[Nfbmo] tech seminar

Fri Oct 26 23:42:06 UTC 2012

I saw the BC scan device in use last week at the Michigan NFB state
convention and that is a really neat device.

Here is a link to the product page.
http://www.bcscan.com/

Below is a link to an audio file where they demonstrate the BC Scan it is
about 11 minutes long and will open in a browser window and start playing
once enough of the file is downloaded to begin
http://www.atguys.com/files/audio/quantum_podcast.mp3

On Fri, Oct 26, 2012 at 5:39 PM, Bryan Schulz <b.schulz at sbcglobal.net>wrote:

> hi,
>
> i would like to see something like learning a gps and barcode app then
> later in the day, you have to find some store and come back with a certain
> product without human assistance.
> Bryan Schulz
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: <DanFlasar at aol.com>
> To: <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, October 26, 2012 12:36 PM
> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] you and dog guides.
>
>
>  I think this is a great idea too.   We are in the midst of a real
>> revolution in technology that can make our lives much more productive,
>> efficient
>> and enjoyable - if only we can figure out how to use all these new gizmos!
>>     I'd be willing to help out with this - and I think  we have a lot of
>> tech savvy members who have a lot to contribute.   We  can host it here -
>> but
>> I think the topic is so wide-ranging that we would need  two days to offer
>> a basic understanding of the available  technologies out there and how to
>> use them.
>> Dan
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> In a message dated 10/26/2012 12:30:54 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
>> goodfolks at charter.net writes:
>>
>> yes I would  be happy too. How does the third saturday in January sound? I
>> have some  other ideas which I will communicate with you off-list.
>>
>> Thanks for  asking.
>>
>> Fred Olver
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gary  Wunder" <gwunder at earthlink.net>
>> To: "'NFB of Missouri Mailing List'"  <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Friday, October 26, 2012 10:36  AM
>> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] you and dog guides.
>>
>>
>>  Good morning  Fred. I think having a seminar on I devices would be a fine
>>> thing.  Would you be interested in organizing it? I think it could be
>>> very
>>>  informative.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Nfbmo  [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.**org<nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org>]
>>> On Behalf Of Fred Olver
>>> Sent:  Friday, October 26, 2012 9:08 AM
>>> To: NFB of Missouri Mailing  List
>>> Subject: [Nfbmo] you and dog guides.
>>>
>>> So, we're  having a seminar on dog guides? An interesting topic to say
>>> the
>>> least.  I do wonder though, why we are not having a seminar on the use of
>>>  I-devices, an item which offers more flexability and perhapse more
>>>
>> options
>>
>>> in terms of offering independence to a much larger segment of  our
>>> population/group. Let me say first of all that dogs are wonderful
>>>
>> animals.
>>
>>> I
>>> have two of them as pets. They each weigh about 40  pounds and help me to
>>> get
>>> some much-needed exercise on a  daily basis. I decided to write this
>>> piece
>>> because I am concerned from  the perspective of a former dog-user about
>>>
>> the
>>
>>> whole concept of your  using a dog as a guide for the first time if you
>>>
>> are
>>
>>> considering doing  so. There are some things I personally think you need
>>>
>> to
>>
>>> know that you  probably won't hear at the seminar this Saturday. First of
>>> all,  there's a good chance that some of your friends won't want your dog
>>>  in
>>> their car, especially if it's wet. Some folks just don't want to  deal
>>>
>> with
>>
>>> the whole issue of dog-hair and unless you are able to sit  in the front
>>> seat, there may not be enough room for your dog in the  back, on the
>>> floor
>>> where it should be. Secondly, although it is  against the law, there are
>>> some
>>> cab drivers who will be  unwilling to transport you and your dog because
>>>
>> of
>>
>>> their religious  beliefs. Third your dog isn't always going to relieve
>>> itself
>>>  on cue. There may be times when your dog decides to take a dump in a
>>>
>> mall
>>
>>> or
>>> public building and you will need to clean it up. You will  no longer be
>>>
>> an
>>
>>> individual. You will be a team, and chances are that  Fourth, at some
>>>
>> point
>>
>>> people are going to walk up to you and speak to  the dog first. Five,
>>> sometimes, people may even feed your dog, or your  dog may pick up some
>>> food
>>> from the floor when you are in a  restaurant. Six, people are going to
>>>
>> want
>>
>>> to pet your dog, and my  experience tells me that although you might want
>>> to
>>> make lots  of friends and a dog is a good way to do so, that if your dog
>>>
>> is
>>
>>> in  harness you ought not let anyone pet your dog not ever, while it is
>>>  working. If you do, once, than your dog may think it is okay for folks
>>>
>> to
>>
