Wow there are many of us Italians on this list! I learned cyrillic with the optacon! Keep teasing them Ollie! LOL BTW I would never want to see an optacon with software that interprets what we read. We already have plenty of those things. OK then I guess the Emilia-Romagna region was well ahead of Lombardy in this respect! I was lucky. Fran ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mallard" <mallard@xxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Sunday, November 04, 2012 10:52 PM Subject: [optacon-l] Re: Optacon Podcasts > He's shy and won't tell us... But I know he even started studying > Chinese with his Optacon... In the late 70's - early '80', I think. > > Ciao, > Ollie > > > > Il 04/11/2012 22.45, Antonio Quatraro ha scritto: >> Yes, >> Italy has experienced an epic age with optacon, and I am glad to tell you >> I >> was right in the middle! >> Antonio >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Fran" <fran.italy@xxxxxxxxx> >> To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> >> Sent: Sunday, November 04, 2012 10:27 PM >> Subject: [optacon-l] Re: Optacon Podcasts >> >> >>> Hi Ollie, >>> I totally agree with you. I think the sighted are generally more >>> impressed >>> by the optacon than many blind people are. I see how amazed and >>> fascinated >>> the sighted get when I show them the optacon, or simply by hearing about >>> it. >>> >>> Oh forget Italian politicians! LOL Well actually, I don't know who was >>> responsible for bringing the optacon to Italy in the 70s, but they did >>> an >>> excellent job here! I was introduced to the optacon in 1977 when I >>> started >>> 1st grade, and I'd guess all Italian blind kids were exposed to it in >>> those >>> years. I don't know if other countries enjoyed this privilege. >>> >>> Ciao ciao! >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Mallard" <mallard@xxxxxxxxxxxx> >>> To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> >>> Sent: Sunday, November 04, 2012 10:19 PM >>> Subject: [optacon-l] Re: Optacon Podcasts >>> >>> >>>> Yes, Fran, I agree. >>>> Maybe one of our problems is that we keep thinking only in terms of the >>>> blind and visually impaired community, while I think we should aim at >>>> communicating a lot more with the sighted world. >>>> >>>> The "authorities" David mentioned in his message threw a number of >>>> precious Optacons into the trash bin, because they dind't probably >>>> understand their value to a blind person. >>>> >>>> Using an Optacon means allowing a blind person to fulfill tasks that >>>> they couldn't cary out otherwise. This means being able to get better >>>> jobs, earning higher salaries, paying higher taxes, and not being a >>>> burden on the community. >>>> >>>> If our authorities could be made to understand this (I'm pretty >>>> hopeless >>>> as regards Italian politicians, by the way...), we would aready have >>>> gone quite a long way. >>>> >>>> Badly expressed, probably, but hopefully clear enough... >>>> Ciao, >>>> Ollie >>>> >>>> Il 04/11/2012 21.30, Fran ha scritto: >>>>> Catherine, I don't agree. I think videos might have a tremendous >>>>> impact, >>>>> especially on parents or teachers of blind kids. Then of course, the >>>>> fact a >>>>> blind person cannot see a video doesn't mean the video wouldn't work >>>>> for >>>>> them either. >>>>> >>>>> Fran >>>>> >>>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>>> From: "Catherine Thomas" <braille@xxxxxxxxx> >>>>> To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> >>>>> Sent: Sunday, November 04, 2012 9:05 PM >>>>> Subject: [optacon-l] Optacon Podcasts >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> There have been a couple of podcasts made to do with the Optacon. Our >>>>>> own >>>>>> Mary Emerson is featured in one of these. For totally blind users, >>>>>> videos >>>>>> wouldn't have much appeal. For those with some sight, the Optacon >>>>>> doesn't >>>>>> have much appeal. >>>>>> >>>>>> For those interested in the podcasts, I'm sure Mary can turn them up. >>>>>> I >>>>>> have a copy of the tape that was made someplace. >>>>>> Catherine >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >>>>>> -Catherine Thomas >>>>>> braille@xxxxxxxxx / >>>>>> >>>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>>>> to view the list archives, go to: >>>>>> >>>>>> www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l >>>>>> >>>>>> To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to: >>>>>> >>>>>> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without >>>>>> the >>>>>> quotes) in the message subject. >>>>>> >>>>>> Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a >>>>>> message >>>>>> to: >>>>>> >>>>>> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without >>>>>> the >>>>>> quotes) in the message subject. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> __________ Informazioni da ESET NOD32 Antivirus, versione del >>>>>> database >>>>>> delle firme digitali 7657 (20121104) __________ >>>>>> >>>>>> Il messaggio è stato controllato da ESET NOD32 Antivirus. >>>>>> >>>>>> www.nod32.it >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> to view the list archives, go to: >>>>> >>>>> www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l >>>>> >>>>> To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to: >>>>> >>>>> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without >>>>> the >>>>> quotes) in the message subject. >>>>> >>>>> Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a >>>>> message to: >>>>> >>>>> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the >>>>> quotes) in the message subject. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus >>>>> signature database 7658 (20121104) __________ >>>>> >>>>> The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. >>>>> >>>>> http://www.eset.com >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>> to view the list archives, go to: >>>> >>>> www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l >>>> >>>> To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to: >>>> >>>> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without >>>> the >>>> quotes) in the message subject. >>>> >>>> Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a >>>> message >>>> to: >>>> >>>> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the >>>> quotes) in the message subject. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> __________ Informazioni da ESET NOD32 Antivirus, versione del database >>>> delle firme digitali 7657 (20121104) __________ >>>> >>>> Il messaggio è stato controllato da ESET NOD32 Antivirus. >>>> >>>> www.nod32.it >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> to view the list archives, go to: >>> >>> www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l >>> >>> To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to: >>> >>> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the >>> quotes) in the message subject. >>> >>> Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a >>> message >>> to: >>> >>> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the >>> quotes) in the message subject. >>> >> to view the list archives, go to: >> >> www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l >> >> To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to: >> >> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the >> quotes) in the message subject. >> >> Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a >> message to: >> >> optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the >> quotes) in the message subject. >> >> >> __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus >> signature database 7658 (20121104) __________ >> >> The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. >> >> http://www.eset.com >> >> >> >> > > to view the list archives, go to: > > www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l > > To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to: > > optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the > quotes) in the message subject. > > Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a message > to: > > optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the > quotes) in the message subject. > > > __________ Informazioni da ESET NOD32 Antivirus, versione del database > delle firme digitali 7657 (20121104) __________ > > Il messaggio è stato controllato da ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > www.nod32.it > > > to view the list archives, go to: www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to: optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the quotes) in the message subject. Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a message to: optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the quotes) in the message subject.