Probably a good news for visually impared Kronos users!

[Pouyakhoshgoo]

Hi everyone!
BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED MEMBERS, PLEASE READ THE WHOLE THING!
After nearly one year thinking about how we can make the Kronos accessible for blind players, and trying different ideas, finaly i designed something which i am almost sure that can help blind users to use the touch screen.
Navigating through different pages and select all small different parameters that are in each page and page tab!

Unfortunately the Great Korg people don't seem like they want to make some changes in their Editor software so that Jaws can read everything for blind users.
Now blind users already know how Jaws work and how powerful this software is.
All Korg has to do, is to make some small changes in the editor software and leave the doors open for 3rd party programmers to make all the scripts for Jaws and Kronos Editor to read the screen for visually impairde users.

We really hope that that they make these changes with their new version of Editor software.
While keeping our hopes and wait for that day,
I finally decided to make a small tool which can allow visually impaired users to use the touch screen with all of its functions and parameters.

After spending nearly 2 months just checking all the pages and the location of different parameters on the touch screen and measuring all the sizes and dimensions, i decided to make something with a soft, rubber-like material which can be 3D printed and be placed on the Kronos touch screen.
Its like a thin soft pad with push bottuns on it! The push buttons are going to cover all the clickable areas and parameter, pages and page tabs etc ...
During designing this "Touch Pad"( thats the name that i chose for it) i was constantly consulting with 2 blind friends who told me what exactly they are looking for with this Touch Pad!
So i know how important it is for a blind user to be able to count easily and find the correct push button to press. So again with the help of my friends we decided to use different heights for some of the push buttons and mark some of the others with a braille dot, use different shapes etc.
This project is almost finished and acctually by this weekend I am going to finalize the desig, and do the final test and if everything is as accurate as we want( wich im sure it will be) we are going to finaly 3D print it!
We are so positive about Touch Pad that my blind friends have already purchased their Kronoses! One of them actually bought it 10 days ago!!!!

But there is another part which has to be done, its not easy, its not hard, but its a bit time consuming!
After 3D printing the Touch Pad, we have to write all the addresses!!!! I mean we have to write that what each push button does in different pages!
For example "culumn 3 to 5, row 5 allows you to choose the sound for Track 1 while in sequence page"
And the same buttons allows you to turn ON/OFF the String resonance for the Piano sound for example.....
There is going to be a braille version of this "Address Book" deppending on the number of users who want it.
We can post it to you! But even without that, i think we can write to each other in this forum and ask for the right address to do what we wanna do!!!

Anyway, its becomming a long message,
Long story short,
I make all the final changes, we print it and test it. Its gonna be done whithin a week!!!! Im going to make other changes if needed( which i doubt), finally i am going to 3D print it whithin a month and Im happy to give it to anybody who needs that!
I wish this Touch Pad could work for all Korg's devices, but unfortunately that means that I have to have all of them! So My touch Pad is for KRONOS only!
I'll keep you updated about the Progress. If anybody here wants to have that Touch Pad once its complete just write a message or comment.
In the beggining i was just doing it for the love that i have for my friend, but now im doing it to help whoever i can!

[Ksynth]

This sounds terrific.

Well done to make such an effort.

We should create a Poll asking Korg to implement the request you raise.

[SanderXpander]

Considering all the different screens, did you create a single pad with buttons basically all over in rows or columns, or are you planning on printing different ones for the different engines?

Actually thinking about it, probably the former, but you'd need so many with all the relative spacings!

EDIT: Also yes, amazing work!

[Pouyakhoshgoo]

Well... In the beggining I wasthinking about making lots of the Pads for different engines, but thats gonna be hard and too time wasting for the user since they have to keep changing the Pads all the time...
Also its going to be very expensive to print all those different pads.
So finally i decided to make a single panel with buttons in culumns and rows.

I printed the design in the PDF format on a transparency paper so many times and adjusted and adjusted and adjusted the sizes and spacings and etc.
Worked with that in every single page.

The blind user wont be able to work super fast with the Touch Pad, since for every single click they have to count. But i tried to make this counting as easier as possible by marking the buttons and use different heights for like every 5 rows and on every 5 culums!
But still they have to be a bit patient in order to be precize!
Like i said its not gonna be fast, but its better than not being able to use it at all!
If anybody in this forum ( i mean vision impared members ) gets one of those, i am happy to spend as much time as needed to teach them the addresses and buttons! We can write in the forum, im also happy to Skype!

[Pouyakhoshgoo]

Ksynth:
Thanks a lot!
And YES! Lets do it!

