 |
|
|
January, 1999 Dancing Dots Demonstrates GOODFEEL™
to the President Dancing Dots Braille Music Technology, L.P., of Upper Darby, PA, was one of only a handful of companies that specialize in developing assistive technology to be invited to the White House on Wednesday, January 13. Dancing Dots, makers of the GOODFEEL™; Braille Music Translator, was invited by Dr. Katherine Seelman of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Most of Dancing Dots’ funding has been awarded through NIDRR’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The exhibits highlighted the importance of technological innovation in helping people with disabilities to participate in the work force. On January 13, the Clinton administration announced a budget initiative designed to support people with disabilities in the transition from rehabilitation to work and to increase support for development of assistive technology. Before the official press briefing, members of the press and invited guests had time to visit the exhibits which were set up in the grand foyer just outside the East Room of the White House. Bill McCann, president of Dancing Dots, his wife and business partner, Mary Ann McCann, and Albert Milani, GOODFEEL’s designer, all greeted the president and Vice-president. Mr. McCann demonstrated how a melody can be played on a musical keyboard and quickly converted to braille. McCann told the president that he would play him a tune he might just recognize. Mr. Clinton and Mr. Gore enjoyed a good laugh as they heard the first few measures of "Hail to the Chief!" After the demonstration, Mr. Clinton remarked to McCann, "That is wonderful, that is wonderful!" During his subsequent remarks to the press, Mr. Clinton urged those guests who had not yet taken time to visit the exhibits to be sure to do so. He said: "I hope all of you had a chance to experience and see the amazing displays out there in the Grand Foyer -- from a portable computer kiosk that helps people with disabilities vote or find a job, to the latest voice recognition software that lets you use a computer without touching a keyboard, to a new generation of mobile telephones that connect directly to hearing aids, to a device to immediately translate music into braille."Since 1992, Dancing Dots has been a leader in developing and adapting music software for the blind. In 1997 the company released its GOODFEEL ™ Braille Music Translator. GOODFEEL ™ automates production of braille music scores by transcribing into music braille the same computer music files used to produce print editions. GOODFEEL ™ is now in use all over the US and in ten other countries. For further information visit the Dancing Dots web site at https://dancingdots.com. Feel free to contact Dancing Dots at info@dancingdots.com or call 610 500-5072.
|
| 1754 Quarry Lane, Suite DD, Phoenixville, PA 19460 P: 610 783-6692 F: 610 500-5072 |
| Copyright Dancing Dots |