Matt and Gary,

I was also going to suggest e-mailing the Trace Center because I feel that
you would receive better results than what you would get if you went to talk
to an actual assistive technology manufacture.  Another suggestion that has
worked here in the past is going to the engineering department at the
university and having the engineering students think up whatever device you
might need.  I know here at the University of North Dakota, they're always
looking for projects that actually can benefit somebody in whatever way.

Thanks,
Anthony


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  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Matt Conaway
  To: [log in to unmask]
  Sent: Sunday, July 08, 2001 3:14 PM
  Subject: Re: Cell phones pagers etc


  Gary,

  Why not check out Trace Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
  They have a huge ongoing project on telephone accessibility.  The URL is
  http://trace.wisc.edu.

  Hope this helps.


  Matt Conaway

  On Sun, 8 Jul 2001, Gary Peterson wrote:

  > Hello Listers,
  >
  > I work as a Consumer Advocate with the San Andreas Regional
  > Center in California.  I am totally blind and have Cerebral Palsy
  > both from birth.  I use an electric wheelchair with assistants.
  > I have reasonably good use of my hands and the rest of my upper
  > body.
  >
  > The majority of my time is spent out in the field traveling in my
  > van.  My biggest challenge is being able to use my cell phone
  > totally independent of others.  Right now, I have to depend on my
  > staff to place all my calls for me because   The buttons are way
  > to small with very little spacing in between.  Although my
  > overall spasticity is relatively mild, there are lots of times
  > when I end up losing calls while in the process of  being handed
  > the phone.  My hand jumps,  and I end up unintentionally hitting
  > 1 or more buttons.  Occasionally I even loose the phone
  > altogether.
  >
  > The mottle is a Motorola 02044  I think it may be from a group of
  > phones that the agency has recycled.  From looking at phones of
  > colleagues and friends, the brand doesn't seem to matter.  They
  > all seem to have the same draw backs across the bored.
  >
  > The other issue for me is finding a service provider with a voice
  > menuing option.  Others who are totally blind and use cell phones
  > pagers etc, have told me they all face the same issue of   having
  > to rely on others to do their programming for them.
  >
  > So my question would be what are my alternatives here?  Is this
  > an issue for lots of you out there?  Any recommendations of web
  > sites or groups addressing these issues?  Not only am I trying to
  > resolve these issues on a work level, but somewhere down the
  > road, I would like my own cell phone  and or pager.  However if
  > the technology is truly as limited as it appears, I don't want to
  > make the investment at this time.
  >
  > Please feel free to pass this along to as many sources as you
  > think might be of help here.  If there's something better out
  > there,  I would like to be able to go to my agency with it ASAP.
  >
  > Thank you in advance,
  >
  > Gary Peterson
  >