Jonathan Thank you for posting this message. As a guilty party myself at times you are right on reminding us that the BrailleNote can't be everything every user wants. It is to bad but it is a reality. I have never once gotten the impression that HumanWare doesn't care about there deaf blind users although I have thought some users have been rather insensitive about it.
Terry Bray System Support Analyst Adaptive Technology Services - Strategy and Planning Desktop Planning & Design ENTERPRISE INFRASTRUCTURE OPERATIONS, Technology & Solutions Phone 416-549-6190 -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, April 30, 2006 11:19 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [Braillenote] Suggestions, Priorities, and Philosophy Hi everyone, this is quite a long message in response to messages I've just been wading through on the list, and I hope the information provided herein is helpful. Firstly, I'd like to talk about product suggestions on this list, tolerance, respect for the diversity of our group, and courtesy. Some of you may be familiar with a technique called brainstorming. In this technique, people make suggestions in a safe environment, where people can feel free to put something forward without criticism. I would like us to take that same kind of approach when it comes to product suggestions. A user is quite entitled to put forward an idea that they would find useful, without the ceiling falling in on them by way of hostile replies. I appreciate that this is a fine line, as product suggestions can be further clarified by other users, but I think this list needs to be a place where we respect that we all use our products in different ways. Secondly, I would like to talk about the BrailleNote in the context of people who are DeafBlind. The BrailleNote is not a Braille only device. It is a Braille and speech device. For about 90% of our customers, a combination of Braille and speech is the best way to get the job done. Some people will listen to a document with synthetic speech, and then perhaps stop to examine a passage in greater detail. Some will use Braille extensively when editing their own work. A few of our customers never use speech at all as a matter of choice, and an even smaller few don't use speech because they can't. HumanWare is deeply concerned that appropriate feature enhancements we add are useable by the DeafBlind community. In fact, as someone who wears hearing aids now and has a degenerative hearing condition that means I may even be a candidate for a cochlea implant one day, it is something very dear to my heart. For example, we took care to ensure that the installation process for new versions of KeySoft on BrailleNote mPower is completely doable without speech, so a DeafBlind person can perform it independently. When we add substantial features such as the Database Manager, rewriting the Planner, and yes, the games, we take a lot of time to ensure that they can be used only with Braille. Our primary motivation in doing this is because we understand the extent to which the BrailleNote family can increase independence and decrease isolation for DeafBlind customers. But does that mean that we shouldn't add features that the majority of our customers can use, simply because a minority cannot? I think the issue here is a question of balance. For example, there are only two features in the entire product that are completely off limits to someone who is DeafBlind. They are the Media Player, and the FM radio. I take the memo Recorder out of the equation because if a DeafBlind person does have the ability to speak, there may perhaps be a use for this. When you consider that we are talking about two features out of the many features in the Word processor, the Planner (which I agree we do need a vibrating alarm for), the Address List, the E-mail system, the Browser, the Calculator, the Database manager, the Games, GPS etc, I don't think it can be said that we've somehow got the balance wrong. For years, blind people have been dogged by having to carry too many things around with them. Progressively, I want the BrailleNote to replace as many of those devices as possible. it can already be the device on which you write and read your documents, keep your appointments, browse the web, and so much more, including listening to music and information for those who can. Soon, it will replace even more devices. Yes, it is true that DeafBlind people can't use two of the features in the BrailleNote, but equally, it is true that some users choose not to use other features not because they can't, but because they don't wish to. This is always the dilemma faced in software development. One person's essential feature is another's complete waste of time. I can also assure list members, most thankfully, that the BrailleNote is in no danger of going anywhere any time soon. In fact, the BrailleNote mPower has exceeded our wildest expectations in terms of demand, for which we are sincerely grateful. So in closing, the BrailleNote will continue to be a product substantially useable by the DeafBlind. We have never, ever issued a software release with exclusively audio only features, nor will we ever do so in the future. We always strive to achieve a balance in our releases that serves our diverse user base as best we can. And I should also say that I will be attending the American Association of the DeafBlind conference in June and giving a presentation there, and am looking forward to talking about an exciting future with attendees. Hope this helps. Jonathan Mosen BrailleNote Product Marketing Manager HumanWare DDI: +1-925-566-9265 http://www.humanware.com ___ To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote ___ To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote
