Why pay more?
Foundation launches free online screen-reader for blind
by Clarence Schadegg
Many in the disability community
are working to increase computer accessibility. For blind and visually
impaired users, that goal recently got a big boost. The Accessibility
Is a Right (AIR) foundation has launched a new program, called System
Access To Go (SATOGO). Free and online, it is a newly developed screen-
reader program for people who are blind and visually impaired.
Formerly Freedom Box, System
Access (SA) was designed and used for the past seven years. The brainchild
of Michael Calvo, founder and CEO of Serotek Corporation, SA will give
blind and visually impaired people around the world free access to
the SATOGO screen reader. Access to SATAGO is as easy as visiting their
web site www.satogo.com with an open Web browser.
Art Schreiber, Executive Director of the AIR Foundation, recently
explained some of the details of the new system. The two major benefits
to SATAGO for users are that it is free to all, anytime they want to
use it, and, it is available anywhere, with few restrictions (it currently
it only works with Windows XP and Vista products). Serotek also provides
technical answers free of charge. In addition, SATOGO offers nine voices—four
male and five female. Voices from Naturally Speaking and others are
not available with this product, mainly because SATOGO is free and
cannot offer product where the vendor requires a payment. However,
a full range of voices is available from Serotek with its System Access
Mobile product line.
About the Director
Mr. Schreiber, Executive Director
of the AIR Foundation, credits the National Federation of
the Blind for helping him to change his life. He has an impressive
and extensive set of professional experiences, including
spending more than fifty years in broadcasting as a reporter,
news director, radio and television anchor and bureau chief,
as well as founding Commuter Computer, a ride-sharing organization,
in Los Angeles in 1972 and being its president from 1977
to 1980.
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For more information, contact the AIR Foundation
at info@accessibilityisaright.org ![]()
