Development of Electronic Aids for the Visually Impaired

This book is based on the papers presented at the Workshop on "Rehabilitation of the Visually Impaired" held in Florence Italy at the Institute for the Research on Electromagnetic Waves of the Italian Research Council on April 4-6, 1984.

Session 1

• Session 1: Braille Production; Chairman M. Truquet: 9
• Automatic Production of Braille M. Truquet: 11
• Progress in Automatic Production of Braille H. Werner: 21
• Automatic Production of Braille: a Danish Experience P. Thomsen: 31
• Innovation, Braille Information and Workplace Design M. Soede: 37
• Necessary Priority Areas in the Development of Technical Aids For the Blind in the Federal Republic of Germany M. Harres: 45
• Discussion on Braille Production: 47
• The Elekul Braille System G. François: 57
• Written Communication Aids Between Sighted and Non Sighted Persons J.P. Dubus, A. Mandar, M. Mortreux, F. Wattrelot: 65

Session 2

• Session 2: Aids For Reading and For the Interaction with Coded Information Sources; Chairman: H. Werner: 76
• Ordibraille: a Braille Text Processing System J.M. Lagarde, P. Lirou: 75
• Aids For Reading and For the Interaction with Coded Information Sources H. Doove: 83
• Applications of a Multi Lingual Text to Speech System R. Carlson, B. Granstrorr: 87
• Multifont Textreading Machine For the Blind J.A. Sdrensen: 97
• Project For An Optical Character Recognizer For the Blind A. Da Ronch, R. Spinabelli, A. Braggiotti: 107
• A Low Cost, Portable, Optical Character Reader For Blind J. Conter, S. Alet, P. Fuech, A. Bruel: 117
• Communication Aids P.L. Emiliani: 127
• Design and Evaluation of Aids For Interaction with a Computer Based Information Service R.W. King: 137
• Discussion on Aids For Reading: 148

Session 3

• Session 3: Low Vision (Clinical, Social, Psychological and Technological Aspects); Chairman: D.H.A. Aberson: 167
• Organization of the Distribution of Low Vision Aids M. Warburg: 169
• Reading By the Elderly (Reading By Subjects with Normal and Low Vision) D.H.A. Aberson: 179
• Assessment of the Needs of Low Vision Patients J.H. Silver: 191
• Low Vision Aids and Some Perceptual Aspects of Reading By the Partially Sighted M.J. Tobin: 197
• Visual Impairment in Greece: Health Service Organization J. Levett , J. Yfantopoulos, J. Tsamparlakis: 201
• Necessity of An Interface Between Research Output and Social Needs M.I. Campo, A. Testa: 213
• Discussion on Low Vision: 223

Session 4

• Session 4: Transduction of Visual Information and Displays For the Blind; Chairman: D.J. Powell: 233
• Transitory Graphical Displays For the Blind J.M. Gill: 235
• The Computer As a Graphical Communication Tool For the Blind P. Graziani: 239
• Image Processing Techniques: Some Possible Applications to the Transduction of Visual Information to Other Modalities D.J. Powell: 245
• Design of Sensory Substitution Systems For the Blind C. Veraart. G.A. Orban. M.C. Wanet, I. Richard: 248
• Discussion on Displays For the Blind: 257

Session 5

• Session 5: Mobility; Chairman: G. Bruun: 263
• Mobility Aids, Proposal For Research and Development G. Bruun: 265
• Ergonomics, Mechanics and Functional Aspects For the Long Cane J. Walraven: 275
• The Role of Evaluation and of Inspiration in the Development of Electronic Travel Aids For the Blind A.D. Heyes: 287
• Development and Evaluation of Mobility Aids For the Visually Handicapped G. Jansson: 297
• Discussion on Mobility: 305
• Author Index: 312