Freedom Scientific Offers Suite of New Deaf-Blind Solutions

Freedom Scientific announced today several new deaf-blind solutions based on its popular PAC Mate BX and QX series accessible Pocket PCs. Deaf-blind PAC Mate users will now be able to communicate more effectively with friends and colleagues in the classroom, over the Internet, via telephone, and face-to-face using refreshable Braille displays and messaging and TTY software.

First, the upcoming PAC Mate 3.0 release has added support for AOL® Instant Messenger™ (AIM®). “MSN Messenger has been available on the PAC Mate in earlier releases and is great for deaf-blind users holding conversations long distance over the Internet or within any room with a wireless Internet connection,” said Brad Davis, vice president of Freedom Scientific. “With the telephone services for the deaf that Hamilton Internet Protocol (HIP) Relay™ services using AOL Instant Messenger can provide, we paid particular attention in Release 3.0 to ensure that all AIM functions are fu lly accessible using Braille only.”

Now deaf-blind users have full access to AIM using a PAC Mate with a Braille display, including message review and management of the Buddy List, so that they can contact the HIP Relay service to make TDD relay calls right over the Internet to anyone with a telephone. AIM 2.0 can be downloaded from the Web and installed on the PAC Mate. Links to compatible downloads are listed at www.pacmategear.com.

Second, to support deaf-blind users making direct telephone calls, Freedom Scientific announced its new FSTTY package, which includes a TTY modem and a ne w software application that can be used with a PAC Mate BX or QX and a 20-cell or 40-cell Braille display to place and receive telephone calls. FSTTY contains several features that make TTY calls more efficient than ever before:

Source: Freedom Scientific