[nabs-l] Could someone lend me a hand, please? (Question about juggling multiple items)

Fri Aug 27 23:58:38 UTC 2010

I am using a personal computer for e-mail and such. It's an old one,
though and has so many problems...I don't have Microsoft Office, so
have to use WordPad, which means I can't do even basic underlining,
bolding, accents, etc. I am using NVDA, which can be a bit of a pain
as a primary, though it is a great secondary screenreader. Not having
JAWS or Word make it very difficult to do many of the assignments I
need. Plus, my Acrobat Reader is broken, and I can't seem to figure
out how to do it. Then there's the lack of a printer...so many
problems, it drove me crazy trying to get my homework done. Oh, and I
can't seem to get internet in my bedroom where my desk is (because I
need lots of quiet to do my work...I get distracted very easily by
sounds), so I have to have my PC in the living room where my boyfriend
and his dog often are...the dog is annoying with all his whining and
squirming, and my b/f often plays games, reads a book, or works on his
own work...he has as much right as I do to have noise, especially
since with his ADHD, he needs background noise to keep him on task.

Anyway, my b/f was able to get internet in my room with his laptop,
but I guess my wireless card is just too weak. I'm hoping the new
laptop will pick it up like his does, and I can do all my homework in
the closed-off quiet of my room where I can concentrate.

On 8/27/10, Arielle Silverman <nabs.president at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Jewel,
>
> I'm just curious-what equipment are you currently using to write and
> read email and keep up with the NABS list? Are you going on campus or
> using public computers to use email, or do you have some way to access
> it at home?
>
> I'm just curious if there's any way the computer you're using for
> email could also be used for school.
>
> I'm sorry you had to drop your classes, and agree it's ridiculous and
> unfortunate you have to wait so long for equipment. I hope you can
> find a resolution soon.
>
> Arielle
>
> On 8/27/10, Jewel S. <herekittykat2 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Well, because of the lack of equipment (don't even have JAWS now, nor
>> even Microsoft Word), I had to drop my classes. If I left right after
>> classes, I didn't get home until 6:30pm, so staying after school to do
>> homework was not possible with my chronic fatigue, and the trips back
>> and forth just to do homework were driving me crazy already, and it
>> was just the first week! I told DSB that if they were not going to get
>> my equipment until the end of the semester, I would have to drop my
>> classes until they *did* get my equipment. I've been told that I'll be
>> lucky if it comes in by December...totally ridiculous, isn't it? Four
>> months?? I've never heard of anyone having to wait four months to get
>> equipment for school.
>>
>> Anyway, for the first week, I just carried a bag on my back (since I
>> only had my binder, paper, voice recorder, and slate and stylus). That
>> worked, though my shoulder hurt by the end of the day. Still not sure
>> what I'll do when I have the equipment I need...DSS just won't do it,
>> saying they don't have the resources.
>>
>> ~Jewel
>>
>> On 8/26/10, Serena <serenacucco at verizon.net> wrote:
>>> I really don't see why the DSS office can't find a volunteer to carry
>>> your
>>> backpack for you.  After all, they don't have to spend anymore money to
>>> do
>>> that.  Since you have a mobility impairment, having someone carry your
>>> backpack is similar to using a reader, except maybe, the person won't get
>>> paid.  Other than that, I don't have any creative ideas myself.  However,
>>> I
>>> have a good friend with a mobility impairment who might have some ideas.
>>> I'll ask her ...
>>>
>>> Serena
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Jewel S." <herekittykat2 at gmail.com>
>>> To: <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 4:47 PM
>>> Subject: [nabs-l] Could someone lend me a hand,please? (Question about
>>> juggling multiple items)
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hi everyone,
>>>>
>>>> As the title suggests, I need a bit of help...some advice, really. But
>>>> I sure wish someone could literally lend me a hand. I need that third
>>>> hand something fierce!
>>>>
>>>> Here's my dilemma. I will be starting school at the local community
>>>> college in two weeks. I have a very nice High Sierra rolling backpack.
>>>> It has a retractable handle with a T-grip which makes it easy to pull.
>>>> However, I also have a long white cane and a T-grip support cane. One
>>>> hand for the white cane, one hand for the support cane (I have tried
>>>> carrying things in my right hand while using the support cane and I
>>>> simply can't put enough weight on the cane to use it properly if I'm
>>>> holding something...if it can hang on my wrist, and is not too heavy,
>>>> I can do that, but it must be very light, such as a bag of light
>>>> groceries {a bag of papertwoels, a bag with shampoo and conditiner,
>>>> some small grocery items, etc.}, and one hand for the rolling
>>>> backpack. That just doesn't add up to two!
>>>>
>>>> My primary doctor and my chiropractor have warned me several times not
>>>> to put anything more than a few pounds on my shoulders or back, and
>>>> definitely not a backpack full of books, so carrying the bag on my
>>>> back when I use my support cane is out of the question. I have several
>>>> slipped discs in my neck and severe misalignment in my back and hips,
>>>> so I have to be careful not to carry too much. I also have problems
>>>> with my arms and wrists; if I carry something heavy on my wrist or
>>>> forearm, it will start tingling and sending lightning bolts of pain up
>>>> and down my arm. Further, with my bad hips and knees, using a waist
>>>> harness of some sort to pull the backpack seems out of the question as
>>>> well.
>>>>
>>>> I brought this concern up to the Disability office at the college and
>>>> they and I together could not think of anything to solve my problem. I
>>>> suggested a volunteer pulling my bag from class to class, but they
>>>> said they do not have the means to find someone or schedule such a
>>>> volunteer's time. I am going to ask my VR counselor and my O&M
>>>> instructor about it tomorrow, but I wanted to ask here. Surely I'm not
>>>> the only one who has had this dilemma? Are there any of you out there
>>>> who use both a white cane and a support cane with no hands for rolling
>>>> backpack or other items?
>>>>
>>>> Any advice, suggestions, or ideas would be invaluable to me, as I'm
>>>> truly at a loss. I didn't even think of it until yesterday when I was
>>>> at the college and tried to do it and couldn't, and was in no
>>>> condition to walk without my support cane without stumbling and/or
>>>> falling often.
>>>>
>>>> ~Jewel
>>>> Check out my blog about accessibility for the blind!
>>>> Treasure Chest for the Blind: http://blindtreasurechest.blogspot.com
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> ~Jewel
>> Check out my blog about accessibility for the blind!
>> Treasure Chest for the Blind: http://blindtreasurechest.blogspot.com
>>
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>
>
> --
> Arielle Silverman
> President, National Association of Blind Students
> Phone:  602-502-2255
> Email:
> nabs.president at gmail.com
> Website:
> www.nabslink.org
>
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>

-- 
~Jewel
Check out my blog about accessibility for the blind!
Treasure Chest for the Blind: http://blindtreasurechest.blogspot.com