[nfb-talk] APPLICATION FOR LOAN

[David Andrews]

It is easy for you guys to criticize assistive technology 
companies.  Yes, much of the stuff is expensive, more than any of us 
would like.  However, most, or all of you haven't been on the other 
side of the business and have no real idea as to the expenses of 
developing, marketing, and supporting assistive technology. It is 
expensive, blind people are very expensive to market too because 
there are so few of us and we are all over.  There isn't one easy way 
to get to most of us.

Finally, there are a variety of different models out there in some 
areas. There is a decent free screen reader, and some stuff can be 
paid for by the month. Some of this bitching is just a reflex action I think.

Dave

At 08:47 PM 3/6/2013, you wrote:
>Loren,
>
>I thought about the fact that these companies expect rehab agencies 
>to take care of the price, but I thought saying that might sound too 
>cynical, so I didn't point that out.  However, I think there is a 
>lot of truth to that.
>
>Mark Tardif
>Nuclear arms will not hold you.
>-----Original Message----- From: Loren Wakefield
>Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2013 9:24 PM
>To: 'NFB Talk Mailing List'
>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] APPLICATION FOR LOAN
>
>Narrow market is partly true and partly an excuse to charge prices way past
>the point of sanity.  These companies also know that rehab funds pay for
>most of their products.  I have to wonder how many more of us would buy our
>own if the prices were lower and we could afford to buy them?
>
>Loren
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: nfb-talk [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Eddie
>Salcido
>Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2013 4:51 PM
>To: 'NFB Talk Mailing List'
>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] APPLICATION FOR LOAN
>
>They will not come down because of narrow market share.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: nfb-talk [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ashley
>Bramlett
>Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2013 9:36 AM
>To: NFB Talk Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] APPLICATION FOR LOAN
>
>Hey,
>you already got your snow up north; my baby nephew played in the snow in MA.
>Now its our turn here in DC. But I'll throw you a cyber snowball! <smile>
>
>I'm staying in side and warm unless our power goes out, then no heat. Also,
>I'm fortunate my old braillenote still works after it was repaired. I agree
>with Kendra, prices need to come down; I cannot afford a new one and vr
>won't pay for one unless I have a job offer and in this era of job cutbacks,
>its very hard to find openings.
>
>Anyway, I'll use my braille note to read, take notes and more while enjoying
>the snowfall and then go out and play in it maybe.
>Ashley
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Mark Tardif
>Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2013 9:31 AM
>To: NFB Talk Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] APPLICATION FOR LOAN
>
>I'm living in northern Maine.  The sun's starting to break through up here,
>typical March day, a little cold, windy, but wonderful.  But you people in
>the D.C. area are stealing all our snow, LOL.  Seriously, we are only
>supposed to get a little wind from this big storm you guys are getting, no
>snow.  It's about time the sun came out though, it's been hiding for a
>while.
>
>Mark Tardif
>Nuclear arms will not hold you.
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Ashley Bramlett
>Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2013 1:03 AM
>To: NFB Talk Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] APPLICATION FOR LOAN
>
>Brian,
>Good points raised. I don't know why nfb discontinued its loan program or
>when it did so.
>Someone brought up the fact that jobs were cut due to the budget issues.
>All nonprofits are cutting back which is not goog for any job seekers.
>
>I thought that the loan program was beneficial. Companies charge
>rediculously high prices for products which most blind people cannot afford.
>They don't even offer a payment plan. I also don't like that jaws costs the
>same price all these years without working with more mainstream products.
>such as Visual studio.
>On a lighter note, for anyone living in the DC area, enjoy the snow and day
>off from work or school.
>
>Ashley
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Bryan Schulz
>Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2013 9:49 PM
>To: NFB Talk Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] APPLICATION FOR LOAN
>
>hi,
>
>agreed, a common example is jaws that has been the same price for ages and
>is basically the same product every time a new version is released still
>with zero focus on visual studio.
>Bryan Schulz
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com>
>To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2013 7:40 PM
>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] APPLICATION FOR LOAN
>
>
>>Bryan,
>>
>>If you are as familiar with all this as you indicate, you already know
