A Low Cost Open Source Braille Display
Your Location:
Downtown Victoria
Company or Affiliation:
Self-employed; Online Marketing/Software Development
Website:
http://UtopiaMechanicus.com
Other contact info: ---
Your Awesome Sh*t:
My device will take in computer codes and display it as Braille text
on a tactile display. Using it, Blind people will have more access to
the written word, and greater opportunities to learn (and practice)
Braille. Braille literacy for the blind is just as vital as literacy
for the sighted, and lacking it can severely impact their lifestyle
and chances for employment. My device seeks to reduce the costs on
this device (from currently around $7,000-$10,000 down to around
$200) by reducing the part count drastically and using Open Source
components. The device will also be made available as Open Source, so
that others can build and modify it. Money from the Awesome Club will
pay for more and better parts for improved prototypes, such as
stepper motors, and improved materials, such as cast plastic parts
instead of laser-cut acrylic.
Your Bio:
I invent - mostly software/games - and decided to make this device to
fill a need. Typically, Braille displays are many thousands of
dollars. An inexpensive device like this would allow people to use
computers more easily, and also learn Braille rapidly.
Anything else you think we should know:
As discussed in the last submission, voice readers for your computer
are not a substitute for Braille literacy, any more than audio books
mean people don't have to learn how to read; they are complementary.
A device like this, communicating in Braille codes, is already an
accepted (and desirable) fact of life for the blind community - this
project's goal is to make such a device more accessible to all by
reducing costs drastically, and encouraging others to rework the
design to the benefit of all.
Thank you for your attention,
David Pankhurst
Free Knowledge Project
250 298 8256
freeknowledgeproject.wordpress.com
facebook <<free knowledge project>>
In May of 2010 Marc Pinkoski started teaching free anthropology classes at the Solstice Café, Victoria, BC. Since that time, we are now in the process of completing our fifth university level course, totalling 31 public lectures from three instructors. The courses have centred on Canadian studies, cultural anthropology, Vancouver Island history, Indigenous peoples rights and treaty relations.
In addition to holding the classes, we are also recording and posting them to the web to facilitate access or to reduce barriers to those who may be alienated from some forms of learning (i.e. financially, location). We are asking for support to assist in the production of the class: Sharp 3100 Lm XGA Portable Projector, Projector Screen, external hard drive for mac. Basically any support would be of great help.
Marc Pinkoski has a PhD in anthropology from UVic and taught anthropology and Indigenous Studies for 10 years. He has taught three of the courses, each with the title: “Anthropology and Indigenous Peoples in Canada” but expanding from 5 to 6 to 9 classes. Michael Asch, Fellow of the Royal Society Canada and Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Alberta, taught one course called “Indigenous-State Relations.” And Robert Hancock, who has recently returned from post-doctoral work at the University of Western Ontario, taught “Aboriginal Rights, Anthropology, and Development in the North.”
Anything else you think we should know? There has been a bunch of people who have been instrumental in this project of whom I have not mentioned. Many of them are mentioned on the blog. Also, I pitched this at an earlier ASC gig.
Marc Pinkoski
Get on the DOC Bus!
West Coast Fest Helps Emerging Spoken Word Artists Innovate
Email: notyourgrandmaspoetry@gmail.com iamthemissing@gmail.com
Phone number: 250-213-1634
Your Location: Victoria, BC
Company or Affiliation: Not Your Grandma's Poetry Productions
Website: http://www.missiepeters.com http://notyourgrandmaspoetry.com/
Other contact info: Find me on Facebook - Missie Peters or Twitter missie_p
Your Awesome Shit:
After producing the most well-attended National Slam Championship (The Canadian Festival of Spoken Word) in the organization's 6 year history, I saw a real gap in Canada's spoken word scene: professional development for emerging spoken word artists. So I'm producing a festival here in Victoria "The Victoria Spoken Word Festival" February 23-26 at Intrepid Theatre. This festival will bring 10-14 poets from across Canada to learn about everything BUT spoken word: freestyle rap, stand-up comedy, improv and more. Why? Because if you want people to innovate you have to give them new tools.
Victoria is the perfect location for this festival - not only because of our great urban vibe and support for festivals, but also because the spoken word scene is building a new and expanding audience: over 500 people attended the National Slam Finals, over 90 people attended the Victoria Slam Finals, and spoken word shows at this year's fringe were sold out. The festival will feature nightly performances by the participants, and is sure to draw crowds hungry for the hippest edge of spoken word.
Spoken Word is the shit right now. And if you support this festival, it will make Victoria awesome-r.
Your Bio:
Missie Peters is a spoken word artist, improviser and producer in Victoria BC. She is a member of Tongues of Fire (now starting its 6th season), one-half of the improvised poetry duo SpeakEasy and all of Not Your Grandma's Poetry Productions. She is a regular performer at Philip's Comedy night, The Showdown and Theatresports and has hosted Pecha Kucha. Past produced shows include Poetry in the Raw (annual event), Iconocraft, The Videogame Poetry Show and Keep in Txt. Her recent show at the Victoria Fringe, "Public Confessions of a Public Servant" was a near-sell out.
Anything else you think we should know:
I run a poetry production company instead of a not-for-profit for two reasons: I produce events that make money, and I don't want to have to deal with a board. I believe entertainment can be a successful business and run my company as such.