[blindkid] update on what computer system your child should be using to prepare for future

Richard Holloway rholloway at gopbc.org
Wed Mar 19 11:42:58 UTC 2014


Personally, I think those schools are making a mistaken. I believe that iPads serve a different need than computers. They should not be replacing computers for any of our kids-- they are supplemental access... but that issue aside, I suggest it isn't the same technology for a blind student. 

I love my iPad, (and my blind child loves hers as well), but as a sighted user, I can see where to put my fingers and I can actually touch-type pretty quickly on an iPad. I can't speak for all blind users, but I suspect my daughter couldn't do that. 

Maybe if you add in a Bluetooth Braille keyboard, the iPod option could make more sense, but so far we find that few web-based sources offer anywhere near the same level of access and information for our blind daughter as compared to our sighted kids-- not even with a Bluetooth keyboard available on an iPad/iPod. 

With that said, by far, Kendra gets far better access to most web sites with JAWS on her PC than anything else, though too often, the school manages to get involved with web-based resources that can't be properly accessed with a screen reader because of some proprietary jumble, often caused by so-called "self-reading" sites which have inaccessible playback and navigation controls. 

It is a complicated issue...

Sent from my iPhone

> On Mar 19, 2014, at 1:26 AM, Penny Duffy <pennyduffy at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I just wanted to point out that some schools are getting rid of their
> computer labs and getting one on one iPads for everyone in the school.  Not
> saying its the right choice or not but I do believe the blind student
> should use the same technology as everyone else in the classroom.
> 
> So yeah all kids should have pc skills but people are getting exposure much
> later on than. They just got 1 on 1 ipad for the middle school again
> replacing the old pc.
> 
> 
> On Mon, Mar 17, 2014 at 12:52 PM, Dr. Denise M Robinson <deniserob at gmail.com
>> wrote:
> 
>> I am a big believer in the kids using all those wonderful tools, but using
>> the most widely used tool in the world is a must to prepare them for
>> life....and it saddens me that teachers take these sales pitches and try to
>> tell the student what to do when all is working great. She is an honors kid
>> to boot. Worst yet, she is trying to make an executive decision over the
>> team decision in place....and then the turmoil the child is in trying to
>> defend herself when by herself does not sit well with me.....but it was
>> handled with facts and hopefully put to rest now.
>> More of a head's up than anything for this list
>> 
>> 
>> On Mon, Mar 17, 2014 at 12:30 PM, Richard Holloway <rholloway at gopbc.org
>>> wrote:
>> 
>>> This teacher sounds like a salesman's dream. Maybe she'd like to buy some
>>> cure-all hair tonic, or perhaps some prime swampland in Florida?
>>> 
>>> I'm a huge Apple fan-- I don't mean to suggest they don't sell great
>>> products. I've been using Macintosh systems personally for nearly 30
>> years,
>>> and my (blind) daughter uses her iPad and iPod regularly. She even pairs
>>> them with a bluetooth Braille display and keyboard for greater access,
>> and
>>> she loves them. She also uses a BrailleNote Apex, (and sometimes uses a
>>> Macintosh too).
>>> 
>>> Nonetheless. we just bought her a nice new PC Laptop last week and




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