Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind the source for blindness news and information since 1907

Last month marked the twentieth anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act into law by former President George Bush.  When the former President passed this law, which is quite lengthy to read, I felt that persons with disabilities took a major step toward equality with everyone else.  Despite its complexities, the entire focus of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is for all persons with disabilities to be treated exactly the same way as persons who are able bodied.
In my city, New Bedford, Massachusetts, we have a bus company that offers fixed route as well as door to door service.  The door to door service is specifically for passengers with disabilities, who can book their ride ahead of time and have the bus driver pick them up at their homes.  This bus company abides by the ADA completely.  It doesn’t allow its bus drivers to help a passenger with a disability once he’s off the bus and on the sidewalk. The logic in this is that regular busses for everyone else offers curb to curb service, so the special busses should offer the same service, even though the passengers on these busses have special needs.  I know several bus drivers who want to help their disabled passengers beyond what the company requires, such as bringing the passenger to the doorway of the building.  Despite the driver’s kindness, he could find himself in a great deal of trouble with his company if it is learned what he did.  There are those who get angry when they see a bus driver take off on a blind person. However, advocates who push for equality between the disabled and nondisabled may want to be careful of what they ask for, if they are the ones getting upset at this bus driver.
The point to this discussion is quite simple.  How do you feel about the Americans with Disabilities Act?  Do you think the past twenty years have served persons with disabilities in a favorable manor as a direct result of this legislation?

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Question 1:

Submitted by Dawn Delgado

I wanted to get some ideas from you and maybe from readers of the Ziegler Magazine, too, about which cell phones were the most accessible to the blind while not costing an arm and a leg either with initial purchase or monthly fees.

Steven’s Response:

This was taken from the American Foundation for the Blind website

http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=4&TopicID=327&DocumentID=3599

Section 3. Access for People Who Are Blind: Off-the-Shelf Phones vs. Third Party Software 

There are two ways access to cell phones is currently provided for people with vision loss: 

list of 2 items

• off-the-shelf or built-in accessibility, meaning access is incorporated directly into the phone; and

• using third party access software.

list end 

Currently, there is a limited selection of off-the-shelf phones which include built-in access to many but not all cell phone features. 

Other phones, specifically phones running the Symbian, Windows Mobile and Windows Mobile Pocket PC Operating System platforms are compatible with third party screen reader programs that provide speech output and/or braille output to support nearly every feature and function on the phones. This third party software is similar to running the Window-Eyes or JAWS screen reader software programs on a personal computer. 

Off-the-Shelf Phones 

LG Phones with Voice Command 

LG Electronics’ phones with the “Voice Command” feature are available from several service providers. These phones allow you to use your voice to control many, but not all, aspects of the phones. It is speaker-independent, meaning that it recognizes any voice, so you do not have to train it to understand your voice. The speech recognition quality is robust, even in some noisy situations. These phones also have text-to-speech functionality that provides access to some but not all of the display screen information. This speech output also allows you to use the phone’s control buttons to control the phone, in case you do not wish to speak commands to your phone. It will also speak the various menus as you navigate through them, but the speech doesn’t support many of the underlying applications found in the menus. 

To access LG’s Voice Command function, you press the Voice button, and a recorded human voice responds, “Please say a command.” For example, you could say, “Call  800-555-1212,” and the phone will respond “Did you say call  800-555-1212?” You then respond “yes,” and the phone will place your call. Although LG’s Voice Command functions are certainly desirable for blind people, the number and function keys on the phones should be redesigned to be more identifiable by touch, including more consistent use of a “nib” or dot on the 5 key of all models. The amount of functionality supported by speech input and output varies by phone model. Here is a general list of some of the tasks and information you can access using these LG phones. 

list of 6 items

• You can dial by voice by speaking a phone number or the name of someone you have entered into your Contacts application.

• The phones will speak the digits as you dial a number.

• You can get a great deal of spoken phone status information, such as battery and signal strength. The phone also tells you how many missed calls, new

voicemails, and new text messages you have.

• You can independently create contacts and look up the numbers for contacts you have entered in the phone’s contacts/phonebook application.

• The phones will speak the number of an incoming caller or the person’s name if you have entered it into your contacts list.

• Some models support composing and reading text messages.

list end 

Motorola i355 and i580 

Available from Nextel, the Motorola i355 and i580 provide access similar to that of the LG phones, but not to as many features and functions as the LG phones. The buttons on these Motorola phones are more tactilely discernable than the LG phones. After rebates and agreement the i355 is $29.00 while the i580 after rebates and agreement is an expensive $279.00. 

