[Mt-blind] The Coming Cris

Fri Oct 26 20:20:16 CDT 2007

I've read that the unemployment rate of the blind is over 70 percent.  Of
these few working blind people, most cannot get enough assistive technology
from their employers to keep up.  I think the cost is an issue for every
blind person who wants to use assistive technology, and finding a way to pay
is an issue for all of us.  I mention this because we do ourselves no good
by carving out groups within the blind as being more or less deserving of
support and opportunities.  Somehow, we should find a way to access
technology from the cradle to the grave for each blind person.

Every once in a while, people talk about being able to use Medicaid or
Medicare to pay for blindness-related assistivet technology.  The problems
with this method is that it would medicalize blindness.  Under a medical
system, a blind person would have to get authorization from a medical doctor
in order to get Medicaid or Medicare to pay for the prescribed item.  This
may sound fine on the surface, but docs know nothing about what it means to
be blind.  Their job is to treat eye disease, not to teach someone Braille
or how to use a long white cane.  Independent living and rehabilitative
services for the blind come from non-medical sources, and I think it's in
the best interests of those who follow us to keep medicine out of blindness
services.  If we get overzealous about medicalizing blindness services, we
will lose more than we gain.  The unemployment rate will go up because the
blindness skills will be de-emphasized in a medical model.  Even though our
current system has lots of problems, I think the problems we now have are
better than those we would have under the medical overlord.

Technology brings with it a great deal of responsibility to keep learning
and changing.  No matter whether you're a fifth grade kid or a great
grandmother who wants to e-mail her grandkids, using technology takes a lot
of effort.  I'm sure most would agree that it isn't easy keeping up with
technology even if you have the technology.  My point here is that we spend
a lot of time getting stuck on devices when an equally important issue is
paying attention to ourselves.  Technology is just a tool, and tools are
only as good as the user makes of the tool.  

Jim Marks
blind.grizzly at GMail.com 

  _____  

From: Jerry Hutch [mailto:modrepro at mt.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 4:17 PM
To: blind.grizzly at gmail.com; Montana Association for the Blind List
Subject: Re: [Mt-blind] The Coming Cris

That is all well and good if you are in the workforce.  You can get your
employer to pay for the necessary programs.   What about the persons that
are not employed or who are retired and on a fixed income .  Shouldn't they
have access also?  This is how some in society are being denied access.  As
for changing technology , not all changes are for the better.  Features are
added that persons seldom use but are forced to pay for because it is all
bundled together.  A user doesn't have the ability to pick and choose.  

While I was a leader in Scouting, there was a phrase that was often used
"KIS,S" ("Keep It Simple, Stupid").

Jerry

Jim Marks wrote:

Thanks, Jerry!  The thing about assistive technology is that one never quite
arrives at where one wants to be.  Technology changes constantly, and it's
quite a chore to keep up.  Also, there is more to learn and use than any
single person can ever master.  I tend to think of assistive technology as
an ongoing investment of my cash and time.  Some of my original technology
came from Montana Blind-Low Vision Services, but that was 30 years ago, and
technology ages out within six months sometimes.  I also used the NFB
technology loan money to help me get started.  Today, I use my own resources
or those from work.  Thank goodness for the civil rights laws that require
employers to cover reasonable accommodations.  I love the technology,
though.  It's fun to figure things out and to make them work well.

Jim Marks

blind.grizzly at GMail.com

From:

Jerry Hutch [mailto:modrepro at mt.net]

Sent:

Wednesday, October 24, 2007 2:45 PM

To:

blind.grizzly at gmail.com; Montana Association for the Blind List

Subject:

Re: [Mt-blind] The Coming Cris

Jim,

My reasons for posting this is the number of blind and visually impaired is
only going to grow in number.  And that the price for assistive technology
is extremely high in cost.  Our access to the world depends on having a
computer, for email, for the news , to access information and to stay
informed .  But not everyone can afford screen readers and screen
magnifiers.   And when you purchase a program, it must be installed on only
one machine, you can not carry it with you.  The programs that are currently
being sold can not be accessed from a thumb drive and used, but not
installed, on any computer that a person walks up to, in a library , in a
friends home, at work or at any other location.  This message was not posted
to promote any brand or type or manufacture of screen readers but to start
people thinking how and where you want your technology to be, with you or
stuck in your home.

Ted suggested a free program,

"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: >
http://WWW.screenreader.net WWW.screenreader.net

"

and Jim Aldrich suggested

"many here could benefit from System Access to go. One can give it a free
thirty day trial if they wish. Go to: http://www.satogo.com
http://www.satogo.com "

So, this discussion may have opened some doors for those who are looking for
an alternative to the more commonly known products that are in the
marketplace. Just for your thoughts and comments.

