[optacon-l] Re: Optacon Preservation Update
- From: Linda Gehres <ljgehres@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 05:42:11 -0700
Hi Linda and List,
I'm a diabetic and have been for about 22 years now. I have no neuropathy
anywhere and no other
problems. But, then, I have friends who've been diabetic for much shorter
times than I, and who have
neuropathy. I think it just depends on the person, how early one catches and
starts treatment for the
disease, etc.
Linda, I hope and pray for you that the tingling in your arm and hand is
somehow related to the fall and a pinch
nerve and not to diabetes. Here's hoping you can continue to read with no
ling"ering problems.
On Wed, 22 Apr 2009 07:07:18 -0500, Linda Webb wrote:
>>>Catherine and List
>I don't post as regularly as I did at the start of this list but I take time
>to go through the e-mails.
>
>>>Catherine, I enjoyed your read on moving forward and all the uses of the
>Optacon. I do know a few people that do use their scanners to read their
>e-mail but admittedly for them, it is time consuming. One of them also has
>her husband check the mail but often he just brings it in and often when she
>asks about something, he has been known to say it didn't come only to find
>it a month later that it had and he had just misplaced it. This is one of
>those things, had this person had an Optacon could have been avoided.
>Unfortunately for her, bills have been included among these things and
>payments late because of it.
>
>Another friend just has her cleaning lady go through things when she comes
>once a week. Most of the time that would be okay but anything urgent then
>has to wait which as I'm sure we all know isn't good.
>
>And how many times have you had someone, when you do happen to have a stack
>of mail handy ask them what it is and they say "oh this one isn't important,
>it's just an ad." Well, I don't know about you but I might want to know
>what the ad is and can I save money, etc. With our trusty machines, we can
>check it out at our leisure.
>
>On a personal note, I had somewhat of a scare earlier this year and about a
>year ago they diagnosed me with diabetes. Now that in and of itself can be
>controlled for some but in the same time frame I tripped on something and
>fell. Later my left hand, my reading hand and arm began to develop a
>tingling sensation which made it very difficult to read for any length of
>time and it was very annoying. My doctor tried to convince me it was part
>of the diabetes; I honestly felt I may have a pinched nerve having fallen
>and believed with any luck, my hand, for whatever reason it was would
>become normal again.
>
>So far, god has blessed me with the problem residing but just a thought, as
>we move forward, diabetics do often lose touch. I am not sure if there is
>any resolve in that for them using an Optacon or not. Just something to
>think about. I don't have an answer but perhaps someone would.
>
>
>
>Always and Forever...A Randy Travis Fan
>Linda and Guide, Greg
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
>On Behalf Of Dan and Bonnie Tonge
>Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2009 8:01 PM
>To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: [optacon-l] Re: Optacon Preservation Update
>
>I used to read my bank statements using the Optacon.
>
>Dan
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Robert Feinstein" <harlynn@xxxxxxxxx>
>To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2009 2:44 AM
>Subject: [optacon-l] Re: Optacon Preservation Update
>
>
>I think Linda makes a valid point. For myself, I use the Optacon plus my
>Reading Edge, but I do not make out my own checks, and for long reads, I
>prefer to be read to. There may be a need for companionship. But also,
>thinks like bank statements, I find very difficult to read with the
>Optacon, and wish I could do better, as I don't like people reading those.
>
>Does anyone know if there are any good machines on the market like the
>Reading Edge that have been upgraded and improved?
>
>Bob
>
>On Sun, 12 Apr 2009, Linda Gehres wrote:
>
>>Hi Katherine,
>>I have at least a partial answer to your last question. Even among blind
>>people who do have Optacons, I know several not on this list who would for
>
>>reasons unknown and unfathomable by me wish to defer to getting their mail
>and
>>some other things read by paying readers to go through their mail, make
>out
>>their checks, etc. They would be capable of doing it themselves but for
>some
>>reason feel they need help. I wonder if it isn't as much a need for
>>companionship they're trying to solve. Just my thoughts. Also, i do know
>
>>people who go through their own mail with scanners and do all right via
>that
>>method.
>>
>>Linda G.
>>
>>On Sat, 11 Apr 2009 23:47:39 -0400 (EDT), Catherine Thomas wrote:
>>
>>
>>>It is hard to believe that time goes by so quickly but it does. April of
>>>2009 marks the beginning of our fourth year of work to preserve the
>>>Optacon. During these three years we have accomplished many wonderful
>>>things especially considering two facts: first, we have spent no money.
