I'm actuallly looking for some minor mentoring in identifying off-the-shelf
technology for me to maintain calendar appointments, take voice n otes,
manageand file them, retrieve them, keep address and phone numbers and so on.
 I'm not completely blind- but I have n o central vision. Hence, though I
*can* read paper w/ some slowness and difficulty, it is a very inefficient
system.  But the fact that I do have vision, and amlikely to keep vision at
this level - has kept me loosely tethered to the visual world and I make do
w/ screenreader, email, scanners and text files. But it's kludgy, inefficient
and relies too much on vision.  I'd like to make the jump to a higherlevel of
functioning that maximizes information storage and reclal. I envison some
sort of random access input output system.
   I work as aclinical research manager and think that I can store my
techinical information (ie, notes on how to resolve certain hardware and
software problems) by using Html but I am stymied by using merely text files
to create web pages, but using a visual interface may not work either.
  Are there other visually impaired members who create wqeb pages for the
puprpose ofmanaging information for themselves?  AFter a put together a
knowledge base on a web page w/in my laptop, I will open it up to my users so
they cna consult it when I'm not around.
  Personally, I also need to manage  financial data, personal phone numbers
and the like.  I guess I can do the same via html but like above, I need to
be able to more quickly manage the page(s).  I want it to be  utilitarian,k
of course, no flashy graphics and millionso f colors.  I just  want something
that WORKS.
    I want something that I can carry with me to access appointments phone
numbers and the like, but more importantly, I'm a writer and I'd like to be
able 'jot' or speak my inrpirations as I walk about (I don't drive - I ride
mybiek or wlalk everywhere) so that I can retreive them later and elaborate
on them.
   I know there's no redy-made solution for this but I'd like to get SOME
system so that I can begin to use it.
   Finally, I'd like to use something liek Quicken to omanage my financail
matters- Iuse a cludgy system using text files to write down all my spending
- checks, credit card, cash, etc. It works but I know I'm not making use of
what a computer does.
   Anybody who has any suggestions about this, I'd appreciate hearing from
you.

Thanks, Dan Flasar
             Informatics Core Director
             Washington University School of Medicine
             St. Louis, MO
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