-----
> > > >From: e-access-request@wallonie-isoc.org
> > > >[mailto:e-access-request@wallonie-isoc.org]On Behalf Of Stefan Probst
> > > >Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2002 11:05 AM
> > > >To: e-access@wallonie-isoc.org
> > > >Subject: Looking for voice portal
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >Dear All,
> > > >
> > > >in order for a webdesigner to understand better how a page "looks
> > like" for
> > > >a screen reader, it would be good if (s)he could hear it by himself.
> > > >
> > > >Are there screen readers available free of charge?
> > > >
> > > >Do you know of a voice portal/proxy, i.e. where one would enter the URL
>of
> > > >a page and it would read like a screen reader, so that the visitor can
> > > >"hear" the page via a streaming protocol, (i.e. similar to Net radio)?
> > > >
> > > >If so: is there Free SW available, so that other countries could use
>the
> > > >base technology and need to plug in "only" their own text-to-speech
> > > >converter modules?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >BTW, just ran by accident across this page today:
> > > >http://www.epcc.edu/vvlib/adaptivetech.htm
> > > >and found it quite interesting.
> > > >
> > > >Cheers,
> > > >Stefan

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