>>> do
>>> that on a regular basis and begin asking for attention  without your even
>>> knowing it.
>>>
>>> Some folks feel that  because they have dogs as guides that they ought to
>>> be
>>>  entitled to reduced rates for shots and other services from their
>>>  veterinarian. At one time there used to be a tax credit for folks who
>>>
>> make
>>
>>> use of a dog guide although aI don't know that is true at this  time.
>>> Some
>>> schools may offer assistance to extremely ill dogs, however  you should
>>> expect that if your dog gets hurt that you need to be  responsible to pay
>>> the
>>> vet bills. In other words, if your dog  gets hurt, you should not expect
>>> someone else to pick up the tab   just because you are blind.
>>>
>>> Some folks are going to be afraid  of your dog, just because it is a dog.
>>> Your dog is not your child and  should not be treated as such. It is a
>>>
>> very
>>
>>> loving animal, but it is  also a tool which will allow you independence
>>> however if not handled  properly it can become a burden, a miss-behaving
>>> child and more  trouble than it is worth. Some people feel they must take
>>> their dog  absolutely everywhere, some show more common sense and have
>>> determined  that a baseball stadium or a bar are not good places for a
>>>
>> dog.
>>
>>> Make  sure you use common sense when working your dog. Is it really
>>>  necessary
>>> to inconvenience others so you can use your dog when you  could give it a
>>> break and use your cane? After all, this whole  independence thing, isn't
>>> it
>>> interdependence, and knowing  when to allow yourself to rely on others at
>>> appropriate times? If you  are going to make use of a dog guide, and I
>>> use
>>> this term because  Guide Dogs is the name of an organization, you need to
>>> keep up your  cane skills. You also need to let others feed your dog say
>>>  once
>>> a week, and you need to give yourself time away from your dog,  because
>>> if
>>> you don't, your dog may bond itself so much that it might  not choose to
>>> eat
>>> when others attempt to give the dog it's  dinner when you are away.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Below is a piece  from my book Dealing With Vision Loss which can be
>>>
>> found
>>
>>> at
>>>  http://www.**dealingwithvisionloss.com<http://www.dealingwithvisionloss.com> some folks will disagree with what
>>>
>> I
>>
>>> have said and what is said below, it is after all my own opinion.  What
>>> matters though here, is that if you are going to consider getting  a dog
>>> for
>>> use as a guide that you understand as much as  possible some of the
>>> ramifications of doing so. The good and the  bad.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> YOU AND DOG GUIDES
>>>
>>> I just  can't tell you how many times I have been asked "how come you
>>>
>> don't
>>
>>>  have a seeing eye dog?" Well, there are lots of reasons, but the fact
>>>
>> is,
>>
>>> that most sighted people look at dog guides as "Wonder-dogs." When  in
>>> reality, if you don't know how to get some place, how are you going  to
>>> tell
>>> your dog to get you there? When you look at the list  of resources in
>>> this
>>> book, you will not find any dog guide schools  listed. There is a
>>> specific
>>> reason for that. Most schools which train  people who are blind to make
>>>
>> use
>>
>>> of dog guides like those individuals  to be proficient in use of a cane,
>>> FIRST. Consequently, whether you  want to use a cane or not, if you are
>>> thinking about getting a dog you  need to learn to use a cane first.
>>>
>>> My own experience has  taught me that, while using a dog guide, my
>>> orientation skills, that  is to say that my skills of "knowing where I
>>>
>> was
>>
>>> in
>>> relation  to my environment" deteriorated. I was relying on my dog, as I
>>>  was
>>> supposed to, so much, that I inadvertently became less aware of  what was
>>> around me. Partly because I was not using my cane to be able  to know
>>> that
>>> that trash can or bench was there, because my dog guide  was taking me
>>> around
>>> it, as he was supposed to, but I found  that when I didn't have my dog
>>>
>> with
>>
>>> me that getting around,  maintaining my orientation and being mobile was
>>> a
>>> much more difficult  proposition than with a dog and that in order for me
>>> to
>>> be  able to maintain my orientation skills that I needed to stop using a
>>>  dog.
>>> Over the years, dog guide schools have modified their stand on  using
>>>
>> canes
>>
>>> and dogs. Used to be when you would go to the school, they  would take
>>>
>> your
>>
>>> cane away from you. Now, some schools encourage folks  to use their canes
>>> in
>>> unfamiliar areas, or in order to help  you to determine where you are in
>>> relation to objects around you. A  footnote to these comments
>>>
>>> concerning dogs, when I was  learning to use a cane, I asked my Mobility
>>> instructor whether or not  I ought to consider getting a dog guide? He
>>>
>> said
>>
>>> "no", that my skills  were good enough that I didn't need one. Turns out
>>>
>> he
>>
>>> was  right.
>>>
>>>
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