I can say that I think an Optacon is way easier to learn to use than a smart
phone.
Best from,
Carolyn
-----Original Message-----
From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On ;
Behalf Of Debby Franson
Sent: Saturday, July 29, 2017 3:49 PM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: New Optacon
Hi Doug!
I went to Philadelphia to take optacon training in 1981. Instead of watching TV
or going out in the evenings, I would read a book that I brought from home that
I also used in training along with the materials the teacher had me try. As a
result, I finished training a day or two early. My teacher ran out of new
things for me to experience. (smile).
At the university near our home, Illinois State University, one of the things
the university was known for was special education. I think the visually
impaired program isn't what it used to be. Students who were studying to become
teachers of the visually impaired would not only learn braille, but there were
several optacons in the department that were used in class to give everyone
experience. I was not in that program, so I think no one had to become
proficient, but just to have the experience of trying to read something. I
heard some of these sighted people say that they couldn't distinguish one
letter from another.
One of the professors asked my husband to ask me if I would be willing to come
in and test the optacons to see if they were still working. I think they had
phased out the optacon from the special education program sometime in the early
'90s. I tested twelve optacons, and they were all working fine.
There is a very sad ending to this story. Oh, there is a happy bit, too.
That professor told my husband in late 1995 that the optacon was not going to
be manufactured, so I called TSI and bought two Optacon II's.
The horrible part of the story was that those optacons I tested eventually got
sent to property control who sent them to a place in Springfield where they
were stored for a few years. Eventually, the place decided that they didn't
have room to store them, so they just disposed of them. The heartbreaking thing
is that those optacons can never be used by anyone.
The happy part of the story about the optacons that were at the university was
that the professor found one in a closet and gave it to me. It's the R1D as
they all were..
It seems that these rehab places have a one-track mind that is so narrow. I
have had little to do with them over the years, and I'm glad we have the funds
to buy or save up for what we need and want. If its not the lack of interest
for the optacon, it's over-interest in one screen reader.
It's too bad they can't have a more balanced mindset on all technologies.
Debby
At 01:52 PM 7/29/2017, Doug Parisian wrote
Debby, I first learned the Opticon in 1977 and while using it to keep
my job, attempted unsuccessfully to motivate our CNIB and our Special
needs department in the education branch to make use of the Opticon a
strong requirement. That skill is every bit as important as math,
science, daily living skills etc. Unfortunately, our rehabilitation
efforts are more ruled by social work and "head shrink" philosophies
rather than those which have proven to be successful in the business
and commerce world. A group of the 70s and 80s best summarizes the
requirements of much of life in their group name, Blood Sweat And Tears.
On 2017-07-29 1:30 PM, Debby Franson wrote:
Hi Judy!close to
It seems that they have become lazy. The optacon takes patience,
diligence and dedication, and I wonder if there are many who would
work at learning and becoming proficient in learning the optacon.
My husband teaches computer workshops of various kinds at a
university, and he says that the college students get frustrated
very easily if they don't get something within five minutes, so it
is a problem that is not limited to the blind.
Debby
At 12:16 PM 7/29/2017, Judy Jones wrote
The scary thing is that next genblind people don't care or realize
the power of independence they could have in their hands.
Judy
-----Original Message-----
From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Debby Franson
Sent: Saturday, July 29, 2017 10:44 AM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: New Optacon
Hi Dave!
Thanks for spreading the word about the optacon. We need an optacon
evangelist like you to show what this wonderful device can do to
open up things to people with no sight that the sighted world takes
for granted. I think the sighted world in general just doesn't
understand what an optacon is or what all it can do. Those in the
agencies think it's just obsolete technology, since they haven't
been made since 1996, I think it was and Charles has not made his
optacon into anything beyond a prototype yet. I sure hope he succeeds in
getting this optacon 3 marketed.
Debby
At 05:35 AM 7/29/2017, David Moore wrote
Hi Dan!
Thanks a lot for this great idea!
I will have my wife take a picture of me using the Optacon, and I
will put it on Facebook, Twitter, Linked in, and put it on youtube
as a video. I really want young people to see how I can use the
Optacon to do so many awesome tasks that today’s technology
cannot come
o
Optacon!doing!
!
I will get on it LOL!than through official channels.
Thanks!
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
From: dan.tevelde@xxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Friday, July 28, 2017 9:28 PM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: New Optacon
Hi Carolyn,
I would forget about organizations for the blind for now. They
already have their projects and priorities which they don't want to
change.
Many younger people don't find organizations for the blind relevant.
We need to target a different audience. I would do that by having
very professionally created videos on YouTube, and Facebook.
People will be interested if they can see and/or hear something in
action. It's possible that a sighted person would see something,
and be interested enough in it to tell the blind people they know
about the optacon. The important thing is communicating with
people through social media rather
Once people know what an optacon is, and what it could do, thennew optacon would be.
someone could approach the open source community, and launch a funding
campaign.
The funding would be the most difficult part, unless someone can
promote the work Charles has already done. Someone with business
acumen would need to do a cost-benefit analysis to see how
realistic a
What everyone can start doing is telling people about the optacon.blog entries could get the message across.
Create comments on Twitter and Facebook. If you have a sighted
friend or family member with a camera, get them to take a picture
of you using an optacon, and then share it publicly on your
Facebook timelines. If people like your post, then they may
'like' or comment on it, or share the post with people on their
timelines. This would generate some excitement and momentum to
move the project forward. If ACB and NFB see that there is enough
momentum behind this project, than they would want to get
involved. A number opf years ago someone wrote a good article for
the Braille Forum about the optacon, but the article didn't
generate any enthusiasm. I think people would rather see
something in action than reading about it in a lengthy article.
Tweets and short
I don't feel qualified to write about the optacon. I haven't usedstill working on his dream.
one in 30 years, and don't have one either. If I had one, and
knew how to use it effectively, I could get someone to make a nice
video to put up on my Facebook page. I do hae a lot of Facebook
friends, and also use Youtube and twitter all the time.
Thanks,
Dan
-----Original Message-----
From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Carolyn Arnold
Sent: Friday, July 28, 2017 7:18 PM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: New Optacon
David, maybe, if you ever met the president of NFB at a convention
or somewhere and had your Optacon, you could convince him.
Best from,
Carolyn
-----Original Message-----
From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of David Moore
Sent: Friday, July 28, 2017 7:03 PM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] New Optacon
Hi all,
Has anyone heard from Charles lately and anything about the new
Optacon project?
I pray for Charles, because I know his health was not good.
Also, I have tried to talk to the president of the NFB, and he
will not respond to my messages about giving to a new Optacon
project. I even told him that I read math and science texts with
the Optacon without the need for software that costs thousands to
do OCR on math symbols. I felt graphs, and everything on the
printed page of a math book with the Optacon, and I can now show a
sighted person what the math looks like, because I felt it with
the Optacon. I pray that Charles is okay, and
Please let me know if you have heard anything new regarding the
new
message to:Great to see you on here, Judy, and hearing about how you aremessage to:
reading knitting instructions and charts.
That is great.
Take care, all.
David Moore
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