Please login to post a response.

• Aids for the blind and visually impaired
• Posted: 2008-01-22 22:52:18 By John A
• Hi Everybody!
  
  It's been a long time since I have posted on this board, soforgive me if my question has already been discusse or answered.
  With this the gift giving season past us we are now in the ladder days of returning the items we recieved. I have visited many of the retail web sites that are marketed for the blind and visually impaired and none of these web sites offer a product rating like some of the major web sites do. I don't know about the rest of you but i have and my family has had to return many products that were designed or thought to be useful for the visually impaired or blind.
  If only there was ratings or a little blurb about the product which were tried by other visually impaired or blind consumers it would have saved a lot of headache and frustration having to returne the item. The picture they offer of the product doesn't do me any good at all. But if somebody has already tried using the item and then posted a blurb about it's performance or operation would be a great help for all of us. I know I have a few opinions as I'm sure the rest of you do as well.
  My question is...
  Is there a web page or list with this type of product information ?
  
  Thanks
  ja
  Keep fighting blindness!

• Re: Aids for the blind and visually impaired
• Posted: 2008-01-23 22:49:42 By Darran Z
• John,
  
  You don't see that because the population targeted are actually very small. Secondly, the blind community is really small, so if you know someone they are likely to know other blind persons across the country.
  
  Secondly, there are only a few main manufacturers that really compete and it's more of a preference than anything else.
  
  Darran

• Re: Re: Aids for the blind and visually impaired
• Posted: 2008-01-24 21:37:01 By John A
• Ok Darren!
  
  I'm glad you chimed in on this topic because I know you have been the answer man on this board with a lot of good comon sense answers. Now I just read a artical on this site where presenting to the congress (and forgive me I don't remember the details) but they mentioned a number that I think was 9 million americans who are blind or visually impaired. Now that seems like quite a market to tap into. And unfortunately that number will probably get larger before it gets smaller.. So you know as well as anybody we have to watch out for ourselves. Could we use this type of forum where we could post what we think about the products that we use to make our lives easier? Or don't you think that would be appropriate. I mentioned it in a email to the web master here and she did not address it.
  So what would it take to create a web site where it would target consumers of visually impaired and blind, maybe they would allow a link on this page and other simular sites What do ;you think?
  ja

• Re: Re: Re: Aids for the blind and visually impaired
• Posted: 2008-01-24 22:16:26 By Darran Z
• That's a sticky topic to talk about here. There are other sites out there that you can discuss such with. You may try www.exjake.com for example. Maybe Brad has his board up yet (Hey Brad, you got it up yet?) so perhaps that type of thing can be discussed. I think it's important to understand what various consumer products do.
  
  But to be honest, I think the 9M "guestimate" is a little inflated. Because the States have roughly 200,000 people with RP. Now combining all those with retinal diseases, it wouldn't even come close to 9M so I t hink it depends how you define "blind or visually impaired."
  
  Many of the products are geared towards those who have severe impairment, and that significantly reduces the market. Not to mention many of the items ARE EXPENSIVE. So likely, Rehab or Independant Living are the folks who buy them for you and often this is based on preference by the agency purchasing it. Many have contracts with certain manufacturers (Freedom Scientific, Humanware and GWMicro are the three main manufacturers) so there isn't alot of choice. If you are talking about the small, low-tech items, then you might get more manufacturers but they are come from the same manufacturer from what I understand.
  
  But I do agree that some sort of consumer rating/feedback will be beneficial, especially for the high tech stuff.
  
  Darran

• Re: Re: Re: Re: Aids for the blind and visually impaired
• Posted: 2008-01-24 23:31:54 By John A
• Thanks Darren for your input. I will check out the site you mentioned.
  and one more note which we both seem to agree on is the high ticket items.. Especially those! When I had my first oppurtunity to select a CCTV for me to use at my job I had little to go on. And because of the conflict of intrest my case worker couldn't recomand one or the other so I went into it blind (forgive the punn) and I didn't know exactly what to look for regarding what needs I needed to work effectively on the job. Now I know there is for lack of a better word monopolly in this field I found that out just recently trying to purchase a light housing for a Telesensory CCTV that I purchased myself. Apparently I have to go through the sales representative topurchase through and have him install as well even though it is not under warranty.. I know I can't be the only one dealing with stuff like this. I do know that I have had several years dealing with my visual impairment so I have several years dealing with various products as well.. Maybe I;; launch a web site if Brads website is not the right forum either. Well thanks again for letting me bounce this off you.
  ja