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Subject:Re: paperless? From:mpriestley -at- VNET -dot- IBM -dot- COM Date:Tue, 31 Jan 1995 10:33:54 EST
I wrote:
>>(with speech synthesis, for example, you don't need to be able to read to
------------
>>have access to a document)...
Richard Lippincott replied:
>Uh-oh. I wouldn't do that.
>There is a distinct difference in the writing style between "ear copy" and
>"read copy" writing styles. This is something that is taught to broadcast
Agreed - the synthesized audio will not be as usable as the plain text -
to someone who can read. However, for customers who are blind, or want
access to the information in visually cluttered or low-visibility
environments, having even some access to the information is better than
having none. And the transformation from electronic text to audio is pretty
straightforward, compared to the extra hardware/skills required for braille
output.
Michael Priestley
mpriestley -at- vnet -dot- ibm -dot- com
Disclaimer: speaking on my own behalf, not IBM's.