Speech output from Motorola’s Text-to-speech engine supports the following features: 

list of 10 items

• the number keys you have pressed;

• the names, phone numbers, and types of contacts as you scroll through contacts (However, there is no speech support for adding/creating contacts.);

• the status information on the home screen, including the time and date, if you have voice mail, the battery level, and the signal strength;

• the word “home” when you return to the main screen;

• a prompt indicating that you have started or ended a call;

• the names, phone numbers, and types of contacts as you scroll through recent calls;

• the menu options as you scroll through the main menu only;

• notices, such as “low battery” and “keypad locked”;

• caller ID information;

• pop-ups, such as “new voice mail” and “new text message”.

list end 

The text-to-speech is built into the i580, but you have to download and install the software for the i355. This is a simple process for a person with a screen reader and a minimum level of experience using a web browser. However, we discovered a compatibility problem between the software and phone when testing the i355 in the Summer of 2006. Although Motorola fixed the problem in subsequent releases of the i355, you should check with Nextel and/or Motorola to be sure the software is compatible with the current version of the i355. The software performs the same on both phones, but there is one problem we discovered when testing the i580. You have to go through the menus to reach the setting on the i580 to turn on the text-to-speech. You have to first go

to the menu and choose settings, but that is where the speech output stops briefly. You have to then scroll down five times and press OK to activate the voice-playback settings, where the speech support returns. 

Samsung A640 

Newly available from SprintPCS, the Samsung A640 has speech output functionality similar to the LG phones, but again, not as robust as the LG phones. However, we have not yet been able to completely evaluate this phone, and we could find no information online about this phone’s access features. It was also not available at our local Sprint store. 

Service Providers and Off-the-Shelf Phones 

Disclaimer: Much of the information below is based on conversations with manufacturers and service providers, and has not been confirmed through our own accessibility testing. We recommend you visit your local cell phone retailer to feel the buttons on the LG phones and verify the availability of the Voice Command feature. The following is a listing by provider of the off-the-shelf phones discussed herein. 

The New AT&T 

AT&T now carries some LG phones with Voice Command. Check with your local store to see which ones they carry and to see if the tactile nature of the phones and buttons appeal to you. 

AT&T now offers Code Factory’s Mobile Speak screen reader and the Mobile Magnifier magnification application at a steeply discounted price for their customers with vision loss. (See the discussion of third-party software for further details about Code Factory and other screen access software.) 

Sprint 

Sprint offers the LG Lotus with Voice Command.

Verizon 

LG VX8350 (speech supports composing text messages)

LG VX9900 (QWERTY keyboard; speech output supports composing and reading text messages). Read AFB TECH’s review of the LG VX8350 

Third Party Software 

There are three companies that manufacture third-party screen reader software for cellular phones: Code Factory, Dolphin Computer Access, and Nuance. This software provides speech and braille access to nearly every function of the phones with which they are compatible. So far, some games and other software from third-party venders are the only things we have found to not be compatible with the screen readers. This software is available only on selected phones running the Symbian, Windows Mobile, and Windows Pocket operating systems. There are roughly 40 compatible Symbian phones, 20 Pocket PC phones, and 50

Windows Mobile Smartphones 

Symbian phones work only with service providers using the GSM network, with AT&T and T-Mobile being the national carriers. Pocket PC and Smartphones are available on both GSM and CDMA carriers with Verizon, Sprint/Nextel and Alltel being the national CDMA carriers. Here is a list of the third-party screen reader products available on the respective operating system platforms: 

From AT&T:

Information about Mobile Speak, pricing, supported devices, and more

list of 3 items

• Symbian cell phones: (1) Code Factory’s Mobile Speak screen reader and (2) Nuance’s TALKS screen reader.

• Pocket PC PDAs: (1) Code Factory’s Mobile Speak Pocket screen reader and (2) Dolphin’s Pocket Hal screen reader.

• Smartphones: (1) Code Factory’s Mobile Speak Smartphone screen reader and (2) Dolphin’s Smart Hal screen reader.

list end

How does this Software Work? 

These third-party software products provide access to cell phones in a way that is very similar to how JAWS or Window-Eyes provide access to computers. Each has a set of commands used to access information that is displayed on the screen. The Code Factory and Nuance products are also compatible with wireless braille displays, and Dolphin promises this compatibility in a future release. 

Pricing 

The prices of the phones compatible with third-party screen reader software vary widely, with newer models costing more than models reaching the end of their life cycle. Service contracts also affect the price, with longer contracts resulting in less expensive phones. We have found older phones with long contracts costing as low as $0, and newer phones without contracts costing as much as $399. The Symbian and Smartphone software programs cost $295, and the Pocket PC software costs $495 to $599, making the total cost of phone and software out of the reach of many people with vision loss. 

Note: AT&T (formerly Cingular) now offers Code Factory’s Mobile Speak and Mobile Magnifier products at the discounted rate of $89. They are the only service provider offering screen reader or screen magnifier products to their customers with vision loss. They no longer offer the TALKS software. 

