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Thread ID: 26530	2002-10-29 11:33:00	I dont know what to name this...Its about Computers and Websites thou :-)	csinclair83 (200)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
94284	2002-10-29 11:33:00	As some/many of you may know i am Deaf,..I've been mucking around on some websites just before, and found some interesting pages on deaf people and communication...and i know this page i want to show you guys was last updated in 1997..so its fairly old...but, since its that old..i am sure it'd be better chances/equipment out these days.. What i wanna actually do/know is.....is this even possible in New Zealand, as i know it hasnt been tried here, also i know that the USA is really "ahead" of us in the technological world... and many deaf people here use a "tty" to conversate with other deaf people, which is a teletypewriter, but uses the phone...its a bit like the internet, typing, and it sends sounds accross the phone line to the other receiver...and it comes out their end as words..like instant chat, thru the phone... but this..is...PC to tty.....which i think is cool...talking to somoene on the phone (tty) by using ur computer... I just want to know is this even possible..or is something like this possible if something was done...or anything at all... the website i'm referring to is www.zak.co.il and if you want to know more about a "tty" and how it works...just ask away and i'll be happy to answer :-) And while i am here...why is this website www.fis.org.nz all of a sudden expecting people to pay a subscription so they can find out some loans/grants/scholarships to support education or research.....i am a student as many of u may know..and i was looking forward to using this...and now its subscribed :-(...dis-attracted me...does any of u find it reasonable that they have decided to slap a price on this...coz i definately dont... I really hope many of you read this and put your answers/feed back here :d catch ya guys around Chris	csinclair83 (200)
94285	2002-10-29 18:22:00	The Govt and Telecom have just, a matter of months ago, agreed to subsidise the cost of a continued TTY service. I doubt that they yet recognise the need to provide, or advise on, a PC interface. My limited contacts in the disability sector suggest you contact the Deaf Association, or someone you know who is Deaf, has been to the US and knows what's available there; it's possible that he/she can advise of a product downloadable through the internet. Sorry if you've already been round this loop, but it's the only help I can offer. I could suggest at least one specific name, but it would be unfair to the person concerend to do this in a public forum. Will standard chat software like MSN Messenger or NetMeeting not provide the facilities you want? Argus	argus (366)
94286	2002-10-29 18:24:00	I said: >Will standard PC chat software...not provide the facilties you want? Answer; not if the person on the other end does not own a PC. Silly of me.	argus (366)
94287	2002-10-29 19:34:00	Sounds interesting Chris. I can't answer your question but someone at one of these sites may know: Deaf Association (www.deaf.co.nz/) and Deaf New Zealand Directory (http:) - lots of contacts here. Drop them an email with that link and see what happens. Good luck. :-)	Susan B (19)
94288	2002-10-29 20:15:00	I think it this stage it's probably not much a viable option. Let's face it, us deaf people can 'get by alright' without provisios. If I remember rightly it was only from being shouted at that Telescom agreed to keep the TTY service going in the first place. Personaly, I depend on e-mail. I don't use MSN or chat programs because they are not designed for deaf people and I find them a pain in the a$$ due to privacy issues. I doubt that PC to phone will be available here in the near future as it would probably be classified as a little utilised expense, bought in for those few with an uncurable social disease... a bit like cheap cable I guess... K'EA! SiK	SoniKalien (792)
94289	2002-10-29 20:39:00	Hello Chris, I haven't had to use a TTY for years mainly because all my Deaf friends all use computers so email or icq/msn/yahoo messenger services do me fine. If they don't have a computer then I would send them a fax. Since moving back to Hamilton I have never had to use a TTY. From what I have read the problem is that computer modem language is different to TTY language so there needs to be soem sort of software/hardware in the middle to make them understand each other. Bit like Deaf person and hearing person trying to communicate. Some information may get through but you need an interpreter if you want to communicate properly. I went to Gallaudet Site and found this (tap.gallaudet.edu) which may explain technically why it is difficult. (I didn't fully understand it, it would make sense to someone like godfather) I would say that TTY's will one day be an extinct mode of communication. If it was easy and cheap to do then I am sure that someone would have done it by now, especially if there was money in it. sam m	sam m (517)
94290	2002-10-29 20:46:00	oops, I just re-read that link I posted and there is technology available. Read this (www.idrt.com) and see if this is what you want. I would be careful as this would probably be US based so I would check with techo's here in NZ to make sure that it would be compatible with NZ Telephone service. sam m	sam m (517)
94291	2002-10-30 02:59:00	If you want to communicate with someone who has a non computer TTYD, you might be able to. You will need to have a modem which will run at 300 baud. If the TTYD knows ASCII (the code used in your computer), there will be no problem. If it only uses the IA2 code (the five-level code which used to be used for telegraph (telegrams -- remember them?), there are a few problems. One is the modem ... you might need to use a slower rate again -- 75 baud or so ... and the character framing. The convention is 1 start bit, 5 data bits, 1-1/2 stop bits, but you can get around it in various ways. Have a look at this article, which gives a BBC Basic programme (graffiti.virgin.net/ljmayes.mal/baud/baud.htm). I don't know about fis.org.nz ... but thed appear to be a small non-profit crowd. I suppose that if the only way they can pay the people to do the work in making the information available is to charge people a subscription, then that's the way it is. They do publicise the places where people can access their Breakout site: in Palmerston North, it's Internal Affairs Dept (they say "ring for an appointment", which might be a problem for you ;-) ), so they aren't stopping people from accessing it.	Graham L (2)
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