Overview

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In today's world, access to information on the go is essential and we now rely more than ever on portable communication solutions. The constant evolution of mass-market electronics has provided more portability than ever before and smartphones have become the tool of choice for business professionals, individual consumers and students who wish to stay on top of their work and remain connected to information, friends and family. 

Oratio for BlackBerry^® smartphones is a unique and innovative screen reader software that allows visually impaired users to access and operate BlackBerry smartphones using Text-To-Speech technology to convert the visual information displayed on the BlackBerry smartphone screen into a speech output. This enables its users to use BlackBerry smartphones to increase their independence and productivity in today's competitive world. 

Whether you are at work, home or on the go, Oratio for BlackBerry is designed to support the core applications found on BlackBerry smartphones and allow visually impaired user to:

• Manage instant messaging, emails, SMS and MMS.
• Make and receive calls with access to caller ID on incoming calls.
• Manage contact list.
• Manage your call log.
• Schedule appointments and tasks with alarms and reminders.
• Access to the phone's settings, ring tones and speed dials.

Features/Specs

Main Characteristics

Feature rich, through its easy to use menu and efficient shortcut keys, Oratio will provide users with:

• Intuitive and familiar audio user interface.
• Easy-to-use customization options for frequently used settings.
• Auto start mode when the device turns on.
• Different verbosity levels to allow users to define the amount of information provided.
• Settings control over the voice rate and pitch.
• Keyboard echo settings for text entry.
• Easy-to-use command structure.

The Benefits

Oratio is the product of a strong collaborative effort between HumanWare, Code Factory, the leading provider of screen reader technology and maker of Mobile Speak, and Research In Motion^TM (RIM), the maker of the award winning portfolio of BlackBerry products and solutions. From this effort, Oratio users will:

• Experience more freedom and independence in their activities with the ability to stay connected anytime, anywhere.
• Experience greater flexibility to manage their day-to-day activities in ways that are most convenient for them.
• Increase productivity and achieve more by quickly and efficiently accessing information they need.
• Be able to access and operate BlackBerry devices in a manner functionally equivalent to solutions offered to sighted BlackBerry users.

Oratio will also benefit employers by providing an accommodating solution for blind and visually impaired employees that leverages an organization's existing investment in BlackBerry infrastructure and technologies.

Device and language support

Oratio will first be released in North America in English, supporting the BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone from AT&T. Support for additional BlackBerry smartphone models and languages will be available in subsequent versions of Oratio.

Please contact HumanWare to find out more about what Oratio for BlackBerry can do for you.

System Requirements

To get started with Oratio for BlackBerry, you will need the following:

• BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone from AT&T (in U.S.A only)
• BlackBerry Device Software version 4.6.1.297 or greater*
• BlackBerry Language pack that includes US English

*Note - BlackBerry smartphone models not listed herein, or with device software versions prior to what is listed, are not supported by Oratio for BlackBerry.

Please visit the Oratio for BlackBerry® smartphones support section: