There is no mechanism by which a rehab agency can donate money to support open source solutions. And even if there was, it would be controversial even in the blind community. Are you folks aware that at one time, the National Federation Of the Blind asked Microsoft not to improve narrator to the point where it would compete with jaws? They worried that if Microsoft made narrater good enough to compete with jaws but not quite good enough to allow you to do your job, then blind people would really be in trouble. The point is, can you imagine what the reaction would be if DVR agencies started pushing orca?
On a somewhat related point, there's no orca foundation, is there? I'd be willing to handle that, set up a 501c3, apply for grants, etc.
On 09/09/2015 04:24 PM, Victor Lawrence wrote:
As I have mentioned before, I have received a refreshable Braille display and other equipment from my state vocational rehabilitation agency for my job and I am not a blind entitlement baby. Sadly, vocational rehabilitation agencies are often shortsighted and inefficient. That's why I agree that these agencies should help fund the development and distribution of free open-source software and other low-cost solutions for the blind and other disabled. Before anyone gets mad at me for criticizing VR agencies, even I realize that there are many good VR counsellors who are often overwhelmed by the number of clients and the bureaucracy they face. VictorOn 9/4/15, kk <krmane gmail com> wrote:I feel in a country like mine(India ) there is hardly such a thing cald entitlement baby. And I think to much spoon feeding from government not just spoils the beneficiaries but the entire community. I agree that instead of giving costly Jaws and other stuff and waisting tax payer's money, active eferts should be made to promote development of technologies, of the people for the people by the people. This keeps the dignity intact and a sence of confidence amongst the people around about blind community also changes. Living on charity, weather government or private is not always correct. Why can't blind community be made productive not just for their own selves but also for the rest of their nations and societies? And actually asking why can't is also wrong, because they actually are. So if there is indeed a concept of government entitlement babies it is really wrong and dangerous. Happy hacking. Krishnakant. On Saturday 05 September 2015 06:22 AM, Christopher Chaltain wrote:I agree with John on this one. I have a refreshable braille display that I acquired myself, and to think that someone considers me a blind entitlement baby based on just this one fact is offensive. On the other hand, do I really care what someone who would so indiscriminately and unapologetically use such a term on a public list thinks of me? On 09/04/2015 02:06 PM, Kyle wrote:According to John Heim: # You should apologize for using the term "blind government # entitlement babies". That's offensive. Um, no. Are you a blind government entitlement baby? If not, then you have no reason to be offended, as I wasn't talking to you. Blind government entitlement babies are some sorry people, and are offensive to me, not to mention how offensive the companies are who can get away with charging an arm and a leg and a couple of teeth because the entitlement babies piss and moan until the government pays the highprice of their screen readers and notetakers. These same people are theones who want Jaws, Kerzweil , their Windows computer and a braille display handed to them instead of putting just a little bit of their money, maybe even as little as 5 or 10 dollars, into supporting free and open source screen readers and operating systems, as well as the development of open source hardware, which could help them a lot more.Or if they have no money, they could be putting whatever time and skillthey have into making improvements to the software, reporting bugs, making reasonable suggestions, coding, etc, improving things for everyone including themselves. Of course the flip side to this is the fact that the government, alongwith the blindy companies and the so-called advocacy organizations makeall this happen, as they continually pay the high prices for inferiorhardware and software and tell us we need it, rather than putting moneyand people behind development and improvement of the freedom hardware and software that would help everyone a lot more. And yes, in case you were wondering, I was once such an entitlement baby. The government even paid for a braille display for my job, which they told me I needed, which cost at that time, roughly 18 years ago, about the same price as a car. Just a few years later, when I wanted to go to school for computer science, the government agency told me I didn't need an $800 laptop, even though I already had the screen reader, but that Icould have a $1500 braille 'n speak instead, . I also was once a memberof one of those blindy organizations, and was even the president of mylocal chapter. I saw much of this kind of thing there. My state chapterhad nearly 2 million dollars tucked away in a bank, didn't put so much as a penny toward helping anyone for real. They only gave 2 people scholarships each year and bought them a copy of some high priced software to put on the computer that they bought for them, all the while reinforcing the idea that we all need this mess to do our jobs and to make our way through the cruel cruel world. And after all this,we still have a 75 to 80% rate of unemployment, even with all the fancyschmancy stuff that costs too much. So I do know how the system works,and yes, this is offensive to me as well. This is why I help people outwho want a better way of doing things. This is why I support hardware and software freedom by promoting it, building it and helping people use it. Sent from my pufferfish _______________________________________________ orca-list mailing list orca-list gnome org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/orca-list Orca wiki: https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/Orca Orca documentation: https://help.gnome.org/users/orca/stable/ GNOME Universal Access guide: https://help.gnome.org/users/gnome-help/stable/a11y.html Log bugs and feature requests at http://bugzilla.gnome.org_______________________________________________ orca-list mailing list orca-list gnome org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/orca-list Orca wiki: https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/Orca Orca documentation: https://help.gnome.org/users/orca/stable/ GNOME Universal Access guide: https://help.gnome.org/users/gnome-help/stable/a11y.html Log bugs and feature requests at http://bugzilla.gnome.org_______________________________________________ orca-list mailing list orca-list gnome org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/orca-list Orca wiki: https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/Orca Orca documentation: https://help.gnome.org/users/orca/stable/GNOME Universal Access guide: https://help.gnome.org/users/gnome-help/stable/a11y.htmlLog bugs and feature requests at http://bugzilla.gnome.org
-- John Heim john johnheim com