Hi List Subscribers, Please over look the number of times I used the word
BRAILLENOTE, but if you heard the terms of endearment I address it by, you'd
think me nuts.
I am 70-years old and completely lost my vision eight years ago. I
immediately began learning braille, but didn't like the Perkins brailler
because after typing a page I discovered errors that couldn't be corrected
without rewriting the entire page. Then there was nobody to write: I didn't
know anyone besides my braille teacher who knew braille.
Because I am a blind veteran, the veterans hospital sent me to a blind rehab
center in New Haven, Conneticutt. When they discovered that I knew braille,
they allowed me a choice of blind aids and Rhonda Clark recommended I ask for a
BRAILLENOTE. (Thanks Rhonda.) They gave me this wonderful device and I
contacted Pulsedata to get training recommendations. They gave me a phone
number in my area for an instructor. Between Seville Allen (my instructor) and
Rhonda Clark, I am able to use my BRAILLENOTE for many things.
First of all, I didn't have to learn to use a computer (I was computer stupid
when I was sighted), and SUDDENLY, I could contact my friends and family
without talking on the phone. Also, this device enables me to take classes
from the Hadley School for the Blind. I receive my lessons, by post in
braille, but I can send my assignments and correspond with my instructor via
E-Mail. I am also able to edit whatever I write using refreshable braille and
or speech. This helps me a lot because I can hear what I wrote and catch
errors that I may have missed reading braille. This also allows the device to
disavow any knowledge of the mistakes I don't catch.
Before I received my BRAILLENOTE, I was becoming a vegetable mentially,
expecting answers from my guide dog when having a conversation with it. I'm
having so much fun with my BRAILLENOTE now that I've almost stopped listening
to talking books, and I realize the dog is wonderful, but it's only a dog.
Sanity returned with my BRAILLENOTE.
I have no problems with my Braillenote, because with the HELP function, the
manual, Rhonda, and seville, everything works fine. My one problem, and this
is not with PULSEDATA, is that the ISP's don't know I exist. Often, when I try
connecting to a service and can't, I call EARTHLINK and their representative
tells me that MICRESOFT CE is not an operating system. This surprised me
because I'd been using EARTHLINK for almost a year. My question is can
PULSEDATA provide some kind of training to the ISP's: charging them for that
service of course). Although we are a small community, we spend a lot of money
for our toys and technology, so they need to know who we are. Some of us may
never feel the need to get and learn to use a computer; therefore, anyone
selling us technical support should at least be aware of the access technology
they're supporting.
I hadn't intended being so wordy, but I had to tell the PULSEDATA world how
much I enjoy my BRAILLENOTE; and to let you all know how much i'm learning from
your messages.
Many, many thanks,
sammie Clay Hadley student and currently world-class E-Mailer without a
computer.
