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<DIV>Hi Peter and all,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>To respond to your question and suggestion on finding readers, I’ll say
this under this subject line and then leave it as I think the consensus of the
group writing in is that it’s a personal matter yet a big problem.</DIV>
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<DIV>You said,</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT face=Calibri>”</FONT>
If we can link blind individuals to mentors we should be able to create <BR>a
service similar to NFb Link to assist blind individuals in locating <BR>readers
and drivers. As mentioned previously these can include individuals <BR>and
organizations that provide these services throughout the country. It's <BR>then
up to the blind individual to contact the listed providers in their <BR>area for
assistance. If this is such a big issue perhaps it needs more <BR>attention than
we believe it does.”</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">Peter, sorry, not buying it. mentoring
people is far, far easier than hiring a reader to read personal mail.
Mentoring requires a smaller committment and does not involve people seeing
private information. Matching mentors to mentees is so much easier as you need
common interests and a willingness to help. Reading, on the other hand, requires
several things. they include skill to read clearly, the trust to keep things
confidential, ability to be committed and be on time to work with the blind
person, and dependability; not to mention the reader has to have their own
transportation to meet you at home.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">I really fail to see the similarity to the
mentor program and hiring a reader or having a committed volunteer
reader.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">I have three suggestions.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">1. Go to places where many people gather
who like reading and ask around. this includes public libraries, book signings,
and book fairs.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">2. Ask other disabilty advocacy groups to help
if their around such as a center for independent living.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">3. If you cannot do in person, scan the mail
and have a friend see on the pc, and read it via phone.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">hth,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">Ashley</FONT></DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>