  _____  

_______________________________________________

Mt-blind mailing list

Mt-blind at nfbnet.org

http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/mt-blind

-------------- next part --------------
I've read that the unemployment rate of the blind is over 70 percent.  Of these few working blind people, most cannot get enough assistive technology from their employers to keep up.  I think the cost is an issue for every blind person who wants to use assistive technology, and finding a way to pay is an issue for all of us.  I mention this because we do ourselves no good by carving out groups within the blind as being more or less deserving of support and opportunities.  Somehow, we should find a way to access technology from the cradle to the grave for each blind person.

Every once in a while, people talk about being able to use Medicaid or Medicare to pay for blindness-related assistivet technology.  The problems with this method is that it would medicalize blindness.  Under a medical system, a blind person would have to get authorization from a medical doctor in order to get Medicaid or Medicare to pay for the prescribed item.  This may sound fine on the surface, but docs know nothing about what it means to be blind.  Their job is to treat eye disease, not to teach someone Braille or how to use a long white cane.  Independent living and rehabilitative services for the blind come from non-medical sources, and I think it's in the best interests of those who follow us to keep medicine out of blindness services.  If we get overzealous about medicalizing blindness services, we will lose more than we gain.  The unemployment rate will go up because the blindness skills will be de-emphasized in a medical model.  Even though our current system has lots of problems, I think the problems we now have are better than those we would have under the medical overlord.

Technology brings with it a great deal of responsibility to keep learning and changing.  No matter whether you're a fifth grade kid or a great grandmother who wants to e-mail her grandkids, using technology takes a lot of effort.  I'm sure most would agree that it isn't easy keeping up with technology even if you have the technology.  My point here is that we spend a lot of time getting stuck on devices when an equally important issue is paying attention to ourselves.  Technology is just a tool, and tools are only as good as the user makes of the tool. 

Jim Marks
blind.grizzly at GMail.com

From:
Jerry Hutch [mailto:modrepro at mt.net]
Sent:
Wednesday, October 24, 2007 4:17 PM
To:
blind.grizzly at gmail.com; Montana Association for the Blind List
Subject:
Re: [Mt-blind] The Coming Cris
That is all well and good if you are in the workforce.  You can get your employer to pay for the necessary programs.   What about the persons that are not employed or who are retired and on a fixed income .  Shouldn't they have access also?  This is how some in society are being denied access.  As for changing technology , not all changes are for the better.  Features are added that persons seldom use but are forced to pay for because it is all bundled together.  A user doesn't have the ability to pick and choose. 
While I was a leader in Scouting, there was a phrase that was often used "KIS,S" ("Keep It Simple, Stupid").
Jerry
Jim Marks wrote:
Thanks, Jerry!  The thing about assistive technology is that one never quite arrives at where one wants to be.  Technology changes constantly, and it's quite a chore to keep up.  Also, there is more to learn and use than any single person can ever master.  I tend to think of assistive technology as an ongoing investment of my cash and time.  Some of my original technology came from Montana Blind-Low Vision Services, but that was 30 years ago, and technology ages out within six months sometimes.  I also used the NFB technology loan money to help me get started.  Today, I use my own resources or those from work.  Thank goodness for the civil rights laws that require employers to cover reasonable accommodations.  I love the technology, though.  It's fun to figure things out and to make them work well.   Jim Marks mailto:blind.grizzly at GMail.com blind.grizzly at GMail.com
  From: Jerry Hutch [ mailto:modrepro at mt.net mailto:modrepro at mt.net
] Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 2:45 PM To: mailto:blind.grizzly at gmail.com blind.grizzly at gmail.com
; Montana Association for the Blind List Subject: Re: [Mt-blind] The Coming Cris Jim, My reasons for posting this is the number of blind and visually impaired is only going to grow in number.  And that the price for assistive technology is extremely high in cost.  Our access to the world depends on having a computer, for email, for the news , to access information and to stay informed .  But not everyone can afford screen readers and screen magnifiers.   And when you purchase a program, it must be installed on only one machine, you can not carry it with you.  The programs that are currently being sold can not be accessed from a thumb drive and used, but not installed, on any computer that a person walks up to, in a library , in a friends home, at work or at any other location.  This message was not posted to promote any brand or type or manufacture of screen readers but to start people thinking how and where you want your technology to be, with you or stuck in your home. Ted suggested a free program, "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: > http://WWW.screenreader.net http://WWW.screenreader.net
http://WWW.screenreader.net WWW.screenreader.net
" and Jim Aldrich suggested "many here could benefit from System Access to go. One can give it a free thirty day trial if they wish. Go to: http://www.satogo.com http://www.satogo.com
http://www.satogo.com http://www.satogo.com
" So, this discussion may have opened some doors for those who are looking for an alternative to the more commonly known products that are in the marketplace. Just for your thoughts and comments.  
_______________________________________________ Mt-blind mailing list mailto:Mt-blind at nfbnet.org Mt-blind at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/mt-blind http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/mt-blind