Talking Signs, Inc - 812 North Boulevard - Baton Rouge, LA 70802

William B. Loughborough, Talking Signs/RIAS pioneer died of natural causes in his home In Madrid, Spain around midnight Wednesday, April 7, 2010. Loughborough, 84, was what could be called a true renaissance man - technology innovator, musician, song writer, theater director and relentless advocate for accessibility for people with disabilities. When he was 17, after a year at MIT, he became part of the jazz culture in New York as a drummer. During WWII he was a Navy Radioman.

In 1979, he was one of the researchers at Smith Kettlewell Eye Research Institute and Rehabilitation Engineering Center who provided proof of concept for Remote Infrared Audible Signage technology. "Bill carried the Talking Signs torch for many years," said Ward Bond, President of Talking Signs, Inc. "Technology transfer takes many hands. Bill believed in this technology before it was available, let alone installed, anywhere. Without Bill Loughborough, there would have been no Talking Signs."

Most recently, Bill had become an influential activist/thinker concerning making the internet accessible to people with visual disabilities through his membership in the World Wide Web Consortium, or W3C. In 2002, his song "Better Than Anything," sung by Natalie Cole was nominated for a Grammy Award. The words of this song express his delight in and love of life.

To become an advocate for RIAS, visit the Accessible Signage Now website.

The system consists of short audio signals sent by invisible infrared light beams from permanently installed transmitters to a hand-held receiver that decodes the signal and delivers the voice message through its speaker or headset. The signals are directional, and the beam width and distance can be adjusted. The system works effectively in both interior and exterior applications.

Talking Signs may be used wherever landmark identification and wayfinding assisstance are needed. To use a Talking Signs system, the user scans the environment with the hand-held receiver. As individual signals are encountered, the user hears the messages. For example, upon entering a lobby, one might detect "information desk" when pointing the receiver directly ahead, "public telephones" when pointing to the right and "stairs to the second floor" when pointing to the left.

Messages are unique and short, simple and straightforward. The messages repeat, continuously identifying key features in the environment.