Reid My Mind

ABC’s "What Would You Do?" aired a segment on accessible currency.

As a way to bring attention to the difficulties US currency presents to people who are blind, the producers decided to stage a store clerk purposely cheating two separate customers who were blind. The question, "What would you do?" applied to both, would you inform the customer or would you sit back and watch as someone unknowingly was ripped off.

So, what would YOU do?

NPR Discusses Accessible gadgets

NPR does a good job introducing some technologies currently available  to help people with various disabilities.

Read: "What’s Accessible? Gadgets For The Blind And Deaf"

When I was first introduced to screen readers a little less than five years ago, I had the impression that Freedom Scientifics’ JAWS was the only game in town. It wasn’t until I began feeling comfortable using the technology and made my way back on the web, that I realized there were other solutions available.

The folks at Serotek have been doing their best to continuously let screen reader user’s and the AT industry know they were planning on changing the game.

Now, Serotek announces the end of the Service Maintenance Agreement (SMA). A SMA is a contract between the software vendor and the purchaser, entitling the user to a set number of upgrades.
As I write this post using JAWS version 9, I am slowly growing behind the times. Freedom Scientific has released their latest version, JFW 10. After downloading and installing the upgrade I realized my SMA ended with the last upgrade. I am going to have to fork over   the money to upgrade. This is a choice I have to make for various reasons mainly work related.

Choice is great!

I appreciate Serotek for not only adding another screen reader option and introducing their  other products, but also beginning the change in an industries business model.

Darrel over at the Blind Access Journal wrote a post titled "The SMA May be Dying, But I’m Not Celebrating." He proposes that eliminating the SMA may reduce  timely updates to screen readers and therefore reduce access to new or upgraded mainstream applications.

This is actually already a problem we face as AT users. Let’s not forget, Serotek is a business. The mission of a business is first and foremost to make money.

I doubt very highly that Serotek is eliminating revenue, but rather changing the revenue stream from one that is solely customer based to another.

It’s similar to the changes in the music business. Record companies are realizing that their business model based mainly on the sale of physical cd’s or even digital music will need to change. Changes in the way society consumes and thinks about owning music are forcing the companies to change.

Serotek is simply trying to lead the change. Based on their recent history it seems they realize the importance of keeping up with the mainstream. I applaud Serotek for their willingness to try something new. Even more importantly I hope the overall technology/consumer electronics industry catches onto the concept offered by Serotek’s CEO Mike Calvo who said "…accessibility is a right not a privilege."

        January 27, 2004 began like most days. The one thing that made this day so different from others, I would enter the hospital uncertain if I would awake with any sight, or for that matter, even with my eye.

It was the second time dealing with cancer since my first as an infant. While it was my second tumor, it was my first time experiencing not only cancer, but a major surgery. As an infant I actually went through both, Retinoblastoma and the surgical removal of my left eye. While many people commend children for their strength when dealing with illness, it’s my opinion that it’s more of a struggle for the parent. (Speaking from experience) This is why I call my second tumor my first true experience with cancer

Similarly, dealing with illness as an adult has it’s challenges, but more than often there are others involved in the experience who are coping with the multitude of emotions brought on from watching a loved one in pain.

I’ll never forget the reaction to hearing the doctor say "You have a mass behind your eye…It’s very serious, potentially life threatening." I’ll never forget the look on his face when he said I may have to lose the eye- telling me I would live the rest of my life blind. I wondered how my wife would react. What affect would it have on my mother who has experienced the loss of two children, a husband, my first eye. Would my girls still love their Daddy?

On this anniversary or my re-birthday I think about the ladies in my life who helped me so very much on this very day five years ago.

Strangely enough, it’s much easier to write this than it is to talk about it, but the feelings are genuine.

“Ain’t no mountain high enough!” 

Lots of people can say they will always be there when you need them, but only a few will actually follow through.

Not knowing what to do, but knowing she had to be there, my sister took the time from her family and job to come to PA from MD to drive my wife and I to New York for the surgery. Twice! She stayed in NYC with my wife during my 8 day stay in the hospital.

Can’t tell you how much that meant to me. Well, hopefully I just did!

"I’ll always love my Mama.."

If you’re not familiar with this Mother’s Day standard song by the Intruders – check the link.

My mom taught me something that is so incredibly valuable – you can truly make something good  from  a bad situation. When it comes to memories of Retinoblastoma and hospital visits and stays as a child, I have nothing but good memories. EUA’s, (Exams Under Anesthesia) I’ve heard leave children fearful of doctors and bring up thoughts of burning eye drops and fights with nurses trying to give you just "1 more set of drops."

Mom made it fun! I knew I was in for a treat once we left. Hot dogs, the best (Dirty water dogs from a NYC vendor) , soft hot  pretzels and Yoo Hoo.

