--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: ECK00000Date: 08/15/97 From: WQ6R Time: 07:44pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: Conflict of Interest From: WQ6R Subject: Re: Conflict of Interest I have attended two national NFB conventions, and several NFB of California conventions, and have never seen anything that resembles an open election, unless you consider elections in the old Soviet Union to be open. It would be physically impossible to nominate anyone from the floor, and the incumbants are already lined up at the podium before the election even starts. Andy Baracco --- * Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: ECK00001Date: 08/15/97 From: "T. V. RAMAN" Time: 01:32am \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Auditory User Interfaces (Book Announcem01:32:2208/15/97 From: "T. V. Raman" Subject: Auditory User Interfaces (Book Announcement) (Forward From dandrews@visi.com) Note that I had an erroneous URL for the book in my prior message. Hi-- Over the past two years , you've probably heard me say more than once that I strongly believe that speech interfaces for the mainstream computer user will be the next big revolution once the Internet excitement has blown over. Over the last sixteen months, I've spent most of my weekends writing down these user interface ideas in a book entitled "Auditory User Interfaces --Toward The Speaking Computer". The book is published by Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston and you can visit it at http://cs.cornell.edu/home/raman/aui/aui.html or order the book over the Internet from the publishers WWW site at http://www.wkap.nl/kapis/CGI-BIN/WORLD/book.htm?0-7923-9984-6 Accessibility note: I'll try and have an accessible version made available via RFB&D as soon as possible. Book Details: Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston Hardbound, ISBN 0-7923-9984-6 August 1997, 168 pp. Contents: 1. Speech-enabled Applications 2. Nuts And Bolts Of Auditory Interfaces 3. Audio Desktop 4. Concrete Implementation Of An Audio Desktop 5. Speech-enabling The WWW Share And Enjoy: --Raman -- Best Regards, --raman Adobe Systems Tel: 1 (408) 536 3945 (W14-129) Advanced Technology Group Fax: 1 (408) 537 4042 (W14 129) 345 Park Avenue Email: raman@adobe.com San Jose , CA 95110 -2704 Email: raman@cs.cornell.edu http://labrador.corp.adobe.com/~raman/ (Adobe Intranet) http://cs.cornell.edu/home/raman/raman.html (Cornell) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are my own and in no way should be taken as representative of my employer, Adobe Systems Inc. ____________________________________________________________ --- * Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: ECK00002Date: 08/15/97 From: "LARRY GOLDBERG" Time: 01:31am \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Gates column (Forward From dandrews@visi01:31:4408/15/97 From: "Larry Goldberg" Subject: Gates column (Forward From dandrews@visi.com) fyi, Larry ------------- Bill Gates Column (NYT Syndicate) 8/13/97 Helping people with disabilities helps everybody By BILL GATES I have lots of things to be thankful for, not the least of which are eyeglasses. Like many people, I have a permanent disability. My eyesight isn't the greatest. Fortunately, my disability is mild and easily overcome with prescription lenses. I don't begin to equate my minor disability with the kinds of serious disabilities that many people encounter. I'm grateful that my eyesight isn't worse. And I'm grateful I have glasses. Eyeglasses are one kind of "accessibility aid." A wheelchair is another. An elevator chime is yet another. Any tool that lets a person who has a disability gain better access to the world is an accessibility aid. Maybe you have a permanent disability, too. Many people are colorblind, dyslexic, or have debilitating back problems or other chronic illnesses or injuries, including repetitive-stress injuries such as carpal-tunnel syndrome. As the average age of the population increases, the number of people with significant disabilities will grow. Helping accommodate people with disabilities makes sense. Just imagine how much worse off society and millions of individuals like me would be if eyeglasses had never been invented. When ways are found to keep people productive, everybody benefits--not just the individuals, but their friends, relatives, employers and the whole economy, too. It's an intelligent use of resources. Sometimes investments or regulations intended to help people with disabilities prove to offer unexpectedly widespread benefits. The chimes and lights that announce the pending arrival of an elevator car were installed to give people with sight, hearing or mobility impairments a little extra time. Everybody takes these accessibility aids for granted now, and if an elevator didn't have them you might be annoyed. The sloped "curb cuts" that provide gentle ramps from the sidewalk to the street at many U.S. street corners were installed to benefit people in wheelchairs. But people pushing carts or strollers, or riding bikes or skateboards, rely on them too. Closed-captioning for television programs was devised to help people with hearing impairments, by displaying in written form the dialog of a show. Now many people who hear just fine use closed-captioning merely to watch TV in bed without disturbing a spouse, or to watch the news while working out on a noisy exercise machine. The flip side of this is that some innovations meant for society at large have had disproportionate value to the disabled. The PC and the Internet are great