As for the expense of it, same could be said for the Optacon, but those of us 
who wanted managed to find ways to pay for them - some state; friend of mine 
wrote letters to foundations, made presentation to churches, went go funding, 
back in the 70's before there was ever Facebook; we got a refinanced house 
mortgage. It's according, in some cases, if a person is fortunate, on how much 
a source is needed or wanted - matter of priority. 

Best regards,

Carolyn 


-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of 
Andy Baracco
Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2019 6:08 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Aira

If you are an employed SSDI recipient and you use aiRa in the context of your 
employment, you could probably claim it as an employment related work expense 
against your SGA.
 
Andy
 

        ----- Original Message ----- 
        From: Cristóbal Muñoz <mailto:[email protected]>  
        To: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>  
        Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2019 2:37 PM
        Subject: RE: Aira


        Kind of a related question. Does anyone deduct the cost of Aira on 
their US taxes?

        What’s the official position on this? Does it fall under the blindness 
related expenses and so on?

         

        Cristóbal

         

        From: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>  
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > On Behalf Of 
Brandon Olivares
        Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2019 2:33 PM
        To: VIPhone <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> 
>
        Subject: Re: Aira

         

        David, you’re speaking of things you have no idea about.

         

        I have Aira and love using it. No I don’t use it to describe a play or 
something, but quite ordinary things. Could I do these things in other ways? 
Sometimes yes, but far more inconveniently.

         

        It used to take me forever to check the mail. Sure I could use SeeingAi 
or KNFB Reader, but it takes a long time because they aren’t so great with 
envelopes. Now I just call up Aira and they have it done for me in just a 
minute.

         

        Or say there’s something I have to do online that’s inaccessible. 
Should I wait for a sighted person to be around? My wife and I, both visually 
impaired, live alone. So I could wait sometimes days to see a sighted person 
that I can ask for help. Why should I?

         

        You’ve constructed quite a nice straw man there, but it’s not at all 
true.

         

        Finally, I’m not unemployed, and in fact make quite a bit as a full 
time programmer. I’m not sure why so many blind people are unemployed, I 
certainly had no issue finding a job, but of course there are other 
circumstances. But there are plenty of us who are successful and who can 
subscribe to Aira, so why shouldn’t we? $199 isn’t so much at the end of the 
day.

         

        Brandon

        
        
        

                On Jan 27, 2019, at 5:10 PM, David Moore 
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:

                 

                Hi Andy,

                I totally agree as well.

                How many blind people can afford $200.00 or more a month to get 
unlimited service to have an entire play at the theater described for them.

                The people who are so passionate about this service, don’t 
realize that the blind are 70 percent unemployed.

                What about those people?

                I went to the Ohio State University and went everywhere I 
wanted to go with my good, old cane, and I do so today.

                Technology is just getting out of hand, I think.

                It is making some people lazy.

                Also, why are blind people alone all of the time.

                I hear so many blind people say that they are alone here and 
there, and they need this service.

                I always have people around everywhere I go , practically.

                How many sighted people go out and roam around alone.

                Another thing this brings up, is that blind people need to be 
with sighted people, instead of using a service like this.

                We are becoming a society where everyone wants to do everything 
for him or her self, instead of relying on each other.

                Many cultures would not think of doing so many things alone 
like we do in the west, and I assume Australia 

                And New Zealand.

                Mexicans love to live with their extended family.

                They would not live alone if their life depended on it.

                Technology like this AIRA, are just causing people to be alone 
more with their technology.

                When I ride the bus, I am always talking to people.

                I do not even want to get on my phone!

                I love talking to strangers the whole time I am out, , not on a 
device.

                Thanks for putting up with my little rant.

                Sometimes, I think the blind were better off, when they had to 
get a reader to read everything to them, and they had to remember it or take 
good Braille notes as the human read to them.

                New is not always better for people!

                Have a great one,

                David Moore

                Sent from Mail <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> 
 for Windows 10

                 

                From: Andy Baracco <mailto:[email protected]> 
                Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2019 4:19 PM
                To: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> 
                Subject: Re: Aira

                 

                I agree!

                 

                Considering that most blind people are unemployed, and that the 
average 

                income of blind folks is well below that of those who are not 
blind, aiRa 

                will only be feasible for a minority of blind people, thus 
making services 

                like Be My Eyes, and platforms like MS Seeing AI a welcome 
alternative.

                 

                Andy

                 

                ----- Original Message ----- 

                From: "Cristóbal Muñoz" <[email protected] 
<mailto:[email protected]> >

                To: <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> 
>

                Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2019 1:05 PM

                Subject: RE: Aira

                 

                 

                As with most things in life. You get what you pay for...

                And this isn't meant to denigrate BeMyEyes or the people who 
volunteer 

                through the service, but keep in mind you're talking about well 
intentioned 

                people who are still just volunteers at the end of the day.

                 

                Cristóbal

                 

                -----Original Message-----

                From: [email protected] 
<mailto:[email protected]>  <[email protected] 
<mailto:[email protected]> > On Behalf Of Marie 

                Lyons

                Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2019 11:53 AM

                To: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> 

                Subject: Re: Aira

                 

                I can only tell you about “Be my eyes” and a difficulty I 
experienced. A 

                volunteer said, ”over there”. That isn’t very helpful to a 
blind person. I 

                do know of 2 stores who offer “Aira” for free: Wallgreens and 
Wegmanns. This 

                is done by using the app on your iPhone.

                 

                Marie Lyons

                 

                Sent from my iPhone

                 

                > On Jan 27, 2019, at 2:09 PM, Holly <[email protected] 
<mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:

                > 

                > Hello:

                > 

                > I just joined this group yesterday.  I have been following 
the discussion 

                > concerning Aira.

                > 

                > I am certain that most of you know about the app 'Be My 
Eyes', which is 

                > free and essentially operates like Aira, although the sighted 
people 

                > answering the phones are volunteers, not paid operators.

                > 

                > I have never had a particular reason to use either app, as am 
living with 

                > a sighted partner.

                > 

                > Could anyone tell me how they compare?  The paid version 
seems very 

                > expensive for low income people.

                > 

                > Thank you,

                > 

                > Holly

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