Hi Tom.
A rather nasty story about your instructor, ---- though I'm afraid I'm
rather amazed institutions in the united states do anything at all regarding
accessible games, ---- even if that game is termite torpedo.
Over the years I've tried to get the rnib and other institutions in this
country to show an interest in gaming at all.
Early on, I proposed that sinse tabletop roleplay only takes dice and a
manual, it'd be a great thing to create accessible versions of with tactile
D10, d20's and d100's, and manuals either in audio or braille form (this was
long before I discovered Gma dice).
I got the complete brush off and was told this was a minority interest, and
that most blind people would not be interested.
I pointed out it would be invaluable for students going to uni, ---- and was
again, told where to get off.
Likewise, I can honestly say that I've never seen any British blind
institution own any licenses for accessible games at all.
My secondary school, ---- which was an ordinary main stream school with a
unit for vi children had no such programs at all, despite several machines
running dos and early versions of windows.
This might have been excuseable when I started secondary school in
1993, ---- but less so when I left in 1998.
I've spoken to some people who went to complete special schools, ---- and
from what they said, the schools didn't have access to games either.
I'm currently applying for a guide dog, and it'll be interesting to see if
the center in sunderland has anything, ---- sinse generally I've found guide
dogs to be one of the best organizations for blind people in the
country,- ---- and one of the few i've got a lot of time for (the fact that
they actually acknolidge having disfuctional eyeballs doesn't affect your
brain probably has something to do with it).
On the screen reader front, I have noticed the tendency you talk about. My
sedcondary school had Hal, and my brother was independently already a
supernova user which was how I found the program.
When it came to applying to the local authority to buy my equipment for
university, I was lucky enough that the officer involved was a long standing
family friend, ---- and a very nice fellow, who simply said "what do you
want, ---- tell me and I'll order it"
I have heard though, of occasions where people haven't been so lucky.
My brother for instance, --- -who applied three years earlier with a
different officer was sent for an assassment of what he needed (so he
himself didn't have any say), and then was recommended Ie, forced to have, a
bunch of stuff.
He actually discovered a very nasty litle dodge the counsel were running
with a computer systems firm, ---- sinse he was being sold equipment which
was two years out of date, ---- but that's another story.
Suffice it to say, people aren't always so lucky,a nd local authorities just
slap copies of Jaws on people before thinking, ---- and unless the Vi person
themselves knows enough to query this, the situation continues.
Btw, I've never actually managed to run any of the american printing house
games at all. I've tried on my old desktop, my laptop, and my new desktop.
This is one reason armadillo army currently has no description on
audiogames.net. I could probably cobble something generic togetherjust from
reading the manual to the game, ---- but this never really seemed fair, as I
do always try my best to play games I write entries for, ---- another reason
why game demos are so useful).
Beware the grue!
Dark.
---
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