Dear AccessWorld Editor,
I found Ike Presley's article, A Review of Freeware and Shareware Screen Magnification Software for Windows to be very helpful. I am exploring computer technology for instructional purposes.
I appreciate AccessWorld's efforts with posting this information for the benefit of others. Thank you for that.
I post Learning Resources on EduNorth, which is my professional database.
Best wishes,
Damian
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
After reading Deborah Kendrick's January article entitled, John Blake, New CEO of Freedom Scientific, I am left wondering. Since nothing was said about Mr. Blake's level of sight, one is left to believe he is a fully sighted person. I am also wondering if blind people would have had more faith in the company if a blind person had this position.
Best regards,
Phil Parr
Response from AccessWorld author Deborah Kendrick:
Hello Phil,
You raise a very interesting point, and I am a bit dismayed I did not include this fact in the article.
Yes, John Blake is indeed sighted. And yes, I did neglect to mention the fact in the profile.
Your comment is worthy of reflection.
Thank you for your comment — and for reminding me to include all relevant facts in my work.
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
I just read Deborah Kendrick's January 2014 article, John Blake, New CEO of Freedom Scientific, and it kills me to write a comment on an article that is a bit critical, because I usually enjoy Access World articles and know you are working hard to keep us informed.
I have gone over the John Blake article looking for interesting or provocative points between the lines, but I'm not really finding any. It's good to gain access to a new CEO of an access technology company, especially Freedom Scientific with it's being a company that develops products we all use every day, but I'm struck with how very little is revealed here. Yes, he is new and needs to listen and learn. Yes, he wants to keep doing the good things the company is doing, and sure, he's looking ahead. But if that's what he's got to say, then in a way Freedom has responded to your inquiry with as close to a "no comment" as Mr. Blake might dare.
JAWS, for one, has many of us less than happy. If Blake said, "Well, one thing we plan to do is really get after bugs in JAWS." I would feel easier about the check I'm going to write for the updates I've been holding out buying the last few years. They make the very best braille display? What makes him say that?
What indeed lies ahead? This portable device's development, this digital picture taking for the purpose of reading printed material, this need for better tactile graphics, this desire for many of us to someday be able to afford a braille display, can all stand some attention from one of the few companies working in the access technology field. In the changing environment, does Freedom Scientific see a role for its particular take on technology? And how are things, financially speaking, investor speaking, resource-allocation speaking? Portable technology and, of all things, touchscreens have become very popular, so where are the makers of blindness-specific products looking for ways to be involved?
I would have been very intrigued and much happier to have seen Mr. Blake speak of more specifics and provide readers with information about Freedom Scientific's future goals.
Respectfully,
Mike Cole
