I learnt to use the optacon in 1973 when I was attending the RNIB’s secretarial
college in London. My room-mate had an optacon and I was desperate to learn to
use it. She talked to her optacon teacher who agreed to give me a few lessons
and I picked it up very quickly.
I had access to my friend’s optacon for the next 8 months or so, and then I was
without one until 1978 when I got a job as a computer programmer and needed one
for my work. That one was provided by the government, and when I left England
to live in France, I returned it, although I don’t think they would have
noticed had I just left with it.
I bought my own optacon in 1984 and still have it in good working order.
I traded an optacon I bought from someone in Australia a few years ago for an
optacon II just recently. The person who got my Australian optacon is a new
optacon user and needs it for reading ancient languages and astronomical
diagrams. I hope he succeeds in his endeavours.
I don’t use my optacon that often these days, but it still gets me out of
difficulties from time to time. I no longer read novels with it the way I used
to. I remember reading “The Name of the Rose” with it in the French translation
which a friend lent to me.
In fact, I read rather a lot of books with it back then, before the days of
eBooks.
Cheers,
Anne
On 5 Mar 2016, at 18:16, Philip Hall <p.hall.eml1@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I got my first optacon at the end of 1973.
-----Original Message-----
From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Vicky Prahin
Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2016 12:13 PM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: number of years
I started using an Optacon in 1971--45 years ago! It doesn't seem that long.
Sincerely,
Vicky Prahin
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