Not sure, but was this meant to be sent off-list? Anyway, just so people wouldn't think I ignored this nice note, let me thank you for it, Lisa. I agree that it's great to find and learn more stuff about the BrailleNote, or practically anything that you own and use a lot. I like exploring and finding ways to make a piece of technology more useful. Before joining this list in mid-January 2003, I've already found tricks that were not documented and have wondered if other users knew about them and could take advantage of the benefit of such work-arounds and whatnot.
Subscribing to this list gave me a venue to share stuff I've learned and also helped me learn more things. When someone posts about a bug or limitation, particularly users who do not have ready access to a computer with a screen-reader, I just can't resist trying to look for a work-around or solution. I know way too many blind people in my country, the Philippines, who do not have access to computers and notetakers (heck, not even to Braille writers) that it has become second nature to respond to those who need some things done but do not have the right resources to do them and must therefore make use of what they have, even if it means using alternative, and not always convenient, methods. I don't know, but perhaps this feeling isn't easily understood by people in countries who have some access to adaptive technology for the blind. Maybe only a visit to the Philippines will make this clearer to most people in more advanced countries: A third-world country with 1.8 million blind people, where the number one cause of blindness being malnutrition and simple eye ailments like cataracts that could've been corrected with a simple surgery if they had the money to undergo it in time; with barely 3% of those of school age actually going to school and just 60 have the funds to go to college; where most cannot afford to buy a slate and stylus because that would be worth two days of food (and were only blessed to get these things for free from the Christoffer Blindenmission, sorry for the spelling); where 30 blind students would have one vision teacher and share one Perkins Brailler donated in 1974; with no more than 50 owning a personal copy of JAWS, just three Braille 'n Speak users, 5 Type 'n Speak users, and just me who owns a BrailleNote. Oh, and not to mention that there are some regions where parents of the disabled, not just the blind, keep their children in underground caves, not teaching them how to act and be normal people, some being fed like pigs while others that are already teenagers feed from bottles, just because the family didn't know they were capable of learning how to eat with utensils. And it just goes on and on and on. Sorry, I got carried away. Get off your soap box, Roselle. What was I initially writing about? Sheesh, I was thanking you for this note. Another weird thing about me, I don't edit my e-mails, but just type and hit Send, so sorry for the rambling. Thanks, Roselle >----- QUOTED MESSAGE ----- >Sent by: "Lisa Kozlik" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Roselle, >I'm also impressed by your knowledge and ability to explain BrailleNote and >VoiceNote commands in an understandable manner. I've had my BrailleNote for >2 1/2 years and I'm *still* trying to learn and apply the commands I've >never used before. The more I learn, the more I love my BN. <smile >Thanks for your contributions to the list. >Lisa
