[Mt-blind] The Coming Cris

[Edward C Robbins]

Greetings list.
        I think the below topic is blown way out of proportion.  There is
a screen reader called Thunder which an "individual" can download for
free.

        For a newly Blind individual who has any initiative, they can
download at no cost, except for the cost of computer etc.
        Just go to:  >WWW.screenreader.net<
        Read the information and the limitations of use, but for an
individual, it is free.
Ted Robbins

On Sun, 21 Oct 2007 14:53:17 -0600 Jerry Hutch <modrepro at mt.net> writes:
> 
> 
> Wednesday, October 17, 2007
> 
> The Coming Crisis
> 
> By Mike Calvo
> 
> Doom and Gloom! There, we got it out. 
> 
> Actually this article is about hope and promise and a better life 
> for everyone, but the background is not very encouraging. And 
> without the background, the discussion doesn't make much sense.
> 
> Here's the basic premise. Vision loss and age are inextricably 
> linked. There are eight million visually-impaired people in the U.S. 
> and 80% are age fifty or greater. This shouldn't come as a big 
> surprise. As we age our bodies deteriorate and the eyes are 
> specifically vulnerable to diseases like:
>  Macular degeneration
>  Diabetic Retinopathy
>  Glaucoma
>  Cataracts
>  Corneal opacity
> 
> The current assessment is that 800,000 people age 65 and older in 
> the U.S. are totally blind. By 2015 it will be 1.5 million and by 
> 2030 it will be 2.4 million. 
> 
> The cause is simply the aging of the population. As the "Baby 
> Boomers" hit retirement the graying population will increase 
> dramatically and the prevalence of blindness will likewise increase. 
> We can and are making great strides in attacking various causes of 
> blindness, but we can't stop people from getting older. 
> 
> Certainly everyone knows this "graying" is occurring. From AARP to 
> Social Security there is a great deal of planning and marketing 
> going on relative to the sharp growth anticipated among the nation's 
> elderly. But there has not been a lot written about what this means 
> to the nation's blind services structure. For the most part, and in 
> most states, different organizations manage issues regarding the 
> elderly and those pertaining to vocational rehab. But when it comes 
> to dealing with the newly blind, many of the issues are the same and 
> the resources in place are not sufficient to respond to the coming 
> need. 
> 
> As things stand today, seniors losing their vision are going to be 
> hard-pressed to maintain their independence. And this is a real 
> shame because today, with the availability of resources of all kinds 
> over the Internet, there is no reason for a blind person not to live 
> independently. The digital lifestyle means liberation for people 
> with blindness and low vision and baby boomers, like no aging group 
> before them, are well versed in its benefits. Yet the supporting 
> agencies are not prepared to help them make this transition.
> 
> What are the benefits? Here's a list we've compiled:
>  Community: individuals can interact and share information and 
> experiences with other like-minded individuals at will
>  Awareness: The Internet provides nearly instant access to news and 
> information of all kinds. People using this source of information 
> are significantly better informed and aware of world events than 
> those who do not have access.
>  Information: The Internet is the best single reference source for 
> information of all kinds. With the aid of a search engine, a user 
> can access the vast library of government publications plus an even 
> larger library of private information sources. There are few, if 
> any, subjects that cannot be successfully researched via the 
> Internet.
>  Employment: Computer usage is virtually essential for any 
> meaningful employment in the modern world. Via the Internet, persons 
> can not only be employed but often work from their homes.
>  Entrepreneurial activities: The Internet makes it possible for any 
> individual to sell goods and/or services to a worldwide market.
>  Education: A computer and computer skills are essential for modern 
> education. Via the Internet, a person can pursue a wide range of 
> educational opportunities ranging from acquisition of technical 
> skills to completing high school, to acquiring a bachelor's degree, 
> master's degree, and/or Ph.D. from accredited online universities.
>  Entertainment: Via the computer and Internet one can enjoy 
> virtually any desired entertainment from described DVS's or 
> downloads of popular movies to thousands of Internet radio channels, 
> to games of all types, and all manner of hobby-related forums. 
>  Health services: Self-care, healthy living programs, health 
> coaching and ask-the-doctor information is all available on the 
> Web.
>  Shopping: From necessities to luxuries, one can buy anything via 
> the Web, all without leaving the comfort of one's home.
>  Finance: Online banking, investing, loans - almost any financial 
> activity can be carried out over the Web
>  Creative arts: Writing and music are two creative activities that 
> the blind can enjoy using digital technology. 
>  Counseling: Online support groups are available for a wide range of 
> issues from grief-management to depression to cancer survival.
>  Spiritual: Whatever your path, the Web has resources to support you 
> ranging from virtually all conventional religions to a huge array of 
> less conventional spiritual paths. 
> 
> The simple ability to stay connected to family and friends via 