examples. They are, in effect, accessibility aids for many people. People with speech impediments can "chat" via text on the Internet or other computer networks. Many older individuals and others who may not be able to get out much participate in social groups that communicate over the Internet. They keep up with friends and the doings of their grandkids and other relatives. A lawyer can sit in front of a computer and call up every brief her law firm has ever filed and every deposition. She doesn't have run to somebody's office, or shuffle a lot of paper, or go to and from a file cabinet. She may even be able to work from home. Anybody with limited mobility--or even just limited time--can appreciate how the Internet and electronic databases have opened vast amounts of information to easy access. The PC is one of the greatest accessibility aids ever created but people who are blind have actually lost ground in recent years. A decade ago most computer screens displayed only text, and it was relatively easy for software to "speak" this text aloud to the blind. The immediate result was a new level of independence for people who could not see the printed word. But today's more powerful PCs and software, which use graphics heavily to communicate large amounts of information to the sighted person, have proven problematic for people who don't have eyesight. Similarly, as the Internet's World Wide Web becomes more graphical and interesting for people with sight, its content threatens to become less accessible to the blind than it is today. Fortunately, a growing number of computer hardware and software innovations are being developed specifically for people with disabilities, including blindness. Pioneering work has been done at universities and non-profit research centers, such as the Trace R&D Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Federal funding played an important role in these early initiatives, and now commercial companies are getting involved. Enhancements are being built right into operating systems and software applications. The broad goal is to make the interface between the computer and the person so flexible that there are a variety of ways to accomplish any task. Because some people can't use a mouse efficiently, there are now alternatives to the mouse. Because not everybody can hear sounds, there are visual as well as audio cues available. Because not everybody can see a screen well, or even see it all, there are enhanced ways to convey information--from high-contrast settings to software that allows a speech synthesizer to describe and read aloud even screens that are richly graphical. Microsoft will soon release technology to make it easy for authors and third parties to add closed-captioning and audio description to Web pages and software applications. Encarta 98 will be the first multimedia encyclopedia to be fully closed-captioned. Windows 98 will feature numerous new features for people with disabilities, including a screen magnifier and an easy way for individuals to customize their machines. Good accessibility work is under way at several other big companies, including IBM and Sun. And numerous small companies are making important contributions by providing everything from speech synthesizers to foot pedals for people who have trouble holding down keyboard keys. Still, the industry has a long way to go in establishing and promoting these techniques so that they will be used everywhere, in every software product, with the benefits available to everybody. We'll get there. I can see the day coming, even with my glasses off. (For information about current and future accessibility aids, visit http://www.microsoft.com/enable/.) --- * Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: ECK00003Date: 08/15/97 From: HHEAGY@DELPHI.COM Time: 01:59am \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: The Rest of the Story From: hheagy@delphi.com Subject: Re: The Rest of the Story Well, it's like this; May Nelson has done absolutely nothing for the blind of La. There is only one thing she could do to improve the lives of the blind in La. and that is to resign immediately. There was no opportunity whatsoever to challenge this award presentation at the convention as it was pre-planned and it wouldn't have been the time or place for such challenges if we could. I could sight more things this woman has done to hurt us and it would not be hear say as some people have implied. I presented the facts as best I could; what people choose to do with them is their own business. Harvey Net-Tamer V 1.10 Beta - Registered --- * Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: ECK00004Date: 08/15/97 From: HHEAGY@DELPHI.COM Time: 06:30am \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: Conflict of Interest From: hheagy@delphi.com Subject: Re: Conflict of Interest On 1997-08-15 NFB-Talk@NFBnet.org said: NF>Harvey, NF>The democratic character of the federation leaves you with plenty of NF>options, the most obvious of which is to unelect Joanne Wilson as NF>president of the LA Affiliate. Do you really think that can happen until she is ready to give it up voluntarily with people working behind the scenes stacking the deck in her favor? The state board knows that all this is going on, it just doesn't care as long as the center is running well. And even if she did give up the presidency it would be to her hand picked successor. Harvey Net-Tamer V 1.10 Beta - Registered --- * Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: ECK00005Date: 08/15/97 From: KEVIN LAROSE Time: 