Notes from 52nd International STC Conference
Seattle, Washington, May 8-12, 2005

Quantum Leaps: Electronic Access Technology

Maureen Hogg
Senior Writer, Ball Aerospace

Session Description: Quantum leaps in electronic access technology permit the presenter, who is legally blind and deaf, to read and print computer screens. She demonstrates the Optacon, Tactical Communicator (TC), and SuperBraille laptop running Jaws for Windows (JAWS).

Maureen Hogg and Kathy Lopez demonstrate the assistive technologies that have enabled Maureen to overcome blindness and deafness as a successful technical communicator.

Maureen has been blind and deaf since the age of 15. Relying upon electronic access technologies, Maureen overcame the dual disability to earn a B.A. degree in historiography from the University of Northern Colorado and has gone on to a highly successful 27-year career as a technical writer with Ball Aerospace.

• Optacon: The Optacon is a miniature camera that scans print and converts it into tactically readable type. Although this early (1970s) electronic access technology had some serious drawbacks, it nonetheless was the key to Maureen's undergraduate study and remains a linchpin in her electronic toolkit
• SuperBraille laptop computer (1998) is three instruments in one: (1) the ability to tap into a powerful laptop, (2) an independent Pentium II laptop, and (3) JAWS for Windows 98.
• Maureen gave a fascinating live demonstration of how she uses these tools to edit online, access the internet, and perform all the traditional editorial functions of a technical writer.
• Briefing, "Quantum Leaps"
• Tech paper, "Quantum Leaps"
• Refreshable Braille began in the 1970s and gained momentum in the late 1980s as equipment improved. It is based on solenoids firing simultaneously.
• "The Braille will only duplicate what you put in. It does not correct for operator error!"
• Kathy Lopez, Maureen's escort and electronic publishing colleague, explained how Maureen has had to be extremely painstaking in using technology to overcome her disabilities but that how this has also been advantageous in producing very high quality work (as evidenced by 15 writing awards during her career).
• During the presentation, Maureen and Kathy had participants walk behind the presenter's table and observe Maureen using the SuperBraille laptop.
• In collaborating with Maureen on a joint paper, it was necessary for me to provide verbal descriptions of graphics so Maureen would know what the figures in the tech paper and the slides in the presentation were portraying visually.
• "Why do you refer to the Braille computer as a 'he'?" "We always use male terminology because the tools are hard to communicate with and very difficult to work with."
• JAWS 6.0 will be out in June. It is expected to provide significant improvement in navigating web sites.
• Maureen also demonstrated how to use a touch-tone phone to type in numerical codes for letters, which her special telephone converts to Braille characters that she can read.