>>>Second, the Optacon as a device has not been manufactured or distributed
>>>for at least 15 years. We have also learned a lot about the place of the
>>>Optacon in today's environment alongside dozens of other devices that
>>>didn't exist when the Optacon was first purchased by most of its current
>>>users. Most importantly we have countless examples of activities
>performed
>>>by the Optacon that could not be performed at all by other devices
>>>currently available. We have established that there is still a viable
>>>place for a device that can read print in real time without
>>>interpretation.
>>>
>>>As we progress through the next year I hope that we can continue to
>>>promote the value of the Optacon on two levels: first, we want to
>continue
>>>letting current and former Optacon users know that it is still possible
>to
>>>have Optacons repaired and that they can still be purchased. Our outreach
>
>>>has been good but not good enough. By now everyone should know that the
>>>Optacon lives. The second level that we want to continue to work on is
>the
>>>Optacon's future. In an ideal world it would be possible to create a
>>>modernized Optacon. We have the design talent thanks to our engineers and
>
>>>dedicated repairers but there are some real questions as to whether the
>>>expense to create a new device could ever be recouped by sales and
>whether
>>>such a device would be marketable.
>>>
>>>It is at this point that we encounter some circular situations. The
>>>technical problems, such as the tactile array design would have to be
>>>conquered before any device, even a prototype, could be created. However,
>
>>>if the device will never be created, there isn't much point in conquering
>
>>>the technical problems.
>>>
>>>Another circular problem is that we don't know how marketable an
>>>Optacon-like device would be. There is no way of finding that out unless
>>>we know what the device would be able to do--e.g. what additional types
>of
>>>displays it could read, whether there would be software for computer
>>>screens, etc.
>>>
>>>Even confronted by these major obstacles, all is not lost. Many of the
>>>parts of the Optacon have been refabricated thanks to the dedication and
>>>interest of our repairers. Although some material is missing, much of the
>
>>>documentation and design specifications used for the original Optacon are
>
>>>still available. If it ever comes to the point where we have to prove the
>
>>>value of an Optacon-like device, we have many many examples of its
>>>usefulness and descriptions of many situations in which other devices
>just
>>>did not do the job. We also have testimony proving that persons who were
>>>trained on the Optacon at any time, even if they never owned or purchased
>
>>>one, would still be able to use one by some committed practice with no
>>>need for retraining. We also have many examples where the Optacon has
>>>substituted for the ordinary way of performing a task and saved people a
>>>lot of problems.
>>>
>>>So where should we go from here? Surprise! I can't answer that.
>>>
>>>For now I hope that we can continue to reunite more users with Optacons
>>>and keep them working. I also hope that if some technical breaktroughs
>>>occur, that we can find the courage to keep the reading of print in real
>>>time and on all the serfaces where it appears as an option that those who
>
>>>want it can have.
>>>
>>>Lastly, ther is one area we have not delved into very much. We really
>need
>>>to find out more about the problems experienced by visually impaired
>>>non-Optacon users and give serious consideration to addressing how many
>of
>>>those the Optacon can solve. For instance, how many blind people have
>>>missed improtant appointments or torn up checks or other important
>>>documents becuse they could not identify for themselves what they were
>and
>>>had them misidentified by others? Someone just mentioned using a printer
>>>via "blind faith" and how often the results could be a disaster. What we
>>>need to find out is, how many times were the results a disaster and what
>>>embarrassing and humiliating things happened that could have been avoided
>
>>>if a person could read for themselves. Maybe they do, but I can't picture
>
>>>any blind person that I know taking the current stack of mail and running
>
>>>it through the scanner to find out what it is. How do people cope and are
>
>>>they coping to their own satisfaction or are they just making the best of
>
>>>it because they see no choice? Anyway, this is one area we need to
>explore
>>>in more depth. As others have pointed out, not having to read their own
>>>documents gives many blind people the perfect way to pass these
>>>responsibilities on to others. As I said, I don't know how we could
>obtain
>>>more information. I do find it hard to believe that those experiencing
>>>sight loss related to aging are so very willing to give up all of their
>>>independent functions and to turn their privacy over to others. Maybe
>this
>>>group has the most potential as a market for a new Optacon.
>>>
>>>All things considered, we are doing well and we will continue to remind
>>>the world that the Optacon lives and that it should live.
>>>
>>>Catherine
>>>
>>>
>>
>>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>---
>>>-Catherine Thomas
>>>braille@xxxxxxxxx /
>>>
>>
>>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>----
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