<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">I had a friend, may he rest in peace, who used the eye can connect service. This is very interesting and thought it might be of help to our deaf blind members.<br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature"><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Sherri</span></div><div><br></div><div>Sent from my iPhone</div><div><br></div><div>flmom2006@gmail.com</div></div><div dir="ltr"><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><b>From:</b> "David Goldfield via groups.io" <david.goldfield=outlook.com@groups.io><br><b>Date:</b> September 10, 2025 at 2:48:40\u202fPM EDT<br><b>To:</b> tv <tech-vi@groups.io><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>[Tech-VI] The power and poetry in accessible communication</b><br><b>Reply-To:</b> tech-vi@groups.io<br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">\ufeff
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<p>BlindNewWorld - Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 9:49\u202fAM</p>
<h1>The power and poetry in accessible communication</h1>
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<div><img src="https://blindnewworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Matthew-Harris-for-blog-post-.png" class="ff-og-image-inserted" data-unique-identifier=""></div>
<p class="">I\u2019m Matthew Harris, a 65-year-old poet from Maryland who\u2019s living with Usher syndrome \u2013 a genetic condition that has led to me being blind with increasing hearing loss. </p>
<p class="">At first, Usher syndrome made it hard to stay connected with friends, family, and my community \u2013 but I\u2019m now rediscovering the joy of communication and connection with
<a href="https://www.icanconnect.org/">iCanConnect</a>, the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program. It\u2019s a nationwide program that offers free distance communication equipment, training and local contacts to qualified individuals who, like me, have
significant combined hearing and vision loss.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sensory loss doesn\u2019t have to mean a loss of connection</h2>
<p class="">Before iCanConnect, the isolation that often accompanies dual sensory loss was a daily reality for me. I struggled with essential tasks like texting and navigating through emails.</p>
<p class="">My wife learned about iCanConnect through a Facebook support group for spouses of individuals with Usher syndrome.</p>
<p class="">I applied to the program and, once I was accepted, my local representative met with me to discuss my needs and goals. Then I got everything I needed \u2013 including a computer, a braille display, a smartphone, headphones, and a smartphone keyboard.
In addition to the equipment, I received training on how to use my new tech.</p>
<p class="">And the training was excellent. My trainers were very knowledgeable about the technology and possessed a tremendous amount of patience. They set up my computer and cell phone, and helped me master Outlook for email \u2013 a program I had always found
challenging.</p>
<p class="">After training, I am now a confident Outlook user and find it easier to use as a totally blind person than I did when I still had some sight.</p>
<p class="">My iCanConnect trainers also set up the braille display and connected it to my computer, integrating it with JAWS, the audio assistive software I use.</p>
<p class="">This combination has been a gamechanger! It allows me to read what\u2019s on the computer screen in braille, which not only helps me feel more connected to the world but also allows me to read and edit messages more effectively.</p>
<p class="">For example, JAWS uses a sound effect to indicate uppercase letters \u2013 with my hearing loss, I cannot pick up the tone, but with the braille display, I can feel if the letter is uppercase or not.</p>
<p class="">As my hearing loss progresses, I know I will still be able to communicate effectively using the braille display I received through iCanConnect.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The powerful, positive impact of accessible communication</h2>
<p class="">The impact on my daily life has been huge.</p>
<p class="">As a result of the equipment and training I received through iCanConnect, I\u2019m able to participate better in everyday communications.</p>
<p class="">Simple interactions that many take for granted, like a text message from my daughter saying, \u201cHey dad, just left my house. I\u2019ll be there in 20 minutes,\u201d or being included in a group text about a loved one\u2019s condition, are now possible for me. We
often take for granted such simple communication encounters such as these \u2013 that is, until something like deafblindness disconnects us from them.</p>
<p class="">I am a strong advocate for iCanConnect and highly recommend the program to anyone who would like to get reconnected to their family and friends. I have already shared information about the program with a former social worker, and my wife has spread
the word in her online support group. I quite often tell people how iCanConnect has been an answer to my prayers.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Communication builds confidence</h2>
<p class="">Beyond everyday communication, iCanConnect has empowered me to continue pursuing my passion for poetry. By further expanding \u2013 on my own \u2013 the skills I\u2019ve learned from iCanConnect to communicate through emailing and texting, I can still reach the
community at large with my poetry. </p>
<p class="">I recently wrote a poem, \u201c<a href="https://thepoetspoint.com/2025/01/08/where-i-go/">Where I Go</a>,\u201d to bring awareness to the experience of living with blindness and hearing loss, and I am currently working on a poetic novel. Although this book
is not about blindness or deafness, it will show what a person with dual sensory challenges can achieve, and that\u2019s largely because now I can connect \u2013 pun intended, by the way.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">About iCanConnect</h2>
<p class="">iCanConnect is a national program with local contacts that provides free distance communication equipment and training to qualified individuals who have significant combined hearing and vision loss.</p>
<p class="">For more information, or to see if you or someone you know qualifies, visit
<a href="http://www.icanconnect.org">iCanConnect.org</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JoNX8t_DyU&feature=youtu.be">
check out this video</a>. You can also follow iCanConnect on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/iCanConnect.org/">
Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/iCanConnect1">X</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@icanconnect">
TikTok</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqjCnnSRHuGJDld6_piECfA">
YouTube</a>.</p>
<p class="">For more insight into real-world experience with iCanConnect, read these #MyBlindStory posts from
<a href="https://blindnewworld.org/from-isolation-to-empowerment-the-tech-that-connected-me-to-my-community/">
Larry Faunterloy</a>, an event coordinator and activity liaison from Baltimore, <a href="https://blindnewworld.org/taking-charge-how-i-found-my-voice-and-connected-with-the-world/">
Dallas</a>, a teen boy in Minnesota, and <a href="https://blindnewworld.org/the-power-of-connection-the-free-service-that-changed-my-life/">
Burgon Jensen</a>, a teacher, self-taught crochet artist, and motivational speaker from Draper, Utah.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">About the author</h2>
<p class="">Matthew Harris is a poet and author from Glen Burnie, Maryland. You can learn more about him on his website,
<a href="https://thepoetspoint.com/">ThePoetsPoint.com</a>, connect with him on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-harris-055029a5/">
LinkedIn</a> and follow him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ThePoetspoint">Facebook</a>,
<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thepoetspoint">TikTok</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRmgGHdafPN_Gsa1JX3G7Jg">
YouTube</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/thepoetspoint">X</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thepoetspoint/">
Instagram</a>.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="https://blindnewworld.org/the-power-and-poetry-in-accessible-communication/">https://blindnewworld.org/the-power-and-poetry-in-accessible-communication/</a></p>
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