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Re: [orca-list] GUI Redesign or clearup and modernization

Agreed.
On a smaller scale, perhaps, we see that same attitude toward Android vs. IOS. And not only by the National Federation of the Blind (meaning, U.S.), but I see it here in Italy as well.
At some point, a few years ago, someone who's in charge of Apple training among the blind spread the rumor (in an interview with some tech blogger) that Orca was dead, and that Linux would never again be usable by a blind person. 

I couldh ave killed him... lol
Ciao,
Ollie





Il 10/09/2015 17:10, John Heim ha scritto:

Very few jaws users would consider the money the government spent on it
to be a waste of money.  I know this is a list for orca users but we
need to recognize that ours are not the only opinions out there.

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 high
price of their screen readers and notetakers. These same people are
the
ones 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
skill
they 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, along
with the blindy companies and the so-called advocacy organizations
make
all this happen, as they continually pay the high prices for inferior
hardware and software and tell us we need it, rather than putting
money
and 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 I
could have a $1500 braille 'n speak instead, . I also was once a
member
of one of those blindy organizations, and was even the president of my
local chapter. I saw much of this kind of thing there. My state
chapter
had 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
fancy
schmancy 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
out
who 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
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_______________________________________________
orca-list mailing list
orca-list gnome org
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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
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