Documentation 

The developers of the access software do provide accessible electronic manuals, but the manuals are fairly limited in scope, providing enough for you to learn the basics with the expectation you can learn the rest on your own. The manuals for the phones themselves, however, come in untagged PDF documents. The accessibility of these manuals varies from nonexistent to very good, but even the best should be tagged to avoid common PDF accessibility barriers, such as unlabelled graphics. 

Here are a few other useful links I found below.  I hope this helps.

http://www.squidoo.com/blind-cell-phone

http://www.maxiaids.com/store/default.asp

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Question 2:

Submitted by Steve

I’ve just got an iPhone 4, and haven’t got much idea yet as to the strokes to use to operate the iphone.  Could you please tell me if there is a simple guide, written by an ordinary user, using simple instructions?

Steve Famiglietti’s Answer:

New owners of the snazzy iPhone 4 are no doubt still in awe over what their new and shiny little device can do for them. Make calls, send emails, look at pictures and videos, and even snap pics with the built-in camera. Oh and the apps! Please, please let’s not forget the apps! But, if you’re completely new to the wonderful world of Apple devices, even something as simple as sending an email might be enough to send you into chaos. Luckily, Apple has now put their iPhone 4 User Guide online. So whatever your question is, you can get the answer to it right away – wherever you are! 

The iPhone 4.0 User Guide can be found at

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/iPhone_iOS4_User_Guide.pdf.  The entire PDF document is a whopping 244 pages long, and covers everything from placing photos onto your iPhone, emailing from your device, reading iBooks on your iPhone, and of course, it will tell you how to set it all up from beginning to end, and your very first sync! 

The Apple iPhone 4 User Guide is done very well and is laid out in a simple, easy to understand format. It truly does cover everything you could ever possibly want to know about your iPhone 4, and maybe even some things that you didn’t even know you wanted! The user guide probably won’t be needed by many who have previously owned an iPod or iPhone device but it is especially useful for those who have never owned an Apple device before. And, while the user guide does mostly remain specific to the iPhone 4, there are also some sections that deal with the iPhone 3G. If any of the sections only pertain to the iPhone 4 specifically, they state so at the top of the section. 

Check out the iPhone 4 user guide and find out just how to make the most out of your iPhone 4!

##

Question 3:

Submitted by Penny:

When I am reading my e-mail or reading a document I have found on the net, my computer just suddenly shuts down.  What is the reason for this and what can I do to stop this from happening?

Steven Famiglietti’s Answer:

Hi there Penny,

I have seen this issue happen a few times with my own computer and from other computers.  In the case of my computer, Windows will automatically restart if a major problem or crash happens while I am working.  In many cases, I don’t know what the exact issue was that occurred but, the computer restarts and all seems to be fine from that point.  I’ve had this happen on my own computer about 3 times in 3 years. 

Here are some things to consider that might help.  Make sure that you are getting the Windows updates downloaded and installed.  If you are running an antivirus program, make sure that it is running and that the virus definitions are up to date.  If you are running out of date virus definitions, your antivirus program can’t protect your machine from the latest viruses.  If the problem continues and you are running a screen reader such as JAWS or Window-Eyes, give either GW Micro or Freedom Scientific technical support a call and explain the issue.  If you are not running a screen reader or any kind of adaptive software, you may need to bring the computer to someone for repairs.  Sometimes a defective power supply can be to blame.  The hard part with computers is that it is difficult to know the exact problem because symptoms of problems can often be similar. 

I hope this helps.

The unemployment rate among the blind, visually impaired and others with significant disabilities has been 70 percent for as long as I can remember (The above statistic has been cited by the American Council of the Blind, Hadley School for the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind).

Though I see the reasons for this as many and varied, I consider the main reason to be negative stereotypes which create attitudinal barriers.  I also believe that if more administrative eyes saw the disabled as people who are differently abled with many capabilities, stereotypes would be like towers falling in on themselves. The blocks of misperception would be re-formed into a strong tower of accurate perceptions and acceptance.

Mr. Jim Nelson, the Operations Director of the Pittsburgh-based nonprofit for which I work, is just such a person.  When other hiring personnel may have feared that I couldn’t, Mr. Nelson knew that I could.

When some may have wondered how a nonprofit organization could afford access technology while the United States teeters on the foundation of a fickle economy, Jim had hope that fickle could become friendly enough to sustain investments in access technology.

Instead of fearing that I might fail, Mr. Nelson was so sure that I would succeed that he confided to a colleague, saying, “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for Terri, so long as it wasn’t illegal or immoral.”

Since Operations Director Nelson never feared that hiring me as a Supervisor would be a decision that he would regret, I would like to focus the remainder of this article on translating the letters of “fear” into the positive perceptions with which I–and my abilities–have consistently been viewed.

F is for faith.

From the moment I was hired in 2005, I always had the sense that my employer had FAITH in my capabilities rather than fear of my blindness.

