Hi: - I wouldn't even dare ask my employer for a braille note, although I really would, and could use one at work, I had enough problems just asking for them to spend money on a $300 adaptive product, where I had to write a memo of reasonable usage explanation for the expense, let alone, try and ask them to spend a little over $5,000 for an adaptive product that probably could really serve me well in my daily work routines. So you see some employers are not so understanding. All the best. - Kim
Kim Lookingbill Blast From The Past Sundays, 16 to 19 UTC Backstage Pass Thursday 0 to 1 UTC http://www.interactive.acbradio.org -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Gary Sent: Sunday, April 11, 2004 11:58 AM To: Braillenote List Subject: Re: [Braillenote] loaner pool It is a shame that the same standard dos not apply to the sighted employees, who can cost a great deal more than we do. Gary ----- Original Message ----- From: "Andy Baracco" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Braillenote List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, April 11, 2004 1:19 AM Subject: Re: [Braillenote] loaner pool > Hi Lisa E. > > If that were the case, no blind person would ever get hired. > Employers don't hire blind people as it is because they fear the > expense. If a blind > employer needed a screen reader, scanner with OCR, and note taker with > Braille display, and they had to buy two of each, I can pretty much > state with authority that very, very few blind people would be hired, > except, perhaps by the Federal Government. > > Andy > > At 03:16 PM 4/11/04 +1000, you wrote: > >Hi Listers, > >Lisa has a good point about whose users who are deafblind. My next > question would be aren't employers supposed to be responsible for providing > accomodations for people who are blind or deafblind or regardless of > the disability? Employers need to understand how important how vital > technology is to people who are blind or visually impaired. In my > opinion employers need to provide two pieces of technology in case one > devices breaks down. If they'd think about it they'd realize there > other employees > have different ways of communicating they can write handwritten > notes, my can email something to the boss, they have different ways of communicating. > Why should the blind or visually impaired person be reduced to only > one way of communicating written language? I know I'm a big baby out > here in the tropics where getting technology for my job wasn't a > problem since my boss who is blind is in charge of the program where I > work and we work with > kids who are blind. So having to f! > > ight for accommodations was not an issue for me. I just think > > employers > and employees need to sit down and come up with strategies to address > how the employee will handle the job if the technology is in need of > repair or something. It should not have to be the employee's > responsibility to figure out how he/she will survive without having > the Braillenote. I think > often employers think if I buy this one device for thousands of > dollars I will have accommodated this person. They don't stop to > think that people who are blind can communicate in other ways through > writing without just using one piece of technology. It would be nice > if PDI would establish a loaner program but in the meantime > Braillenote users and employers and state agencies and schools > everyone need to seriously think about how and what they will do when > the piece of technology isn't working. I think this > needs to be addressed before the device is even purchased. I didn't > mean to get off topic here I just w! > > ant to encourage people to think and it shouldn't be just us the > >Brail lenote users and the PDI staff having to think about this > >problem. It > would be nice if everyone could work together on this problem to help > form a solution. > >Thanks for reading. I'm not trying to start any major discussions or > anything I just wanted to share my thoughts. > >Lisa > > > > > >___ > >To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit > >http://list.pulsedata.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote > > > > > > > > > ___ > To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit > http://list.pulsedata.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote > ___ To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit http://list.pulsedata.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote
