Jody,

Thanks for venting. I think you're right on target about the high
cost of technology as a barrier to the employment of the blind.

The other day, I had a conversation with a retired C B V I
counsellor who said that the ADA was the worst thing to happen to
the blind. According to her, by compelling the employer to foot
the cost of adaptive tech, the ADA has increased the up-front
cost of employing a blind person. She said that it used to be
much easier for her to place a blind person in a job, because
there was a government program that paid all of the new
employee's wages for the first two weeks, and then weaned the
employer off of the subsidy.

That program has been phased out since the ADA was passed. Now,
the cost of taking a chance of hiring a blind person is higher
than the norm, rather than lower.

And when you include the risk of being sued under an ADA
protection against unfair firing or inadequate accommodations,
the cost is even higher.


Back to the technical specifics, you said that it would cost $440
to upgrade, presumably from JAWS 4.5 Standard to Jaws
Professional, in order to run Jaws on your Windows XP Pro system.
That upgrade is half the price of Jaws Standard. As a loyal
customer, shouldn't Freedom Scientific only be charging you the
difference between the costs of the Standard and Professional
versions?

Good Luck,
Peter Seymour


At 08:47 PM 8/2/05 -0400, you wrote:
>Hi all,
>
I am just venting about the powers that be in relation to JAWS.

My husband and I have a computer consulting company. We have
worked out of our house for years and now we are moving to an
office. I have used JAWS 4.5 Standard with my Windows XP Home for
three years now. Anyway, we moved into our office and I went to
install JAWS. First I had a real problem because the new machine
doesn't have a floppy disk drive and I had a devil of a time
setting it up so that I could use the darn Authorization Key.

Then I discovered that JAWS Standard will not work on a Windows
XP Pro system. I called Freedom and found out it will cost us
$440 to upgrade.

When I groaned at the price the tech support guy asked if my
employer was willing to buy adaptive equipment for me. I said
'yes, he is, but it is too expensive.' He said 'well, the company
can afford it.' I explained that I was the company and no we
couldn't afford it.

Over the years I have been disgusted by the price of adaptive
technology. Yes, we are a limited market and the R&D on adaptive
equipment is high with a small market. Yeah, right. That is why
you can charge $2000 for a $50 closed circuit TV because it is
packaged for the disabled. It is the third party pay that is
killing it. Who questions the cost when it isn't the consumer.
The medical profession learned that one a long time ago, just
charge the insurance company, the patient will never know.

Anyway, I just wanted to vent my frustration, but I can't help
but think of the 70%+ unemployed blind people and wonder what the
real reason is, maybe it is because the cost of work is too high.

JODY
"WE MUST BE THE CHANGE WE WISH
TO SEE IN THE WORLD" ~ Gandhi


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