12:18pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: Conflict of Interest From: Kevin LaRose Subject: Re: Conflict of Interest Harvey does raise a good point here. You allude to the "democratic nature" of the Federation, but I totally fail to see that. There is absolutely no way a powerful state President, especially one in a state where one of the NFB training centers is located, could be even challenged, much less defeated, in an election. She has the job for as long as she wants it, no matter what happens. Kevin --- * Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: ECK00006Date: 08/15/97 From: KELLY PIERCE Time: 04:36pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: computer user network news no. 12 From: Kelly Pierce Subject: computer user network news no. 12 The following is the twelfth issue of "Computer User Network News" from the Chicago Blind Computer User Network. To learn more about us, check out our web site at http://www.city-net.com/vipace/friends/chicago or join us online through the visually impaired computer user group mailing list. to learn more about the list send an electronic mail message to listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu and in the body type "info vicug- l" without the quotation marks. to join the list, just send an e-mail to the address above and type "subscribe vicug-l" in the message body, without the quotation marks. Kelly COMPUTER USERS NETWORK NEWS Adaptive Technology for the Blind and Visually-Impaired Vol. III no. 2 March-April, 1997 Published Bimonthly by the Computer Network http://www.city-net.com/vipace/friends/chicago Sponsored by Blind Service Association 22 West Monroe Street Chicago, Illinois 60603 312-236-0808 Calendar Line: 312-458-9006 Copyright: 1997 Editor: Cindy Brown Project Coordinator: Dave Porter SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Subscriptions to this newsletter are included in the annual Computer Network membership donation to Blind Service Association of fifteen dollars or more. The newsletter is available on cassette, in print, or on-line. If joining the Network by mail, send your check (payable to Blind Service Association) to the Computer Network, c/o Blind Service Association, 22 W. Monroe St., Chicago, Il 60603, and please indicate in which format you prefer to receive the Computer Users Network News. CONTENTS CHECK US OUT BUY CHANCE THE ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE CHICAGO BLIND COMPUTER NETWORK by David Porter TEAMWORK WANTED: ENERGY, CONGENIALITY, AND COORDINATION THE RIGHT STUFF: HOW TO CHOOSE ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGY by Kelly Pierce THINGS TO REMEMBER (FOR THE FRUSTRATED COMPUTER USER) MEMBER COMMENTARY by Carlos Hranicka USING F5--LIST FILES (IN WP5.1) by Marie Porter FYI DATES TO REMEMBER CHECK US OUT You can check us out on the web page made available to us through Vipace. You'll find current and back issues of this newsletter. That's at http://www.city- net.com/vipace/friends/chicago. If you want a quick-and-easy way to check out our calendar of events, call BSA's new information line at 312-458-9006. -------- BUY CHANCE Here is an exciting way to accomplish two highly desirable goals at the same time. You can: --Win $10,000 or one of two other cash prizes! Your chance is one in eighty-three. --Help blind people succeed in jobs and education through access to the latest in computer technology. HOW CAN YOU DO THIS? Buy one of two hundred fifty raffle tickets in Blind Service Association (BSA)'s Grand Sweepstakes. The winning prize is a COOL $10,000.00! The second-place winner receives $1500.00, and the third prize is $500.00. WHAT IS THE PRICE OF A RAFFLE TICKET? One hundred dollars. Buy one or join with others to share a ticket. Last year's ten-thousand-dollar award went to ten friends. HOW CAN YOU BE SURE OF THE 83-1 ODDS? There will be three prizes. We will sell no more than two hundred fifty raffle tickets. WHAT ARE THE RULES OF THE RAFFLE? Winners need not be present at the drawing, but need to supply their address and tax identification number before receiving their prizes. WHEN AND WHERE IS THE DRAWING? At BSA's Annual Meeting, June 14, 1997, at Chicago's Westin Hotel, 909 North Michigan. WHAT IS BLIND SERVICE ASSOCIATION? For seventy-five years we have been providing blind and visually-impaired residents of the Chicago area with the services that they most want and need: reading and customized recording of print material, college scholarships, support groups, senior and youth programs, and the COMPUTER NETWORK--THE BENEFICIARY OF THIS RAFFLE. We are "PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE CREATE THEIR OWN FUTURE." WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP? To order your raffle ticket(s), send your check or money order, along with your name and address, to us as soon as possible to ensure you are among the two hundred fifty participants. Alternately, you may bring the money to our Loop office at 22 West Monroe Street (eleventh floor). On receipt of your funds, we will send or give you your raffle ticket, keeping the stub for the drawing. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CALL US AT 312-236-0808. Remember: even if you lose, you are a winner! -------- THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CHICAGO BLIND COMPUTER NETWORK by David Porter I have been the project coordinator of the Chicago Computer Network for blind and visually-impaired computer users for two years now. I have seen initiatives start up and blossom; I have seen other ones fizzle. I have seen many people sift through our bevy of projects and come out more confident, purposeful, and, perhaps, more focused. It has been an enlightening, intriguing and exciting experience. In trying to assemble the details of what we have accomplished and have yet to accomplish, a look at the past year's doings can best tell our story. Over the past year, 169 of us became involved in the flood of Network projects. Throughout the year we held 11 general meetings. They occurred and continue to occur on the First Saturday of each month. In January, we conducted a Windows overview and training session. In February, we held an Arkinstone Atlas Speaks day-long seminar. In March, we had a lynx based online seminar. April saw an adaptive equipment and technique show&tell. In May we had our task team reviews, a posse computer repair workshop, and a peer training Windows presentation. In June we conducted an Internet web tour, a site show&tell and a peer training strategy workshop. In July we had a computers-for-kids day. The August presentation was for high school kids-- pathways to careers: the Internet as a tool. In September we held an intensive access to Windows seminar. Our October event was an offsite network-building field trip to the Danka Training Center for a can-do presentation. Our November adventure was a peer training all day note-taking and personal information coordination organization chautauqua. We wound up the year with our December end-of-the year open house raffle. In this last year our teams were busy. The all-write team, under the able guidance of editor Cindy Brown, wrote, assembled, produced, and distributed four newsletters--all the articles having been submitted by Network members. Our posse computer-repair team, led by David McClain, procured, refurbished, and circulated eighteen computers, four printers, and a trove of miscellaneous computer parts. Our resource force, led by Jim Ferneborg, obtained and distributed eleven computers to Network members or other people who needed them for school, etc., and set up and coordinated our open-house raffle where we were able to raise $9,000, and to award raffle winners with five machines. Our preview crew, led by Dan TeVelde, coordinated our beta- testing program and conducted group try-outs on adaptive software and hardware: Arkinstone Atlas, Turbo Braille, Turbo-Tax+, and Megadots Version 5C. Our outreach team, led by Tom Jones, Carlos Hranicka, and Joe and Darlene deCourcey set up and managed a phone tree and Network information distribution initiative to keep us all abreast of what was happening and when. I had the honor of guiding our peer training team through seven intensive training seminars, three college lab tune-ups, four job placements, nine job expansions (using adaptive technology enhancements to achieve job promotions), six job retentions (using advocacy and adaptive technology to retain jobs), and two high school pathway-to-careers seminars. Our lynx squad online team, ably coordinated by Kelly Pierce, has established a commendable presence on the Internet, assisted thirty-four members in getting connected to Internet Local BBS's, etc., and formed the local conduit for the emerging Internet linking to other forming networks around the world, as well as being an inspiring provider of information and strategies for fulfillment of our vision as independent contributing people. I must say that our most exciting achievement of the past year has been the development of our cognoscenti, governing board for the Network. From December 11, 1995 to present we have been meeting every second Wednesday of the month. This group, framed by the 7 team leaders, has been mapping out the course of the Network. We have been drawing on each other's strengths, experiences, and insights to shape programs which can directly address and rise above the barriers we face. By tapping in to each other's area of expertise we are finding that we can present a wide array of platforms to barter our skills and test our ideas. We are also finding that we can use the networking infrastructure to convert threatening problems into challenging opportunities for each other. So what about this next year? I would like to put eight challenges on the board. As the restructuring of services to and for the blind is being redefined in social service circles, we must 1. Do what ever we can to convert our image as grateful consumers of these services to resourceful providers of them to and for us--these are some of the true marks of independence. 2. Do whatever it takes to change our relationship with other service providers from their willing subjects to able peers. Experience plus mastery of techniques divided by focused energy equals expertise. We all have within us a level of resourcefulness. 3. Get more directly involved in the development of research, standardization and marketing of adaptive technology products and services. Any adaptive technology artifact can be effective if it can be efficiently operated by an end-user. The network model provides the best stable of end-users I know. 4. Become involved in developing training curricula for hardware and software use by blind end-users. If I really want to learn something, I seek out people who are doing it, those who can do and can teach by example. 5. Pool our resources with other network initiatives worldwide. There is power in numbers--strength in a concentrated sense of purpose, and wisdom in divergent experiences. 