Blind Access Journal

Check out this San Francisco Chronicle article featuring all the wonderful things Bookshare provides to those of us whom happen to be blind. I’ve said it before and I will say it again: If you are blind and use computer technology of any kind, then you’re absolutely crazy if you aren’t a Bookshare subscriber! Run, don’t walk on over to the Bookshare web site and sign up right now to gain access to more than 22,000 books on every imaginable topic! Bookshare also provides electronic access to the entire collection of technical books published by O’Reilly and Associates.

Check out the two wonderful comments I received on the comment line after the airing of my first Main Menu presentation. Want to join the fun? Call 206-350-6925, post a comment to any blog entry or send e-mail to editor@blindaccessjournal.com today!

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Over the past year, I have now experienced two serious issues with Compact Flash cards. It seems they are rather vulnerable to data corruption and loss. Any further details or feedback would be greatly appreciated.

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Be sure you don’t miss ACB Radio’s Main Menu technology program this week! Brian Hartgen will be discussing the scripts he has written to create some accessibility to iTunes 4.9, Anna Dresner will be talking about her new book published by National Braille Press on the iPod Shuffle and I will be presenting the first part of my tutorial covering how to connect to the Internet using the PAC Mate, Nokia cell phone and T-Mobile Internet. The second part of the tutorial will be broadcast on next week’s show. You will also hear a brief update from me concerning Google’s public commitment to resolve their inaccessible visual verification issues within one to two months.

Main Menu can be heard on ACB Radio’s MainStream starting this evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time (01:00 UTC on Wednesday) and replaying every two hours for the rest of the broadcast day. This event represents my very first full solo appearance on Main Menu. Please listen and feel free to provide constructive feedback.

The past weekend was rather busy with accomplishments here at the journal.

• I have now successfully implemented FAXTalk Messenger Pro with my speakerphone modem. It is now possible to receive, place and even record telephone calls using my primary workstation here in the Accessibility Command Center.
• The extreme overall system sluggishness caused each time Total Recorder Professional 5.2 was installed on my primary workstation has now been fixed once and for all. If you are encountering similar issues, try opening Total Recorder, going into Options > Settings > System > Restrictions and checking the “disable accelerated recording” check box.
• It is now also possible to record Skype conversations here in the Accessibility Command Center. After resolving the previous Total Recorder issue, I simply changed the sound drivers used by Skype to “Record Through Total Recorder” and “Playback Through Total Recorder”. All set now!

In this podcast, I also talk about the recent coverage of the Google visual verification issue and more about my ultimate position on my approach to advocating for accessibility.

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Karen has something to tell us about the importance of communication and how it sometimes seems that our dogs are better at the task. Enjoy this combination of humor and seriousness.

This may seem like an unusual subject to be writing about, even something humorous! However, this is on one level a serious matter and is worth thinking about! Who is better at communicating, humans or dogs? Are humans capable of communicating with others or is it Man’s best friend, the dog? At the moment, I think it’s the dogs whom are better at this task!

I was inspired to write this article after arriving to work to find that my co-workers did not receive important notes that I had left with them on Friday covering things that needed to happen yesterday, since I was off. Somehow, the important information was not given to all of my co-workers. These notes were requests that were given to me by our Guests. I do my very best to serve the guest and provide exceptional service, we all try to achieve quality guest satisfaction each day. I know I Do! Yet, some people, are not as good at communicating requests and other important information that is vital to guarantee that the hotel is running smoothly as well as provide excellent service to our guests during their stay. If they receive outstanding service, guests will want to return, recommending our hotel to their family and friends; However, if they receive average or poor service, they will be dissatisfied and not return.

No matter who you are or what you do, you should do your very best to communicate in any given situation, not just on your job. If one does not communicate effectively it can cause misunderstandings and destroy relationships. If people do not take responsibility, communicate
with co-workers and customers, they too, can be terminated from their employment! Communication is key in every relationship and in every situation.

