[Nfbmo] tech seminar

Kyle Borah kgborah at att.net
Sat Oct 27 17:22:05 UTC 2012 

Someone said something about a tech convention or something?  I could help
in any way with that.  I am rather tech savvy.

-----Original Message-----
From: Nfbmo [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Matt Sievert
Sent: Friday, October 26, 2012 6:43 PM
To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] tech seminar

They were using the BC Scan to help identify unlabeled door prizes that
came in too late to have braille and large print labels made for them.

On Fri, Oct 26, 2012 at 7:42 PM, Matt Sievert <matt.sievert at gmail.com>wrote:

> 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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>>>
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wunder%40earthlink.net>
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
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sievert%40gmail.com>
>>
>
>
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