[access-uk] Re: Fw: [vicsireland] Digit-Eyes Audio Labeling System Advances Independence For Visually Impaired
- From: "Dave Taylor" <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:13:27 +0100
Hi
If employers were expected to fund more of the equipment costs, we would
need the reasonable adjustment part removing, since employers would almost
certainly not regard braille, for instance, as a reasonable cost. If they
cap the prices they pay for products, then we would soon realise that the UK
is too small to matter. Other countries are not imposing such restrictions,
and American companies take very little notice of us. Jaws scripters really
have to pay to gain the skills they need to do the work, hence need to make
money back when actually working. Clearly even now demand is not that high,
or more people would be doing it. Again only Dolphin would really understand
the UK context, but are we even a big enough market to effect them?
I also suspect that support workers and travel are bigger costs than
technology within ATW.
I fear the result of any pressure on the ATW system would be for the
government to decide that employing blind people is just not worth the
expense!
Cheers
Dave
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Colin Fowler
Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2010 11:56 AM
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Fw: [vicsireland] Digit-Eyes Audio Labeling System
Advances Independence For Visually Impaired
Hi Barry,
I see your point, however I don't think that that is the case especially not
around ATW and DSA. ATW and DSA are not the purchaser, it is the employer,
and therefore ATW have until now had no reason to want to reduce the overall
costs. The situation has changed. ATW as part of DWP has to save a minimum
of 25% from it's budget, they can do this in two ways, by reducing the
amount of funding to employers. For example funding only 50% of the costs
associated with supplying kit or making reasonable adjustments, but this may
be detrimental to employment overall, or by sending out a directive to
manufacturers and suppliers that ATW funding has been supporting over the
last 13 years that a far more rigerous and competitive pricing scale has to
be adopted as ATW funding is going to be reduced by 25% on all future
equipment considerations.
OK, so some manufacturers and suppliers may not be prepared to play ball,
but I am sure that given the purchasing power of ATW and DSA combined, that
would be a very short sighted decision. Similarly the current pricing per
day for scripting, if ATW and DSA weren't prepared to pay the £650 per day
fees being charged, then either the price would need to drop or far more
competition from other supliers would be needed.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Barry Hill" <bbinc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2010 11:31 AM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Fw: [vicsireland] Digit-Eyes Audio Labeling System
Advances Independence For Visually Impaired
>A two pronged approach with this ATW idea and cheap/free apps and
>programmes
> would probably work, but I have one reservation.
>
> I used to work for a large national company with lots of spending power
> that
> bought and sold equipment for disabled people. We'd negotiate rock bottom
> prices with manufacturers and sell it cheap to local authorities and NHS.
> However, if we sold to the public, we charged more... because we could.
> Not
> my policy; it was company policy. The same went for the manufacturers -
> They charged more to the public than they did to us.
>
> What I'm saying is that ATW might negotiate a reduction in prices, but the
> manufacturers don't need to pass this reduction on to the average Joe.
>
> In fact, it might have a detrimental effect. If the manufacture isn't
> making as much profit with ATW sales, they'll put the price up for private
> sales in an attempt to claw back some lost profit.
>
> Cheers
>
> Barry
> Cheers
>
> Barry
>
>
> Cheers
>
> Barry
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Colin Fowler" <col.fowler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2010 11:09 AM
> Subject: [access-uk] Re: Fw: [vicsireland] Digit-Eyes Audio Labeling
> System
> Advances Independence For Visually Impaired
>
>
> I wholly agree, perhaps I may even be suggesting to David Cameron that 25%
> could be saved if access to work were to demand far more competitiveness
> from the manufacturers and suppliers of such kit.
>
> Certainly it is an opportunity for me to propose a complete overhaul and
> privatisation of ATW and out source it at long last!
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mike Higgins" <m.j.higgins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2010 10:48 AM
> Subject: [access-uk] Re: Fw: [vicsireland] Digit-Eyes Audio Labeling
> System
> Advances Independence For Visually Impaired
>
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> As with much of the rest of so-called specialist equipment for Disabled
>> People, access technology for Visually impaired people has been
>> over-priced
>> for years. This kind of development is long overdue in my opinion.
>>
>> Best wishes,
>>
>> Mike Higgins,
>> Email: m.j.higgins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>
>>
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