We can communicate in many ways; verbal, written and non-verbally. Depending on what your strengths are, where ones talents lie , some people are better at communicating verbally while others, like Darrell and I, find written communication a more effective way to express ourselves! Nonverbal communication also provides others with information on what is happening around them. Sometimes, people are unable, for whatever reason,
to verbalize or express their thoughts in written form. Nonverbal communication, or body language, can also give others feedback on what another person is trying to say! For instance, one can get an indication on what type of mood someone is in or what their needs are if he/she can not speak the language.

Dougie, my 5-year-old Golden Retriever guide dog, is an excellent communicator. He communicates through Dog speak. He verbalizes and also expresses himself through his body language. I know when he has to go out, when he is happy, sad, tired or bored! He is a better communicator than most people. Every morning he sneezes as he is waking, rubs his eyes and stretches! He wiggles and does somersaults and runs around spastically when he is happy! When he needs water, he licks the dish or pushes it around. If he has to go out, he will come to me, stand with his back to me, turn towards me, bend, stretch, firmly stand in my way, and gark! Yes, gark! He growls and barks once or twice to make me understand, sometimes being demanding, telling me that he has to go out right now or else! When in harness, he communicates by walking me around the obstacles, stopping at curbs or stairs. These are just some ways in which Douglas communicates and he does it well. I give him thumbs up, or I should say paws up!

After looking at this, you will soon see that it is not us whom are more efficient communicators, but, rather, our four-legged friends! Perhaps,
We cannot only learn from our fellow man but Man’s best friend!

Karen writes about her frustrating experience with the Book Port. I’m having a hard time teaching her how to use this device and, in general, helping her to learn to effectively get the most out of other electronic devices as well. Any ideas?

For those of you who love electronics and gadgets but are unable to use them until you know exactly how they work, this message is for you! I am one of those individuals whom enjoys playing on the computer, listening to music and using new nifty little gadgets; however, I also seem to have a nack for breaking them! For example, Darrell got me a Book Port accessible electronic book reading device for Christmas. I love it and want to use it! I even did for a while! I was listening to books on it. Then, somehow, I messed it up and could not get back into the book. I was listening to “How To Speak Dog”, but, somehow, deleted the file! I then attempted to use the help menu, but, have problems with the “ help menu” or lose interest in the contents of the help file. I find it extremely frustrating! Darrell upgraded the software on my Book Port and even loaded a podcast of Adam Curry’s Daily Source Code. I listened to most of it and was enjoying it! I arrived early to work and wanted to listen to the rest of it before I began my shift. While trying to lower the volume, suddenly, I messed it up again! I somehow lost the podcast and went into record mode! I do not know what exactly I did! Help! Now, the Book Port is messed up again and I lost some files. At least I can not retrieve them! I may sound ignorant and should know better. Yet, I am just one of those people who can not figure electronics out, just don’t have the nack for them! Darrell can get something new and teach himself how to use the new piece of equipment! I think they should attach an accessible manual on cd, cassette or in Braille for those of us whom are not mechanically inclined. If there is only a help menu on the gadget itself, we, who lack the skill to use the gadget will, somehow, manage to break it! For those of you who are good with electronics and have some techniques, tips for us mechanically impaired people, I am listening!

Karen’s cute little five year old golden retriever, Douglas, definitely has quite a personality. He’s telling us he needs to go outside. He’s talking back. No respect. But, seriously, not only is his garking cute, we are also very glad he is such an excellent communicator. Definitely an example many others should learn to emulate!

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On Tuesday, I received a call to the comment line from Susan Kuchinskas of InternetNews.com. She asked me for an interview. Of course, I was more than happy to oblige. It is critical that we all do our absolute best to take full advantage of every possible opportunity to spread the word about accessibility. The result is a story entitled Is Google Shutting Out The Blind? It is quite refreshing to see that there are some journalists who really seem to “get it” with respect to the need for accessibility.

This story has brought out two important new developments with respect to Google’s inaccessible visual verification system. First, Google plans to resolve the issue in one to two months, providing an accessible alternative. Second, Google claims to have people working specifically on accessibility issues. Sadly, Marissa Mayer, Google’s Director of Consumer Products, indicated that this issue was not prioritized due to a lack of feedback. Check out Susan’s story for details.