E is for encouragement.

Once I knew that I would be using a computer to enter call data, and having the preference for Braille output over speech that I have, the last thing I wanted to do was learn JAWS.  Because having JAWS installed on my laptop and learning how to use it was the best way to go, though, I reluctantly learned JAWS, and now I just love it.  My learning and loving this accessible program was thanks to ENCOURAGEMENT.

A is for Accessibility.

I can’t even begin to tell you how many interviews I’ve been on during which I was told what I couldn’t do because of my blindness instead of what I could do based on my abilities.  Needless to say, prospective employers with those attitudes had no desire to make their work environments accessible.  In my current position, however, administrative colleagues truly went above and beyond the reasonable accommodations mandates of the American with Disabilities Act by not only allowing me to be paid for my computer training but also by repairing and updating my BrailleNote several times.  Though the Pittsburgh Office of Blindness and Visual Services paid for my computer and software updates–which I very much appreciate–it was my workplace administrators that paid for the work on my BrailleNote.  (Because Jim Nelson’s primary responsibilities as Operations Director are monitoring budgets and tracking cash flow, he was the key person providing this additional ACCESSIBILITY).

R is for respect.

The mission of the agency I work for is to create a society free of stigma, which also means treating each other with respect and dignity.

Though my workplace has its share of office politics–as I think every office does– I have generally been treated with respect and dignity, especially by Operations Director Nelson.

Operations Director Mr. Jim Nelson is the epitome of Faith, Encouragement, Accessibility and Respect because where there are challenges, Mr. Nelson see chances; and where there is despair over lack of employment, Mr. Jim Nelson brings hope through the dignity of work.

If it were not for a loving nephew, Alfred, and his wife, Rosalind Perlman, Dr. Bolotin’s story would probably never be told.

Jacob Bolotin was born in 1888. This means that he was born in the 19th century; before there were tape recorders, cane travel, and talking computers. However, Bolotin had the drive to become the first blind medical doctor.

His parents were Jewish immigrants from Poland and he was one of seven children. Three of the children were born blind. He and his brother, Fred, were taken to the school for the blind in Illinois. There was no mention of whether the blind sister was educated or not.

After completing his high school education at age 14, he improvised his own cane techniques selling brushes and typewriters. He did this by traveling the streetcars of Chicago. At 16, he was called in to the office by the president and was complimented on being one of the best typewriter salesmen in the company.

Jacob Bolotin’s journey to become a doctor was full of obstacles. For instance, he had to develop three-dimensional models of the body’s complex systems. In addition, he had to fight to get into medical school. He also had to fight to take the exam in order to become a licensed physician. Once he completed all of this, he was placed in an office where no patients came.

His talents were proven when he was doing an internship at Frances Willard Hospital in Illinois. A young woman was misdiagnosed by three doctors. They thought her illness was psychological. However, when Jacob Bolotin looked at her, he discovered that she had a heart condition.

Doctors and patients recognized him as a brilliant physician. However, when he was volunteering at a hospital for tuberculosis patients as a volunteer physician, he was never hired because of his blindness even though patients loved him and doctors consulted with him.

Eventually, though, he would become a renowned heart and lung specialist around the world. He would also address medical conventions and doctors would be drawn by his speeches.

Jacob Bolotin died in 1924 at the young age of 36. He worked himself to death keeping a rigorous schedule. 5,000 people came to his funeral.

Dr. Bolotin made it when the odds were against him. There were no notetaking devices, no Perkins Braillers, or mobility training. Yet, he traveled around Chicago inventing his own cane techniques. He also sold brushes and typewriters and eventually became a doctor. He did all these things because he had the ability and the drive to do so. If he didn’t have the ability to make it no matter what devices he had, he still couldn’t make it in today’s world. It’s all in your ability and the breaks you get in life. If you can capitalize on the breaks you can get, you’ll make it in the door.

It’s only too bad that he died so young of overwork. With his ability, and if he lived longer, he might have discovered a cure or developed a procedure that could have changed the medical field forever and helped countless amounts of people.

To read the original article, please go to http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm08/bm0801/bm080105.htm

Originally printed in the July/August issue of Dialogue Magazine

August 17 – 24, 2009

We’re on the bridge poised between the flagpoles separating the United States and Canada.

“Hey Mom, we’re in two countries at once.” Says my daughter.

 I don’t think crossing into Mexico would feel the same.  For one thing, we’re surrounded by water not desert; the other reason is the Canadian border patrol officer is brisk and efficient, dismissing us once my husband casually adds that he is a Customs and Border Protection officer back in the United States. Somehow I don’t believe that a border crossing in or out of Mexico would be as simple. In any case, it pays to have perks. In fifteen minutes we’re over the bridge and heading to our hotel overlooking the Falls.

