Re: Modern Optacon
- From: Ronald D Smith <ronsmith@xxxxxxxx>
- To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2004 10:42:25 -0800 (PST)
Well, I must be the exception.
I though always been legally blind, lost the remaining sight during my
late teens, and consider myself an excellent cane traveler, but a not so
good optacon user.I had my training in 1977, struggled with it on and
off for several years and haven't used it for decades.
But, I'll not part with my R1D, since I plan to try again some day.
ronsmith@xxxxxxxx
On Thu, 18 Nov 2004, Cynthia Handel wrote:
> Mike,
>
> You said of your acquaintance who taught Optacon: She observed that those
> who traveled well generally
> learned the Optacon easily; those who did not travel well had a much tougher
> time learning to use the Optacon. I could say that this is true for me. I
> consider myself a good traveler and started to use a cane when I was about
> 11 years old. My parents actually gave me one a number of years before that
> and showed me a little about it, so I could carry it around the
> neighborhood. But, I learned the Optacon in 1973/74 and have used it ever
> since. I wonder what the link might be between the two things.
>
> Cindy
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2004 10:23 AM
> Subject: Re: Modern Optacon
>
>
> Olga:
>
> If we are to ever have a new Optacon, we must avoid the hype with which
> TeleSensory surrounded it. In particular, we must face the fact that, for
> largely unknown reasons, numerous blind persons found it impossible to learn
> to use the Optacon. In saying this, I don't think I could be accused of
> being an Optacon detractor; I've used an Optacon since 1979 and it was my
> eight-hours-a-day companion on the job until 1984. I dread the day when mine
> dies. But I think we must be realistic and acknowledge that some -- nay,
> quite a few -- blind persons had the Devil's own time learning to use the
> Optacon.
>
> As I say, I have never seen scientifically-valid research (if one can even
> have such with a small population such as that of the blind). However, one
> clue may be gleaned from anecdotal evidence of one former Optacon instructor
> of my acquaintance. She observed that those who travelld well generally
> learned the Optacon easily; those who did not travel well had a much tougher
> time learning to use the Optacon.
>
> I think that we must acknowledge that not only must we come up with the
> capital to produce and market a new Optacon but we will have to overcome
> this training problem or else the Optacon will be just another expensive
> technology.
>
> Mike
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ollie" <sinisorsa@xxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2004 6:41 AM
> Subject: Re: Modern Optacon
>
>
> > Beth, I was born blind, and I read Braille all my life - until I learned
> > the Optacon!
> > I assure you, it can be done! And there's nothing like feeling the "real
> > thing", the real shape of characters and symbols under your finger!!!
> > It narrows the gap, even from a psychological point of view, between us
> > and
> > sighted people.
> > At leas, that's my personal experience.
> > Chers,
> > Olga
> >
> >
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> >
> >
>
>
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>
> To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to:
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>
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