From: Kelly Pierce
Subject: computer user network news no. 12
think this is a cop-out! We hope you will add what you know to
the pages of future newsletters by contributing technology-
related articles. Submit articles (on 3.5-in. diskette in ASCII
or WordPerfect 5.1) to Cindy Brown at Blind Service Association.
The deadline for the next issue is Wed., June 18, 1997 at noon.
We're still looking for editors for FYI and Personal Profiles. If
interested, leave word with Jim Ferneborg at 312-236-0808.--
Cindy Brown, editor.
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WANTED: ENERGY, CONGENIALITY, AND COORDINATION
Our Computer Network has a lot of good things going for it--
knowledgeable resources on technology, human support for
communicating with the world through the Internet, opportunities
for testing out your writing and leadership skills, and
camaraderie with other capable and intelligent people. It also
offers a vision for the future, as articulated in a previous
article by Dave Porter.
But what it does not have at this time is an active
membership committee.
In order for the organization to survive and grow, we need a
strong and effervescent committee which takes charge of the
process of welcoming new people into the membership, seeing to it
that they get the benefits they are entitled to, and helping them
link with the particular activities which interest them.
The committee needs an energetic and enthusiastic leader who
will coordinate committee activities and responsibilities, and
who can attend monthly cognoscenti meetings. Sandra Saunders
fits this description, and has just volunteered for this
position. And the committee also needs members who are willing
and able to attend new-member meetings as well as other Network
events, and mentor those who are on the fringe.
The blind and visually-impaired community is usually on the
receiving end of services, and many have not been encouraged to
take charge. We, the members of the cognoscenti, will give
support and gratitude for those who take on this essential
responsibility. In the past the membership committee has
implemented a phone tree, and this was highly successful in
informing the membership about events, and in bringing in large
turnouts. But those doing the phoning found, understandably,
that it was a burden on their individual phone bills, and it was
felt that adults should be trusted to remember that there is
always a training event on the first Saturday of every month,
etc. So the phone tree was
discontinued. But now we're realizing that there is a broader
purpose which a membership committee can fill.
For more information, or to volunteer for the committee,
leave your name and phone number with Jim Ferneborg at BSA,
312-236-0808.
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THE RIGHT STUFF:
HOW TO CHOOSE ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGY
Part One
by Kelly Pierce
The blind and other people with disabilities can use adaptive
technology to gain new skills, keep old ones, and live more
independently. However, choosing the right technology is often a
difficult task. This and the following installment offer
strategies and tips to use when considering a technology
solution.
Being informed about purchases is important. The wrong
decision can mean your job or at least be costly. Funding
sources want to ensure any device purchased is needed,
appropriate, and will be used.
First, be actively involved in making the decision. When the
end user is central to making the decisions about technology, the
more likely it is that it will effectively promote independence.
Just think about your closets. Is there something there that you
do not wear? Why aren't you wearing it? the wrong size? not your
style? uncomfortable to wear? ugly? too fancy, and you're a
jeans-and-sweatshirt kind of person? More than likely the reason
will be "It's just not who I am!" Consider who bought it and if
you did, consider why you did.
Like most things we use, adaptive technology must fit who we
are: physically, emotionally, culturally, and personally. The
decision is more then just buying a product. Choosing the right
adaptive technology specialist, vendor, dealer, and training are
crucial for selecting the best product. Using adaptive
technology requires a package of both product and service.
Ultimately, the responsibility for success falls on the end user.
It's better to actively participate in the process and ask lots
of basic questions then try to fix a mess later.
Second, if you are considering getting some adaptive
technology, seek out feedback from significant others who know
you well. This can be especially true for children. Parents and
others can provide the reinforcement, maintenance, training and
other aspects of supporting the technology that will be used. If
a child needs a computer, she needs assistance from those who are
familiar with a mouse other than Mickey. If parents or others
in the support network are not comfortable with the technology
solution, then the blind end user is not likely to see any
benefit.
This may be true for adults, depending on the user's need for
assistance. However, just because a person needed assistance in
the past, does not necessarily mean that she will need it in the
future. An appropriate technology solution will hopefully
dramatically decrease a person's need for help or eliminate it
altogether.
Third, a team approach is always best. Even when you are
choosing a very simple, low-tech piece of equipment, talking it
over with other users, or a person who knows you well, will offer
another perspective. They may see pitfalls that weren't obvious
to you.
If the technology is being purchased by DORS (state rehab), a
school district, or an employer, the end user will likely go
through an assessment team or accommodations committee. The
user, a family member or significant other, teacher, immediate
supervisor, technology consultant, and rehabilitation specialists
are often members of the team. You might think of other possible
team members who would improve the group's problem solving
skills. Another end user, computer instructor, local computer
guy, or even a classmate will look at the issues differently and
often have valuable insights. Don't be afraid to be a courageous
problem solver. It will make for a much more elegant solution.
Remember the group is to solve a problem and decide if technology
is the best approach. It's not a computer buying club. That is
why it is best to avoid a team where the end user and technology
dealer are the two main parties of a team. It can become a
feeding frenzy between the two. Remember the adaptive technology
dealer has a mortgage to pay and groceries to buy, and you, the
end user, are a means to that economic end.
Fourth, focus on function. Often blindness and disability
distract people. They are unable to see any potential or
ability. By focusing attention on functional skills, we move away
from looking at someone in a clinical way and more toward a
functional assessment.
