First=20of=20all,=20I=20don't=20really=20think=20the=20small=20minority=20= among=20the=20legally=20blind=20who=20are=20using=20the=20Optacon,=20even=20= smaller=20than=20those=20using=20braille,=20are=20going=20to=20have=20 much=20of=20a=20"real=20chance"=20of=20jump=20starting=20remanufacture,=20= or=20redevelopment=20of=20the=20device.=20=20Obviously,=20at=20least=20to=20= me,=20the=20Optacon=20is=20an=20adjunct=20to=20braille=20and=20 OCR=20technology,=20both=20of=20which=20enable=20a=20person=20to=20plow=20= through=20large=20volumes=20of=20information=20quickly.=20=20I=20was=20a=20= 160WPM=20Optacon=20user,=20and=20have=20read=20 numerous=20books=20and=20periodicals=20with=20the=20device=20between=20197= 2=20and=201989,=20when=20I=20got=20my=20first=20OCR=20system...=20=20Howev= er,=20the=20Optacon=20does=20do=20things,=20as=20a=20 direct=20analog=20means=20of=20accessing=20visually=20presented=20data,=20= that=20neither=20braille=20paper=20or=20refreshible,=20or=20an=20OCR=20sys= tem=20can=20do--note=20that=20I=20don't=20just=20refer=20to=20 written=20materials,=20as=20I've=20used=20it=20to=20look=20at=20clothing=20= paternss=20stains=20on=20clothing,=20displays=20of=20metering=20equipment/= musical/and=20consumer=20electronics,=20 schematics/charts=20and=20graphs,=20and=20my=20late=20Angel-Bride=20Margie= ,=20used=20it=20to=20read=20stalved=20musical=20notation=20and=20handwriti= ng...=20=20So,=20it=20isn't,=20and=20can't=20be=20seen=20as=20 an=20either/or=20proposition,=20but=20just=20another=20tool=20in=20the=20w= ell=20prepared=20blind=20person's=20arsenal=20for=20coping=20with=20a=20wo= rld=20built=20for=20and=20by=20the=20visually=20abled...=20=20(grin) Nick On=20Tue,=202=20May=202006=2021:50:07=20+0200,=20Francesca=20Diodati=20wro= te: =20Hi=20Mike,=20you=20have=20your=20fire-proof=20suit=20on?=20LOL. =20No=20need=20for=20it=20:-),=20although=20I=20kind=20of=20disagree=20wit= h=20you...I=20don't=20think=20 =20braille=20should=20have=20priority=20over=20the=20optacon=20at=20all.=20= I'm=20probably=20an=20 =20exception=20to=20the=20rule=20as=20I=20learned=20the=20optacon=20many=20= years=20before=20I=20learned=20 =20braille.=20I'm=20perfectly=20OK=20with=20it=20but=20I=20won't=20say=20t= his=20is=20necessarily=20the=20 =20best=20choice=20for=20all=20blind=20children.=20However=20I=20know=20bl= ind=20kids=20my=20age=20often=20 =20learned=20the=20optacon=20and=20braille=20at=20the=20same=20time,=20and= =20they=20were=20able=20to=20 =20enjoy=20the=20advantages=20of=20both. =20Take=20care =20Fran =20-----=20Original=20Message=20-----=20 =20From:=20"Mike=20Freeman"=20<k7uij@xxxxxxxxx> =20To:=20<optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> =20Sent:=20Monday,=20May=2001,=202006=206:24=20PM =20Subject:=20Re:=20Survey=20including=20children=20needs =20>=20Fran: =20> =20>=20I=20may=20get=20flamed=20for=20this=20one,=20but=20... =20> =20> =20>=20I=20think=20we=20should=20limit=20the=20survey=20to=20adults=20for=20= the=20moment.=20I=20say=20this =20>=20for=20ideological=20reasons.=20While=20some=20children=20to=20extre= mely=20well=20with=20the =20>=20Optacon,=20school=20districts=20often=20found=20it=20all-too-easy=20= to=20use=20the =20>=20availability=20of=20the=20Optacon=20as=20an=20excuse=20not=20to=20p= rovide=20adequate=20braille =20>=20instruction=20to=20blind=20students.=20TeleSensory=20played=20into=20= this=20abomination =20>=20by=20implying=20without=20saying=20it=20that=20the=20Optacon=20migh= t=20make=20the=20need=20for =20>=20braille=20moot.