Re: remembering my first experiences with the Optacon
- From: Sharlene Wills <tenagra@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 06:58:20 -0700 (PDT)
Right on, Anthony! I use both optacon and slate and
stylus daily and carry the latter with me everywhere.
As I indicated in my survey, I was taught individually
by a TSI licensed grainer, Gail Hodge (she's married,
now, and I don't know her surname) and, when I read
that first simple training page, I simply cried for
joy! I, like so many others, then began reading
whatever I could get my hands on, including can labels
at the supermarket, the telephone book, checks, books,
newspapers -- you name it. I even got so that I could
read my boss's short notes to me on the bottom of
documents. He did sort of print, but his writing was
half cursive, too. Anyway, I say, that which is
portable, lightweight and gets the job done is the
best!
Sharlene.
--- Anthony Vece <ajvece@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Hi Cindy;
>
> I also attended classes in Philadelphia for the
> Optacon in 1975.
>
> I don't know what I would do without an Optacon.
>
> I mean the talking comptuers today are wonderful but
> give me a slate and
> stylus and an Optacon any day of the week.
>
> Anthony
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Cynthia Handel" <cindy425@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2006 8:16 AM
> Subject: Re: remembering my first experiences with
> the Optacon
>
>
> >I went to the Western Pa. School for Blind
> Children. In late 1973 and
> >early
> > 1974, I had Optacon classes. For much of that
> time, the Optacons had to
> > stay in the classroom and the only practice we got
> was in class or if we
> > arranged to go during a study hall to practice. I
> was so excited when I
> > was
> > allowed to take the Optacon out of the classroom
> and try it out on things
> > in
> > my dorm. I remember carrying it with the strap
> across my body and holding
> > on to it so it wouldn't dare bump anything...like
> it was gold or
> > something.
> > Then, at the end of my class, I had the
> opportunity to buy one for $100.
> > My
> > parents bought it for me and that was the
> beginning of my 32 or 33 years
> > with the Optacon.
> >
> > My husband took a class in Philadelphia in 1977 or
> 1978. He said it was
> > just amazing when he took the Optacon to work and
> could use it to read
> > print, in the office. Then, he got a CRT lens and
> could, for the first
> > time
> > in about ten years of being a computer programmer,
> actually read the
> > screen.
> >
> > Cindy
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Pam Drake" <pamdrake@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2006 3:30 AM
> > Subject: RE: remembering my first experiences with
> the Optacon
> >
> >
> > Goodness!
> >
> > This is a fun thread.
> >
> > There were three of us from Social Security in my
> October or November
> > class
> > of 1975; can't remember which now. There were
> also a couple of sighted
> > Optacon teacher trainees.
> >
> > Four of us went to San Francisco on Saturday and
> stayed overnight. What a
> > wonderful memory!
> >
> > My first week was rough. On Thursday night the
> head of training asked to
> > come visit me at the motel. I was sure she was
> going to tell me I wasn't
> > making the grade and should go home. I had
> friends in the area and had
> > gone
> > to dinner a couple of nights and was sure she was
> going to tell me I
> > hadn't
> > been applying myself.
> >
> > I tearfully told her I would do whatever I needed
> to do in order to stay
> > in
> > the class. She told me she had a weekend
> assignment for me. "I hear some
> > of you are going to San Francisco on Saturday. I
> want you to come back
> > here
> > tomorrow night, plug in your Optacon, go to San
> Francisco and have a good
> > time, and don't touch your Optacon till Monday.
> You're trying too hard!"
> >
> > What a shock! What a relief! I did as she
> instructed and had a fantastic
> > weekend.
> >
> > From Monday on it seemed that I couldn't make a
> mistake. I had just
> > gotten
> > myself too tense and upset.
> >
> > I had somehow managed to forget money for the
> final Wednesday lunch and
> > had
> > borrowed money from Martha, one of the
> instructors. AT the end of the
> > training I wanted to try to read something written
> by hand. Another
> > teacher
> > was working with me that day; and I had said I
> wanted to see Martha to
> > give
> > her money.
> >
> > The teacher, whose name I unfortunately can't
> remember, handed me a
> > carefully printed piece of paper which read, "Pay
> Martha for lunch.
> >
> > Sorry if I got a little long-winded, but what
> memories this thread is
> > bringing back!
> >
> > By the way, those of you who have had your
> optacons since the earlier days
> > will remember that we were taught to always keep
> our machines plugged in
> > when not in use. No one understand the effect
> constant charging had on
> > battery packs. I wonder how many packs were
> replaced prematurely because
> > they were not allowed to fully discharge often
> enough.
> >
> > Pam
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > [mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> > On Behalf Of Linda Gehres
> > Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2006 4:55 PM
> > To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: Re: remembering my first experiences with
> the Optacon
> >
> > Don, what memories your e-mail evokes! I remember
> going to Palo Alto in
> > 1975 with several others from Social Security
> Administration and staying
> > at
> > a Best Western and being transported to the TSI
> headquarters. Ironically,
> > when my brother began working for a company called
> Catalytica in Mountain
> > View, he told me that his employer was right
> nextdoor to the TSI facility
> > which by the early 80's had moved. But I digress.
> At the time I was in
> > class, there were also a couple of sighted people
> being trained to work
> > with
> > new Optacon users. One of them wrote a letter to
> us just after he
> > returned
> > home, and I remember actually trying to decipher
> his signature. At last I
> > understood why even sighted people have difficulty
> in distinguishing the
> > handwriting of others.
> >
> > Linda Gehres
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Harry Bassler" <HBassler@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2006 9:47 AM
> > Subject: Re: remembering my first experiences with
> the Optacon
> >
> >
> >> Don,
> >> I was in the second class at TSI just behind you.
> >> Harry
>
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