[blindkid] Need Tech help

[Richard Holloway]

We have been through similar frustrations. I expect we all have to  
sort through this business at one time or another. Not to state the  
obvious, but it depends on what her peers are doing exactly. There are  
definitely a lot of questions to ask before you get out your checkbook  
and you also need to have some idea of your budget limit because this  
can get costly very quickly. (Yet it may also be fairly cheap to start!)

Here are a few questions that come to mind for starters--

Mac or PC?
Blind or Low Vision (or both)? (This drives discussions about screen  
readers and refreshable braille and so forth).
Assuming she's a braille reader are you trying to come up with  
refreshable braille?
Are you hoping to produce embossed output in braille?
Are you wanting to use a screen reader?
What computer applications do you hope to use?
Do you need web access?
Are you certain you want a conventional computer as compared to  
something like a PAC Mate or a Braille Note?


The first thing to do would be to list out your goals and probably to  
prioritize them as well. If this is a low vision situation as compared  
to a blindness issue for example, there are ways to magnify text and  
increase contrast that aren't terribly expensive or even free in some  
cases. Is this mostly about web access or maybe printing out stories  
she writes? The questions go on and on...

If you're using a PC and want a screen reader, JAWS costs $900 to  
$1100 but you can also get a demo version (for free!) that runs about  
45 or 50 minutes. After that you have to restart the machine before it  
will work again, but again, it is free to try.

If you have or will get a BrailleNote or PAC Mate you may have a no- 
additional-cost solution right there for refreshable braille  
(depending on the model).

For embossing braille you either need to think used equipment or  
budget close $3000 for that alone, but if you have a decent PC  
available and just want a screen reader, you may be able to get a  
temporary solution going with only a free download. Sometimes, you can  
get the school to print things out for you and avoid buying an  
embosser & the related software for that.

What does she use at school? Do they have any equipment to let her use  
at home? Do you have to buy a new PC or do you already have one for  
her? Ideally, I'd say go to NFB convention and see all sorts of things  
on display but that just happened last week, so unless you have a  
state convention coming up with a technology display, that may not be  
soon enough since the Dallas National convention was only last week  
(the national convention won't happen again until Orlando in July 2011).

Feel free to reply with more details for more suggestions though it  
may be best to take this off list as the discussion can become tedious  
for so many to be reading through.

Richard




On Jul 11, 2010, at 6:54 PM, jjordan_pa at yahoo.com wrote:

> Anybody out there know what would be the best set up for my daughter  
> as far as computer technology? There are so many "things" out there  
> and it is all so expensive. Can't exactly buy it and "hope" that it  
> is useful. I need to "know" that it is useful before I purchase.  
> What do I need so that my 9 year old can use a computer like her  
> peers? I am so frustrated right now and don't know where to turn.  
> HELP!!
> Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T