The hotel lobby is busy and full of obstacles, and my guide dog expertly whisks me around them all and into the elevator. Luckily our room is at the end of the hall and easy for me to find.

The daughter, husband, and mother-in-law, ooh and aah over the view from the 36th floor facing the falls. “It’s beautiful, Mom” my daughter says.

I look out the window and realize that it’s all lost to me. For her sake, I try to smile. I manage a horrible sounding sigh instead.

“I wish I could see it.” My words are choked and I fight back tears. The hope of being able to sear the visual loveliness of Niagara Falls past my damaged eyes and into my memory flies away with the mist. For a few minutes I’m overcome with grief. What a bittersweet way to take the final plunge into blindness, facing the daunting and unforgiving power of Niagara.

My guide dog, Verona, steps up to the glass and looks down. I can tell by the way she holds her ears that she is thinking. It’s at a time like this that I would willingly give away the rest of my sight to know what’s going on inside her doggie brain. I stand beside her, knowing that she will make my time here less stressful. I can’t wait to work with her while we tour Niagara and downtown Ontario.

Rather than obsessing on what I can’t experience visually, I unpack, the busy work is calming. When I’m done, the grief is gone, replaced by anticipation of the pleasant sort mixed with resolve. I came here to learn how to vacation with my new guide dog and prove to myself and to family that I don’t need my vision to do it.  I just hope I didn’t set the bar too high.

Our suite is spacious and well appointed a whirlpool tub and fireplace completing the amenities. Verona loves the plush, sculpted carpeting and inspects every inch at her leisure.

Day three, we take the deluxe bus tour, ending with the ride beside the Falls on The Maid of the Mist. But first we are driven to other key points in and around the Lake District. Verona and I get the front seat behind the driver. The tour bus driver, Dave, is like a cross between a big brother and walking history book. As we drive through the Niagara region, Dave tells us the parkland and the falls are leased for tourism and maintained by the parks department. The Canadian government has control of the entire area.  Even the casinos are leased out, adding that the hotels and tourism by the falls have developed due to the government finally legalizing gambling.

During the tour, Verona has to work hard to keep me safe. In one park she is asked to keep up with our group. As the crowd parts to surge around a low stone bench, she stops short but I keep moving and hit my knee against it.  Before I can even react, my husband is urging us around it.         “Hurry up or we’ll loose our group.”

We hup up and when I finally feel my knee, I find a scrape and it’s already hot and swollen. I pop two ibuprofen and choose to ignore the pain.

On our way back to the bus I go past the bench and Verona guides me around it. I’m not quite sure what happened on our way in but our little error makes her pay even closer attention now. I relax my doubt that she can’t keep me safe and remind myself that new teams will have moments like this.  Our instructor at guide dog school was always reminding us to trust our dog. She also reminded us that younger dogs will make mistakes and we need to pay attention to avoid potential errors. Perhaps if I’d paid closer attention to what Verona was trying to tell me I wouldn’t have stepped forward and hit my knee.

It’s two p.m. when we finally get on line to board the boat for the falls. We’re herded, cattle-style, into a small plaza outside the quay. It’s hot and I’m shoulder-to-shoulder with the other tourists. Verona stands with me, patient ands stoic. It takes an hour for us to finally get on the boat and I don the blue plastic poncho; the hood barely covers my head but it fits easily over my bag and body. The boat is shaped like a small ferry. The ride to the Falls is only three minutes and I hear the roar and feel the wind rushing under my thin, plastic poncho. We ride along the horseshoe curve of the Falls and it is awesome; we’re pelted with water and wind gusts so strong that our ponchos are being ripped off as we try to stuff them back in place. I’m yelling, laughing, and loving the feeling of the water and wind on my face and body. For a few moments I forget I’m holding onto Verona’s leash and a stab of concern pulls me from my adrenaline rush. I look down, feeling her huddled under my husband’s legs, trying to avoid the water. I pet her and tell her its okay. I get the feeling that she can’t wait until it’s over.

Then, as fast as it begins, it is over and we’re back at the quay, wet, excited, and glad to have done it. I have just enough time on the way out to let Verona shake off the water and I dry her, knowing she truly is a great dog. Unflappable. I’m so proud of her, and I tell her she’s done a good job. The flub into the bench is forgotten.

That evening we order pizza and have it delivered to our room. We’re all wiped out from the tour and even Verona takes a long nap on the king sized bed, belly-up.  Her snores making me smile. It sounds so satisfying and less annoying coming from her than coming from my husband. Before long, I’m lulled to sleep by her soft sounds, foot sore and ready to take on what ever comes our way.

How do you handle grocery shopping?  Does someone accompany you?  Are your groceries delivered?  Our shopping experience has been by degrees amusing and aggravating and do we ever have ridiculous and outrageous tales to tell.  I bet you do as well. Let me tell you, we take the shop till you drop phrase to its literal meaning.  Ouch!  My feet are still smarting from our latest excursion.

