[Blind-Rollers] Potential Benefits of Super Lidar for Blind Rollers

Mon Feb 28 17:32:27 UTC 2022

To be honest, this is baffling to me. I am the only community
operations person at Mediate, and have no idea from where they are
pulling information in regards to our budget. It seems to me there is
little I can do to actually prove my sincerity, because it appears
that the only satisfactory response is of monetary value. I fully
respect and agree with your position, and it is correct as it pertains
to many companies. I'm afraid it doesn't fit us.

On 2/24/22, Starry_sky at live.com <Starry_sky at live.com> wrote:
> Hello Shane, I floated your email to a friend who is a business
> strategist (with disabilities).  Here is the reply:
>
> Unfortunately, this is the typical answer "we would like to pay people
> with disabilities but can't because of [insert excuse here]".  There are
> different ways to compensate but doesn't sound like they are offering
> anything.  At least that other company offered a meager gift card.
>
>  From what I can piece together, it seems that Mediate has enough funds
> but it just isn't budgeted to compensate this user community. Mediate
> chose to pay for a team of five or six "community engagement managers"
> to find and convince members of the disability community to work for
> free or to sort through community exchanges to glean ideas.  Then
> Mediate sell those features and products back to us or profit in other
> ways.  Then they want more free ideas and free testing from us. The
> cycle continues as they spend those profits to find more ways to use us
> without compensating us.
>
> Everyone with and without disabilities should work to change that
> business model and stop providing excuses to perpetuate it.  Is Shane
> willing to be a part of the solution?  There needs to be a shift of
> mindset at Mediate (and all other companies) so everyone benefits.  What
> if Mediate allocates part of that budget for a program that respectfully
> compensates people with disabilities' time, skills, and insights?  Then
> Mediate won't need a team to glean our ideas and convince us to work for
> free because there would be a line of people w disabilities ready,
> willing, and able to work with Mediate.
>
> On Feb 23, 2022, Shane Lowe via Blind-Rollers <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
> wrote:
>
>> You have an excellent point, and as a blind person, I've seen that
>> disparity in pay all too often.
>> However, we are a small startup. We have very little funding to expand
>> our team of developers, let alone pay an example price similar to
>> $50.00 per hour. As much as I'd love to offer payment, We are
>> currently too small to swing that without going under very quickly.
>>
>> On 2/22/22, Starry_sky--- via Blind-Rollers <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>>> Hello Shane, there is no shortage of brilliant people with disabilities
>>> who could work with you or other companies to design and test products.
>>> The problem is that too many of these companies feel that we should work
>>> for free.  There was a for-profit company that paid $50/hr for sighted
>>> testers but then asked for Blind testers to spend half a day testing
>>> that same app for one $20 gift card.
>>>
>>> What is Mediate offering to people with disabilities to help design and
>>> test products?  Do we get paid an hourly rate or one price for the
>>> project?  Do we get profit-sharing, royalties, and/or owner-rights for
>>> any of our ideas that sell or get patented?  Let us know what the
>>> collaboration expectations are.
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>> Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2022 10:36:30 -0500
>>>> From: Shane Lowe <shane at mediate.tech>
>>>> To: Blind wheelchair users list <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Subject: Re: [Blind-Rollers] Potential Benefits of Super Lidar for
>>>> 	Blind Rollers
>>>>
>>>> Karen and all,
>>>> That sounds intense, and I'm glad to hear that you're on the mend!
>>>> When I reached out to the list earlier this year, I didn't receive any
>>>> feedback, so we weren't sure how to proceed or if users were
>>>> interested in working with us to design something.
>>>> I would love to know how you envision something like this working, and
>>>> we can go from there! :)
>>>>
>>>> On 2/18/22, Karen Rose via Blind-Rollers <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>> Well. Thank you :-)
>>>>>
>>>>> Karen Rose MFT/LPCC www.career-therapy.net
>>>>>
>>>>>> On Feb 18, 2022, at 11:17 AM, maureen Pranghofer via Blind-Rollers
>>>>>> <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ?Hi Karen
>>>>>> I'm in a power chair now but used a walker for a couple of years,
>>>>>> Rather
>>>>>> than leaning on my palms they put forearm troughts in the walker and
>>>>>> I
>>>>>> could lean on them with both arms and by extending one arm slightly
>>>>>> use
>>>>>> my
>>>>>> can at the same time as I'm totally blind. It worked but was very
>>>>>> hard
>>>>>> on
>>>>>> my shoulder because ultimately more weight went on my shoulder on the
>>>>>> side
>>>>>> where I was holding the cane. But it worked.
>>>>>> Maureen
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: Blind-Rollers <blind-rollers-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of
>>>>>> Karen
>>>>>> Rose via Blind-Rollers
>>>>>> Sent: Friday, February 18, 2022 12:01 AM
>>>>>> To: Blind wheelchair users list <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>> Cc: Karen Rose <rosekm at earthlink.net>
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Blind-Rollers] Potential Benefits of Super Lidar for
>>>>>> Blind
>>>>>> Rollers
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Is anyone here using a walker or roller tour? If so how are you doing
>>>>>> that? I am being discharged from a physical rehab center after
>>>>>> breaking
>>>>>> my
>>>>>> hip, and will need to use a walker or realtor for a couple of months.
>>>>>> Would love any advice since I cannot attach my white cane to this
>>>>>> device.
>>>>>> Thanks for any help
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Karen Rose MFT/LPCC www.career-therapy.net
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Jan 26, 2022, at 12:06 PM, Shane Lowe via Blind-Rollers
>>>>>>> <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ?Hi everyone,
>>>>>>> My name is Shane Lowe, and I am the Community Operations manager for
>>>>>>> the company Mediate. You may know of us as the developers of
>>>>>>> Supersense and Super Lidar.
>>>>>>> Part of what I do is work with users to turn user ideas into
>>>>>>> features
>>>>>>> that are integrated into our apps, and a fellow member of this list
>>>>>>> reached out to me about the potential benefits of a navigation app
>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>> blind wheelchair users.
>>>>>>> In case you don't know, Super Lidar is our navigation app which
>>>>>>> translate the depth and distance analysis of Lidar into navigation
>>>>>>> features for the blind. I'd love to learn more about how everyone on
>>>>>>> this list would like to use mobile technology in your navigation
>>>>>>> experience so that maybe we can make some improvements for Super
>>>>>>> Lidar.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I'm excited to hear what you think!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> All the best,
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Shane Lowe.
>>>>>>> Community Operations Manager @ Mediate Mobile (call or text): +1
>>>>>>> 502-435-2671 Learn more at http://supersense.app
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
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>
>

-- 
Shane Lowe.
Community Operations Manager @ Mediate
Mobile (call or text): +1 502-435-2671
Learn more at http://supersense.app