music software for blind people (OT?)

["Tim Mortimer" <tmortimer@xxxxxxxxx>]

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hi

i have a (newish) friend. he's blind.=20

he used to make music using a rack mount EPS 16+ sampler & a Yamaha MIDI =
wind instrument controller thingy... & he plays tin whistles & =
percussion also...

he now has a PC however. he is running Windows XP & something calls JAWS =
which enables him to navigate around the menu's using voice =
identification of the menu items etc.

quite simply, i rave at him incessantly about things like Reaktor & MAX =
MSP & i'm sure he's very interested (he's quite involved in the arts in =
general, & he has a sound installation project in the pipeline involving =
other disadvantaged/ disabled people.. but to get back to the immediate =
question...)

what kind of software (if any?) is available for him to use? Sonar & =
Cool Edit both interface with Jaws (apparently) but for starters / =
beginners sake, is there any simple, easy to operate sound design/ =
synthesis/ sample editing/ midi sequencing/ recording software that has =
been specifically made for use by blind people in mind?=20

Even a simple "granulab" or  whatever would get his attention im sure, =
if he, as a blind person, was able to operate & navigate the menu's... =
(in fact a series of freeware/ shareware "1 task only" standalone apps =
could be the ideal in this situation - i don't think he's going to be =
much cop at wiring together Reaktor patches for example...& learning an =
all inclusive total sound design app is hard enough for me, & i can see! =
& poke around in my computer to get things working when they are =
not...he doesn't really have that luxury at the moment...)

so any links or further information would be most welcome.

(needless to say, longer term i am interested to see what comes out of =
my collaboration with this chap in terms of alternate strategies of =
sound manipulation, controller interfaces etc for blind/ disabled =
people, & the potential for existing apps like Max or whatever to create =
Patches or Apps with this "target demographic" in mind....)

incidentally, he really dug all the ~scape stuff & burnt friedman i gave =
him on MP3!  - i guess now i better burn him a microsound cd.... ; ) .

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