Another incident was narrowly avoided this morning as Karen arrived at work at 7:43. Karen and I both wrote additional notes to Denise and Rose at the Dial-A-Ride office. As of 12:30 PM, four and a half business hours have gone by and nobody has seen fit to respond.

This is my first note of the morning after a completely unproductive conversation with Debbie, one of the reservationists.

Hi Rose and Denise,

Karen was picked up this morning at 6:40! There is at least one drop off before arriving to work. Her ETA arriving to work, as provided by the driver, is 7:50! Isn’t that cutting things awfully close? The appointment time in your records is 7:50 and the shift begins *promptly* at 8:00. Come on, folks. Are you asking for another incident over this?

As Karen was bording the van at 6:40, I got on the phone to check on the approximate ETA arriving to work. Debbie absolutely refused to provide that information, claiming her boss, you Denise, told her not to release that information. I asked her to escalate this matter to someone in the office who had the authority to release the reasonably requested
information, but she rudely refused. In general, rudeness, hanging up on customers and other unprofessional activities have been on the increase over the past month to six weeks. This was the norm under Atlantic Paratransit. The both of you have been insisting that you have a proper attitude toward those of us with disabilities. Please, start putting
actions behind the words by taking real steps to fix the issues! In addition to being forcibly made late to work by your organization, we are also just simply not going to accept unprofessional conduct on the telephone. There will be ramifications. This behavior from an organization with a mission to serve the disabled and senior citizens will be viewed correctly as a show of contempt toward your customers.

Especially after recent incidents, we just can’t trust you. We need to be provided all reasonable information at any time we ask. Denial of information such as ETA’s is petty, causing yet more incidents. I would strongly recommend that you instruct your reservationists to provide all requested information, especially on Karen’s route to work in the mornings. I would also strongly suggest that an escalation procedure be implemented and enforced. If the first person I speak with on the phone can’t or won’t help, then the matter needs to be escalated to someone on site who does possess the necessary authority to do the right things. An escalation procedure is extremely common in all businesses that do not serve people with disabilities, so, if you don’t implement one, does that just mean we aren’t deserving because we’re disabled? Of course, it goes without saying that random call monitoring and an established quality assurance process for the reservationists would most certainly go a long way toward reigning back in the increasing unprofessional conduct. The Blind Access Journal is increasingly entering the arena of audio
production and podcasting. We are able to record audio from just about any source and publish it to the entire world. We at the journal have been covering this incident as well as the previous incident involving the attempt to take advantage of our disabilities. I do strongly advise you check out the world wide coverage of this and many other blindness related issues at http://www.blindaccessjournal.com. As a matter of fact, there will be ongoing coverage of your follow up to Karen’s recent late-to-work incidents. This should be seen as a challenge to come up with a solution rather than try to sweep this latest incident under the rug as has usually been done in the past.

Regards,

Darrell

I wrote another note shortly after Karen’s 7:43 arrival at the office.

Hi Rose and Denise,

Karen was ultimately on time at 7:43. We strongly feel that was entirely by accident. Absolutely no time was allowed for such unforeseen issues as dealing with rush hour traffic. As far as we can tell, absolutely no solution was implemented at all. I will outline the problems with this morning’s events:

First, the 7:50 ETA from the driver was clearly a point of concern and there was absolutely no way to deal with that issue. Second, Debbie was absolutely no help on the phone. In fact, she was rude, which we find offensive and unacceptable. She refused to give any information or to escalate the matter to someone with the authority to provide the requested
ETA information or make necessary adjustments to avoid an incident. Third, Rocky gave the driver two insertions despite your assurances yesterday that Karen’s route was “locked”. Insertions are a clear sign that there is disorganization, lack of proper planning and poor communications on the part of dispatch, the routers or both and that sufficient management
pressure is not being applied to take corrective actions.

