[blindkid] Technology and Little Kid

[David Andrews]

Heather:

I hate getting into this (smile) because everybody won't agree, but .....

First I must ask you and others to treat the opinions and positions 
of others with more respect.  While they may be different from yours, 
the people who state them presumably have good reasons for stating 
them, as do you.

Next, I find your generalizations about the slate to be disturbing 
and depressing.  I don't know you, or your place in life, but I would 
guess you are a sighted person, possibly with a blind child.  You 
mention a blind Mother.

Would you, as a sighted person give up a pencil or pen and paper.  I 
doubt it.  While you may not use them all the time, when you need 
them, nothing else will do.  This is in part what the slate and 
stylus are for blind persons.  Yes, many people, including blind 
persons will put them down, but I suspect that in many instances they 
have not been taught well, so are minimized.  While we teach kids to 
write with a pencil before e giving them a computer as a primary 
tool, we think nothing about having them learn to write with a 
Braille Writer, then give them a slate.  Who would want it then.

I am one of those over-50 persons you mention.  I use the slate 
regularly, as I also use technology.  I have used technology heavily 
since the early 80's, and was the first Director of the NFB's 
International Braille and Technology Center, and still make my living 
with technology.  So, I don't think you can plausibly say I couldn't 
adjust to technology.  Likewise, Mike  Freeman who wrote the original 
message which you seemed to hold in such disdain has been a computer 
programmer since the early 80's I think, uses talking cell phone, 
Braille Sense, etc.  We love our technology, but want to have all 
possible tools available to us, including the slate.

A couple years ago, I attended a training session, costing over 
$500.  It was Minnesota and the winter and I slipped and fell, on the 
ice, on my way there.  When I got there, I discovered my Pac Mate 
wouldn't work.  So, if I hadn't also had a slate and stylus and been 
proficient with their use, it would have been $500 down the drain 
because I couldn't take notes.

Blind people need all the tools we can get, and we need to use the 
right one at the right time.  That includes the slate and stylus 
which is good for quick notes, in emergencies, where there is no 
electricity or when batteries are dead, and much more.

Dave


At 07:05 AM 2/18/2010, you wrote:
>No disrespect, but you've got to be kidding me.  No blind people I 
>know, children or adults, down right brilliant to mentally 
>challenged, men or women use those anymore.  Many own them, and 
>could use them in a pinch, but honestly, no one uses them as a main 
>means of writing or on a regular basis. Some people in the fifty or 
>older set still rely on them, because they were not able to keep up 
>with the changing technology, which I can understand and sympathize 
>with, but even my sixty year old blind mother laughed when I showed 
>her this, or rather told her that this had come up on list.  For 
>confidentiality reasons I never show any one who is not on the list, 
>list emails, and never give names or any spacifics..  I could 
>honestly say that I know over two hundred to three hundred blind 
>people, and I asked on a list serve for guide dog users, one for 
>blind parents and one for blind students, and the uunanomous answer 
>was "You've got to be kidding"  I think her four year old would best 
>be served to learn how to use a cell phone or home phone to call his 
>mother and to dial 911.  I think he should be learning on a braille 
>note, voice recorder or how to use a victor reader or ipod touch. 
>Things like that, plus basic braille and print literacy.
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
>To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)" 
><blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 10:46 PM
>Subject: Re: [blindkid] Technology and Little Kid
>
>
>>A slate and stylus!
>>
>>Mike
>>
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
>>To: <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>>Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 7:01 PM
>>Subject: [blindkid] Technology and Little Kid
>>
>>
>>>I got asked a question, the other day, and since most of my 
>>>experience is with blind adults -- I didn't know quite what to 
>>>say.  A woman said she had a four year old totally blind daughter, 
>>>and she wanted her to keep up with her peers in technology, so 
>>>what assistive technology/technology is here  -- should she start 
>>>using with her child?
>>>
>>>Dave