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One GenevaLunch regular asked whether there was any way that her partially sighted mother could still enjoy her crossword pastime. I promised some time ago to post information about crosswords for the blind as soon as it was available. Eric Westbrook gave the information that, with his permission, I am pasting here. Below, you will find the links that you will be able to paste into your browser. Happy solving!

First Blind Electronic Crossword Program has arrived
IP: 82.16.67.141
Posted by Eric Westbrook

Fantastic news!

The brilliant Ian Humphreys of Albany Western Australia has released his marvelous computer program that allows blind and partially sighted crossword solvers independent access to crosswords. The software is FREEWARE, so that anyone can use it in any way they wish (as long as they acknowledge Spoonbill Softaware)

The program has been thoroughly tested during development by an international team of ‘beta testers’ including Rishi a member of this site.

We have been waiting for GU to produce a download button for their crosswords to feed into Ian’s program. However, Ian has yielded to the irrisistible international pressure to release the program.

RNIB will be disseminating information on how to download the program on their website in the newspaper section, in the next few days. Please do join in and pass the message on.

The program provides the same kind of information from the grid that a sighted solver gleans, but without needing to see the grid. The program speaks to the user.

There is an extensive Help File but new solvers are encouraged to start with the series of tutorials (what I wrote) that help get you solving quickly using the essential keyboard operations before using those that are more complex.

Please find attached Ian’s email with instructions. If anyone would like the program demonstrated, drop me a line.
ericwestbrook@btintern.com

Thank you so much Ian.

Best wishes,

Eric Westbrook

Blind 3D setter/ 2D solver
RNIB member and volunteer

Ian Humphreys wrote:

BG Crossword Puzzle 1.0
From: “games@spoonbillsoftware.com.au” View
To:

I’ve finally released BG Crossword 1.0 and this is the link to the released version. Thank you for helping to test it for me. It’s a much better game for all your suggestions over the weeks and months of beta testing. We still haven’t got the Across Lite button on the Guardian page but I still live in hope

Hi,
This is Ian Humphreys from Spoonbill Software. You can download the setup file for Blind-gamers Crossword Puzzle 1.0 by using the following link:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8448640/BG|0Crossword|0Puzzle/BGXSetup10.zip

The Help is supplied as a separate HTML file in the Help subfolder. It can also be displayed by hitting the F 1 function key once you are running the game.

There is also a set of tutorials especially written by Eric Westbrook which provides a good grounding on how to use the program and also gives the novice an introduction to cryptic crosswords. These tutorials can be accessed by hitting Shift F 1 once you are running the game.

This is the fifteenth program in the Blind Gamers series which includes other word games such as BG Boggle, and BG Word Target, card games such as BG Hearts, BG Uno, and BG Free Cell Solitaire, logic games such as BG 15 Puzzle and BG LAP, and many more.

Visit the Spoonbill Software website to browse the complete collection at www.spoonbillsoftware.com.au/blindgamers.htm

This program requires Microsoft’s Speech Application Programming Interface Text To Speech (SAPI TTS ) before it will run. If you have a screen reader installed, you probably have SAPI already. If not, you can download the setup file for SAPI TTS from the Spoonbill Software website at: http://spoonbillsoftware.com.au/links.htm. I’m afraid that this only works for Windows 98, 2000, ME, and XP.

IMPORTANT: This game will work using Microsoft’s SAPI voices Sam, Mike and Mary under Windows 98, 2000, ME and XP, and Anna under Windows Vista and Windows 7. It will also work with many non-Microsoft SAPI voices. But some non-Microsoft SAPI voices cause the program to crash. If this should happen to you, try switching to another voice, and as a last resort switch to Sam, Mike Mary or Anna before contacting Spoonbill Software about your problem.

BG Crossword Puzzle is an accessible Crossword Puzzle solver. It is suitable for both blind and visually impaired players, and like all Spoonbill games in the Blind gamers series, it is self-voicing.

Before you play for the first time, I urge you to read the separate help file, to become familiar with the various keyboard keys you will need to use. Or better still, follow through the tutorials by Eric Westbrook.

Just unzip the setup file and run to install the game.

Thanks for requesting a freeware game from Spoonbill Software. I hope you enjoy playing and will tell all your friends about the site. Whether you enjoy the game or not I would certainly be interested in your comments and suggestions for possible improvements.

And if you have any ideas for other games you’d like to see in the Blind-gamers series, drop me a line and let me know. I keep a wish list, and who knows, maybe one day I’ll get round to writing the game you suggest! But remember, I’m just one person who writes programs as a spare time hobby, so the games can’t be too complex or time-consuming to write.

I’ll keep you informed when more blind friendly games come along.

UP-TO-DATE EMAIL ADDRESS
I always let my clients know when there has been an upgrade to any game they request. To do this I rely on your keeping me up-to-date with any change in your email address. Some people have changed their email addresses and failed to let me know, so now I am unable to contact them when a game is upgraded.

Don’t forget to check the website from time to time for any upgrades or new additions. Click on the Blind-gamers button for the latest news about Blind-gamers games.

If you have any problems please contact support@spoonbillsoftware.com.au

Happy gaming!

UNINSTALL:
All Spoonbill Software products install in a non-intrusive manner. That is to say, all the files required by the program are located in a specific folder created just for the one program. Data and other associated files may be stored in sub-folders of the main folder. No .dll files are installed in the Windows folder, no entries are stored in the Windows Registry. So, to uninstall any piece of software is merely a matter of deleting the main program folder.

Ian Humphreys,
Spoonbill Software,

http://www.spoonbillsoftware.com.au/blindgamers.htm

Albany,
Western Australia

PS The link to each game will be sent in a separate mailing.

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