[access-uk] Are CCTVs that useful?
- From: "Ray's Home" <rays-home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2004 23:53:46 +0100
This question is, of course, prompted by tonight's In Touch. Maybe the
worth of training, and what Goverment or large charities can do to ease the
affordability of access equipment will be commented on further. It's CCTVs
that are occupying my thoughtsjust now though. I apologise again if this is
pretty rambling, but I hope it may get a little response.
I'm sure some will answer 'Yes!' to my question. Maybe, as in so many
things, I'm the odd one out; but I am someone who might be thought to be
your stereotypical user, of CCTV if amount of eyesight is the prime
consideration. Yet I've never felt a great urge to have one.
My accuity is around 2-3x20. Certainly registable as blind, which I have
been since age eight. I've always made good use of the little sight I have.
I taught myself to read print using an x10 glass, given me by an optition
who was belwildered about what to offer me. It was just what I needed.
From then on I read Practical Wireless, comics and anything that took my
fancy, including, sometimes, newspapers.
At first CCTV seemed a brilliant idea. But when I realised how cumbersome
they were, both in size and in use - moving that table around all the time,
and trying to find what you wanted - I was much less impressed. By the
price too! I mean, a thousand quid or more for a camera a CRT and a few
controls, not very different from a TV, to twiddle?
I've modified my opinion since, but still do not see, (smile) the big deal.
Not for me. I still read a lot with an x10, these days with in-built LED
light. I read whole novels, quite slowly of course, but quickly enough to
get great enjoyment. I also use audio books from time to time too. Not to
mention BBC7 and Oneword. OK, the last two radio options do not give you
what you want, when you want, but still I get a good deal from those
sources.
So who is the clientel for these marvelous CCTVs? Older people who have
lost a fair deal of eyesight is one group. I suspect many are very quickly
disappointed though as they never get anywhere near the ease and speed of
reading they were used to when they had normal sight. Judging by the numbers
of used CCTVs I used to see in New Beacon, I think I might be right here.
Maybe some younger people have been steered in the CCTV direction and also
maybe resist the ways of the blind in tackling reading, as though its the
final admission of defeat to use audio. I suspect too that some helpers and
professionals feel much more at ease with a group and a method coser to
their own visual way of doing things.
Maybe I am forgetting that some want this method to deal with short
corespondence and the like. As for using them to fill in forms, even here I
do not get the point. I often use my magnifier for that too. Or sometimes
I am happy for someone else to do it if its not urgent. I suppose a more
fomfortable posture is an advantage.
So folks, who uses CCTV? For what? And, do you feel its worth the often
considerable outlay? I would say that some of the more reasonable offerings
from New Vision and one or two others may help change my mind. Much more
compact, much less desk hogs. And I could see myself using such devices
maybe for map reading, or a little copy typing. But for reading novels,
give me my trusty x10 any day.
Oh, did I mention, I also read Braille? Well, very little these days, but I
can read it fluently enough to enjoy using that medium too. Aren't I a
lucky so and so?
Ray.
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