It wasn’t just the food, Mom just has a way of making you feel everything will really be ok. Even when I didn’t understand the ever present saying, "Just leave it up to God."

I get it now, I really do!

"Ain’t no woman like the one I got"

On more than a few occasions people have commented that my wife must be an amazing woman. Honestly, I took offense. Not because I disagree, but rather there is an assumption that because her husband is blind, she must be exceptional for staying with him.

She is amazing because she, unknown to her, knows how to handle and manage change. Roll with the punches. Step up when necessary and for a macho guy like me, step back and trust in her man to take care of business. She’ll do what needs to be done for her man. She did, and she does.

My Dad used to say, "Don’t get yourself no scrawny chick." By scrawny I don’t think he was just referring to the little petite woman who looks as though when you touch her she will break. He was referring to a woman who is mentally and emotionally tough while at the same time 100 percent true woman.

Hey Dad, I found that girl.

She’s what we call a Ride or Die Chick.  She’s priceless and I know it.

    Thank you ladies. And my very exciting girls.

(Need help on the song reference? – Check out Ray, Goodman and Brown…)

I was talking to a friend about the idea of the "grass being greener," you know envying someone else’s position/possession, only to come to the realization that what you have is good. Envy – one of the deadly sins. I’ve gotten caught up in it when not conscious of what I was actually doing.

It’s strange hearing this within the blind/PWD (People with Disabilities)  community. Believing someone else’s situation is better than another’s. even if the full story is not known. I’ve heard and even have taken part in the nonsense.

• "Well, you’re better off, you’re 20/200 at least you don’t need a cane. Everyone doesn’t know you’re blind."
• "You don’t know what it’s like for a visually impaired person. I have to explain my vision   all the time, at least they know you’re blind."
• "Well he’s in a wheel chair, but at least he can see."
• "I may be in a wheel chair but at least I can see."

I can go on all day.

It’s not the extent of the disability,  but rather the level of one’s ability to adapt and become resourceful.

For some, the sight of me walking with a white cane or being guided by a sighted person may make them feel better about their own lives. Many of us have heard, "Well, I guess I really can’t complain – I think about what you’re going through."

It feels good for me to know that I am comfortable with my life, not in comparison to someone else, but rather simply being happy with where I am at the moment.

I’m diggin’ this green grass. The metaphorical grass that is!

Have you ever read a review of a piece of software that sounds exactly like what you have been looking for to solve some problem? Maybe you were looking for a better way to accomplish a specific task you find yourself doing over and over again. So after reading a review you head on over to the website of the software’s developer and look for a free trial. You download and install only to find out that the application is inaccessible.

That sucks!

Sometimes even worse you can use some of the functionality, but find yourself jumping through hoops to make the application work with your screen reader or looking for workarounds to bypass inaccessible controls.

That sucks even more!

This week I found a gem. I’ve been looking for an application to help me manage project tasks, to do lists and generally help me stay organized. I’ve been using various methods depending on the task. These include using the free text editor from Jamal Mazrui, EdSharp and it’s very cool built in functionality like creating contents and section navigation.

I learned of an application called Action Outline Lite (the free version of Action outline) that gives the ability to quickly  create structured hierarchical outlines, enabling you to organize just about anything you can imagine.

From the developer’s site:

 
A simple yet useful organizer, Action Outline consists of an Explorer-like interface where you can store and arrange all your information in a tree outline form. Arrange items using your keyboard or mouse, cut and paste branches, place checks or tags next to listed items, search information, print data, export to the external file, or link to web or local files.

Not only are just about all the options accessible from the keyboard, menus including right click and the menu bar are all accessible. (Based on Vista laptop running Jaws v 9.)

Action Outline is going to serve not only as a way for me to easily store and manage tasks and notes. but it is going to serve as my command center.

It’s ability to link directly to multiple AO outline files, emails, web sites and other objects enables me to have one main file, the "Command Center," and easily open and manage other files.

I guess I’m showing the Productivity Geek in me, or maybe it just feels great to download an app, and not have to uninstall it because of inaccessibility.

AO is A Ok with me! Big shout out to the development team at Green Parrot Software.

Go on over to Action Outline Lite and give it a try.

While the features in the lite version will probably accommodate most of my needs, I plan on upgrading to the paid version – $39.95.

I consider that more a way of supporting a development team for an accessible product.,

I’ve been a huge Stevie Wonder fan as long as I can remember. It’s not only his music, but his activism.

Last week in Vegas, Stevie used the Consumer Electronic Show to bring attention to the need for increased accessibility in electronic devices. He mentioned items such as those using touch screen interfaces.

Having someone like Stevie speaking out about this issue makes me even more optimistic about the future. As we go into the Martin Luther King holiday weekend, let’s also remember how Stevie made such an impact on having the holiday created.

Read the article from Popular Science