6. Tap into the individual talents of network members to provide opportunities for each other. From newsletter to magazine, posse to computer tune-up shop, lynx squad to web-page, phone tree to conference, peer training to peer school, and job- support venue. We have it within us, and we have the tools to bring it out in each other. 7. Expand the network to embrace senior citizens, kids, parents, teachers, and anybody else who feels lost in a computer quagmire. We've been there, done that, got there by trial and error, and wished we had a resource like this one to get us started. ... Lucky for them--they do. If we play our cards right, it's win for them, win for us. 8. Expand the concepts in the adaptive technology arena to embrace other facets of the rigors of our daily lives. Skill building, homemaking, employment placement, small-business job development, travel, spiritual enrichment, political advocacy-- these focuses constitute the ring of our dreams. We are changing ages. Over the next year, a blizzard of new technologies will befall us. The Internet will become an audio- as well as video-text driven channel. Windows 95-97 n.t. and a myriad of other operating platforms will further crowd and cloud the marketplace. Takeovers, mergers, bankruptcies, greed, and mismanagement will continue to obliterate the adaptive technology playground. Changes in funding, structures, politics and focus will reduce social service delivery systems to chaos. How do we fit into this maze? What do we make of this manic frenzy? Wisthin the divergent collection of people that make up any group lie all the experiences necessary to fulfill our voids. Within the divergent collections of experiences that constitute ourselves lies an opportunity to fill any void in any given group. Oh--and it's a barter system--the more we put into it, the more we get out of it. Our goal becomes to get more out of it than we put into it. We achieve that by putting more into it. It's all there for the taking. Go for it! It's Network '97! (Dave Porter is president of Comp-Unique, an adaptive technology development and consultation firm. He is the coordinator of the Computer Network.) -------- TEAMWORK The Computer Network is made up of teams. The word network, for most of us, connotes a system of interactive parts. Interaction among peers is meant to be the fuel that keeps this network alive. The teams are the parts of the Network which address specific tasks. Become involved by joining one of the teams described below. To contact team leaders, talk to Jim Ferneborg at 312-236-0808. Outreach. "You-all come!" is the motto of this team. Its job is to spread the word to youth and adults in the community-at- large about our activities--Jim Ferneborg, chairperson. Membership. Welcoming, orienting, and hooking in new members is this team's raison d'etre. We're looking to reorganize and revitalize this very important team. (See "Wanted: Energy, Congeniality, and Coordination," next article.) Preview Crew. "What's new?" That's what these computer veterans are asking, as they are eager to beta-test new technology pro ducts.--Dan TeVelde, chairperson. Posse. "Let's not forget about the old stuff." Hands-on refurbishing of hand-me-down computers is the focus here. They meet to tinker. Phone for date of next meeting.--Dave McClain, chairperson. Lynx Squad. It seems the whole world is talking about the Internet, the World Wide Web, and e-mail. To join in, sign up with this team. Reasonable word processing and typing skills are helpful. Meetings are held the second Thursday evening of each month. Note the change of day.--Kelly Pierce, chairperson. Peer Training. "Each one teach one." Planning and executing monthly seminars for novices and the advanced is the focus of this team. Ideas for events as well as volunteers to help are welcome. --Dave Porter, chairperson. All-Write! "All I know is what I read in the newsletter." We --- * Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: ECK00007Date: 08/15/97 From: KELLY PIERCE Time: 04:36pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: 02:computer user network news no. 12 From: Kelly Pierce Subject: computer user network news no. 12 think this is a cop-out! We hope you will add what you know to the pages of future newsletters by contributing technology- related articles. Submit articles (on 3.5-in. diskette in ASCII or WordPerfect 5.1) to Cindy Brown at Blind Service Association. The deadline for the next issue is Wed., June 18, 1997 at noon. We're still looking for editors for FYI and Personal Profiles. If interested, leave word with Jim Ferneborg at 312-236-0808.-- Cindy Brown, editor. -------- WANTED: ENERGY, CONGENIALITY, AND COORDINATION Our Computer Network has a lot of good things going for it-- knowledgeable resources on technology, human support for communicating with the world through the Internet, opportunities for testing out your writing and leadership skills, and camaraderie with other capable and intelligent people. It also offers a vision for the future, as articulated in a previous article by Dave Porter. But what it does not have at this time is an active membership committee. In order for the organization to survive and grow, we need a strong and effervescent committee which takes charge of the process of welcoming new people into the membership, seeing to it that they get the benefits they are entitled to, and helping them link with the particular activities which interest them. The committee needs an energetic and enthusiastic leader who will coordinate committee activities and responsibilities, and who can attend monthly cognoscenti meetings. Sandra Saunders fits this description, and has just volunteered for this position. And the committee also