second reply. understand that all the other groups want in on this. some of them actually have more resources they can draw on that we do not have.
I tried to petition the state here to allow me to continue my computer skills training with a mac and was told they won't support that, even though a number of fortune 500 companies use macs in house as their platform of choice (EbAY, Yelp, and a few others). I have also been told that the contracts the state has with freedom scientific precludes them from getting hardware/software from any other vendor. so? this means I am being forced to start training on a system that has some huge issues, doesn't work well and generally gets crappier with each release. anyone try calling FS lately? half their calls are routed to Mumbai, India. Don't even have me go into all the problems that windows has (I am well experienced with windows and its design flaws). I want a system that is stable and "just works" and macs are as close to that as anyone can ever get. all the downtime paid for by the state for windows issues represents a non-trivial expenditure every year. last I checked with a IT friend of mine in eBAY, their downtime with the mac hardware was only about 2 days out of the entire year. hell, the windows VM's failed far more often. so here we are. I want something that will pay for itself in taxpayer savings and less downtime and they want to justify their useless jobs. guess I am getting punchy. haven't slept in 3 days. -eric On Mar 26, 2012, at 4:00 AM, Ricardo Walker wrote: > Hi, > > The problem with what you say is, its not just blind people fighting for that > assistance. You have those with develop mental disabilities, emotional > disorders, motor disabilities, and the list goes on. And they all want there > share of the pie. So the same congressman you have wear a blind fold for a > year, will also be asked to sit in a wheel chair for a year. Wear ear pluges > for a year, etc. > > Ricardo Walker > rica...@appletothecore.info > Twitter:@apple2thecore > www.appletothecore.info > > On Mar 26, 2012, at 6:53 AM, Eric Oyen <eric.o...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> at least you had stuff to sell. I don't even have that. I would get about >> $100 for this machine on the used market. the linux laptop even less. I own >> very little, so having capital to work with just isn't happening. >> >> I, too, have run into the bureaucratic quagmire of dealing with various >> charities just to get assistance on some critical needs (medications, etc). >> I would like very much to meet the lawyers that made this situation and have >> them wear a blindfold for 1 year (you cannot take it off for anything). have >> all the members of congress setup this way, all the upper management of the >> US Government and all the lawyers for all the charities. 1 year of blindness >> and there would certainly be a boatload of changes for the better (such as >> public education, better accessibility, better job training and a vastly >> more streamlined system of getting things done. >> >> I would congress read the 70,000 pages of regulations currently on the >> books... IN BRAILLE. I think even reading the entire text of the affordable >> care act in braille would scare the whole lot of them off the hill. >> >> hehe nice pipedream but it gives you an idea of just how much frustration I >> go through EVERY DAY. >> >> -eric >> >> On Mar 26, 2012, at 2:39 AM, Lewis Alexander wrote: >> >>> Hi Eric, >>> >>> yep I completely agree with you and understand your plite. >>> >>> I was forced to close down the project due to two major factors. Lack of >>> support regarding supply of equipment and a poorly run charities commission >>> stating different rulings and then telling me that my project does not >>> warrant Commission status, thus failing to grant registered numbers, etc. >>> >>> This project has helped a very small number of users (8 in all) and it's >>> left me in a very serious situation which I've now resolved. >>> >>> The problem also exists wherever you are in the world. Funding for >>> accessible equipment for the blind is non existant. Why? well from my years >>> of experience in this matter, various charities set up conflicting >>> guidelines and rulings which do not help the individual in need of the >>> support. For over 12 years since I lost my sight completely, I had to apply >>> for various grants. within 10 years, every grant (500+ in total) were >>> rejected, all because of different factors by their own rulings, offerings >>> of £100 to £250 towards a product and then not being able to apply to X >>> amount of other charities (connected to the associated charity in question) >>> due to ridiculous clauses. >>> >>> I use my iphone 3GS and macbook pro. the only reason I have these is >>> through having to sell everything I owned including my old music gear from >>> years ago to raise the