On accessible technology and communication
Alice: Haben, why don’t…for those who are listening to this recording explain the set up in terms of the tapping that a person might hear during this recording. Would you like to introduce your interpreter?
Haben: If you’re able to hear typing in the background, my friend Gordon Brynes is transcribing what Alice is saying, and he’s doing this on a wireless keyboard and it’s showing up on a digital braille display, and we’re using this communication method because I’m deafblind and can’t hear Alice. Gordon is typing and I’m reading as Alice is speaking. Thanks for asking us to share that Alice.
Alice: Yes, I figured that since this is an oral history …listeners may wonder, “Haben’s deafblind, how does this work?” [I] want to make sure that people can visualize that in this room you and I are together talking facilitated by humans and technology.
Haben: Humans and technology have a potential to create many possibilities when they work together and sometimes people fear technology replacing humans, but technologies, even the best translating apps, can’t facilitate cultural information. Many, many people have been providing me with communication facilitation over the years in so many different environments and we’ve used different technologies over the years as technology has evolved. The technology I’m using right now is a BrailleNote Apex made by Humanware combined with an Apple wireless keyboard and I hope in 2 years … in 5 years I’ll have an even better device combined with a fabulous human who facilitates human interactions to gain access to audio and visual information.