Why Do I Need Re-training?

So why do I need a refresher in my blind skills?

When I was in my first rehab training program in 1997 in Kansas City, Missouri there was an older guy in the apartment across the hall from mine. I learned that he was there to get a refresher in his blind skills. Those things, if you don't use them, over time you will loose them.



That is where I am now. When my wife and I moved in together, I did all of the cooking and as she became more comfortable I let her take over those things she wanted to do. As time went on she took over more things around home and it got to the point where I wasn't using those skills anymore.


Things have changed where I need to start doing things around the home again, as my Wife goes to work on her Masters degree.

So I'm in the waiting to go to a blindness training program in Raleigh, North Carolina for fifteen weeks.

I'll get cooking skills, cleaning, braille and Jaws screen reading software training. It may sound strange to you but I have never received official Jaws training. The popular screen reader when I was in that program in 1997, was Window-Eyes from GW Micro which was based in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Its also the screen reader I used when I made jobs at Citibank accessible.

Window-Eyes was bought by another assistive technology company and basically killed off so it wouldn't get in the way.

I have been using NVDA over the past many years, I didn't have the knowledge needed to use Jaws to pass a job assessment and get hired at a local company.

I can use the basics of Jaws but if you needed a special function done or to have me demonstrate I know how to activate something, I don't know that info.


My state counselor says I am on the waiting list for this program and that I will hear I have been accepted before she knows.

Looking forward to interacting with the other students, sharing experiences, and learning or re-learning these things I need to know.


 

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