[nabs-l] Seeking input on handling my first community outreach event

[Arielle Silverman]

Agreed, and you could also borrow a friend's laptop that has a good
battery and put a demo copy of JAWS on it for the day, or perhaps you
could buy a new battery for your laptop on Amazon. I saw a battery on
Amazon for my old laptop that was much cheaper than what the
manufacturer was charging. A Braille Note or similar device would also
work well.
Arielle

On 9/3/13, Cindy Bennett <clb5590 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Anjelina,
>
> I have to say that I have never encountered this challenge, so thanks
> for writing about it to get us thinking!
>
> Do you happen to have a smartphone with a blue tooth keyboard? I have
> an iPhone with a bluetooth keyboard that is very small yet the keys
> are discernable. It is the one sold by A T Guys, shameless plug.
> Anyway, if you have those things, that  could be a seamless option.
> You could write "notes" and email them to yourself, edit them, and
> then send them to your supervisor.
>
> If you do not have these tools then perhaps a braille notetaker or a
> tablet would also be portable enough.
>
> I think that you should just try to effectively communicate with your
> clients. Just explain to them that you are excited to work with them
> and that you are blind and it would be helpful if they stay close to
> you while navigating the tables...I am sure that there is a more
> eloquent way of presenting this than what I wrote in 2 seconds. But
> another strategy is to just keep up a conversation. If you are asking
> questions and exchanging dialogue, then you will always know where
> they are. Similarly, they will have incentive to stay near you so they
> can continue the conversation.
>
> Cindy
>
> On 9/3/13, Anjelina Cruz <anjelinac26 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Good afternoon fellow NABSters,
>> I hope your semesters are kicking off to a productive start. For
>> anyone who has experiences with large gatherings and community events,
>> I need a boost of confidents or an honest observations of challenges
>> you may have faced in large settings.
>> I'm in my last semester toward a bachelors of social Work degree which
>> requires completing an internship. In a few weeks I'll be one of many
>> ambassadors at a community event for homeless people. Homeless Project
>> Connect brings together as many services possible for a person who is
>> homeless with the end goal of finding them the help they may need.
>> The event will be held in a large complex on two floors with booths
>> and tables. As an ambassador we are asked to write down information
>> about the person in a designated folder as they go throughout the
>> process of obtaining the specific services they need. For instance, if
>> they need a birth certificate, I will be responsible for walking with
>> them to the Vital Statistics table as well as helping them fill out
>> the information form at Vital Stats.
>>
>> As long as I could have the forms sent to me in an electronic form,
>> I've considered using my laptop, however my battery does not hold a
>> charge very well. How would you handle this type of situation?  I
>> don't mind asking questions to find specific tables, but what if my
>> client walks away from me and I can't find him or her?
>> Since everyone will be writing notes on each person they assist,
>> information they requested, observations about the person, or
>> questions the person may have so the coordinator can follow up with
>> each client, how could I effectively complete this task?
>>
>> Thank you all for your input and advice.
>> Best wishes for fall 2013!
>> --
>> Anjelina
>>
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>
>
> --
> Cindy Bennett
> Secretary: National Association of Blind Students
>
> B.A. Psychology, UNC Wilmington
> clb5590 at gmail.com
>
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