I don't think that there was ever anything that I wanted mor than an Optacon. I
probably would have taken training in a bee hive if that would have been what
it took to get one. We mortgaged a house we had for me to get it.
Best from,
Carolyn
-----Original Message-----
From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On ;
Behalf Of Debby Franson
Sent: Sunday, July 30, 2017 4:03 PM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: New Optacon
Hi Judy!
I don't remember ever having the tickling problem.
Debby
At 09:56 AM 7/30/2017, Judy Jones wrote
I understand about the touch screen. The iPhone was my first touch
phone, and it took me quite some time to get fairly familiar with it,
but I was very frustrated with Apple and the device and gave it to my
daughter. I went from there to an Android device and found it much
easier. I also was very motivated by optacon use so did not feel
frustration except in building up the finger tolerance in the display.
I would want to keep reading,but would have to stop for a while until
the index finger quit tickling.
Judy
-----Original Message-----
From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Debby Franson
Sent: Saturday, July 29, 2017 8:12 PM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: New Optacon
Hi Carolyn!
I have to agree. I never felt frustration while learning to use the
optacon, because I saw progress each time I started to use it in
training and when I came home. I have an Android Galaxy tablet from a
few years ago, and iPad and an iPod, and all I felt with those devices
was total frustration. I am old school, I think. I haven't touched any
of that stuff for at least a year. I know people who zip around on any
of that stuff, but I never saw any progress in my learning. I probably
should get a book that shows me how in braille, but my motivation is low now.
Debby
At 06:36 PM 7/29/2017, Carolyn Arnold wrote
I can say that I think an Optacon is way easier to learn to use thannever be used by anyone.
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
ogy
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 tosucceeds in getting this optacon 3 marketed.
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!
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
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
today̢۪s technology
article.
change.close tocannot come
o
doing!
!
I will get on it LOL!
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
funding campaign.Many younger people don't find organizations for the blind relevant.than through official channels.
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,
then someone could approach the open source community, and
launch a
The funding would be the most difficult part, unless someonenew optacon would be.
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.
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
message to:message to:Optacon!Tweets and shortblog entries could get the message across.
I don't feel qualified to write about the optacon. I haven'tstill working on his dream.
used 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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