[nfb-db] Travel

[John Lee Clark]

Haben:

You don't have to know ASL first to use SSPs.  Many nonsigning DB people use
SSPs.  SSPs are most often used for food shopping, doing errands like the
bank, checking the mail and paying bills.  Sometimes they are used to make
your participation in certation recreational and social events easier.  They
are "eyes" that you can use, and because they are human they are the best
technology.  You can tell the SSP, "I'm looking for William Poll'[s Raw
Honey Plus."  Then the SSP scans the shelves.  Or "Iif you see any sales or
special deals, let me know, but otherwise we'll follow the list."  A SSP can
be anyone with whom you can communicate easily. 

Typically, I use my SSPs for 

Paying bills, since the bills don't translate well through my scanner. 

Going on occasional food shopping trips.  Normally, I go on my own and have
a list for customer service to use and gather my food while I sit
comfortably and read.  But it's good to go with a SSP from time to time to
find out what's new, or if I am looking for new ingredients and want to know
my options.  

Shopping for clothes.  There are many brands, colors,s styles, and prices to
consider, so it's good to have the SSP so I can get this info rapidly.

Interpret video relay calls.  This doesn't happen often, as I rarely need to
use the telephone.  

At conferences where there are many venues.  While each workshop or
presentation will come wiwth its interpreters for me, it's not the
interpreters' job to guide me from one venue to another.  So a SSP is good
for that, and also for finding the food, exploring the exhibit hall, and for
networking as the SSP can tell me who is around me or find specific people I
want to approach.

And I have what I call my "digital SSPs."  Those are savvy with computers,
highly literate in English, and can type very fast.  Sometimes I use them to
track down information online that I don't want to bother, either because
the target Web sites are not accessible or a pain to navigate around in, or
because the documents are in PDF, etc.  So I email one of my digital SSPs
what I need, and he or she goes online and tracks it down.  Or some Web
stores' ordering forms are coded badly, so I have the SSP order stuff on my
behalf, using my credit card information.  Or becoming a member of something
online may require your answering the question of what this image spells,
which I obviously cannot see.  Most of the time, my digital SSPs are not
actually with me in person at all, but they still keep track of their time
and bill the agency for their time.  And if I have an old book with text too
grimy, grainy, or smudgy for my scanner to read, I have a ditial SSP type it
up.  Sometimes I would send one on a research trip to a library in another
state or country, to type up fragile documents and texts that cannot leave
the library.  It makes no sense for me to go there because there would be
absolutely nothing for me to do.  

I hope this helps.

John







 

Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
Checked by AVG. 
Version: 7.5.557 / Virus Database: 270.12.11/2089 - Release Date: 4/30/2009
5:53 PM