[NFBWATLK] Frustrated

Fri Apr 28 19:06:04 UTC 2017

Two small ideas to consider.  If you have an iPhone, the Be My Eyes app, and
perhaps the Be Specular app, can put you in touch with real-time assistants
who could help you look at screens. This might be helpful when sorting out
some interfaces in the early stages or in an application process without
having to involve children or partner. JAWS has the ability to custom label
buttons, so this could also be useful.  Finally, if you're a DSB client, if
there's a real job, they can hire a JAWS scripter to make it work for you,
at least they hypothetically can do so.   

-----Original Message-----
From: NFBWATLK [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Mary ellen
via NFBWATLK
Sent: Friday, April 28, 2017 2:45 PM
To: 'NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List' <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Mary ellen <gabias at telus.net>
Subject: Re: [NFBWATLK] Frustrated

Kris,

The advent of computers gave all of us the dream of full access to the
written word.  How frustrating to have that promise negated by the oblivious
indifference of software developers.

I wonder if there is any way current law could be used to push the employer
to change software.  You have a much clearer letter from them than many of
us receive.  They could claim undue expense to accommodate you, but legal
cases have tended to include computer access in the ADA, even though it
wasn't written into the law at the time.  Maybe it would be worth a
conversation with someone at the national office.

-----Original Message-----
From: NFBWATLK [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kris via
NFBWATLK
Sent: Friday, April 28, 2017 9:50 AM
To: nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
Cc: Kris
Subject: [NFBWATLK] Frustrated

Hello all,

It's been a while. I hope to make another meeting soon.

In the meantime, I thought I would air frustrations to a community that
could understand. Now that I live in Belfair Washington, public
transportation is even more scarce. Not impossible, though. So yes, I have
been looking for work at home options. There are a lot more out there than
there used to be. Granted, most of them are customer service. While that is
not my hearts desire, I would and I am starting to look at that as well.

However, I am going to share my journey for a moment if you don't mind. Many
of the on line employment opportunities have assessments. Some of these
assessments are accessible and some of them are not. Recently, I took an
assessment for a company that was looking for people to correct English and
math Mattix tests for students from kindergarten all the way up through a
professional exams. By the time I was done, my head was pounding him but I
did it. I passed the assessment. I did it on my own without help from either
of my kids reading the screen. I meant their requirements which included
sending my college transcripts. I signed all kinds of confidentiality
paperwork. I was hired! When the first day of training arrived, I was ready.
I sat down with my cup of coffee, my headphones plugged in and ready to
work. I read through all of the training material in PDF. I clicked the
start training button, and that's when it happened.

Can you guess? All of a sudden I'm running into buttons that are not
labeled. A frame that is blank. Links that are labeled link, link, link. Was
this my fault? Didn't I understand my screen reading program properly? I
tried several options.. due to the confidentiality stuff, my kids were not
here so they could not check what was on the screen. So I did what was
suggested and contacted technical support.

Instead of getting blown off, technical support called me back. Jennifer and
I spent an hour with her starting to understand about in the D a and doing a
remote view on my computer. Finally after an hour on the phone together she
realized this would have to be sent back to the developers. I gave her as
much information as I had and she said she would get back to me as soon as
possible. Hopefully things could be fixed. However since students work was
scanned into their system in bulk batches because of the volume of the work
she wasn't not sure what could be done.

This morning I got an email. Can you guess what it said? Basically, even
though I am qualified for the position because their software is unable to
work with my software and there is no way for them to make it so that
braille or screen reading programs can read the scanned documents, so sorry
Charlie. However, we will pay you for the time that you spent on the phone
with our technical support person and that you attempted training. Thank you
very much for your time and good luck on your future endeavors.

This was the furthest I've gotten in my online job hunting. Actually being
hired. The other two positions that I qualified for, that they sent me to
further assessments, I never got past their final assessment because it was
in accessible. One of them was even writing letters for political change.
So, if anyone ever tells you that we do not need to keep fighting and we do
not need to keep educating the general public they are wrong.

I really do hope to see a lot of you soon. I hope you have a great day! Keep
moving forward!

Kris Colcock

Sent from my iPhone
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