17. Wednesday, March 2, 1988 North Share News

isa

winner
PAGE 20

NEIL SQUIRE FOUNDATION

Disabled given
chance with new

computer

COMPUTER-DRIVEN
manufactured in Deep Cove.

Regenesis Development Cor-
poration, the marketing arm of the
Nei! Squire Foundation, a national
non-profit organization dedicated
to the research, development and
delivery of technical aids to the
physically disabled, last month
launched two new software pro-
ducts designed to allow the disabl-
ed easy access to computer pro-
grams.

Crowded into three cramped of-
fices fronting Gallant Avenue in
Deep Cove, the national head-
quarters of the Neil Squire Foun-
dation are bursting at the scams
jammed with computer parapher-
nalia and a user-friendly dedicated
staff of 37.

Ten months manpower effort
and $300,000 worth of research
and development later, the com-
pany has come up with two inex-
pensive programs designed to
allow people with severe physical
disabilities to get around the stan-
dard keyboard method of interac-
ting with an IBM-type computer.

The first, ezMorse, is an input
program based on the dot-dash
Morse code system. The physically
disabled user manipulates two
switches to input code and emulate
the keyboard for complete control

- of a computer.

The switches are activated
through the computer’s game port,
serial port, or parallel port. The
program starts automatically, in-
cludes a manual, instant help

miracles are

software

quietly being

screen and tutorial on the disk. A
user is able to adjust the speed at
which the program runs and the

program is memory resident,
meaning it doesn't have to be
reloaded as a user skips from one

.program to another. The keyboard

is not disabled while the program
is being used.

The second, ezScan is, according
to software developer Don
Bentley, a good, slower program
for people not quite comfortable
with computers.

The movable scanner window
allows the user efficient access to
the keyboard and emulates: the
keyboard by scanning through a

table of commands and characters”

which the user selects by activating
two switches.

The programs take 16 K_ of
memory and run on any IBM PC
Junior, PC, AT, XT or PS/2 con-
figuration. Each program costs
$75.

Lawyer Brian Cruikshank, the
foundation’s government liaison
coordinator, is physically disabled
and has been working with the
ezMorse program for a month.
Foot switches have replaced the
mouth-manipulated stick he had
been using for the past year to
strike the keyboard.

See Computers
Page 23

EATS AGAR, 9M SSC PITS DES SCSI S SACU RS OS ECIPSESS ENS SSIS SS COTES

Vancouver’ Heritage

offering the

finest in shopping

The demolition crew says:

MOVE OVER ROVER!

Gingham Dog will be moving In
with Calico Cat during a 4 month
renovation of 199 Water Street

OUR ENTIRE
STOCK

carted

ge Ay <=

2 rats 50% ed

DOG-GONED
IT’S BELOW
COST

O°

animals
+ Kenya Bags

GINGHAM DOG — 199 WATER ST, VANCOUVER
687-9058 OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

NEWS photo Mike Waketiald

NEIL SQUIRE Foundation government liaison coordinator Brian Cruikshank works with the organization's
new ezMorse software program. The product allows the physically disabled to bypass the standard keyboard
and allows a user to manipulate software applications via Morse code dots and dashes entered through switches.

Clouds

Specializing in quality kites
windsocks & flying toys

Bring this ad in for free craw

131 WATER St. 669-5677

EGS) DarkIng
at Woodwards
or Hop across on
the SeaBus

#4 Royal Doulton

SALE 4.0%

EN
Pocuitiian
by
/
y
i,

COMPLETE BRIDAL
REGISTRY SERVICE

A chance to win valuable prizes,
gift certificates or a Trip to
Hawaii by registering with us.
Please drop by for full contest
details.
BRING THIS AD TO ENTER
OUR DRAW FOR $100.00 GIFT
CERTIFICATE

SWEETS

¢ FRY'S CREAM

«BERWICK |

@ COCKLES

¢ PEAR DROPS

¢ FLAKE AND
MORE

HOUSE OF McLAREN

425-434. WATER STREET

84-8442 since 1912

685-3322

China Crystal Gifts
419 W. Hastings $t., Vancouver