There are two types of recommended equipment for use with COBRA. “Essential equipment” includes hardware and software that is vital for allowing instant print-braille compatibility in all subjects, including math, science, and foreign languages, and that permits text entry from both a QWERTY and a braille keyboard, simultaneously if so desired. “Additional equipment recommended” further enhances the student's integration, both at home and at school.
All prices and technical information are current as of May 2006. For more information contact Imke Durre at cobra@shellworld.net or Inge Durre at idurre@the-fbc.org.
Essential Equipment:
1. Braille notetaker with built-in braille display and braille keyboard: Stand-alone device with braille input and output and features commonly found on a personal data assistant (PDA). At a minimum, the device should have word processing features compatible with Microsoft Word, a built-in LCD display or the ability to connect to an external monitor, the capability to connect to a printer and QWERTY keyboard, and the ability to store files on an external storage device such as a USB flash or thumb drive.
Examples that meet these criteria and are on the market in the United States as of May 2006 are:
the Braille Sense, which comes with a 32-cell braille display and built-in LCD display, available from GW Micro, Inc., 725 Airport North Office Park, Fort Wayne, IN 46825; 260-489-3671; www.gwmicro.com;
the BrailleNote, which comes with an 18- or 32-cell braille display and an optional external LCD display, available from HumanWare, 175 Mason Circle, Concord, CA 94520; 800-722-3393 or 925-680-7100; www.humanware.com;
estimated cost: $4,100 - $6,500 , variance depending primarily on the length of the braille display.
2. COBRA Setup Instructions:
Available free of charge online at www.shellworld.net/~cobra/setup.html;
estimated cost: 0.
3. "COBRA - Braille Access to Computers with a Print-Compatible code," by Imke Durre and Inge Durre:
Provides a complete list of COBRA symbols as well as guidelines for using them;
available in print, braille, and electronic format from the Foundation for Blind Children, 1235 E. Harmont Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85020, 602-331-1470, idurre@the-fbc.org, www.the-fbc.org;
Estimated cost: $10.
4. USB flash drive:
Available from any computer or office supply store (e.g. Office Depot, Best Buy, etc.);
estimated cost: $10-$100, depending on storage capacity and supplier; special offers exist.
5. Print printer independently and immediately accessible to the student at school, if not already available:
Available from any computer or office supply store; any reliable inkjet or laser printer from Hewlett-Packard or other brands; allows for the printing of tests and assignments by the student;
estimated cost: $30-$150, depending on model and features.
6. QWERTY keyboard:
Available from any computer or office supply store; allows for direct written communication between the notetaker user (e.g., student) and print user (e.g., instructor);
estimated cost: $5-$25.
Total estimated cost: $4,145 for the minimal set of equipment - $6,770 if only high-end devices are used.
Aditional Equipment and enhancements:
1. Computer with screen reader and word processor:
a. Computer: Allows for additional functionality that may not be available on notetakers, including the reading and creation of tables and documents requiring complex formatting; may also function as a backup;
any IBM-compatible desktop or laptop computer model with a USB or serial port, monitor, and Windows 98 or later will work (one for at home, and one or more at school, depending on classroom situation for the student);
estimated cost: $300 and up
b. Screen Reader:
Latest version of Hal for Windows (currently 6.5);
available from Dolphin Computer Access LLC, 60 East Third Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94401; toll free (866) 797-5921; www.dolpinusa.com
estimated Cost: $500
c. Word Processor: Microsoft Word
available from any computer or office supply store (e.g. see above)
estimated cost: $200 or less depending on version
2. Scanner with optical character recognition software (OCR):
provides fast access to print documents (e.g. handouts, library books, other documents).
a. Epson or Hewlett-Packard USB Scanner, available from an office equipment store, www.epson.com, or www.hp.com;
b. Kurzweil 1000 scanning software, available from Kurzweil Educational Systems, Inc., 100 Crosby Drive, Bedford, MA 01730-1402, 800-894-5374 or 781-276-0600, www.kurzweil.com;
estimated cost: $200-300 for scanner plus $800 for software
3. Printer at Home:
Laser printer with manual document feed for home use, allows printing of assignments, letter writing, and printing to paper smaller than 8 1/2 by 11 inches, e.g., for check writing, envelope address labeling, index card labeling, etc.;
available from any computer or office supply store;
estimated cost: $400
4. Internet Access:
Provides access to a vast amount of online reference materials and books in electronic format as well as communication with peers and mentors around the world;
available from a number of local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) listed in the phone book; choice of provider may depend on the screen reader-friendliness of its proprietary software (if applicable), the amount of commercials and e-mail spam, cost of the service, and level of customer service available;
recommended: PPP and shell account from Shellworld, www.shellworld.net, or Ola Grande Networks, www.olagrande.net, or e-mail program and internet connection from Juno, www.juno.com;
estimated cost: $10 - $40 per month, depending on speed and level of service (e-mail-only service is available from Juno and other providers free of charge if commercials are tolerated, or a minimal monthly rate, if version without commercials is selected.)
Last updated July 16, 2006