Hey! I Thought We got…

As individuals with partial sight, we have mainly chosen to go it alone and brave grocery shopping on our own, only asking for assistance when we really feel it to be necessary. This has made for some near misses with regard to items happily plopped into our shopping cart.  I recall the day Maria proudly waved an elongated box of something in front of my face, announcing that she had found the Ronzoni pasta we usually purchased.  Shaking with uncontrollable giggles, I none-too-gently informed her that she had indeed grabbed a box of Reynolds Wrap and we would not be having that with pasta sauce that evening or any other.  Now, in all fairness, Maria reads the Braille and I read the print.  That is our system and we have stuck to it for years.  It works.  This was also during a time when my vision was much clearer.  Another incident found us returning home from one of our marathon shopping sprees only to find that instead of the delicious pineapples, which we dearly love, we had purchased a plastic container of so-so honeydew melon slices.  They were okay but not what we wanted.  Of course, we did not have a clue until we forked a few slices into our mouths.  “Hmm.  What on earth is wrong with this pineapple?” we thought.  Or how we wound up with chopped crabmeat rather than seafood salad is anyone’s guess.  It took a while to figure out what on earth it was as we did not want to open it lest we offer the unsuspecting container to our neighbor. We have also been known to try new things simply because I can read the label of a fashion.  Take our latest haul.  I snatched up a bottle of something called Tari Cherry juice.  I had no clue whether it was to be drunk or used as a cooking sauce.  We tried it and, thankfully, it is a rather tart cherry drink.  Perhaps it says “Tart Cherry.”  I will take another look.  To be fair, Maria has become very adept at choosing reliable items.  Our tried (and mostly true) method has been to pick up the item, turning it around in order for Maria to try to identify it or I peer at it using my faithful Sherlock trick.

Sherlock Holmes Revisited

It is nothing short of amazing how a few new batteries can improve the lighting of a hand-held magnifier.  Purchased for sixty-five dollars at the Lighthouse Low Vision Clinic, this would be my beloved extra-wide lighted visual aid.  I have no idea where the magnified glasses have gone but I am rarely without my magical magnifier.  Noticing that some print was not as bright as it could be, I bemoaned the fact that I really needed to do something about it.  Why it took so long to rectify the situation, I cannot fathom.  Most recently, a song I’ve sung for years entitled “This Little Light of Mine, I’m Gonna Let It Shine,” was never more true.  I was able to read ninety-nine percent of the items we picked up for consideration into our ever-bulging cart.  All I need is a cap and cape and I am ready to identify any label stuck under my nose.  I have also noticed that I must hold the item in my hand in order to see it.  It does me no good whatsoever to pass the magnifier over items at arms length.

My magnifier is a wonderful tool and I am lost without it, but I am constantly thwarted by the marketing departments for all the products we know and love.  These hip (more than likely sighted) people are not happy unless they are changing the look of the labels.  If the print is plain, large, and well contrasted against a reasonably-colored background, they sneer and look at it with a jaundiced eye and say, “Let’s change that. The buying public has been staring at that label for too long.  Our product has been around for many years, let’s make it look fresh by decreasing the size of the font, change it to a modern color like lime green or sherbet pink and place it against a faint background such as lemon yellow.  That way, it will stand out.  If we can’t change the inside, we’ll change the outside.”  I cannot even begin to tell you the hackles that are raised when I inevitably come across new labels.  I then begin doing the magnifier hand dance to catch the best light and contrast in order to make out what kind of corn I am actually buying.

Shopper’s Assistants Or Not

Our favorite supermarket, Pathmark, used to offer shopper’s Assistants.  Think of the little girl with the little curl.  When it was good, it was very, very good and when it was bad, it was truly horrid!  Imagine a helper who cannot read or who knows very little about the items in a store.  Our assistants ranged from the outstanding to the outrageous.  It takes half the time to shop with an able assistant who knows what they are doing and what you want.  Breezing through the aisles, we gather our goods and get on out of there.  Picture this:  There we were, in the midst of asking the shopper to help us find this and that, and all of a sudden, we are standing there by ourselves and she has simply walked away.  We supposed her shift was over and she had to really beat it out of there.  We stood stunned for a moment.  Luckily, our shopping was almost done and we were able to locate the remaining items, but we could not believe it. We never saw her again and if she saw us, she gave no hint.  We were sick when we abruptly learned that they would no longer be offering this valuable service.  It was akin to the feeling we experienced as we marched into Pathmark a few days ago only to find that the Chase mini-bank was no longer housed in the store.  Even the ATM’s were gone.  Seems the convenience of the customer is a minor consideration at this particular store.