Denise, petty issues such as refusing to provide information requested by your customer is just plain unacceptable. Please fix this. We are told over and over that you are the reservationist’s immediate supervisor. You have the power here to do the right thing by instructing them to provide information upon request. There is not a single reason for failing to tell us when it is estimated we will be picked up or dropped off. If the information doesn’t make sense, that should serve as fair warning that adjustments need to be made to avoid trouble. Let me explain to you, in the context of Karen’s latest incidents, the appearance of these failures to provide such reasonable information, which most certainly does impact us as customers. Debbie may have realized that the ETA was right on 7:50, and that we would be making an issue of it. Rather than providing that information, and probably being forced to actually do something about the problem, you want to try and hide that information from customers, to reduce our abilities to document incidents and to insist on resolution. Look! We’re just not going to accept being made late to work. It is plain wrong. As we stated yesterday, it is quite possible for people to lose their jobs due to the poor attendance that is caused when you make us late to work! Come on; don’t you get it? I have asked about your own company’s attendance policies. Even if you don’t want to state them specifically, isn’t it true that you are expected to be at your job and ready to work at the beginning of your scheduled shift? Aren’t there negative consequences for being late to work on a regular basis? Perhaps, if MV Transit does not have an attendance policy in place, then it would be a good idea to draft and
enforce a very strict one for Dial-A-Ride, so that all employees can be more easily made to understand the consequences involved with failing to start on time for any reason.

Technically, the incident was not repeated this morning. Karen was not late to work, as she arrived at 7:43. Given the circumstances, this is insufficient, as there’s no proposal on the table for a solution that would prevent future incidents. We absolutely insist on some sort of plan for prevention of these issues. Maybe Karen needs an earlier pick up time such as 6:00? Maybe this route should be picked up by a driver who starts his or her shift earlier; if you are going to leave the pick up time at 6:15, then the driver should pick her up closer to 6:15 rather than 6:45, the end of the allowed time window. In most cases where she has been late to work, the pick up occured near the end of the time window. This morning, for example, Karen was picked up at 6:40, just five minutes before the end of the allowed time window. That gives you only one hour and ten minutes, which just isn’t sufficient if there are going to be three or four stops before she arrives at work.

I am looking forward to a response indicating where we go from here toward a solution. We would also like to receive some tickets for the incidents on Tuesday and yesterday. We both asked for those yesterday, but have thus far received absolutely no affirmative response on that request.

Regards,

Darrell

Karen wrote the following note shortly after arriving at work.

Hi Rose & Denise,

I am sure by now, you probably received my voice mail. Though, I was not late, I did arrive close to the appointment time * 7;50*. This was only by accident though. It could have been worse. When I got on the van at 6;45, the driver said then, that my ETA was 7;50. Yet, at 7 am Rocky, gave the driver an insertion. We picked up that individual & then, he got another insertion. Two insertions that were not planned &, the ETA was showing 7;50 prior to these insertions! What was Rocky thinking? If the router sees that I, need to be to work no later then ” 7;50″, why do they accept an ETA of 7;50? Don’t they realize, that anything could happen & that I could be late? Despite the fact, that this morning’s ride was fine & ” everything was locked in place” Denise, as we have said before, this does not mean, things are set in stone. dispatch will do what they want, even if, it does not make much sense & will make passengers late to their destinations. Furthermore, as Darrell stated in his message this morning, Debbie & other Reservationists are not being professional & sometimes disrespectful to us. They are not also providing vital information, that we the passenger, have the right to know. When, we are provided with ETA’s we can then, make an informed decision whether to accept the answers we are given or have the issue escalated. We need such information to make certain that we will not be late. What are your reasons for having reservationist not disclosing this information? Does Andrew randomly listen to conversations between Reservationist & passengers? Does he, monitor radio traffic between dispatchers & drivers? These types of procedures need to be in place. It is very helpful to have a QA department*Quality Assurance*. Moreover, Please, do check out Darrell’s blog, blindaccessjournal.com. He covered yesterday’s incident as well as others on his journal. We look forward to hearing from you. We too, would still like to hear from you Denise, Garry & Andrew for a sincere response to Darrell’s thought provoking question yesterday. Rose, thank you for at least providing us with some thoughtful response to his question. Take care.

Karen

That’s all as of 12:52 PM. The business day is half concluded. Karen’s voice mail has not yet been returned and no e-mail responses have been received. Rest assured we will keep trying, taking any and all actions necessary to insure continued responsiveness from Dial-A-Ride for the purposes of preventing future incidents and obtaining some form of accountability.