--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 238 VISUAL DISABILIT Ref: DEW00006Date: 10/26/96 From: KATHY NEUFELD Time: 06:50am \/To: LAURA MULRANEY (Read 2 times) Subj: Avon representatives Hi! yes! I have known many blind Avon representatives over the years. I did it all most 30 years ago, and I just hired a reader, or gave my sister a break on some products she wanted in return for helping me with the paper work. You may want to contact Avon directly, because they might be able to give you some of the information on the computer. I'd suggest getting someone to go in to it with you, and split the proffits. You'll need help sorting out your stuff, and delivering and such. Good luck! Avon! calling! --- Maximus 3.01 * Origin: Vision Information Systems (1:163/266) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 238 VISUAL DISABILIT Ref: DEW00007Date: 10/26/96 From: KATHY NEUFELD Time: 06:54am \/To: PHYLLIS CAMPBELL (Read 2 times) Subj: MY BOOK Hi! Phyllis, Will the book be available in audio foremat soon? Thanks! --- Maximus 3.01 * Origin: Vision Information Systems (1:163/266) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 238 VISUAL DISABILIT Ref: DEW00008Date: 10/26/96 From: WALT CONE Time: 07:03am \/To: PHYLLIS CAMPBELL (Read 2 times) Subj: MY BOOK Hi Phyllis, Thursday, 24 October 1996 21:44:00, Phyllis Campbell wrote to All Subject: MY BOOK PC> Several of you have asked about the release of my book. It is PC> called Friendships in the Dark, and should interest those of PC> you who are animal lovers. Congratulations about your book and I hope it is received well. PC> Check with your local book store. The publisher is Brett PC> Books, and it is in hardcover. I have already had one PC> newspaper interview, and one for a radio station. The PC> publicity people called Friday to tell me that I will be PC> having a television interview, and a live radio interview for PC> a syndicated program on the radio. Wow things are moving right along. I am not an author, but I did put out a country music record many years back and can understand the anxious times (g). Good luck. Can't wait for the book to come in to the book store. Are you going to put the book out on tape (g). Catch you latter, Walt .!. You know, Phyllis... I don't know, you know... --- Terminate 4.00/Pro * Origin: Enoc bbs (tacoma Washington) (1:138/317.1) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 238 VISUAL DISABILIT Ref: DEW00009Date: 10/26/96 From: HENRY KASTEN Time: 06:47am \/To: WALTER SIREN (Read 2 times) Subj: Re: Cost of Technology Howdy Walter, I had written a message describing how difficult it would be to develop and market a screen reader for about $500.00. I tried to imply that my discussion was overly simplified and was created to get some folks thinking and wondering about the true costs of doing business. Frankly, I have no idea of what it really takes to develop and market any ype of software, much less a screen reader. My information was based solely on a few phone calls to local companies and a few screen reading developers. so y figures were not totally inconsistent with the cost of doing business in today's market. WS> Henry, not exactly. Most of the companies are not just selling screen WS> readers. They are usually selling synthesizers, computers, etc. Yes, they are. My company would probably have to diversify as well just to stay competitive. But, Walter, could I do that with just two full time rogrammers and one clerk? With added responsibility, I would probably have to add staff. WS> I only have one question, and WS> that is how do you think that tinytalk is doing it for sucha small WS> figure. I could only guess at that one. I think that would be a great question to sk the developer. I just want to point out that market price is just one of several variables n the cost of screen readers. It would be foolish not to consider the State agencies role in determining market value. They are, by far, the largest consumer. However, I may be stepping out on a limb here, but I think they re the ones that are helping keep the prices as low as they are. How many time have you read from folks here in this conference that price is no object? We are sometimes willing to pay anything for something that works. think the State agencies play an important role in keeping us from having to do just that. Henry ... A truly wise man never plays leapfrog with a Unicorn. --- * Origin: * Citylites * Ft Worth, TX * (817)249-5215 * (1:130/803.