Getting it all Home

As we must take a bus to this particular Pathmark, we do not go there often.  This journey requires some planning.  Not only does it take us hours to shop using our “pick up and peer” method, but then there’s the question of how do we get it all home.  Do we opt to take a cab or pay for Pathmark’s delivery service?  I think it’s fair to say that what I’m about to describe is a uniquely New York experience.  On the occasions when we choose to take a cab, we leave the store proper with our shopping cart.  Generally, a man comes up to us and asks if we would like a cab.  We respond in the affirmative and he goes off.  If he is fortunate enough to hail a yellow taxi, which has a fare meter, we smile with glee and satisfaction. We pile into the cab or help pack the trunk, depending on how many bags we have and we take off, tipping him for his efficiency.  Lastly, we tip the driver for helping take the bags out of the trunk and load them onto a cart kept here at the apartment house.  We have also taken advantage of entrepreneurial souls who have a large sport utility van who offer to take us home.  We are then forced to make a painfully slow ride up to the roof in what I call the cattle car as it is a super huge elevator.  Our goods are then loaded into the van and we drive off with very little stress, except for the stress I felt while riding the cattle car, I mean, elevator.  At least we only tip one person for this trip.

One incident sticks out in my mind that I must relay.  We came to know one of the drivers by name.  As we entered Pathmark on this particular day he offered to wait for us and take us home.  Smiling at our good fortune we shopped with happy hearts, believing that we would leave the store, load our groceries into his van and be on our way.  Well, we were later to learn that this Pathmark is located in a, shall we say, drug-infested area.  Out we came with our cart and there to greet us was a police officer who offered to hail a cab. We also noticed that the street was eerily quiet and there were indeed an inordinate amount of police officers milling about.  We surmised we must have blindly stumbled into a sting of sorts.   We have not seen that young man again.  It is quite sad and disheartening as he was very kind to us.

The last option is for us to use Pathmark’s dubious (but fairly reliable) delivery service for which we pay six dollars over the cost of our groceries.  This generally requires only that we count the bags in order to tell the person who will then relay the information to the driver.  Additionally, we try to locate any ice cream or frozen goods that might melt before making it to our destination.  I must admit that this is the most stressful as we never know when our groceries are going to arrive.  This last delivery debacle found us waiting about four and a half hours.  Several calls found that our groceries had indeed left the store at a reasonable time but had to share space with six other orders.  We also learned that we are to give a three-hour waiting period for delivery.  Maria was furious.  The delivery guy placed our groceries in our foyer, turned and walked out without even waiting for a tip.  Maria closed the door and did not look back.  It was the first time ever that we did not tip a delivery person.  I think we might take our chances with a cab.  I suppose the one positive outcome was that the frozen shrimp were ready to eat and I was absolutely starving.

Our next Trek!

We have and might still ask my niece to accompany us.  This is a pleasant affair but brings with it the always fun obstacle of scheduling, scheduling, scheduling.  My Cousin has also offered to help with various visual tasks.  I think I just might take her up on her offer to accompany us on our next grocery shopping outing.  Independence is a wonderful and necessary aspect of our lives but can be a royal pain in the rear.

We do have a service that will deliver but it tends to be quite a bit more expensive and there are rules for delivery.  Oh, how I wish Peapod delivered in our area.  I was absolutely green with envy when I learned that residents in a certain part of New Zealand not only have grocery but butcher delivery.  It remains to be seen what crazy experience we will have when next trying to stock our bare cupboards. Ah, you might ask if we do not have a grocery store in our neighborhood.  We do but while it is near, the selection is not as wide and the prices are higher.  We have returned to it, though, as it does not offer the stress and unpredictable happenings of our favorite super store uptown. Wish us luck on our next venture.

Well, Lynne strikes again.  Our V8 splash drink turned out to be of the diet variety.  I wonder if our neighbor would like it?

I am the queen of frugality, and I thrive on stability, so if you told me that I would ever be self-employed, I would say you were crazy. But here I am with three part-time jobs. The good news is that I like all of my jobs, the bad news is that they still don’t earn me the kind of money I would like to be earning. I think, though, that there is a lot to be said about self-employment when you’re disabled, so I want to tell you what I think are the benefits and drawbacks to the world of self-employment.

We’ll start with the benefits. Number one, of course is that my home is my office. If I don’t have anywhere to go for the day I can roll out of bed and stay in my pj’s if I want to. Having my home as my office also means I can work in a comfortable spot on the couch or set up a real office situation with a desk and comfy chair.

The second benefit is that all of my jobs are contract work, so I decide on my hours. If I don’t want to work until 10:00 I don’t have to. My bosses give me deadlines and projects sometimes, but I still get to decide when I want to do my assigned tasks.

The third, and one of the best, benefits has to be that I’m doing work that I like. When I started getting involved with social media and the great blind community, I knew that I wanted to work promoting a company that I believed in. Working for Sendero allows me to do that. The next thing that I found a passion for was helping people learn how to use technology that could enhance their lives. Working for the commission for the blind as their Apple computer consultant and VoiceOver specialist feeds that passion. Finally, my joy of writing led me to blogging and now being a writer for this wonderful magazine.

