To All,

Your feedback about the below questions and issues should be enlightening
for this group.

I have begun the process of updating my entire computer system. Last week,
the New Jersey Commission for the Blind sent a vocational rehab person to
my home to begin the intake process.

In preparation for the meeting, I had been doing research about the current
state of access technology. I had typed up an organized list of my work
tasks, equipment needs and software options so that I could intelligently
discuss them with the devoted civil servant.

Soon after my meeting began, I mentioned WindowEyes, and this rehab
professional asked, "What's that?".

I was silent for a moment and wanted to respond, "Is this your first day on
the job?". Instead, I asked something like, "You've heard of screen-readers?".

He had heard of Jaws, but no other brands. I promptly avoided any further
mention, much less any discussion, of technology.

I realize that this man was not a technology specialist, but still, being
employed in the field of vocational rehab for the blind, shouldn't he have
at least heard of WindowEyes?

Yes, Jaws has a larger market share, but has WindowEyes become so obscure
that a rehab professional could never encounter WindowEyes or a client who
uses it?

Another inference is that the NJ Commission works with a technology
consultant that pushes clients to use Jaws.

Is this a NJ CBVI staff training issue? a GW Micro marketing issue? a
combination? or is this a larger or smaller thing than it appears to me?

Thanks,
Peter


VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
To join or leave the list, send a message to
[log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply type
"subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
 VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html