needs members who are willing and able to attend new-member meetings as well as other Network events, and mentor those who are on the fringe. The blind and visually-impaired community is usually on the receiving end of services, and many have not been encouraged to take charge. We, the members of the cognoscenti, will give support and gratitude for those who take on this essential responsibility. In the past the membership committee has implemented a phone tree, and this was highly successful in informing the membership about events, and in bringing in large turnouts. But those doing the phoning found, understandably, that it was a burden on their individual phone bills, and it was felt that adults should be trusted to remember that there is always a training event on the first Saturday of every month, etc. So the phone tree was discontinued. But now we're realizing that there is a broader purpose which a membership committee can fill. For more information, or to volunteer for the committee, leave your name and phone number with Jim Ferneborg at BSA, 312-236-0808. -------- THE RIGHT STUFF: HOW TO CHOOSE ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGY Part One by Kelly Pierce The blind and other people with disabilities can use adaptive technology to gain new skills, keep old ones, and live more independently. However, choosing the right technology is often a difficult task. This and the following installment offer strategies and tips to use when considering a technology solution. Being informed about purchases is important. The wrong decision can mean your job or at least be costly. Funding sources want to ensure any device purchased is needed, appropriate, and will be used. First, be actively involved in making the decision. When the end user is central to making the decisions about technology, the more likely it is that it will effectively promote independence. Just think about your closets. Is there something there that you do not wear? Why aren't you wearing it? the wrong size? not your style? uncomfortable to wear? ugly? too fancy, and you're a jeans-and-sweatshirt kind of person? More than likely the reason will be "It's just not who I am!" Consider who bought it and if you did, consider why you did. Like most things we use, adaptive technology must fit who we are: physically, emotionally, culturally, and personally. The decision is more then just buying a product. Choosing the right adaptive technology specialist, vendor, dealer, and training are crucial for selecting the best product. Using adaptive technology requires a package of both product and service. Ultimately, the responsibility for success falls on the end user. It's better to actively participate in the process and ask lots of basic questions then try to fix a mess later. Second, if you are considering getting some adaptive technology, seek out feedback from significant others who know you well. This can be especially true for children. Parents and others can provide the reinforcement, maintenance, training and other aspects of supporting the technology that will be used. If a child needs a computer, she needs assistance from those who are familiar with a mouse other than Mickey. If parents or others in the support network are not comfortable with the technology solution, then the blind end user is not likely to see any benefit. This may be true for adults, depending on the user's need for assistance. However, just because a person needed assistance in the past, does not necessarily mean that she will need it in the future. An appropriate technology solution will hopefully dramatically decrease a person's need for help or eliminate it altogether. Third, a team approach is always best. Even when you are choosing a very simple, low-tech piece of equipment, talking it over with other users, or a person who knows you well, will offer another perspective. They may see pitfalls that weren't obvious to you. If the technology is being purchased by DORS (state rehab), a school district, or an employer, the end user will likely go through an assessment team or accommodations committee. The user, a family member or significant other, teacher, immediate supervisor, technology consultant, and rehabilitation specialists are often members of the team. You might think of other possible team members who would improve the group's problem solving skills. Another end user, computer instructor, local computer guy, or even a classmate will look at the issues differently and often have valuable insights. Don't be afraid to be a courageous problem solver. It will make for a much more elegant solution. Remember the group is to solve a problem and decide if technology is the best approach. It's not a computer buying club. That is why it is best to avoid a team where the end user and technology dealer are the two main parties of a team. It can become a feeding frenzy between the two. Remember the adaptive technology dealer has a mortgage to pay and groceries to buy, and you, the end user, are a means to that economic end. Fourth, focus on function. Often blindness and disability distract people. They are unable to see any potential or ability. By focusing attention on functional skills, we move away from looking at someone in a clinical way and more toward a functional assessment. A good question to ask when you want to focus on function is, "What does this person want or need to do that he currently cannot do?" From there the team can begin to look for ways to alter the environment to enable the person to function more independently. Next, strive for simplicity. The best technology solution may be a no-technology solution. However, adaptive technology users only need what will help in accomplishing the task, in the simplest, most efficient way. For example, a reacher is very simple technology. It allows a person to grab an object she could not otherwise reach. It's uncomplicated, and not very costly. A good solution? Not necessarily the best. It may be a better solution to move the out-of-reach items within reach so the user doesn't need any technology at all. Keeping solutions simple also reduces maintenance and repair costs. Simple solutions are often easier to use and, therefore, more likely to be used. Generally, they are cheaper solutions, so a funding source (whether it is the user or a third party source) is more likely to fund it. Finally, generalize about the use of the device. Where will you use it? Could it be helpful in other settings? Are there other people at the office or in the family who could use the device? By thinking in broader terms about the device, you can get more use or increase the effectiveness of the device. Parents may wish to purchase a computer for their child so she can do homework. When they consider the purchase, they need to look at the computer needs of the entire family. Could an older brother use it to write reports? If it came with a modem, can Mom fax or e-mail work from home? A computer with a CD ROM drive or modem provides paperless access to a wealth of information. Generalizing about the who, when, where, why, and how aspects of the product can help the user find a product that meets more than just a single specific need. However, remember that if several family members use a device, it will limit access to third party payers. In the next issue, I will list and discuss a series of tough and challenging questions to ask yourself and any adaptive technology specialist or dealer. Stay tuned. (Kelly Pierce is the Disability Specialist at the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. He assists witnesses and victims who have disabilities in navigating the criminal court system. He is also the coordinator of the Computer Network's lynx squad.) -------- THINGS TO REMEMBER submitted by Anna Byrne For the frustrated computer user: --Computers make very fast, very accurate mistakes. --I don't exactly have a solution, but I admire the problem ... --If things get any worse, I'll have to ask you to stop helping me. --Every morning is the dawn of a new error. --If at first you do succeed, try not to look astonished! -------- MEMBER COMMENTARY (We welcome commentary from our members. If you have observations you wish to share in this publication, please submit them to the editor. (See "Teamwork," above for further instructions.) Please note, however, that we will not publish inflammatory remarks directed at individuals or institutions. Our contribution this time is from Carlos Hranicka.) Tangled Web- March 1, 1997 by Carlos Hranicka It's time to get disconnected, not to be confused with MS NBC's slogan: "It's time to get connected." That is what America Online subscribers found out a few months ago when the company's computer systems faded to black or failed to operate. The company told its subscribers to find a different Internet service provider, which then could serve as an assistant or a helper to get on to America Online; then, you could proceed as usual. I guess you can call that "getting on to an off-ramp" that lets you get back on to your original route online, until the problem is solved--if it hasn't been, already. By the way, I almost forgot to mention why this happened. It was because the company introduced its "flat rate plan" where you don't pay by the minute any more. I'm not even sure if AOL fixed the problem yet, but the Worldwide Web wasn't affected by it. It may have its own problem if we continue to see tons of people getting on line in the not-too-distant future. In 1996, North America saw a huge number of first-time buyers of computers who shortly thereafter were on the web. Also, last year, the number of people on the Internet from the previous year, doubled, and it is speculated that by the year 2,000, if not sooner, those numbers will be quadrupled. In the future, we may have two awesome things added to the Internet. (1) It may be possible for everyone to vote on line, and (2) it also may be possible for everyone to watch television on the Internet. One more point about this-- there may be no more "junk" e-mail, thanks, I believe, to the FCC who will decide on the Communications Decency Act, after the U.S. Supreme Court has a hearing on it in mid March. (Carlos Hranicka is an active and valued member of the Computer Network, and serves as member-at-large on the cognoscenti.) -------- USING F5 - LIST FILES (in WP5.1) by Marie Porter 1. Press Function Key 5. The Status Line will give you the name of the current (default) directory. This could be c:\wp51, the directory in which all of the WP files are contained when you install the program. To avoid cluttering up a directory with personal files and program files all in the same directory, it is practical and useful to create a directory (or directories) for your own documents. The directory could be named "WPFILES." 2. If you want to read a directory other than the default directory, type in the name of the directory. For example: If you want a directory of files contained on a disk located in the A drive, type A: and hit RETURN. If you want a list of files located in a directory other than the default directory on your C drive, type the name of the directory, such as C:\handouts and hit RETURN. 