[bcab] Re: Samaritans - Earmail access

Samaritans - Earmail accessHello, all,

In an attempt to clarify this, I used to be a Samaritan volunteer.

The e-mail system they use is designed to keep e-mails annonymous, so that
any branch of Samaritans can collect e-mails and respond to them.  It's a
system which, I believe, was designed for them specifically.  While I was a
volunteer, I, and other blind volunteers, tried to get them to make the
system screen reader accessible, but without any success.  Unless things
have changed recently, you still can't access the Samaritans' e-mail system
with a screen reader at all.

Hope this helps.

Anne
  -----Original Message-----
  From: bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On
Behalf Of Graham Page
  Sent: 27 September 2006 23:27
  To: bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Subject: [bcab] Re: Samaritans - Earmail access


  not really no.  they are generally volunteers and though of course some
people will be paid within the organisation, many are volunteers and I
believe this volunteering goes beyond purely those dealing with calls from
the public.

  In terms of my own question, however, I did a search for earmail and came
up with the following link

  http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/4/prweb369733.htm

  it suggests that earmail is a system where a user can send and receive
mail using a preexisting email account and a telephone.  Unless you have to
administer a server then, accessibility should not be an issue.  However, I
would have thought that any reply would be in the form of an attached voice
message.  the idea of emailing the Samaritan with a plea for help and
getting back a voice message when you expect a written reply  to this sounds
a bit odd so maybe there is something else called earmail.

  Regards

  Graham

  More likely access by a visually impaired person or anyone else wasn't
even considered.
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: John M Hull
    To: bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
    Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2006 9:03 PM
    Subject: [bcab] Re: Samaritans - Earmail access


    ...moreover, one would expect such an organisation that specialises in
councelling people in crisis would be particularly sensitive to
accessibility, don't you think?

    John



    -----Original Message-----
    From: bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Graham Page
    Sent: 27 September 2006 20:36
    To: bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
    Subject: [bcab] Re: Samaritans - Earmail access



    no, but I am definitely curious.  why would an organisation so short of
cash use a specialist email system that must have cost a load to implement
when they can get perfectly good email clients that would be secure enough
for their needs for free?



    just wondering what else it may do that's so special.



    Cheers



    Graham

      ----- Original Message -----

      From: Andrew Hodgson

      To: bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

      Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2006 2:21 PM

      Subject: [bcab] Samaritans - Earmail access



      Hi,

      I am just wondering whether anyone here has had experience of using
the Earmail system found at the Samaritans?  This is some sort of specialist
email system, and a user is having some trouble reading past messages on the
system.

      She is using JFW 7.

      Any info please let me know.

      Thanks.
      Andrew.



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