A good question to ask when you want to focus on function is,
"What does this person want or need to do that he currently
cannot do?" From there the team can begin to look for ways to
alter the environment to enable the person to function more
independently. Next, strive for simplicity. The best
technology solution may be a no-technology solution. However,
adaptive technology users only need what will help in
accomplishing the task, in the
simplest, most efficient way. For example, a reacher is very
simple technology. It allows a person to grab an object she
could not otherwise reach. It's uncomplicated, and not very
costly. A good solution? Not necessarily the best. It may be a
better solution to move the out-of-reach items within reach so
the user doesn't need any technology at all.
Keeping solutions simple also reduces maintenance and repair
costs. Simple solutions are often easier to use and, therefore,
more likely to be used. Generally, they are cheaper solutions,
so a funding source (whether it is the user or a third party
source) is more likely to fund it.
Finally, generalize about the use of the device. Where will
you use it? Could it be helpful in other settings? Are there
other people at the office or in the family who could use the
device? By thinking in broader terms about the device, you can
get more use or increase the effectiveness of the device.
Parents may wish to purchase a computer for their child so she
can do homework. When they consider the purchase, they need to
look at the computer needs of the entire family. Could an older
brother use it to write reports? If it came with a modem, can
Mom fax or e-mail work from home? A computer with a CD ROM drive
or modem provides paperless access to a wealth of information.
Generalizing about the who, when, where, why, and how aspects of
the product can help the user find a product that meets more than
just a single specific need. However, remember that if several
family members use a device, it will limit access to third party
payers.
In the next issue, I will list and discuss a series of tough
and challenging questions to ask yourself and any adaptive
technology specialist or dealer. Stay tuned.
(Kelly Pierce is the Disability Specialist at the Cook County
State's Attorney's Office. He assists witnesses and victims who
have disabilities in navigating the criminal court system. He is
also the coordinator of the Computer Network's lynx squad.)
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THINGS TO REMEMBER
submitted by Anna Byrne
For the frustrated computer user:
--Computers make very fast, very accurate mistakes.
--I don't exactly have a solution, but I admire the problem
...
--If things get any worse, I'll have to ask you to stop
helping me.
--Every morning is the dawn of a new error.
--If at first you do succeed, try not to look astonished!
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MEMBER COMMENTARY
(We welcome commentary from our members. If you have
observations you wish to share in this publication, please submit
them to the editor. (See "Teamwork," above for further
instructions.) Please note, however, that we will not publish
inflammatory remarks directed at individuals or institutions.
Our contribution this time is from Carlos Hranicka.)
Tangled Web- March 1, 1997
by Carlos Hranicka
It's time to get disconnected, not to be confused with MS
NBC's slogan: "It's time to get connected."
That is what America Online subscribers found out a few months
ago when the company's computer systems faded to black or failed
to operate. The company told its subscribers to find a different
Internet service provider, which then could serve as an assistant
or a helper to get on to America Online; then, you could proceed
as usual. I guess you can call that "getting on to an off-ramp"
that lets you get back on to your original route online, until
the problem is solved--if it hasn't been, already. By the way, I
almost forgot to mention why this happened. It was because the
company introduced its "flat rate plan" where you don't pay by
the minute any more. I'm not even sure if AOL fixed the problem
yet, but the Worldwide Web wasn't affected by it. It may have
its own problem if we continue to see tons of people getting on
line in the not-too-distant future. In 1996, North America saw a
huge number of first-time buyers of computers who shortly
thereafter were on the web. Also, last year, the number of
people on the Internet from the previous year, doubled, and it is
speculated that by the year 2,000, if not sooner, those numbers
will be quadrupled. In the future, we may have two awesome
things added to the Internet. (1) It may be possible for everyone
to vote on line, and (2) it also may be possible for everyone to
watch television on the Internet. One more point about this--
there may be no more "junk" e-mail, thanks, I believe, to the FCC
who will decide on the Communications Decency Act, after the U.S.
Supreme Court has a hearing on it in mid March.
(Carlos Hranicka is an active and valued member of the
Computer Network, and serves as member-at-large on the
cognoscenti.) --------
USING F5 - LIST FILES
(in WP5.1)
by Marie Porter
1. Press Function Key 5. The Status Line will give you the
name of the current (default) directory. This could be c:\wp51,
the directory in which all of the WP files are contained when you
install the program. To avoid cluttering up a directory with
personal files and program files all in the same directory, it is
practical and useful to create a directory (or directories) for
your own documents. The directory could be named "WPFILES."
2. If you want to read a directory other than the default
directory, type in the name of the directory. For example: If
you want a directory of files contained on a disk located in the
A drive, type A: and hit RETURN. If you want a list of files
located in a directory other than the default directory on your C
drive, type the name of the directory, such as C:\handouts and
hit RETURN. 3. Your screen will contain a list of files found
in your directory. At the bottom of the screen will be choices
open to you for manipulating your files.
4. You now have 10 choices. With your cursor on the file you
wish to manipulate, you select the function you need and type the
number or the letter N for Name Search.
5. To move the cursor from file to file use the up or down
arrow and the left or right arrow. The files are usually in two
columns. (When your files are on a disk, there is usually one
column of files.) Move your cursor to the line containing the
file you want to work with, then move it to the left or right.
The cursor will jump to the second column or to the left column
with one move.
6. When your cursor is in position at the beginning of the
file you wish to manipulate, type the number or letter of the
function to be performed.
Examples:
Place your cursor on a file and type 1. The Retrieve Function
is performed when you press the RETURN. Place the cursor on the
file you want deleted and type the number 2. The Status Line
will ask you if you want to delete the file and it will name the
file. Type Y if you do, N if you do not. Function 8 will copy
the file to a disk or to another directory. These are probably
the most used functions available in F5, List Files.
8. Other List Files functions are:
3, Move or Rename Files--Type 3. The Status Line now reads
---
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