> e-mail is enough to make being online worth it to most seniors. Add 
> Internet-based telephone services like Skype and people can stay 
> connected to loved ones around the world, for peanuts. But today, in 
> the world of conventional assistive technology, it costs the elderly 
> person (or the supporting agency) several thousand dollars and weeks 
> or months of study - with all the necessary transportation - just to 
> be able to send and receive e-mail. That's insane.
> 
> And it's unnecessary.
> 
> Nationwide, blind services organizations march lockstep to the beat 
> of conventional screen reader technology. That is their sole 
> solution to blind accessibility and no matter the situation they 
> apply it. As the saying goes, "when your only tool is a hammer, 
> every problem looks like a nail." 
> 
> But as good as conventional screen readers are, they are without 
> exception complex and difficult to learn. They are expensive and 
> they require weeks or months of training to achieve proficiency. 
> Once proficient, a blind person can do amazing things. But most 
> elderly people or new users lack the core technical skills to master 
> conventional screen readers and agencies lack the resources to 
> purchase the high priced software and training required.
> 
> But in fact, for the cost of rehabilitating a single blind person 
> with conventional screen reader technology, an agency can deliver 
> full accessibility to four to six blind people who are not looking 
> to become computer professionals. Assuming a conventional screen 
> reader cost about $1,000 and requires about $3,000 in training for 
> the user to achieve proficiency, Serotek's System Access Mobile cost 
> $499 and a user can be trained in about two to ten hours. You do the 
> math.
> 
> Moreover, using Serotek's RIM (Remote Incident Manager) or Remote 
> Training and Support the user can be trained over the Internet, with 
> no need to travel and take up class room space. The service agency 
> can provide one-to-one, on-screen tutoring with the trainer and the 
> student both working from the comfort and convenience of their own 
> homes.
> 
> Logic would suggest that state agencies and local rehabilitation 
> organizations would welcome tools like System Access Mobile and RIM 
> with open arms. With them they can help more blind people for less 
> money. How can they not be excited?
> 
> But logic doesn't take into account inertia. The entire organization 
> is structured for conventional screen readers. That's how budgets 
> are developed; that's where training skills are concentrated. There 
> may even be a vague fear that if it is that easy to give newly blind 
> people accessibility, training jobs will be in danger. Of course, 
> nothing could be further from the truth. Even with the six-fold (or 
> greater) multiplier effect that System Access delivers, the demand 
> will continue to exceed the supply as the population ages.
> 
> Unfortunately, the person with the least say in this decision is the 
> newly blind person. He or she basically gets what's he or she is 
> given as decided by the professionals. The result is that people in 
> need of accessibility tools are hugely underserved. A mere handful 
> of blind people (perhaps eight to ten) end up with the ability to 
> access the digital lifestyle out of every hundred or so who need 
> accessibility help. And that is extraordinarily costly. A blind 
> person without accessibility consumes far more resources in terms of 
> personal care, medical care, social services, and welfare than a 
> blind person with full access to the digital lifestyle. And, sadly, 
> the person without access lives a much more enclosed life and is 
> more apt to fall prey to depression. Without accessibility, 
> blindness is a prison sentence; with it, it's a minor 
> inconvenience.
> 
> There is, of course, no incentive for the producers of conventional 
> screen reader technology to make their products less expensive and 
> easier to learn. This isn't a "free market" where they must compete 
> head-to-head against alternate solutions. Rather it's a captive 
> market where the buyer has no choice. The in-place infrastructure 
> has a bias towards maintaining the status quo, even at the expense 
> of the nation's ever growing population of newly blind elderly 
> people. We on the outside can call for a level playing field, where 
> consumers can make their own informed choices, but those who have 
> control of the playing field have no interest in making this a fair 
> contest.
> 
> At Serotek we believe that when you can't win through evolution, 
> it's time to start a revolution and we have one in the making. When 
> an infrastructure does not serve the people it was created to serve, 
> it's time to look for ways to make the infrastructure irrelevant. We 
> have been pushing the technology envelope for six years and our 
> latest product, System Access to Go, available directly over the 
> Internet on demand, may be the catalyst for change.
> 
> We are working with a number of people who have the interest of the 
> individual blind person at heart. We are close to making an 
> announcement that we believe will simply change the way 
> accessibility happens - to the benefit of all. We invite you to stay 
> tuned. But in the meantime, don't hesitate to rock the boat. Change 
> won't happen unless we work to make it happen. "Information without 
> accessibility is tyranny!" Where the heck is that tea?
> 
> Posted by Mike Calvo at 6:51 AM
> 
> 
> http://blog.serotek.com/2007/10/coming-crisis.html
> 
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