by Penny Moss
After graduating from college in 1976, I spent a year taking classes from the Atlanta Area Services for the Blind in cooking and activities of daily living. Before completing instruction at this agency, I was trained in using the Optacon. This device was developed in 1973, by an inventor whose daughter was blind. Its name was an abbreviation for Optical Tactual Converter. It was somewhat larger than a tape recorder with a camera connected to it. It was designed to convert printed letters and numbers in to tactual shapes that were transmitted through electrical impulses to the user’s index finger. Users would hold the camera in the right hand and place it on the printed page. As the user moved the camera along each line of text, the printed letters were transmitted through the camera and were converted into electrical impulses that mirrored the shape of each letter or numeral. For example, the lower- and upper-case O were transmitted as a circle, and an upper-case A was transmitted as a triangle. Users would place the index finger of the left hand in a portion of the Optacon called “the array” which was designed to fit the lower portion of this finger. Each letter had to be distinguished separately, as the user moved the camera across the page. Before long, typewriter attachments were developed for IBM and Smith Corona typewriters. These devices could be connected to the camera of the Optacon, and attached to the typewriter. When users typed, they were able to read what they were typing through the index finger, which was transmitted from the page in the typewriter. Both typewriters had strategies typists could use to correct unwanted errors. In the Smith Corona typewriter which I used, you removed the cartridge ribbon when a mistake was made. Then you could insert another cartridge ribbon, which removed the mistake when you typed it. You knew the mistake was gone, because you could feel a blank space through the index finger where the mistake had been.
When the Optacon was introduced, it took the blind community by storm. For the first time in history, blind people who were unable to read any size print could actually access the printed page with this device. The only prerequisite to training was that students had to learn the shapes of upper and lower case letters along with numerals and punctuation marks. Everyone wanted to get Optacon training, and it certainly increased employment opportunities for the blind community. I could not have gotten my first two jobs without it. The greatest benefit for me was having the ability to read what I typed. I had not been a particularly good typist, but my typing became more accurate when I developed this skill. Reading with the Optacon was terribly slow because you had to distinguish each letter before determining each word. It took users massive practice and a long time before they could read with speed. Another issue was that there were various kinds of print that had to be deciphered, which was often difficult and time-consuming. The fastest I ever read was 45 words per minute, which was a lot slower than my Braille reading speed. I did not have the patience to build up my speed when it was much faster and easier to read Braille or listen to recorded materials. Yet, I loved being able to read what I typed. I never got over the amazement of being able to do this. The Optacon truly was one of the first devices considered to be assistive technology, and its importance cannot be overstated.
My first job was with the Georgia Merit System as a receptionist. I used the Optacon, its typewriter attachment, and the typewriter extensively. I didn’t have to use the Braille writer in this job. While there, I assisted in getting merit examinations transcribed into Braille, so Braille readers could take these tests independently.
After two and a half years, I transferred into a Senior Case Worker position at the Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS). My main responsibility was to schedule medical check-ups for children who were on Medicaid, with their nearby health department. Every morning, my supervisor would read the list of clients with pertinent information onto a Dictaphone, which I had to Braille on the Braille writer, before I could contact them. This was tedious and slow. Since I had to use the Braille writer so much, my parents bought an extra Braille writer so I would have one at work and at home. Then my supervisor located an IBM Braille typewriter, which was just like a regular IBM typewriter, except it produced Braille. Anyone could type on it and produce Braille. I thought this was amazing! This certainly increased my productivity because I didn’t have to copy client information through a Dictaphone. Braille certainly was especially important to me in this position. I worked as a senior case worker for three years. Then, I decided it was time to attend graduate school.
In 1983, I moved to Arlington, Texas, where I earned a master’s degree in social work. Then I obtained a Master’s in Church Social Services from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. I continued to Braille papers, only this time when I transposed them on the typewriter, I was able to monitor my typing with the Optacon and typewriter attachment. I still paid a typist to retype my papers so they would look professional, and I could be sure I was following APA guidelines. During graduate school, I began to hear students talk about writing papers on the computer. The president of the seminary, who was my former pastor, met with all new students, and urged them to buy a computer. At the time, I couldn’t see how that would help. It was not yet possible for blind people to use computers. Although Apple had produced a computer that could talk, its use was not widespread.
In 1988, while a student at Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center, I received some computer training. However, I had difficulty understanding basic concepts such as the cursor, or why I couldn’t hear the space bar or the capital key, when I spaced between words or typed capital letters. Then in 1989, I started working at a Center for Independent Living in Lubbock, Texas. All the staff were using computers. By now, mastering computer skills was mandatory. Before long I was introduced to JAWS, and was issued a computer. But I still struggled since I was not used to using speech. No one took the time to explain the differences between using the typewriter and a computer.
Then one day, a woman who was deaf-blind visited our agency. She wanted to know if there was any way she could learn the computer. I didn’t have the answer, but I assured her I would do research to see what could be done. I was certain there had to be a way she could acquire computer skills. I located a representative from Telesensory Systems Incorporated (TSI), who told me there was indeed a Braille display called the Navigator, which could be connected to the computer. Arrangements were made for him to provide several days of training so I could teach this woman computer skills through an interpreter. He loaned the center a Braille printer and a Navigator for this purpose. I will never forget how helpful that Braille display was the moment it was connected to the computer. I saw the Braille cursor, and suddenly, I understood cursor movement, along with the concepts of insert, typeover, deleting, cutting, and pasting text. I had a much better understanding of the screen environment, that I could not obtain through speech alone. It was as if a light turned on! I quickly learned MS-DOS and WordPerfect. Soon I mastered Duxbury, and was immediately embossing copies of our newsletter. We quickly received six requests for Braille newsletters from the blind community. My supervisor was so impressed with how much the Navigator helped me acquire computer skills. He was amazed that we had requests for Braille newsletters, because he had been convinced blind people no longer used Braille. He arranged for the center to purchase the Navigator and the Braille printer. By the end of 1990, I had a computer and a Versapoint Braille printer in my home. I would take the Navigator home every day, until I was able to acquire a Braille display. I loved having a computer at home! I thought I was in technology heaven!
Throughout the ‘90s, I continued using assistive technology. Whenever I taught computer skills, I made sure students understood the differences between using typewriters and computers. During this time, I obtained another master’s degree in counseling from Texas Tech University. Attending school was so much easier because I completed my papers on the computer. I didn’t have to pay someone to retype them. I only needed a reader to give visual feedback to ensure APA guidelines were followed. In 1999, I moved to Little Rock to do internship work at World Services for the Blind. I tried to take some online courses through the local university, but I did not complete them because I did not have the skills needed to take classes online. In 2002 I moved to Birmingham, Ala., where I started working for the state. I remained employed in Alabama until I retired in 2016.
Throughout the remainder of my career, I continued to embrace assistive technology. I started using notetakers which included the Braille Lite, Braille Note, Apex, and the Braille Sense. I graduated from using the Navigator to the Power Braille, then the Focus 40 Blue. Eventually, I got an iPhone, and learned to pair it with a Braille display so I could input text more easily. I learned how to complete forms online, write professional emails, and attach files easily. Braille continued to be an integral part of the technology used. In 1999, I obtained a Versapoint Duo, which made it possible for me to emboss Braille on both sides of the page. That printer has remained in my home, and it still works! I have used Braille along with many forms of assistive technology for professional and personal endeavors. While I was working, I often took work home. I gave my Braille printer a workout as I prepared Sunday school lessons, choir lyrics, and documents for our local ACB chapter.
In the final installment of this series, I will discuss how I continue to increase skills in technology, even during retirement! Braille is still an integral part of this technological journey.