=20I=20believe=20both=20organizations=20of=20the=20b= lind=20in=20this=20country =20>=20challenged=20this=20silliness=20and=20TeleSensory=20backed=20off. =20> =20>=20Whatever=20the=20history,=20there=20are=20only=20so=20many=20hours=20= in=20a=20day=20and=20I =20>=20believe=20we=20cannot=20afford=20the=20luxury=20of=20pushing=20the=20= Optacon=20as=20a=20useful =20>=20device=20for=20children=20unless=20and=20until=20we=20are=20assured= =20that=20they=20are =20>=20getting=20good=20braille=20instruction.=20The=20two=20modalities=20= complement=20each =20>=20other. =20> =20>=20<<FIRE-PROOF=20SUIT=20ON>> =20> =20>=20Mike=20Freeman =20> =20>=20On=20Sun,=2030=20Apr=202006,=20Francesca=20Diodati=20wrote: =20> =20>>=20Hi=20Catherine=20and=20all, =20>>=20I'm=20going=20to=20post=20the=20survey=20to=20a=20list=20I'm=20on,= =20however=20I=20realized=20the =20>>=20questions=20seem=20to=20be=20directed=20specifically=20to=20blind=20= adults,=20living =20>>=20independently,=20working=20etc.=20Since=20the=20list=20where=20I'm= =20about=20to=20post=20also =20>>=20comprises=20many=20parents=20of=20blind=20children,=20I'm=20not=20= sure=20if=20the=20survey=20is =20>>=20appropriate=20for=20them.=20I=20was=20about=20to=20add=20to=20the=20= introduction=20that=20parents=20 =20>>=20of =20>>=20blind=20children=20are=20welcome=20to=20reply=20to=20the=20applica= ble=20items=20only=20and=20 =20>>=20provide =20>>=20any=20info=20on=20topics=20we=20haven't=20covered=20regarding=20th= e=20needs=20of=20their=20child.=20 =20>>=20Is =20>>=20that=20OK=20or=20should=20we=20add=20items=20specifically=20for=20= kids,=20or=20should=20we=20 =20>>=20rewrite =20>>=20the=20existing=20items? =20>> =20>>=20Thanks=20for=20any=20feedback! =20>> =20>>=20Fran =20>> =20>> =20>>=20To=20unsubscribe=20at=20any=20time,=20just=20send=20a=20message=20= to: =20>> =20>>=20optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx=20with=20the=20word=20"unsubscribe= "=20(without=20the=20 =20>>=20quotes)=20in=20the=20message=20subject. =20>> =20>>=20Tell=20your=20friends=20about=20the=20list.=20=20They=20can=20subs= cribe=20by=20sending=20a=20 =20>>=20message=20to: =20>> =20>>=20optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx=20with=20the=20word=20"subscribe"=20= (without=20the=20 =20>>=20quotes)=20in=20the=20message=20subject. =20>> =20>> =20> =20>=20To=20unsubscribe=20at=20any=20time,=20just=20send=20a=20message=20t= o: =20> =20>=20optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx=20with=20the=20word=20"unsubscribe"= =20(without=20the=20 =20>=20quotes)=20in=20the=20message=20subject. =20> =20>=20Tell=20your=20friends=20about=20the=20list.=20=20They=20can=20subsc= ribe=20by=20sending=20a=20message=20 =20>=20to: =20> =20>=20optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx=20with=20the=20word=20"subscribe"=20= (without=20the=20 =20>=20quotes)=20in=20the=20message=20subject. =20> =20> =20>=20__________=20Informazione=20NOD32=201.1515=20(20060501)=20_________= _ =20> =20>=20Questo=20messaggio=20=20=8A=20stato=20controllato=20dal=20Sistema=20= Antivirus=20NOD32 =20>=20http://www.nod32.it =20> =20>=20 =20To=20unsubscribe=20at=20any=20time,=20just=20send=20a=20message=20to: =20optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx=20with=20the=20word=20"unsubscribe"=20(= without=20the=20quotes)=20in=20the=20message=20subject.=20=20 =20Tell=20your=20friends=20about=20the=20list.=20=20They=20can=20subscribe= =20by=20sending=20a=20message=20to: =20optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx=20with=20the=20word=20"subscribe"=20(wi= thout=20the=20quotes)=20in=20the=20message=20subject.=20=20 To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to: optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the quotes) in the message subject. Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a message to: optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the quotes) in the message subject.