[Reader-users] wow!

[Cindy Handel]

Shannon,

This is so great!  I think we all have victory stories with our readers. 
But, I never get tired of hearing them.  As the Reader software has 
progressed, it can do so much more than it did when we first saw this little 
device.  I'm so glad I had the opportunity to get in on it from the 
beginning and purchase it for myself.

Cindy
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Shannon!" <ilovebooks at reecespeeces.net>
To: "Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader user list" 
<reader-users at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2007 10:10 AM
Subject: [Reader-users] wow!


Good day reader list.
Can y'all just humor me for a second here, because i have to share this, and
I am sure everyone here will get this better than most.
I've had my reader for just over a week, and already it has changed my
world.  Here are just a couple of examples.
My youngest daughter Eilish is in a self contained learning disabled room
because of her chromosomal disorder.  Monday I was looking at her folder
because it is sorted so that the homework she has to do is in one pocket and
the school/teacher correspondence is in another.
Somehow the papers had gotten mixed up, (I think she had some fun on the
bus.)  I had my reader out to check and was looking at a piece of paper to
see if it was a homework assignment.  I was talking to myself, wondering if
I should bother taking a picture of this particular paper, while Rachel, my
13 year old typically developing kid, (well as typical as a teen can be I
guess),  sat near me doing her English homework.  "Well," she said, "I'm not
gonna tell you, but I think you oughta read it."
So I took a picture.  And waited the obligatory 30 seconds for the reader to
process the text.
It was Eilish's monthly progress report, and all I could do while I listened
to it was smile.
I read that she was getting 70 to 76% in all her subjects, reading, writing,
mathematics.  She had, in all these subjects, no missing assignments . Her
grade for each subject was a C.  Her overall grade for all subjects and
classroom work was a C.
When her father got home, I waved the paper in front of him and grinned as
broadly as I know how to grin.  He didn't even read it to me of course
because he knew I already had done so.  Stupid I know, but it was so
exciting to know something about one of my kids as far as print school
papers before their father did, and I could read it by myself without having
to stop in the middle and discuss something.
Also it bares saying here that the reader will read the titles of work
sheets Eilish does in class.  It won't, of course, read her answers or most
of the problems, but by taking pictures of her papers, I know that she did
2+2 in math on Monday and 2+3 on Tuesday.
Here is one other thing I'd really like to say, then I'll hush.  You know
those NLS books?  I had gotten one on Friday that I didn't want to read, but
because of company, I hadn't put it in the mail.  I saw it yesterday,
realized I didn't want to read it, flipped the address card over and set it
out for the fantastic mailman I have.
But then I began to wonder.  Hadn't I turned it over on Friday? I always did
immediately if it was a book I didn't want to read.  I got the book,
re-turned the card over, put it down and wondered if I should wait till
tomorrow to put it out for the mailman so Rachel or my husband could check
for me ... ... ... ,
and then the light went on.
I got the Reader and looked at the address.  It told me I had the card
turned so that it went back to the library.  It still amazes me how I can
use it for even the littlest of things.  Church bulletins and menus are all
awesome, identifying several bills, (which I did on Saturday with my money
from the bank), is mind blowing, sorting mail is superb, but checking such a
simple thing as what position your NLS address card is in is really
empowering.
Yes, I love the Reader.
I owe a huge debt of grattitude to Cindy Handel and Jim Gashel for arranging
to have me see it.
Shannon

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