[Reader-users] KNFB reader helps dispense justice

[Ronald Byrd]

I would like to communicate further.  May I have your telephone number?  My
number is, 601-977-4005.
Ronald
----- Original Message -----
From: "mhingson" <mhingson at guidedogs.com>
To: "'Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader users list'"
<reader-users at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 07, 2006 10:31 PM
Subject: Re: [Reader-users] KNFB reader helps dispense justice


> Hi Sid,
>
> What I use are two devices.  The first is what people call a dongle.  The
> dongle is actually a small matchbox size Bluetooth transmitter.  It has a
> sub mini plug intended to attach to non-Bluetooth cell phones.  I use a
sub
> mini too mini adapter to convert this plug to one that will connect with
the
> earphone jack on the KNFB reader.
>
> This transmitter transmits to a standard cell phone Bluetooth earpiece.
Of
> course, the advantage of all this is that I do not need to use earphones
> with a wire.  I use this configuration everywhere I go from airplanes to
> hotels to jury rooms.
>
> The dongle and earpiece I use are both manufactured by Jabra.  I purchased
> them both from RadioShack for a total cost of around $120.
>
> If you need more information please feel free to contact me off-line at
> mhingson at guidedogs.com.  Good luck.
>
>
>
> Mike Hingson
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org
> [mailto:reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Sid Ordway
> Sent: Thursday, December 07, 2006 6:01 PM
> To: Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader users list
> Subject: Re: [Reader-users] KNFB reader helps dispense justice
>
> Mike, please describe the bluetooth dongel and how it connects to the
> Reader.
>
> Thanks, Sid Ordway
>
> >mhingson writes:
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> Here is another story for the annals of the KNFB reader.
>
> Recently I was summoned to report for jury duty here in Marin County.  I
was
> asked to report last Wednesday.  So, with KNFB reader and BookPort in hand
> off I went to do my civic duty.
>
> After the obligatory preliminaries and introduction to jury service were
> completed hi and 59 other people trooped down to courtrooms see where we
> anxiously waited to see who would be selected to serve on the jury for the
> trial being conducted in that courtroom.  I was not one of the first 12
> summoned to sit in the jury box.  However, after 10 or 11 peremptory
> challenges I was drafted and took my place in the box.  I was questioned
by
> the judge, the prosecutor, and the defense lawyer.  Although I was not
> challenged, another person was and so the selection process went on.
After
> two more challenges the attorneys said they were satisfied.
>
> There I was with 11 other people now sitting in judgment of an individual
> brought up on a misdemeanor battery charge.  The process and the trial
were
> fascinating.  I won't bore you with all the facts.  Suffice it to say we
all
> paid attention and did our best to wait our turn to discuss the facts in
the
> jury room at the end of the trial.
>
> Skip ahead now to Friday morning.  The judge read her instructions to the
> jury at the end of the day on Thursday.  We all arrived on Friday fresh
and
> ready to deliberate.  The first order of business was to select a four
> person.  Someone said "who wants to be four people"?  After about 15
seconds
> of silence I spoke up and said that as long as no one else was
volunteering
> I would be willing to take the job.  And so, there I was reader and
BookPort
> in hand, foreman of the jury.
>
> As we began to deliberate it became obvious that we needed to reread the
> instructions the judge had given to us.  This was done by one of the other
> jurors, for the most part.  However, there were times when I wanted to
> specifically read certain portions while others talked.  Out came the KNFB
> reader with Bluetooth dongle attached and Bluetooth headpiece in my ear.
I
> read the instruction sections I needed to read.  The reader performed
> flawlessly!  It was wonderful to be able to read independently and use
that
> knowledge from my reading to help in our deliberations.  In fact, because
of
> what I read, I was able to bring appropriate focus to certain portions of
> the trial specifically in considering certain parts of the law.
>
> We deliberated for an hour and 15 minutes after which we found the
defendant
> not guilty.  As in such cases, the decision needed to be a unanimous one.
> It was.
>
> We all left the courtroom feeling we did a great job.  The judge was
> impressed with what the KNFB reader did.  I think the news got around the
> entire courthouse very quickly.
>
> I think this story is what the KNFB reader development project and all our
> hard work is all about.  Justice was served and the organized blind were
> part of the process.  Great job everyone!  Now, I am just waiting for the
> day that history gets reinvented and we discover that Perry Mason was
blind
> (grin).  By the way, I never did get to use the BookPort.
>
> Mike Hingson
>
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>
> ---
> Respectfully submitted by: Dr. Sidney Ordway JD, Ph.D
> MailTo:docsgo at swbell.net
> Phone & FAX: 210-657-0059
>
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