funds for the kit needed, from there it's been a >>> thing of taking on a few projects to raise cash for equipment I still have >>> to rely on. >>> >>> internationally, we need to change the system and yes APPLE needs to help >>> us out on this. They have developed products which openly and directly >>> support blind and disabled users and yet we have to pay an absolute >>> premium, as rightly said here, over 85% of blind people in the USA are out >>> of work and cannot afford the equipment and services needed, the same here >>> in the UK even though disability living allowance and other components >>> aren't enough to cover costs of equipment. You're lucky if you get into a >>> university to receive grants for equipment you need. In my case, through my >>> education, the equipment I had to use failed me all the time, the wrong >>> software, wrong hardware and operating systems which by their own admission >>> were poorly managed and had huge issues. hence me taking on the matters in >>> person and resolving them. a battle I don't want to entertain ever again. >>> >>> It's at this point where we as a nation of blind and visually impaired >>> people make a stand and a change for the better. >>> >>> lew >>> >>> On 26 Mar 2012, at 10:22, Eric Oyen wrote: >>> >>>> I really wish there was a financing program for the blind when it comes to >>>> mac hardware (laptops, desktops, iPad, iPhone). given that I (and a great >>>> many others) am living on a disability income (more than 85% of the blind >>>> in the US are), I find it nearly impossible to save up for any equipment. >>>> Hell, I had to make my own Hackintosh and load it with a store purchased >>>> copy of snow leopard. It cost me $30 for the OS and about $400 to assemble >>>> the machine. at minimum, I would have to spend nearly twice that much for >>>> a comparably equipped mac mini and almost $1500 or more for a reasonably >>>> powerful macbook pro/air. given that I have to spend my money on >>>> medications, rent and food, there is no way I can even save up for one at >>>> all. >>>> >>>> there used to be a "free macs for the blind" charity in Great Britain, but >>>> the person running that organization was forced to give it up as there >>>> were too many problems involved. We need something like that here in North >>>> America, but I just don't see that happening. I tried to query Apple about >>>> doing something like this and was given the polite brush off (thats nice >>>> kid, here is a soda. now go over in the corner.). hell, they have $115 >>>> Billion in CASH laying around they are not using. they could earn >>>> themselves a lot of good publicity if they offered some macs to the blind >>>> at a vastly discounted rate. it would also give them an in to a market >>>> they don't currently have. >>>> >>>> anyway, time for me to climb down off the soapbox. >>>> >>>> -eric >>>> >>>> On Mar 26, 2012, at 1:38 AM, Neil Barnfather - TalkNav wrote: >>>> >>>>> one thing that I can note that is not seeming to be mentioned is the fact >>>>> that there ar certain Apps which are not available on iPhone / iPod >>>>> Touch, yet, that are found on the iPad. >>>>> >>>>> The iPad from my prespective is purely for consumption, and I use it for >>>>> news papers, which 4 of which are not found on the iPhone, and 5 are on >>>>> the iPhone, but, only as reduced versions. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Regards, >>>>> >>>>> Neil Barnfather >>>>> >>>>> Talks List Administrator >>>>> Twitter @neilbarnfather >>>>> >>>>> TalkNav is a Nuance, Code Factory and Sendero dealer, as well as an Apple >>>>> iOS, Macintosh and Android accessibility specialist. For all your >>>>> accessible phone, PDA and GPS related enquiries visit www.talknav.com >>>>> >>>>> URL: - www.talknav.com >>>>> e-mail: - serv...@talknav.com >>>>> Phone: - +44 844 999 4199 >>>>> >>>>> On 24 Mar 2012, at 08:43, David Hole wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> hi folks. >>>>>> I just wonder, and many here have asked, so I thought I'd ask you in >>>>>> this group. >>>>>> What's the benefit for blind people to have an iPad instead of an >>>>>> iPhone? >>>>>> I mean, as far as I can see, the difference is only the screen size... >>>>>> Am I right? >>>>>> Actually I'd like to have one myself, but I can't find any good >>>>>> reasons to have it, since I have both an iPhone and a Mac. >>>>>> Hope someone here can give me reasons to get one :p >>>>>> Best regards David >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>> Groups "MacVisionaries" group. >>>>>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>>>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>> >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>> >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "MacVisionaries" group. >> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. 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