Workshop:

The Tiger Tactile Graphics and Braille Embosser

New approaches to tactile graphics, math and information access for people with visual impairment.

Presented by:

Carolyn and John Gardner

ViewPlus Technologies

800 NW Starker Ave.

Corvallis, OR 97330

http://www.ViewPlusTech.com

Participants at the workshop had the opportunity to meet the Tiger Advantage Tactile Graphics and Braille Embosser – the "Information Equalizer". For details about the Tiger go to http://www.viewplustech.com/products.html.

They learned easy methods to get information from hardcopy, and electronic files and make it tactile. People were shown how to scan, draw, and import graphical material and emboss it. Go to http://www.viewplustech.com/SampleOrder.html and see a few examples created using standard Windows applications. Both the ink printed version and a picture of the embossed version are shown. The workshop participants learned how to create their own graphics and how to create charts using Excel chart wizard.

The workshop also revealed information about alternatives for creating tactile math equations that are spatially oriented and easy to understand. Here is an example of an equation written in Word using Tiger font.

This example will look like this when printed on the Tiger Advantage.

More information about DotsPlus braille can be found at http://dots.physics.orst.edu/dotsplus.html

The Tiger is the only WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) embosser. It will emboss from any Windows application, making all static information available on computers now accessible to blind people – easily. The Tiger will emboss up to 17 inches wide and 50 inches long. It comes with a translator that uses a Duxbury translation engine but translates text to braille straight from your Windows document, leaving your graphics intact.