[optacon-l] Re: hello from former Optacon teacher Judy Adams

  • From: "Steve Britt" <swimmer953@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2009 00:32:32 -0600

Judy:
I believe I still have them, but am unable to afford to get them repaired 
right now. I'm sure they probably could be resuscitated. The technology and 
assistance I have is adequate for my current needs. Thanks for asking 
though. It's great to see that there are many on this list who still have 
working Optacons.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "JBliss Judy" <judy@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 11:39 PM
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: hello from former Optacon teacher Judy Adams


Dear Steve,

Thanks for the welcome.  Good luck on your retirement; what a "fun" economy 
for retirement.  I'm still working, but semi-retired and am going to take 
social security next year at 64.

About your Optacons... I wonder if anyone can resusitate (did I spell that 
correctly?)them,or did you give them up in '04?

Judy A.

----- Original Message ---------------

Subject: [optacon-l] Re: hello from former Optacon teacher Judy Adams
   From: "Steve Britt" <swimmer953@xxxxxxxxxxx>
   Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 18:48:27 -0600
     To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

>Hi, Judy. Glad to have you with us.
>I'm a programmer/analyst for the State of Illinois, and will be retiring
>soon.
>I had Optacon training in 1977 at Arkansas Enterprises for the Blind, and I
>used an Optacon until roughly 2004 when the batteries died on both my R1D
>and Optacon II. Both at home and at work, I use a braille display, Jaws and
>Openbook.
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "JBliss Judy" <judy@xxxxxxxxxx>
>To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Monday, January 05, 2009 2:50 PM
>Subject: [optacon-l] hello from former Optacon teacher Judy Adams
>
>
>Dear friends of the Optacon,
>
>I was an Optacon teacher for many years at Telesensory, and mourned the end
>of the product.  Even after the introduction of the Optacon II in
>partnership with Canon, where we were able to provide PC-based independent
>reading practice lessons in several languages, even Japanese, and won
>several design awards, the sales never reached a level where the Optacon
>could be efficiently manufactured at a modest cost, and the company that
>bought Telesensory's technology never continued the product.  I agree that
>scanners just do not do it!
>
>Were you trained at Telesensory in California?  I worked with many students
>and it's hard to remember after all these years.  We had an Optacon
>teacher's reunion last year and it was great to see what people were doing,
>although we've lost several teachers over the years.
>
>I'm still in the access technology field. I was the Telesensory training
>manager and then in charge of technical support and service center support
>for many years - started in 1976 at TSI, but laid off in 2001, before the
>bankruptcy and acquisition by InSiPhil.  I then worked for Jim Bliss, who
>co-founded TSI from 2001 to 2005 at his new company JBliss Imaging, which I
>took over from him (he retired with multiple myloma), and re-named it 
>JBliss
>Low Vision Systems, since we have a full line of products with speech and
>enlargement for scanning (updating his original VIP), e-mail and internet
>(PnC E-mail and PnC Net), developed with a NSF grant and evaluated through
>the Western Region VA in Palo Alto, CA, and a variety of low vision 
>products
>that we represent from other manufacturers.  Our newest product is a 
>mini-PC
>that the user connects to their TV (or to a monitor, or just speakers, for 
>a
>blind user), and it provides scanning, e-mail and internet access with a
>dialup, dsl/ca
> ble or USB wireless connection.
>
>I just recently joined the listserv, hoping to hear from Optacon users, to
>see what everyone is doing these days. Hope to hear from you.
>
>Best regards and Happy New Year!
>
>Judy Adams
>
>
>
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>
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>
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>

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