[Cabs-talk] A giant step backwards for the disabled in CA

Tue Jan 25 00:12:17 UTC 2011

Hello Sam,
  First, I would like to thank you for  taking the oppertunity to
reach out and share this information and how it concerns you and many
blind students (like myself) in california.  In this time of cost
cutting and  service cutbacks, we she be very aware of
whateducational, recreational and vocational based services we enjoy,
and  the danger of losing them.   I recieved a piece  of  technology
from dor and was fortunate to recieve high quality personalized
training on the  item, and also enjoyed follow-up services anytime I
needed them and suspect many of us have similar expiriences. I  would
hate to sseesomething that has clearly aided us in our journey to
being successful students and eventually successful working
professionals go slipping away, if we clearly have a need for it and
can do something to hault it's  loss. Understanding that  this is not
to say  that we  arn't losing  the access to  technology, however we
are losing  the ability to  gain access to  expertese more readily
available to us, if all sounds as it does.
    The question I have is, do we have some information released  to
the  public to show what's being shared here?  Unfortunately, I have
heard   only bits and pieces of projected budget cut information
related to education, and  have not had the oppertunity to investigate
further.  Any information to this end  that can be shared   with the
listwould be much appreciated.
    REgards,
  Darian

On 1/24/11, Sam Bloomberg <teknoblink at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>
> I thought this would be a good place to start and start letting
> California blind people know what the state is attempting to do.
>
> This concerns everyone who currently recieves any help from the CA
> Department of rehabilitation.
>
> Those of us who have been given a step up through Dept of Rehab know
> just how valuable Department of Rehab has been.  DOR helped me with
> tuition and most importantly with technology.  Without good products
> and good training I never would have been able to succeed in school
> and now at work.  The Department of General Services is the department
> that is in charge of procurement for DOR.  Currently your producs and
> training is offered by several state vendors.  You can meet with each
> of these vendors to learn what product is going to work best for you.
> Some of them carry many products and can offer a wide range of
> expertise.  There are vendors that are strictly service.  These are
> the vendors that get hired to help with your training and they often
> also help you when you have a technical problem.
> I got my equipment from a vendor in southern California.  I know that
> I can call that company whenever I have a problem with my technology .
>  I count on this company to help me keep my job and to keep me
> competetive in school.
>
> There is now a move in the Department of General Services to get a
> state wide contract for the products we use.  This means that we will
> no longer have the choice of vendors.  The state will offer the
> contract to the lowest bid and that is who we will be forced to use.
>
> So let's say that DOR buys you a new laptop and the screen reader
> upgrade and the OCR etc.  You may find the computer at your door, the
> screen reader comes later and then the OCR.  You may then have to do
> all the installation and configuration on your own.  There may be
> conflicts with the computer operating system with the products that
> you got.  There may be some new features that you are not familiar
> with and you need some support.
> So now you have all this equipment and you can't use it.   You got
> your screen Reader from Freedom Scientific because they were the
> company that offered the lowest price for JAWS.  Tell me this my
> friends, do you think that you could simply call Freedom and they will
> give you all the support and on the phone training you may need?  Of
> course not.  My first call when I need help is not Freedom, or Dell or
> Kurzweil.  My first call is to the vendor who put it all together for
> me.  They are the ones who are best able to help me and the are most
> available.
>
> If the Department of General services gets its way than we will all be
> given the same products and the same vendor.  How is one company going
> to support all of us?  If multiple companies, probably the
> manufacturers, get the state contracts based on price then who will be
> there to help us put it all together an working properly.  If I am
> using JAWS and Kurzweil on a Dell and I have a problem, who will I
> call?  Will I call Dell? Freedom? or Kurzweil?  Each of those would
> just tell me that the other is the problem.
>
>
> If the Department of General Services gets its way  then we will all
> lose our choice of vendors and be forced to get support from the
> company that provided the product.  Think about this.  We wil lose our
> local support.  We will have to deal with a company that can't offer
> the support because they sold the product at a low price so they can't
> afford to give the support.  You may have to call for support on east
> coast time.  You may have to wait forever to get your equipment
> working.
>
> The Department of General services thinks it can save money be asking
> for a state wide contract based on price alone.  If all of our
> products are from a veariety of vendors than who do we turn to for
> help.  If every services is based on price then how can we believe
> that the support will really meet our diverse needs?
> Finally if the Department of General Services gets its way then we
> will all be treated as if we are all the same.
>
> Please everyone think about this.  Think about what will happen if
> just one company gets to sell  JAWS  or Window Eyes.  Just imagine if
> Freedom Scientific is the only company to provide JAWS.  Who will give
> us the local support?
>
> Thanks for listening to my rant.
>
> Now get back to your studies.
>
> Sam
>
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-- 
Darian Smith
Skype: The_Blind_Truth
Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com
Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace

"You could be shown the road, given the vehicle, even handed the key.
But only you can have the drive."