>>that the goal of our car and the Google car are different.  The Google
>>care drives itself.
>>The goal of our project was to develop interfaces that allow a blind
>>person to actually drive a car.  In addition, the interfaces developed
>>have some possibility of impacting other areas of our lives in terms
>>of potential travel aids and other areas where tactile feedback might
>>be useful.
>>Frankly, I've always
>>been a little uneasy with us having a loan program.  Why can't some of
>>the
>
>>companies who are profiting from their products do more to help
>>persons buy their technology.  If we do it, there is no reason for
>>them to do it.
>>
>>Best regards,
>>
>>Steve Jacobson
>>
>>On Tue, 5 Mar 2013 17:47:56 -0600, Bryan Schulz wrote:
>>
>>>hi,
>>
>>>you are correct sir and i'm not saying it was a mistake, just an
>>>insane expense and ego probably was a factor in not wanting to share
>>>technology and press with google.
>>>i think the google car has a couple hundred thousand test miles from
>>>running in nevada or california.
>>>Bryan Schulz
>>
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
>>>To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2013 5:31 PM
>>>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] APPLICATION FOR LOAN
>>
>>
>>>>Think he refers to the blind-drivable car.
>>>>
>>>>Mike Freeman
>>>>sent from my iPhone
>>>>
>>>>On Mar 5, 2013, at 14:48, Paul Wick <wickps at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>Brian,
>>>>>
>>>>>What is the $2 million you are referring to?
>>>>>
>>>>>To add to what Mr. Freeman said: As you probably know several NFB
>>>>>employees, many of whom have devoted a good part of their lives to
>>>>>the Federation lost their jobs last year due to budget reductions.
>>>>>Running any kind of organization requires setting priorities, and
>>>>>at least to this rank-and-file member I think our priorities should
>>>>>be basically as they areG?"that is on activities that keep the NFB
>>>>>message in the public eye.
>>>>>
>>>>>Best,
>>>>>
>>>>>Paul
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>On 3/5/13, Bryan Schulz <b.schulz at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>>>>>hi,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>it was a choice, we know where 2 mil went.
>>>>>>Bryan Schulz
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
>>>>>>To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2013 3:02 PM
>>>>>>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] APPLICATION FOR LOAN
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>It is pretty simple, really. The NFB Board of Directors decided
>>>>>>>that, given the current financial crunch, we could not afford to
>>>>>>>continue the loan program. If we all raise more funds for the
>>>>>>>organization, perhaps we
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>could bring the program back.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Mike Freeman
>>>>>>>sent from my iPhone
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On Mar 5, 2013, at 10:39, "Powers, Terry (NIH/NCI) [E]"
>>>>>>><Terry.Powers at nih.gov> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>What was the reason for stopping the loan.  I do not remember
>>>>>>>>hearing any
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>word of this.  Guess I can not depend on the NFB for any assistance.
>>>>>>>>I
>>>>>>>>was going to, in the near future, maybe.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Terry Powers
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>>>>>From: Mike Freeman [mailto:k7uij at panix.com]
>>>>>>>>Sent: Sunday, March 03, 2013 7:39 PM
>>>>>>>>To: 'NFB Talk Mailing List'
>>>>>>>>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] APPLICATION FOR LOAN
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Correct.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Mike
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>>>>>From: nfb-talk [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>>>>>>>>David Andrews
>>>>>>>>Sent: Sunday, March 03, 2013 3:27 PM
>>>>>>>>To: NFB Talk Mailing List
>>>>>>>>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] APPLICATION FOR LOAN
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>If I remember correctly, the technology loan program was
>>>>>>>>discontinued.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Dave
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>At 09:50 AM 2/27/2013, you wrote:
>>>>>>>>>Good morning all.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Can anyone tell me who i can contact in order to get an
>>>>>>>>>application for a loan through the NFB?  I am going to need to
>>>>>>>>>make sure I have an alternate route for acquiring what I will
>>>>>>>>>need in order to get through the braille transcription course
>>>>>>>>>without a lot of static.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>I want to purchase a 40-cell braille display because it is hard
>>>>>>>>>to proofread with an 18-cell display.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Thank you.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>anita