Empathy List Archives

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AER Rehabilitation Counseling & Employment Division Listserv (Div 2)

Division II Check In

Crudden, Adele

Wed, Sep 16, 2015 7:29 PM

Thanks to all of you for your check in with the list. Delighted we have persons out there still participating and providing information.

I was particularly intrigued by the message from member David Jeppson about Computers for the Blind, a non profit in TX that provides accessible computers to individuals throughout the country who cannot afford them.

David, would you please tell us a little more about this agency and how people apply for services?

Adele Crudden, Professor
Social Work Program
P. O. Box C
Miss. State, MS 39762
http://www.socialwork.msstate.edu/

Confidentiality/Privacy Notice - The documents included in this transmission may contain information that is confidential and/or legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering the information to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or action taken in reliance on the contents of these documents is strictly prohibited. If you have received this document in error, please notify the sender immediately to arrange for return or destruction of these documents.

Thanks to all of you for your check in with the list. Delighted we have persons out there still participating and providing information. I was particularly intrigued by the message from member David Jeppson about Computers for the Blind, a non profit in TX that provides accessible computers to individuals throughout the country who cannot afford them. David, would you please tell us a little more about this agency and how people apply for services? Adele Crudden, Professor Social Work Program P. O. Box C Miss. State, MS 39762 http://www.socialwork.msstate.edu/ * Confidentiality/Privacy Notice - The documents included in this transmission may contain information that is confidential and/or legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering the information to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or action taken in reliance on the contents of these documents is strictly prohibited. If you have received this document in error, please notify the sender immediately to arrange for return or destruction of these documents.

djeppson@expertsonblindness.com

Fri, Sep 18, 2015 8:10 PM

Thank you Adele for the opportunity to share some information about Computers for the Blind (CFTB) to the group.

CFTB is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization made up of mostly volunteers. We seek donations of no-longer needed computers from businesses and individuals throughout the greater Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area. We pick-up computers for free from businesses and have several drop-off locations in the local area where individuals can drop off their personal computers.

Our refurbishing center is in Richardson, a suburb of Dallas. There, our volunteers wipe the hard drives clean, install Windows 7, refurbish, make necessary repairs, and install the assistive technology that make them accessible to persons with vision loss.

For persons with low vision that can benefit from magnification, we install a fully licensed version of MAGic without speech. It retails for $395.00. We also provide them with a larger monitor.

For speech users we install NVDA (Non-Visual Display Access) software and a trial version of JAWS. We also provide everything else that a person needs to operate the computer and use the internet, including a word processor a spreadsheet, a trial version of a typing tutorial, FAQ files, etc.. I have attached a LP fact sheet with more details.

We then ship the computer and accessories throughout the country “free matter for the blind” to anyone that is unable to see well enough to use a computer without assistive technology. There is no income requirement or documentation of vision loss. The processing fee for the consumer is $110 for a desktop which has a one year warranty, and $160 for a laptop which has a two year warranty.

So far we have shipped over 8,000 computers and are currently shipping around 100 each month.

In 2014 and 2015 we received a grant from the Delta Gamma Foundation. This year we were able to provide 81 desktop computers to persons on SSI due to blindness for only $40. The grant picked up the difference. We were all out within a couple of months. Anticipate getting a bigger grant next year and will notify the blindness community. Individuals do have to send us their SSI reward letter as verification that they are on SSI due to blindness.

Either way, a fully accessible desktop computer for $110 is quite a deal and enables hundreds of consumers a year to obtain a computer who otherwise could not afford one. We also have upgrades as listed on our fact sheet.

Last year we began accepting purchase orders from state agencies. Several states are now purchasing computers for consumers. We serve all ages but our target populations are IL, youth, newly blinded, unemployed, and those working in lighthouse industrial divisions.

We also have an extensive lending library of descriptive videos in VHS and DVD format. We charge a life-time membership fee of $25.00 for this service.

Lastly, we have just begun collecting IPhones and IPads and hope to begin offering them in the future.

Anyone interested in a computer can contact us at:

214-340-6328

info@computersfortheblind.net

www.computersfortheblind.net

Please help spread the word. Feel free to copy the attached fact sheet front and back and share. Let me know if you have any questions.

