[Nfbmo] tech seminar
Fred Olver
goodfolks at charter.net
Sat Oct 27 20:24:45 UTC 2012
Kyle, this seminar would be confined to i-devices. Do you have any of those?
Fred Olver
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kyle Borah" <kgborah at att.net>
To: "'NFB of Missouri Mailing List'" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2012 12:22 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] tech seminar
> 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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> oodfolks%40charter.net>
>>>>
>>>>
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> asar%40aol.com>
>>>>
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> schulz%40sbcglobal.net>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
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> sievert%40gmail.com>
>>>
>>
>>
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