http://access.berksys.com/ (World Wide Web Directory, 06/1995)
Berkeley Access
a division of Berkeley Systems, Inc.
We make Graphical User Interfaces accessible to the visually impaired.
Contents:
Since 1986, Berkeley Systems has been making adaptive software for people
with visual disabilities. Our first product,
inLARGE(tm) for Macintosh, magnifies the screen of the Macintosh
computer. Each pixel on the screen becomes 4 pixels, or 9, or more as the
screen is enlarged 2 or 3 or more times (up to 16 times). We sold an early
version of this software to Apple Computer, which includes it as part of the
Mac operating system as the CloseView(tm) extension. inLARGE was the
very first screen magnifier for any GUI (Graphical User Interface).
In 1989 we released outSPOKEN(tm) for
Macintosh, a screen reader that uses the built-in MacInTalk speech
synthesis of the Macintosh to read the contents of the screen to people who
are completely blind. In 1990 we received the Computerworld Smithsonian
Award for outSPOKEN for Macintosh. outSPOKEN for Macintosh was
the very first screen reader for a GUI.
After the debut of Microsoft(tm) Windows® we recognized that the
GUI was here to stay, and in fact over time we would see more and more
of them. Also, with the increasing use of refreshible Braille displays
and forthcoming advances in tactile output, we felt that a general
purpose licensable toolkit for accessing the contents of the GUI
screen would most flexibly support the widest variety of devices now
and in the future. So, in 1992 we began development of a
platform/GUI-independent toolkit for accessing the Graphical User Interface.
In 1994 we released the first two products based on our platform-independent
toolkit development: GUI Access(tm)
for Windows, and outSPOKEN for Windows.
GUI Access is a licensable toolkit that supports multiple independent
input and output mechanisms, as well as dynamically linkable extensions on top
of a rich suite of routines for retrieving and navigating the textual
and graphical information on the Windows GUI screen. GUI Access
includes extensive sample code and detailed documentation showing how to use
GUI Access in building custom GUI access programs. outSPOKEN
for Windows is the Windows implementation of our award-winning Macintosh
screen reader that we built on top of GUI Access.
In the future you can expect to see enhancements of our existing screen
magnifiers and screen readers, as we add functionality and
support for new speech synthesizers, Braille displays, and other input and
output devices. We are also involved with many of the vendors of currently
inaccessible GUIs, as well as those developing new GUIs; working with them
to ensure that either directly or through use of our software, those GUIs
will be accessible to the visually impaired community.
outSPOKEN
version 1.7.5 for Macintosh.
The first and still the only Macintosh screen reader for blind individuals.
Version 1.7.5 now supports Macintosh System 7.5 and the PowerMac line of
computers. It shipped February 15, 1995, and retails for $495. For
information on how to upgrade an earlier version of outSPOKEN for Macintosh
to version 1.7.5, click here.
inLARGE
version 2.0a for Macintosh.
The first Macintosh screen magnifier, inLARGE for Macintosh not
only magnifies your screen, but also offers a wide array of sophisticated
options such as color inversion, cross-hairs cursor, partial glass
magnification, and scanning. It shipped April 22, 1992, it retails for
$195.
outSPOKEN
version 1.0 for Microsoft Windows.
The Microsoft Windows version of the award winning outSPOKEN screen reader.
It supports over 30 different speech synthesizers and all major DOS screen
readers. Based on the GUI Access toolkit, outSPOKEN for
Windows is considered to be the most intuitive Windows screen reader, and
has received much praise for the great variety of non-standard applications
it makes accessible. It shipped October 10, 1994, it retails for $595.
Through August 1, 1995 we are offering a competitive upgrade to
outSPOKEN for Windows from all other Windows screen readers for
$295.
GUI Access
version 1.0 for Microsoft Windows.
The only licensable toolkit for retrieving the windows, text, and graphics of
the Microsoft Windows GUI, and then navigating through them. GUI Access
supports multiple input and output devices, is extensible through dynamically
loaded modules for additional functionality, and provides over sixty different
calls for retrieving and navigating through the GUI information. It shipped
October 20, 1994, it retails for $9,500.
Demo versions of several of our products are available directly over
the net by clicking on the links below. We have an extensive network of
dealers, across the United States and abroad, each of whom carries not
only our software, but also a wide array of other adaptive devices
(such as speech synthesizers, Braille displays, and hardware magnifiers).
These dealers can put together a complete system, as well as provide
installation and training. Finally, we can also take orders directly
over the phone through our customer service e-mail address and
telephone numbers.
In order to better help with your access needs, we would like to ask
you a few questions about who you are, what your specific access needs
are, what systems you use, and what you think about our Web site. Please
take a moment and fill out a few of the questions in the links below.
This page is maintained by:
webmaster@access.berksys.com
http://access.berksys.com/ (World Wide Web Directory, 06/1995)