I know exactly where you are coming from Michelle. I would like to see something happen to help people pay for assistive technology. We here in the us do have agencies that will pay for assistive technologies, but the trouble is that you have to qualify for these and it's not only blindness. For me, I am unemployed and eligible for the Independent Living Center's assistive technology fund. But this fund isn't very big. It's a grant that comes to them every year in July, and from that they must meet all the assistive technology needs for that year. I have applied to get a pk, all we need now is the official documentation as to cost etc. I have all my forms filled out and now it's up to the center for the blind and someforth. I do wish prices could come down a bit without affecting quality though. Every little thing would help.
Richard > ----- Original Message ----- >From: Michele Thredgold <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: Braillenote List <[email protected] >Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2004 09:24:24 +1000 >Subject: re: [Braillenote] PK pricing. >Dear Don and List >As an Australian, I find the same problem here and I empathise with your >predicament Don. I have just bought a BrailleNote and although I got it a >little cheaper because it was a model which had been used by Pulse Data at >functions, it was still over $7'000 Australian because I also got the Sma with >it and the German language software. >I had to wait years before I could get one, simply because I could not find >the resources. I tried to save but I ask you, how much can you save but a >blind pension when you live on your own and have living expenses? I had to >apply for trusts and such and put any money I received from singing jobs >towards it. In the end, it was the generosity of family and friends which saw >me over the final hump, as well as the funds from small grants. >Now my point is this. Considering that this technology costs so much, we are >not given sufficient support, at least in Oz, by the government to assist us >with these things. As Don pointed out, sighted people can buy a PC for less. >They can even buy a car for less, if they go second-hand. THEY can definitely >buy PDA's for less, including person organizers. >I understand the need for high pricing when our machines are of such good >quality, but there are no deals in place to help us pay for these things. >Many of us, who would jump at the chance of buying a PK, can't look at the >possibility for years because we just don't have that kind of money. >I don't really know what the answer is, except that PDA recognize this is a >problem and consider hire purchase options, unless they want to liaise with >the government of those countries which currently don't support technology >requirements. I know that in Germany, blind people are provided with all >their technology needs free of charge. I'd be happy paying half if the >government could subsidize the rest, but these exorbitant prices are more than >most of us can handle who don't have a steady income, especially us students, >and yet these machines have made such a difference in our lives. >For any sighted members of Pdi's many finance departments, please remember: a >pen and paper costs under $10. Even taking away the extra electronic >facilities like email, internet access and the mp3 player, how much does a >BrailleNote cost in comparison? >Well, soffry if I've offended anybody with my whinge but it's been a >long-standing bee in my bonnet. Hope you're not all bored to tears by this >long-winded email (grin) >Cheers! >Michele >> ----- Original Message ----- >>From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>To: Contribute Braillenote <[email protected] >>Date: Sat, 17 Jul 2004 19:20:33 +1200 >>Subject: [Braillenote] PK pricing. >>Hello Fellow Listers, I have recently returned from the Sight Village >>exhibition in Birmingham, England. While there I inspected the new PK >>machine and found its performance and potential very impressive; I visualize >>the possibility of owning one in the future. However, I was extremely >>disappointed with the price to us in Europe. A winge perhaps, but I would >>ask that those living elsewhere, especially in the States, should try to put >>themselves in our place and endeavour to appreciate how we feel. Before I >>went to Birmingham, I had only the price in the States to go by, as revealed >>by Jonathan on this list, that being 4995 US dollars. To give myself some >>idea as to what that would be in pounds, I telephoned my bank and was told >>that the current exchange rate was 1,77 dollars to the pound. Though some >>have criticized the calculator on the Braillenote, I trust its conclusion >>that 4995 divided by 1,77 equals 2822 pounds. Imagine my feelings when I was >>told that, as I l! >ived in Europe, it was going to cost me 3595 pounds. In other words we in >Europe will pay an extra 773 pounds; or, expressed in dollars, an extra 1368. >Though I do not expect exact and precise parity in price across international >boundaries, but surely there should be some price relevance. If, for example, >you lived in California, you would not expect to pay more than someone living >in Boston; yet I am probably as near Boston as you are. There may be special >circumstances which affect these prices and I invited a member of PDI Europe >to reply. So far no one has contacted me. I would, even at this date, ask >PDI to re-consider their pricing policy and give us in Europe a fair deal. I >suppose that, while visiting the States I could always purchase a machine, or >purchase through an agent, but surely this would not be desirable for all >sorts of reasons, but 773 pounds is one pile of extra cash to find. as a >fellow braillenote user pointed out: "a sighted person could buy! > a whole PC for that sum." I would naturally welcome any comments, especially > from PDI, who, I feel, may have some extenuating reasons for this excessive > price difference. >>Don Cooper. >>___ >>To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to >>[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit >>http://list.pulsedata.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote >___ >To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit >http://list.pulsedata.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote
