Without an Optacon I would not have that exact idea about lower and upper
case letters that I have, how printed letters are formd etc. even though
I've learned to recognize them at school before the Optacon was released.
I may still have a plastic table with both printed and Braille letters and
numbers somewhere, but I do know younger blind born people than me without
having any idea of how printed letters are formed (sad).
If there is something written in tactile but standard letters, I am able
to read it assuming that the letters are simply formed. Fortunately there
are still places and cases where they are; they are even readable for the
sighted. Not only the blind do appreciate simple forms. Without having any
Optacon knowledge I don't know if I would be that motivated to maintain my
knowledge about printed letters and symbols. Perhaps I would still be
willing to be able to read tactile printed letters, or would I?
On Mon, 15 Feb 2016, David Moore <jesusloves1966@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi Lisa-Maree,
David Moore here, and I totally agree with you. All blind children should be
taught how print letters look like, upper and lower case. I am on many lists
related to screen readers, and they have questions all the time about how to
use their screen reader to read something on the screen. Just think, we can
just take our Optican out and read the screen. How sad that this best
technology ever invented was allowed to go by the wayside. In some ways, I
really think it was better for us blind folk in the 70's and 80's than it is
now. I would like to know what you guys think. The thing is, more and more
assistive technology has to be invented to get around the Graphics User
Interface. If we were still in the DOS days, the blind would be much more on
equal footing. Less younger blind people have jobs than we, in the 50 to 60
year range were able to have. Many of those jobs have been phased out. Have
a great one.
-----Original Message-----
From: Lisa-Maree
Sent: Sunday, February 14, 2016 7:25 AM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: Wanted to say hi and relate an experience
The optacon can never be beaten by such technology as scanning software, no
matter how good it is claimed to be, because it is being used by a person,
and interpreted by the brain, the same way reading by sight is, instead this
is touch instead of look, and there is no way you can beat that.
I feel it is just laziness in not wanting to teach children who cannot see
well enough to read print the print letters so they can learn with the
optacon, so they claim scanning is better, and you can just listen to it.
It could be taught from scratch in school in conjunction with normal
reading, but I think that would be too logical for those making the
decisions on that level, lol [smile].
My latest experience was my wonderful Christmas present to myself of a
system with internet radio, digital Fm, Bluetooth, and of course wi-fi. So,
setting up the network, you had to choose your connection on the screen.
Yes, I was actually able to read that with the optacon. Now you can't beat
that with today's technology, [smile].
Lisa-Maree
-----Original Message-----
From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Carolyn Arnold
Sent: Monday, February 8, 2016 8:00 AM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: Wanted to say hi and relate an experience
True. When I lived alone, I never had help with my mail - thanks to the good
old Optacon!
Bye for now,
Carolyn
-----Original Message-----
From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of David Moore
Sent: Sunday, February 7, 2016 2:00 AM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: Wanted to say hi and relate an experience
Hi Robert,
Glad to hear from you. I have used an optacon since the 80's and read my
math and science books with it. I tutor math to the sighted, because I know
what all of the advanced math symbols look like, because I felt all of them
with the optacon. I can write the symbols for them. I can read all math
texts with the opticon. It is amazing how so many people are trying to come
up with math scanning software and how the blind do not have access to math
and science materials when the Optacon is the answer to accessing all of
these materials. I mourned when the Optacon was not made anymore. There are
so many things you can do with the Optacon that you never could do with
scanning software. Have a great one.
-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Feinstein
Sent: Sunday, February 7, 2016 1:21 AM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Wanted to say hi and relate an experience
It's Robert in NY. I received an important letter in the mail, and had to
mail it back in a return address envelope that was included. I noticed with
the optacon that there was a code on the envelope near where my return
address would go. I was able to put my return address label on the envelope
so as not to block the code. without the optacon, ths would not have been
possible.
Robert
to view the list archives, go to:
www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l
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.
to view the list archives, go to:
www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l
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.
to view the list archives, go to:
www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l
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.
to view the list archives, go to:
www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l
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.
to view the list archives, go to:
www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l
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.