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 238 VISUAL DISABILIT Ref: DEW00010Date: 10/26/96 From: HENRY KASTEN Time: 07:25am \/To: HARVEY HEAGY (Read 2 times) Subj: Light House Howdy Harvey, HK> And now, weeks later, what significance does it have? HH> That's interesting coming from you. It was your sarcasm and attacks HH> on my work record that started this whole thing in the first place. How many times do you want to rehash the same thing? Makes me wonder if perhaps you lost your job as a DJ because you only played one song. Much of this ado about nothing has to do with quoting an misquoting. I will quote my original question and attempt to get an answer. HK> Now let me see if I've got this right. Two people walk into the Light HK> House on HK> the same day and get hired for the same job. One is blind and the other HK> isn't. HK> the blind person gets paid by the piece and the sighted one gets minimum HK> wage. HK> Am I understanding you correctly? Harvey, let's stay tuned in to this one subject area. Am I understanding the problem? In my message to you, I went on to say; HK> If I am, then your information is grossly incorrect. Don't take my work HK> for it, HK> call National industries for the blind or your local Light House. I did. Did you call? Do they indeed hire blind folks as piece laborers and sighted folks as minimum wage earners to do the exact same job? Did you ask who if any employees are working as piece laborers? I will say it again, Harvey. I did. And I found none of the above to be true. Tell us Harvey. Where exactly is this happening? It ain't happening in Dallas, fort Worth, Houston or New Orleans. I am talking about the here and now. I never will forget yesterday. We must remember. we must be vigilant to keep our freedom and civil rights. Don't confuse the issue. The issue is the current hiring practices of the Light House for the Blind. Currently 85% of the work force at the Light House must be visually impaired. Yes, the Light house does do contract work where the employee gets paid by he piece. Typically, those employees have multiple disabilities with mental retardation the most common. This is an arena I would rather not discuss in this forum for personal reasons. I would rather keep our discussions to blindness if you and others wouldn't mind. HH> You mean you would actually trust the word of a Lighthouse for the HH> Blind? Actually, I trust the work of most individuals until something is said that sounds out of line. Then it is usually pretty easy to corroborate their story. Harvey, people lie, not Light houses. HH> They've lyed to us for years. They have artificially kept blind people down while sighted managers make lavish income and HH> benefits packages. Hey, Harvey, maybe we ought to define lavish here. You wouldn't catch me working at the Light house in any position. Crimeny, if that is lavish, what am I earning? Henry ... I'm just moving clouds today; tomorrow I'll try mountains. --- * Origin: * Citylites * Ft Worth, TX * (817)249-5215 * (1:130/803.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 238 VISUAL DISABILIT Ref: DEW00011Date: 10/26/96 From: HENRY KASTEN Time: 08:10am \/To: TAMMY KLAUS (Read 2 times) Subj: Hiring practices Howdy Tammy, TK> A similar thing recently happened to me. I applied for a merit TK> promotion, and got on the list as being qualified. I interviewed for a TK> position that I *really* wanted, and had the background for. Did they TK> offer me the job? Nope. It happens. Clearly only one person could get the job. If you didn't think you were the best candidate, I doubt you would have tried. You may have been the best. Hiring is always a crap shoot. I hire companies. It is similar to hiring individuals. I must look at the experience of the company and the resumes of the employees who will work on my project. I may get 60 to 100 companies vying for one job. It is usually pretty easy to cull the number down to 15 or 20. Then it egins to get tough. At that point I meet with a pre-selection board and we narrow the field down to eight or ten. Then I meet with a totally different group of folks to make the final selection. Realistically, at this point any of the firms could probably do the job. How do we proceed to rank the top eight or ten? That is almost impossible to say. The board is made up of several individuals. Each of us has our own personal agendas. the final decision comes down to a vote. the firm with the most votes gets the job. when it comes to the top two or three. They begin to look alike. Unfortunately, we can only pick one and we still have to come up with a reason for not picking the others. coming up with the reasons is nearly insurmountable. I am sure that in hiring individuals, the process is no less tenuous. Why as one candidate chosen over another? Probably no good reason at all. Just ome one had to be selected and the rest disappointed. That does not make the others less qualified in the minds of the folks doing the selection. Of course in our own minds, we were the best candidate for the job. And we should feel that way. If you didn't, you shouldn't apply for that job in the first place. Obviously, your place of work appreciates your value based on the following; TK> I have been selected for a promotion in another area. I start Monday. Congratulations! I'll bet you find lots of enjoyment with this new position. What will you be doing? ... Like wine and cheese, men improve with age. --- * Origin: * Citylites * Ft Worth, TX * (817)249-5215 * (1:130/803.