>HG>   People with disabilities seldom get free computers but need to
Bell Canada has a program, Computer for Schools, and its been expanded to 
also incluse Computers for the disABLED.  Both have to go through agencys.
 > Learning computer skills is all fine and dandy, but what kind of job 
 > Granted, exposure to computers as a TOOL is a good thing.  But don't 
 > try to sell it as a way out of SS.
Well I can speak as a person who's been their.  Became mutiple disabled in 
1966.  I was too handicaped for retraining back tehn.  Years after about 1979 
I had to close down three of my companies after a few more diabilities, got 
added to the list.  I again spend seven more years getting told I was just 
too disabled for retraining.  Anyhow, I did get some offical computer 
training in a college coure.  See end of message.
        
Eventually I got more and more computer training.  Then I job hunted.  I 
could not get a reasonable paying computer job for various reasons, so I took 
a Radio Operators III due toprevious skill in my three companies.  This job, 
was one that may require some data entry that payed quite a bit more.  In six 
weeks into the rolling shift job, I was borrowed to work days in the main 
office for two weeks.  Three months later, I was still working in that 
office, giving assistance to users, and setting up new systems, ect.  I also 
did the once a week flopy disk backup prior to the staff arriving.
I prepared the overheard and did some custom Lotus and dBase III+ coding, and 
wrote applicatiosn to suck in mainframe DB2 data into those PC apps, and 
designed forms, ect, for the raw date entry, ect.
I alsoservered a few other duties, and did some general office stuff.   In 
those months, I was communicating with the regional office, as well as heard 
office, asking questions of exsisting applications, ect.  Anyhow, it seems I 
found several copies of previously writen applications I was asked to write.  
Seems I woke up both head office, and the region office to this fact ;).
When the district office wanted to set up a LAN, I was set it up.  I 
purchased a 4 user Novell package 8 or so month              s earlier, after 
my basic computer traing graduation, and previouly to geting this job.  But 
then the region or head office put a stop to it, stating they had other LAN 
implimations ideas.
My district manager showed mew an internal job opening in the region office, 
and stated he'd support my application.  Opps, I just finished printing out 
an application for that same position.  I added two more lines to my 
applcation, stating my manager recomended I apply for it, ect.
I later discovered over 500 people applied for the job.  Wooowwwwwww, 500.  
Not mucha chance for an interview, I guess.  Well, I and about twenty of us 
were intervied, and I was one of them.  Hey, I got the job.  All my previous 
actions were already known by the people interviewing me, and they already 
knew I have more technbical skills then them.  So, with reduced hours, and 
increased pay, it worked out to a 50% increas in pay, in just 6 months.
The next part gets even more interesting.  Six weeks into the job, I was 
asked to take a drive out to whats now, Thunderbay, and che out the job that 
was open.  Department Head.  I was told their would be no such local  
opertunities for some years.  For edical reasons, I could not even consider 
that opening.
Anyhow, I liked the job I had.  I set up two Novell Networks for that office, 
and took over two Novell Lans in other  cities that were head offices's 
responsibility.   I also was assigned to attend computer related trade shows 
for the firm.  As long as they were in Ontario, I could go to any trade show 
I wanted, and went to the onces management decided I must append.  Out siede 
of Ontarion, I had to pay me way, but was on full salery if they were shows I 
wanted to attend.  I also took many management sponsered comuter courses, and 
univerity sponsered management training.  All this 22 years after I was 
labled too handicapped for retraining, and two-five  years sfter being turned 
down four years in a row as too disabled for the course that I graduated, 
that got me this job.
                   
So, if I can,  anyone who is self starting, and has the desire can.   
Oh, I frgot, this sort of goes near the start of the story.  Several years 
ealier, 1981-1982, I atended a college, and computers was my worst subject.  
I drope out after getting hospitlized for 6 weeks, then well, tried to go 
back, and ended up taking a year or two to recover, only to have a series of 
seven surguries, six months appart prior to  the start of the next 
applicatiosn for computer traing.  I concluded it would have to be computers, 
as it was within my physical limits.                                  
Anyhow, I tried to do more physical things due to management prompting, and 
as I was feeling great, and better, I tried.  I did not servive.  I again had 
to go through a series of surgurys.   Unfortunatly, I've not recovered.  I 
keep my skill up to date, and as of August I strated to attend computer trade 
shows, and have attented about 10 since then, and got my brother to go as me 
to a few more.  In that time I've picked up about 40 demos, and time bomb 
packages, as well as several frebes.  Most of the 40 are CD-ROMS.  If nothing 
else, I have a lot of software to keep my mind working, and curious, for when 
and if I recover.
This free CD stuff inclused the new Novell, Windows NT Server, and other 
$1,000 priced packages, as well as 15 free hurs on AOL twice over.  Yah, AOL 
was the cheapie flopy disk I picked up ;).  
I have payed a price, as I've had my worst bowl infection in five year last 
week, trigered my sleep disorders, and had some slight hemeraging.   
Today, I seemed to be a bit better, but it looks like I killed my most 
poewerful computer with the CD-Player.  I was hoping it was just the power 
suppys but it looks like the Motherbord is dead.  I hurt myself tring to fix 
it.  I poped the CPU, and RAM, pressed the BIOS, unpluged all the drives, and 
cards, ect.  Its dead.   No boot beeps.  Votage gos to the MB, anmd drives, 
but system does not beep or do anything.
Anyhow, it does not have enough ram or power to run some of this new stuff.  
I was hoping to get something newer, and put this now dead one on the BBS, 
and speed things up.
Tomorrow, or in a week or two, I'll look at it again.  I want to get the MMX 
feature, and run Warp 4 in the new one, as my vision sort of will not stay in 
focus, and I'll need the voice options in the future, and it would be easier 
to learn using it, when I still can see.
Anyhow, that one of my FROM TOTAL DISABILITY in 1966, to full employemnt in 
75, to total diability in 1978, to full employment in 1988 stories.  Yes, 
after my December 1992 surgury, I sort of became totally disabled again.  But 
I don't aim on remaining so.  I'll keep my skills up, and do as much as I 
can, if and when I can.
No one can teach you to be self motivating.  If you have the desire, you can 
move mountains.
--- FLAME v1.1
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