[optacon-l] Re: hello from former Optacon teacher Judy Adams
- From: "Cindy Handel" <cindy425@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:53:55 -0500
Hi Judy,
My husband and I still use our Optacons. We have a CRT lens, as a backup,
in case speech fails and we need to look at the screen.
I never saw the typewriter attachment. I learned Optacon when I attended
the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children...way back in 1974. The
Optacon is still a great tool and I'm glad we had the opportunity to learn
and use it. Jerry and I currently have three Optacons, although one needs
to go for service.
Cindy
----- Original Message -----
From: "JBliss Judy" <judy@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 12:37 PM
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: hello from former Optacon teacher Judy Adams
Dear Linda,
Thanks for your response! You (and I) are to be forgiven for not
remembering teachers/students back in '71. We had several students at each
session and rotated teachers among them, so it's difficult to remember, but
at the time, the relationships were intense, since the training was so
concentrated over the week and a half. W
hen Telesensory sold its blindness products to Blazie we transferred the
technical records but held on to the training folders for each student for a
while, trying to decide what to do with them, since they could have provided
raw materials for research. But since there were confidentiality concerns
about the information, it was shredded. So if you were a rowdy student,your
secret is safe!
The teachers at that time included Joan Bliss (wife of Jim Bliss, the
co-inventor of the Optacon), Helen Golden, Martha McLaughlin, Betty Meltzer,
Linda Wagner, Winn Downing (our only totally blind teacher at that time),
Jackie Wheeler (who was is still associated with Kurzweil, after leaving
Telesensory, and myself, among others..
I loved that old Smith Corona attachment, and years ago I gave our training
dept. S-C typewriter to a local Optacon user, and he has kept it in good
working order. I remember being stopped in an airport when I was carrying
the IBM selectric typewriter attachment, because although the rod that held
the optics was not hollow, the security person thought I might have a rifle
with a sight!
The CRT lens for reading computer screens was also a great tool, and would
be invaluable now when speech fails on a computer, so that one could read
the screen!
Glad you're still using it. I just received Catherine Thomas's summary of
the group's activities since '06 and it's wonderful what has been
accomplished. I'm just sorry I didn't join (or re-join) the list until
recently.
Best regards,
Judy Adams
----- Original Message ---------------
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: hello from former Optacon teacher Judy Adams
From: "Linda Webb" <rtfan@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:36:41 -0600
To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Hello Judy:
>
>I apologize for not recognizing you specifically. I really don't even
>recall who did train me but I had my training at TSI in I believe 1971.
>What I am doing these days is just praying it continues working (lol).
>
>At the time I left TSI, I was working for the State of Minnesota but in
>hopes that my Optacon training would either enhance job opportunities for
>me
>there or in another company or area. I ended up for several years working
>for IBM and used the typewriter attachment on the Smith Corona and the
>larger one for the IBM selectric. I also was one of the first blind
>people,
>so I was told, to successfully use the CRS lens attachment for the Office
>System 6 word processor and even though that system had screen training,
>one
>of our product people put the manual in print format for me so by using the
>Optacon to read the manual and then the CRS Lens to read the screen, I
>became our Word Processing System backup for that system.
>
>Until audio came along for most computers, I continued using the CRS lens
>attachment for Word Processing on IBM's 3730 8100, and 5520 systems.
>
>I am currently not working but still use it to browse through mail and the
>typewriter attachment to write out checks and complete other forms if I
>cannot do so online.
>I can't imagine being without it.
>
>Always and Forever...A Randy Travis Fan
>Linda and Guide, Greg
>
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