Now that you know the benefits, here comes what I believe are the drawbacks. I mentioned at the beginning that I’m not earning very good money. This isn’t because I’m self-employed, it just happens to be that none of my jobs pay a lot. There are numerous people who earn very good money being self-employed, but they usually have to be charging their clients a lot of money per hour, or be working more hours than I am.

The other major drawback for me is that I have to worry about taxes. When I get my checks, no money has been taken out for taxes. This means that I’m earning even less money. Thankfully I’m extremely frugal and I love saving money, so hopefully when the tax bill arrives next year I won’t completely freak out.

So, if you find that you either don’t like the work you’re doing, or that you just can’t find a regular job, consider looking at self-employment. Self-employment jobs can include everything from doing contract work like I do to owning your own business. Just remember that to be good at any job, you have to be motivated and want to be successful at the work you’re doing.

Hello all,

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  I just have one quick announcement and then we’ll move on.  I know that many of you have had difficulty receiving the magazine.  I assure you that I’m doing everything I can on my end to figure out why things have started going crazy all of the sudden.  I’m working on a daily basis with my technology consultant to remedy the problems and get things running smoothly again.  I appreciate your patience as we continue to work on this.

That covers everything for now.  I hope you all have a great week and I’ll talk to you again soon.

Take care, and thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

Ross Hammond

Turkey Ratatouille

Turkey adds a twist to the classic French ratatouille, a blend of sautéed fresh eggplant, zucchini, peppers, onions and tomatoes. From eatbetteramerica.

Prep Time:15 min

Start to Finish:30 min

makes:4 servings

Ingredients:

3/4 pound turkey breast tenderloin, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

2 cups frozen stir-fry bell peppers and onions, (from 1-pound bag)

1 small eggplant, cubed (2 cups)

1 medium zucchini, cubed (1 cup)

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Sprinkle turkey with pepper.

2. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook turkey in oil 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown.

3. Stir in stir-fry vegetables. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in eggplant and zucchini. Cook 2 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.

4. Stir in tomatoes; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is desired consistency. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Nutritional Information

1 Serving: Calories 225 (Calories from Fat 65 ); Total Fat 7 g (Saturated Fat 2 g); Cholesterol 60 mg; Sodium 440 mg; Total Carbohydrate 21 g (Dietary Fiber 5 g); Protein 25 g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 18 %; Vitamin C 56 %; Calcium 14 %; Iron 12 % Exchanges: 4 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Lean Meat

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Peter Gleick knows more about water than most people around the world.  In his most recent book, he outlined the problems with bottled water and why it’s popularity is such a problem.  In fact, it’s become an unsustainable business in the United States.

He says that twenty five years ago, each American drank roughly 1 gallon of bottled water in a year.  Now, that number has risen to 30 gallons a year.  Today, every second of the day, 1,000 bottles of water are consumed in the U.S. alone.  The amounts of fuel involved in the production of the bottles, to run the plants, and to power the delivery vehicles is incredibly high.  Rough calculations show that it requires between 17 and 18 million barrels of oil per year to create these bottles of water. 

Recycling is another big issue.  Even cities with the best recycling programs around still find their landfills brimming with empty water bottles.  They harm the environment and represent money being tossed in the garbage.  All the fuel costs that went into their production will never be offset by recycling them and creating something else, or even just more water bottles.

Gleick also points out that ground water depletion is another big issue.  He cites one company whose water source is a desert spring in a remote canyon outside of Palm Springs.  The more water the company removes from there, the less there is available for the plant and animal life in the desert area, an already dry place to be. 

With worldwide bottled water consumption at around 40 billion gallons a year, it seems that the real solution is being overlooked.  There are many people who do not have safe water to drink.  An emphasis needs to be placed on advanced filtration systems and wells so that these people can have a reliable water source and water that can be obtained inexpensively. 

Here at home, we need to emphasize that our tap water system is actually quite good, but that there is room and a need for improvement.  The Safe Water Act is outdated and our systems do need to be upgraded.  However, as Gleick points out, all of these upgrades can be done at a cost far lower than that of producing more and more bottled water, especially since 45 percent of bottled water is filtered municipal water anyway.

After reading this article, I thought about how much less bottled water I’ve been drinking since I bought myself a Brita filter and started drinking filtered tap water.  how nice would it be if I didn’t even need the Brita and my confidence in straight tap water was restored?  With such a basic necessity like water, we really need to concentrate our resources on making the overall system better for everyone and shift our focus away from company products which have seemingly stolen our public water supply away from us through marketing campaigns and ubiquitous availability.

To read the original article, please go to http://www.fastcompany.com/node/1678595/print