Dear Richard All the best of luck with your application. I sure hope you get it. You'll be in my thoughts and prayers.
God bless! Michele > ----- Original Message ----- >From: richard Van Driel <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: Braillenote List <[email protected] >Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 07:47:18 +1200 >Subject: re: [Braillenote] PK pricing. >I know exactly where you are coming from Michelle. >I would like to see something happen to help people pay for assistive >technology. >We here in the us do have agencies that will pay for assistive technologies, >but the trouble is that you have to qualify for these and it's not only >blindness. >For me, I am unemployed and eligible for the Independent Living Center's >assistive technology fund. >But this fund isn't very big. >It's a grant that comes to them every year in July, and from that they must >meet all the assistive technology needs for that year. >I have applied to get a pk, all we need now is the official documentation as >to cost etc. >I have all my forms filled out and now it's up to the center for the blind and >someforth. >I do wish prices could come down a bit without affecting quality though. >Every little thing would help. >Richard >> ----- Original Message ----- >>From: Michele Thredgold <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>To: Braillenote List <[email protected] >>Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2004 09:24:24 +1000 >>Subject: re: [Braillenote] PK pricing. >>Dear Don and List >>As an Australian, I find the same problem here and I empathise with your >>predicament Don. I have just bought a BrailleNote and although I got it a >>little cheaper because it was a model which had been used by Pulse Data at >>functions, it was still over $7'000 Australian because I also got the Sma >>with it and the German language software. >>I had to wait years before I could get one, simply because I could not find >>the resources. I tried to save but I ask you, how much can you save but a >>blind pension when you live on your own and have living expenses? I had to >>apply for trusts and such and put any money I received from singing jobs >>towards it. In the end, it was the generosity of family and friends which >>saw me over the final hump, as well as the funds from small grants. >>Now my point is this. Considering that this technology costs so much, we are >>not given sufficient support, at least in Oz, by the government to assist us >>with these things. As Don pointed out, sighted people can buy a PC for less. >> They can even buy a car for less, if they go second-hand. THEY can >>definitely buy PDA's for less, including person organizers. >>I understand the need for high pricing when our machines are of such good >>quality, but there are no deals in place to help us pay for these things. >>Many of us, who would jump at the chance of buying a PK, can't look at the >>possibility for years because we just don't have that kind of money. >>I don't really know what the answer is, except that PDA recognize this is a >>problem and consider hire purchase options, unless they want to liaise with >>the government of those countries which currently don't support technology >>requirements. I know that in Germany, blind people are provided with all >>their technology needs free of charge. I'd be happy paying half if the >>government could subsidize the rest, but these exorbitant prices are more >>than most of us can handle who don't have a steady income, especially us >>students, and yet these machines have made such a difference in our lives. >>For any sighted members of Pdi's many finance departments, please remember: a >>pen and paper costs under $10. Even taking away the extra electronic >>facilities like email, internet access and the mp3 player, how much does a >>BrailleNote cost in comparison? >>Well, soffry if I've offended anybody with my whinge but it's been a >>long-standing bee in my bonnet. Hope you're not all bored to tears by this >>long-winded email (grin) >>Cheers! >>Michele >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>To: Contribute Braillenote <[email protected] >>>Date: Sat, 17 Jul 2004 19:20:33 +1200 >>>Subject: [Braillenote] PK pricing. >>>Hello Fellow Listers, I have recently returned from the Sight Village >>>exhibition in Birmingham, England. While there I inspected the new PK >>>machine and found its performance and potential very impressive; I visualize >>>the possibility of owning one in the future. However, I was extremely >>>disappointed with the price to us in Europe. A winge perhaps, but I would >>>ask that those living elsewhere, especially in the States, should try to put >>>themselves in our place and endeavour to appreciate how we feel. Before I >>>went to Birmingham, I had only the price in the States to go by, as revealed >>>by Jonathan on this list, that being 4995 US dollars. To give myself some >>>idea as to what that would be in pounds, I telephoned my bank and was told >>>that the current exchange rate was 1,77 dollars to the pound. Though some >>>have criticized the calculator on the Braillenote, I trust its conclusion >>>that 4995 divided by 1,77 equals 2822 pounds. Imagine my feelings when I >>>was told that, as I! l! >>ived in Europe, it was going to cost me 3595 pounds. In other words we in >>Europe will pay an extra 773 pounds; or, expressed in dollars, an extra 1368. >> Though I do not expect exact and precise parity in price across >>international boundaries, but surely there should be some price relevance. >>If, for example, you lived in California, you would not expect to pay more >>than someone living in Boston; yet I am probably as near Boston as you are. >>There may be special circumstances which affect these prices and I invited a >>member of PDI Europe to reply. So far no one has contacted me. I would, >>even at this date, ask PDI to re-consider their pricing policy and give us in >>Europe a fair deal. I suppose that, while visiting the States I could always >>purchase a machine, or purchase through an agent, but surely this would not >>be desirable for all sorts of reasons, but 773 pounds is one pile of extra >>cash to find. as a fellow braillenote user pointed out: "a sighted person >>could b! uy! >> a whole PC for that sum." I would naturally welcome any comments, especially >> from PDI, who, I feel, may have some extenuating reasons for this excessive >> price difference. >>>Don Cooper. >>>___ >>>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