3. Your screen will contain a list of files found in your directory. At the bottom of the screen will be choices open to you for manipulating your files. 4. You now have 10 choices. With your cursor on the file you wish to manipulate, you select the function you need and type the number or the letter N for Name Search. 5. To move the cursor from file to file use the up or down arrow and the left or right arrow. The files are usually in two columns. (When your files are on a disk, there is usually one column of files.) Move your cursor to the line containing the file you want to work with, then move it to the left or right. The cursor will jump to the second column or to the left column with one move. 6. When your cursor is in position at the beginning of the file you wish to manipulate, type the number or letter of the function to be performed. Examples: Place your cursor on a file and type 1. The Retrieve Function is performed when you press the RETURN. Place the cursor on the file you want deleted and type the number 2. The Status Line will ask you if you want to delete the file and it will name the file. Type Y if you do, N if you do not. Function 8 will copy the file to a disk or to another directory. These are probably the most used functions available in F5, List Files. 8. Other List Files functions are: 3, Move or Rename Files--Type 3. The Status Line now reads --- * Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: ECK00008Date: 08/15/97 From: KELLY PIERCE Time: 04:36pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: 03:computer user network news no. 12 From: Kelly Pierce Subject: computer user network news no. 12 New Name. Type the new name for the file and hit RETURN. The name will be changed and will also change position to keep the list in alphabetical order. 4, Print--Place your cursor on the file you wish printed and type 4. The Status Line reads Pages: (all). If you want the whole document printed, hit RETURN. If you want only a specific page, type the number of that page. If you created this file on another computer and printer, the Status Line will tell you so and ask if the printer file should be reformatted. Usually the answer is Y (Yes). 5, Short/Long Display-5.1 version of WP gives you the option of naming files with a longer, more descriptive title of about 63 characters. This Function will show either the Short or Long Display of the file title. 6, allows you to look within a document or documents to check whether that is the file or files you need. The Status Line gives you the choice of looking at the next or previous document or, by hitting RETURN, to return to the LIST. 7, Other Directory--This gives you the choice of bringing in another directory. Type 7. Read the Status Line which gives you the name of the current directory and asks for the name of a new directory. Type the name of another directory and press RETURN. The new directory appears on the screen. 8, Copy--It does just that--copies a file from the current directory to a designated disk or another directory. 9, Find--It will search and find a particular file. Answer the questions asked in your Status Line: choose 1 for Word; type part of the name of the file you are looking for. The cursor will move to that file if it exists. Explore the other choices in this function. Remember, you can always return to the document or to the directory. Press F1 to cancel the command, press SPACE to return to the document you are working on. N, Name Search--This is used in a long directory. (Marie Porter has retired from her work on this newsletter, but was the essential element in getting it off the ground in 1995. Her energy kept us going for many months, and her knowledge about WordPerfect has been a primary resource for the editor's education on the computer. This article is a piece she wrote several years back, but is still relevant to those of us who are still working with WP5.1.) -------- FYI The following radio and TV shows may be of interest to our readers: Sundays--11:00 AM, "TV.com," ABC, channel 7 in Chicago; Sundays--3:30 PM, "Life on the Internet," WYCC, Channel 20 in Chicago; Sundays--4:00 PM, "Computer Chronicles," WYCC, Channel 20 in Chicago; Tuesdays--9:00 PM, "Real Computing," WDCB, 90.5-FM, Glen Ellyn; Fridays--8:30 PM, "Computer Chronicles," WYCC, Channel 20, Chicago; Saturdays--2:00 PM, "CNN Computer Connection," CNN (Cable News Network). -------- DATES TO REMEMBER! Thurs., May 1, 1997, 6:00-7:30--Openhouse for prospective members; minth floor. Sat., May 3, 1997, 10:00-12:30--seminar: Windows with Netscape, CD-ROM, audio on the Internet, etc.; ninth floor (all welcome). Thurs., May 8, 1997, 6:00-8:00 PM--Lynx Squad meeting; ninth floor. Wed., May 14, 1997, 5:30-7:30 PM--Cognoscenti meeting; ninth floor (all welcome). Thurs., June 5, 1997, 6:00-7:30 PM--open house for prospective members; ninth floor. Fri.-Sat., June 6-7, 1997--(by appointment only) individualized presentations of Windows; ninth floor. Wed., June 11, 1997, 5:30-7:30 PM--Cognoscenti meeting; ninth floor (all welcome). Wed., June 11, 1997, noon--deadline for newsletter articles, eleventh floor (see "Teamwork," above). Thurs., June 12, 1997, 6:00-8:00 PM--Lynx squad meeting; ninth floor. Sat., June 14, 1997--drawing for raffle to benefit Computer Network; at BSA Annual Meeting, Westin Hotel; (not necessary to be present in order to win). July 5, 1997--no meeting! Note: Be on the alert for a benefit event at the No Exit Cafe, date to be announced. --- * Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045)