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 238 VISUAL DISABILIT Ref: DEW00012Date: 10/26/96 From: HENRY KASTEN Time: 09:21am \/To: PHYLLIS CAMPBELL (Read 2 times) Subj: Re: MY BOOK Howdy Phyllis, PC> I have already had one newspaper interview, and one for a radio PC> station. The publicity people called Friday to tell me that I will be PC> having a television interview, and a live radio interview for a PC> syndicated program on the radio. Yes, I'm excited. Wow! That is really wonderful! Please copy the newspaper interview here. I know we would all love to read it. It is not often that we can say we know someone famous. G Congratulations and the best of luck in the sales of your book. BTW I like the title. I want to have my own cooking show and call it cooking in the dark. anyway, the food probably looks better with the lights out. G henry ... Cats are alright. It's the aftertaste that bothers me. --- * Origin: * Citylites * Ft Worth, TX * (817)249-5215 * (1:130/803.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 238 VISUAL DISABILIT Ref: DEW00013Date: 10/26/96 From: HENRY KASTEN Time: 09:32am \/To: PHYLLIS CAMPBELL (Read 2 times) Subj: Re: BOOKS ON TAPE Howdy Phyllis, I have always loved to read. I can't say enough about the benefits and enjoyment I get from reading. Now that I rely on audio tapes, my reading has slowed down significantly. My desire to read hasn't. There has been some discussion on which is better, tapes from the National Library Service (NLS) or condensed versions you can find at local book stores and libraries. I reckon it is the Libra in me, but I like them both. For instance, I'll probably finish reading Clancy's "Without remorse" today r tomorrow. I read the abridged version a couple of years ago about the same time it came out in print. I liked it then, I like it now. Both had it's own benefits. Two years ago when the book first came out and folks were talking about it, i could participate it the conversation intelligently because I had for the ost part, read the book. Now, I am reading the same book, but with all the words intact. Which is better? For me, neither. I liked them both. The condensed version was done in such a way that I didn't think I missed anything and reading the unabridged version two years later just fills in gaps that could have been from memory loss. Never the less, I enjoyed reading both versions. For what it is worth, I can sleep just as soundly while reading an abridged r unabridged version. Makes no difference to me. As for the quality of the narrators, well, I can't say I've ever heard a bad one from a commercial reproduction. (Yes, I have had to have books read on tape for classes, etc. and they can be awful) Now, from the perspective of an author, I imagine by the time the text gets published, the author feels enough editing has occurred. Now, someone else wants to come along and edit it further. I can just imagine what the author must think of the comic book version. G so, who do you want to narrate your book? Better than that, who will play he leading role in the TV mini series? Henry ... Cross a Bull Terrier and a Shih-Tzu and get ... Oh, forget it! --- * Origin: * Citylites * Ft Worth, TX * (817)249-5215 * (1:130/803.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 238 VISUAL DISABILIT Ref: DEW00014Date: 10/26/96 From: JERRY FARIES Time: 08:39am \/To: PHYLLIS CAMPBELL (Read 2 times) Subj: RE: BOOKS ON TAPErrr g --- Maximus/2 3.01 * Origin: -={ Christian Deliverance BBS, Devonshire BERMUDA }=- (1:3658/1) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 238 VISUAL DISABILIT Ref: DEW00015Date: 10/25/96 From: HOWIE COOMBE Time: 03:25pm \/To: ALL (Read 2 times) Subj: me hi folks, im new to this echo, my name is howie coombe, im 21 my intrests include watching cheer's and the john larroquette show as well as photography of the nude,nudism, and politic,s as well as listening to the eagles, and watching the gladiator,s ,im from south australia, oh and i am not blind, although i am short sighted, severly in one eye, oh and i intend at the next state election to become the first person in australia in a wheelchair to enter parliment, --- TMail v1.31.5 * Origin: Common Ground (21 lines - 9600) Tel +61-8-223-2131 (3:800/816)