I mean come on Korg! Maybe the number of blind users is not that much comparing to your other customers. But still they are paying the same amount of money just like us, and have the right to be able to use it! There are many professional musician out there with the same problem! We can't just ignore them!
Now like we said in the other threads too, we don't want the Kronos or other synthesizers to come with text to speech technology installed on them. Or voice command activated!
Just : 1- either make 2 different Editor softwares, one as it is now, and the other one should be something not too graphical. jaws friendly, and something that allows you to navigate throught the software and pages and parameter using keyboard shortcuts and then. Enter the values using numpad!
BLIND USERS CAN'T USE THE MOUSE TO POINT!

2-or as i said, let 3rd party programmers work on it! Just leave the doors open for them to write all the scripts and shortcuts!

Come on guys lets make a poll

[dfibraio]

Ksynth:
Thanks a lot!
And YES! Lets do it!

I mean come on Korg! Maybe the number of blind users is not that much comparing to your other customers. But still they are paying the same amount of money just like us, and have the right to be able to use it! There are many professional musician out there with the same problem! We can't just ignore them!
Now like we said in the other threads too, we don't want the Kronos or other synthesizers to come with text to speech technology installed on them. Or voice command activated!
Just : 1- either make 2 different Editor softwares, one as it is now, and the other one should be something not too graphical. jaws friendly, and something that allows you to navigate throught the software and pages and parameter using keyboard shortcuts and then. Enter the values using numpad!
BLIND USERS CAN'T USE THE MOUSE TO POINT!

2-or as i said, let 3rd party programmers work on it! Just leave the doors open for them to write all the scripts and shortcuts!

Come on guys lets make a poll

As a fellow blind person here, I fully endorse this. We can do this for more than just JAWS. There are other screen readers out there that if the editor was designed correctly, could work with it as well.

i am more than willing, as I stated in a different thread, to assist in any way I can. I have extensive knowledge of technology for the blind and I am sure I can tap some other blind musicians as well to assist with this project.

So, I'm all in. Let's do this. come on, Korg, get on board.

[Pouyakhoshgoo]

Dfibraio:
I think we should write a formal letter, have it signed and send it to Korg's people! I can get at least 100 blind musicians to sign that!

By the way i just got home from the printing company with my final 2D design! Hopefully everything is ok and we are ready to 3D print it and start doing some real work with Kronos!
I'll let you know!

[Pouyakhoshgoo]

DAMON IT WORKS!
Just tested the print and it works!
We'll 3D print it in a few days!

[Ksynth]

What question would you put into a poll?

I am not familiar with the exact software such a Jaws. So perhaps you can frame the Poll question?

I'd be happy to try out your 2D printout if that may help in some way?

[Pouyakhoshgoo]

The question should be stating something like, Blind users have the right to use the K. Like others cuz they are paying the same money.


I mean there are thousands of even cheap and useless softwares that are already accessible!!! Its a shame that a big company like Korg does not do anything about its softwares...

[slowtrain]

That's nice work Pouya-khoshgoo. I'll be happy to sign any poll, petition, or letter you need to make the editor accessible too. I'm glad your 3D printout worked.

Best Regards,

[Pouyakhoshgoo]

Thank you, thats very kind of you...
Well i think someone with a perfect English should write this letter and we all can sign it and send it to Korg!
And ask them to make the Editor Software accessible, or let other programmers work on that!

[Ksynth]

The question should be stating something like, Blind users have the right to use the K. Like others cuz they are paying the same money.


I mean there are thousands of even cheap and useless softwares that are already accessible!!! Its a shame that a big company like Korg does not do anything about its softwares...

So can we just request a generic access - some software port into the OS?

Or should we mention any specific program etc

Can some one with program knowledge help frame the points for a Poll or letter to Korg?

[danatkorg]

Unfortunately the Great Korg people don't seem like they want to make some changes in their Editor software so that Jaws can read everything for blind users.

I've never heard a request for this before. I'm a little surprised at the tone here.

[Ksynth]

Unfortunately the Great Korg people don't seem like they want to make some changes in their Editor software so that Jaws can read everything for blind users.

I've never heard a request for this before. I'm a little surprised at the tone here.

Dan, I think you may by experiencing emailitis - the dreaded misinterpretation of the written word? Joke.

I did not see any real tone as you put it. I can feel the frustration of visually impaired Kronos users in this thread. No ill feeling is aimed at anyone or at Korg I am sure.

If there is any way you can help present the case to Korg perhaps that would be really really appreciated.

Thanks for all your forum contributions BTW.