[BlindMath] Has Anyone Ever Used a Financial Calculator?

Fri Dec 3 03:10:12 UTC 2021

It sounds like Excel may be a good alternative to suggest.

-----Original Message-----
From: BlindMath <blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Aqil Sajjad via
BlindMath
Sent: Thursday, December 2, 2021 7:31 PM
To: 'Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics'
<blindmath at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Aqil Sajjad <aqilsajjad at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [BlindMath] Has Anyone Ever Used a Financial Calculator?

I have never used a financial calculator, but all these net present value
and other calculations are generally fairly simple to the point that if one
wants, one can always write a code in a programming language of one's
liking. Alternatively, good old excel will do the job and I think Jonathan's
suggestion is a great one.

The other option is to use something like MatLab or maple if you have them
and are familiar with them, as these are simpler than a formal programming
language. For anyone who has one of these programs under their belt, this is
probably the best option. But if you don't, then learning these tools only
to do financial calculations is not a good idea. These are expensive and you
want to have a tool that you can afford even after you graduate and no
longer have a university's software license.

So excel or writing your own code are probably your best options, unless
someone can specifically point you to an accessible financial calculator. 

-----Original Message-----
From: BlindMath <blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Jonathan Godfrey
via BlindMath
Sent: Thursday, December 2, 2021 3:16 PM
To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
<blindmath at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Jonathan Godfrey <A.J.Godfrey at massey.ac.nz>
Subject: Re: [BlindMath] Has Anyone Ever Used a Financial Calculator?

Hello Nick,

Way back, and I mean a really long way back, as in last century, I completed
a Finance degree. (I later saw the light.)

At that time, people were only just starting to use financial calculators as
against scientific calculators. I did use one under a CCTV so relied on what
residual vision I still had.

The finance calculator had functions for finding what is called the Net
Present Value, which puts a future financial transaction in terms of today's
money using a discount rate. It also finds the opposite of that, called
future value which is perhaps easier to explain. For example, if you put
$1000 in the bank today and it returns 5% per annum, what is it worth in ten
years' time? This is the more common question for the real world as it is
linked to retirement planning.

Another question is if you need to turn $1000 into $1500 in ten years, what
is the required return on investment?

The functions needed to do these calculations and more are found in Excel
and other spreadsheet software. I'd recommend you seek to use MS Excel as
the substitute for the calculator. Yes it has other features your classmates
won't have, but the staff should understand what you are able to achieve
with it, and avoid them having to evaluate other solutions.

You may find that other courses make use of Excel to do more complex tasks,
so skipping past learning the calculator tools in favour of the Excel option
may be an investment in your future anyway.

BTW: thanks for helping me use a degree for something other than managing my
mortgages.

Jonathan

-----Original Message-----
From: BlindMath <blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of nspohn0--- via
BlindMath
Sent: Friday, 3 December 2021 10:40 AM
To: 'Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics'
<blindmath at nfbnet.org>
Cc: nspohn0 at gmail.com
Subject: [BlindMath] Has Anyone Ever Used a Financial Calculator?

Hi All,

I am taking an introductory level finance course next semester. My professor
is recommending all students to purchase the TI-BAII Plus. My college's
disability office found a product for visually impaired users that emulates
the recommended device:  

The BA II PLUST Emulator Software emulates the
<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnam10.saf
elinks.protection.outlook.com%2F%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Feducation&d
ata=04%7C01%7Ca.j.godfrey%40massey.ac.nz%7Cf06ac63f48ef430014ee08d9b5dca194%
7C388728e1bbd0437898dcf8682e644300%7C1%7C0%7C637740781492200098%7CUnknown%7C
TWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%
3D%7C3000&sdata=LP5sk19Dlo%2BJVWSMdMyHoGZpe%2B7R9NctYikTCLX2lsQ%3D&r
eserved=0
.ti.com%2Fen%2Fus%2Fproducts%2Fcalculators%2Ffinancial-calculators%2Fbaii-pl
us-professional%2Ffeatures%2Ffeatures-summary&data=04%7C01%7Cngs52%40psu.edu
%7C95a7f81d27034e32960708d9b5c92f14%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7
C0%7C637740697942061546%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoi
V2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=XBc%2B8V2KsnQvptJXX%2BYm
9lZBsjlNZhPT3DONdeIeWSI%3D&reserved=0> BA II PlusT Professional Financial
Calculator (requires letter on letterhead stating for visually impaired
student)

. ViewPlus Technologies, Inc.

This company has developed a WindowsR Application called Accessible Graphing
Calculator for blind and dyslexic users. It displays the calculator on the
computer monitor, and audibly announces all functions and results. Graphs
can be displayed as audible tone plots. A 30-day fully functional copy is
available at
<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.viewpl
%2F&data=04%7C01%7Ca.j.godfrey%40massey.ac.nz%7Cf06ac63f48ef430014ee08d9
b5dca194%7C388728e1bbd0437898dcf8682e644300%7C1%7C0%7C637740781492200098%7CU
nknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJ
XVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=uyvUoXnu24h5qKx9TU8gc4wcv8lPOZe0c9jvnlf%2Bi8k%3
D&reserved=0
us.com%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cngs52%40psu.edu%7C95a7f81d27034e32960708d9b5c92f14%
7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C637740697942061546%7CUnknown%7C
TWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%
3D%7C3000&sdata=yibYEk%2BoncguxsX3hRSzYDzi6jzs%2FUKF66%2BOTr7gK64%3D&reserve
d=0>
https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.viewplu
s.com%2F&data=04%7C01%7Ca.j.godfrey%40massey.ac.nz%7Cf06ac63f48ef430014e
e08d9b5dca194%7C388728e1bbd0437898dcf8682e644300%7C1%7C0%7C63774078149221005
5%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haW
wiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=BeNCu16cXL3a%2F%2Fcl5SIwL8o%2BOWD13AXaT568
xUc1KHw%3D&reserved=0 .

Has anyone either used this specific calculator or the software above? Are
there any accessible financial calculators out there? I never took a finance
course before, so I was surprised to hear that I need a specific calculator
for finance calculations.

Thank You,

Nick 

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