David Jeppson

Executive Director

Computers for the Blind

Sent from Windows Mail

From: Crudden, Adele
Sent: ‎Wednesday‎, ‎September‎ ‎16‎, ‎2015 ‎2‎:‎29‎ ‎PM
To: vocrehab@lists.aerbvi.org

Thanks to all of you for your check in with the list. Delighted we have persons out there still participating and providing information.

David, would you please tell us a little more about this agency and how people apply for services?

Adele Crudden, Professor
Social Work Program
P. O. Box C
Miss. State, MS 39762
http://www.socialwork.msstate.edu/

Confidentiality/Privacy Notice - The documents included in this transmission may contain information that is confidential and/or legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering the information to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or action taken in reliance on the contents of these documents is strictly prohibited. If you have received this document in error, please notify the sender immediately to arrange for return or destruction of these documents.

Thank you Adele for the opportunity to share some information about Computers for the Blind (CFTB) to the group. CFTB is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization made up of mostly volunteers. We seek donations of no-longer needed computers from businesses and individuals throughout the greater Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area. We pick-up computers for free from businesses and have several drop-off locations in the local area where individuals can drop off their personal computers. Our refurbishing center is in Richardson, a suburb of Dallas. There, our volunteers wipe the hard drives clean, install Windows 7, refurbish, make necessary repairs, and install the assistive technology that make them accessible to persons with vision loss. For persons with low vision that can benefit from magnification, we install a fully licensed version of MAGic without speech. It retails for $395.00. We also provide them with a larger monitor. For speech users we install NVDA (Non-Visual Display Access) software and a trial version of JAWS. We also provide everything else that a person needs to operate the computer and use the internet, including a word processor a spreadsheet, a trial version of a typing tutorial, FAQ files, etc.. I have attached a LP fact sheet with more details. We then ship the computer and accessories throughout the country “free matter for the blind” to anyone that is unable to see well enough to use a computer without assistive technology. There is no income requirement or documentation of vision loss. The processing fee for the consumer is $110 for a desktop which has a one year warranty, and $160 for a laptop which has a two year warranty. So far we have shipped over 8,000 computers and are currently shipping around 100 each month. In 2014 and 2015 we received a grant from the Delta Gamma Foundation. This year we were able to provide 81 desktop computers to persons on SSI due to blindness for only $40. The grant picked up the difference. We were all out within a couple of months. Anticipate getting a bigger grant next year and will notify the blindness community. Individuals do have to send us their SSI reward letter as verification that they are on SSI due to blindness. Either way, a fully accessible desktop computer for $110 is quite a deal and enables hundreds of consumers a year to obtain a computer who otherwise could not afford one. We also have upgrades as listed on our fact sheet. Last year we began accepting purchase orders from state agencies. Several states are now purchasing computers for consumers. We serve all ages but our target populations are IL, youth, newly blinded, unemployed, and those working in lighthouse industrial divisions. We also have an extensive lending library of descriptive videos in VHS and DVD format. We charge a life-time membership fee of $25.00 for this service. Lastly, we have just begun collecting IPhones and IPads and hope to begin offering them in the future. Anyone interested in a computer can contact us at: 214-340-6328 info@computersfortheblind.net www.computersfortheblind.net Please help spread the word. Feel free to copy the attached fact sheet front and back and share. Let me know if you have any questions. David Jeppson Executive Director Computers for the Blind Sent from Windows Mail From: Crudden, Adele Sent: ‎Wednesday‎, ‎September‎ ‎16‎, ‎2015 ‎2‎:‎29‎ ‎PM To: vocrehab@lists.aerbvi.org Thanks to all of you for your check in with the list. Delighted we have persons out there still participating and providing information. I was particularly intrigued by the message from member David Jeppson about Computers for the Blind, a non profit in TX that provides accessible computers to individuals throughout the country who cannot afford them. David, would you please tell us a little more about this agency and how people apply for services? Adele Crudden, Professor Social Work Program P. O. Box C Miss. State, MS 39762 http://www.socialwork.msstate.edu/ * Confidentiality/Privacy Notice - The documents included in this transmission may contain information that is confidential and/or legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering the information to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or action taken in reliance on the contents of these documents is strictly prohibited. If you have received this document in error, please notify the sender immediately to arrange for return or destruction of these documents.