The Coburn Blog

Well, I got the big check in the mail after dumping out my 401k this past week.

I had to empty my 401k, because of Social Security rules. I didn’t realize how much I had in there, which is why I’m glad I emptied it. Right now I am saving it to see if we will need it to pay the electric bill or not, depends if the town trustee will or not, but my monitor after 6 years of ownership, finally took a crap on me, which I was surprised it lasted that long, so I had to spend some of it on a new monitor. So, after looking around at reviews, I decided on the

Samsung 2264B 22 inch wide screen LCD

Its nice, but I have a few gripes about it. I picked this particular model, because it had a 3000:1 contrast ratio, 2ms response times, and other things that I thought would help with my vision difficulties. Probably would, except it took 2 of us to put the swivel on, one person had to hold the LCD up while the other person lock the swivel in place, it was a mess, and the back keeps popping off, but otherwise I really like it.

Only thing I didn’t expect, the monitors native resolution is 1650 x 1050, which is a MUCH higher resolution then what I’m used to with CRT’s, but I ended up using Zoomtext to zoom in at 4x so I could read it. I just don’t like the fact that you have to set it at the monitors native resolution to keep the image from rescaling, and that you can’t move it up or down, almost need one of those desk arm clamps to position it where you want it, cuz its like those large screens where u can only see it from certain angles, and since my chair is too tall, well I wish it were higher, but I mean, other then that, I love it. It really makes a difference in what I can and cannot see on here. Makes reading soo much easier.

Also, I spoke with Jim, my VR counselor, just before he went on vacation this week, about why he didn’t get me the Magnifier/Reader. He said he just didn’t realize I needed the Reader, so he wants me to return it to Maxi-aids for the correct software, if they will take it back, I have no idea what their policy is on that, or aisquared’s for that matter, but he has to authorize for it first, which he won’t be in the office to do for another 2 weeks yet. The reader would really help so I don’t have to read quite so much, esp in situations where the mouse covers up button captions and are not readable without speech on. Voc rehab is getting me all this software for home, because most of my classes are taken online now, which will save them, and me, transportation costs.

So far, I am liking my class. Its on Access 2003, which is pretty easy for me, but there is alot to do in such a small time frame. My instructor is upset at me for going thru the homework so quickly, but I figure I have to get the homework done, and the final project started, before the Microsoft Certification Exam comes. I haven’t scheduled the Exam yet, but it will be sometime between July 14-17th, which means I have to have all homework and final project in before that.. I have to have the Exam done by the 17th they said, and its worth 10% of my grade, and I’ll get this little diploma thingy for being Microsoft Certified, that’ll be cool I guess. I’m just not a big fan of the Certiport MS Certifications, because every time a new version of Office comes out, you have to take the test again to be Certified for that version, but its required for my class, so I’m going to go for it, but I’m really looking forward to the CompTIA A+ Certification later this fall, for that is a lifetiime Certification that doesn’t expire like the MS ones do; and it wouldn’t bother me retaking them, except that there is a fee involved, its something like $100 fee every time you take the test, or something like that. I know the Computer tech fee is $40, but there’s $60 something on top of that for something. It was paid for already thru my Tuition so I didn’t have to pay it, but say I wanted to take it again for Office 2010 or something like that, then I’d have to pay that $100 or whatever it is to take it again. By then I probably won’t care, but still not really worth it if u gotta keep retaking it.

which reminds me, I have to call Certiport later on today, to see about setting up special Accommodations to take the exam. Ivy Tech will probably be able to accommodate me, but what it is, is I have to get permission from Certiport, the people who administer the exam, to allow special accommodations. For instance, when I took the SAT, they gave me a large print test to take, and I didn’t have the time limits that everyone else had. I’ll need similar accommodations for this test too, depending upon what kind of test it actually is, if its on paper, on the computer, if its timed or not, so on and so forth, and apparently at Ivy Tech its all “secret secret”, so they won’t tell me what the test is actually like, so I have to call Certiport to get permission for them to allow all that, which is pretty stupid, u have to submit documentation as proof of your disability and all that, which I tried to tell my instructor is WHY I’m going thru these homework assignments so quickly, because I only have a month to prepare for this exam, and it will take me at least that long to work all this out, but I say whatever, I still feel that Ivy Tech, even though they have gotten better, still could care less about accommodating people with disabilities.

In some ways, I think its worse then before, because they won’t do alot of it at all now, like for instance a reader has to be hired by the student. Ivy Tech will allow it, but you have to pay the money to hire someone to do it, which is still crappy. Voc rehab will probably be flipping the bill for that too, but its just the whole point of the matter. Susan works during the day, so she can’t be there in class with me, so I will end up having to hire someone to do it, which I am sure was why he had me fill out that checking account information deal, for they pay me to pay someone of my choosing, at something like 40 cents/hr, which is just rediculous. They say I should just ask someone from class to do it, but like Susan was saying, I can’t count on that, because there may be classes where someone will volinteer, some won’t, I may get someone who doesn’t show up for class half the time, and if they don’t, then I’ll still have the problem of getting the information off the blackboard, so see? still going to be a problem. in a way, I don’t think the system is any better then it was before, but at least they allow you to hire someone now, and according to them, they don’t even have to do that, acting like there doing YOU a favor by allowing it, like yeah right, more like, only reason yer allowing it is because its a federal LAW.. sighs. isn’t it sad though how companies, schools, etc won’t do anything to accommodate employees or students unless its a law that says they have to? I personally think its sad that I even have to do that much. but its the same story whatever it is. Just like employers didn’t used to care about sexual harassment on the job until that became a law too, all those types of things should just be a given. I mean, if you saw a person walking around with a cane, or you could see that there having trouble with something, wouldn’t you just naturally want to go up to that person and ask them if they need help? My gosh, I mean, even if the blind person said no, its better then not being asked at all if the person really could use help, and just snubbing the person like alot of people do these days. I walk around walmart with my white cane and the first thing people do is run the other direction, or stare at me, as I walk by. I think that type of behavior is more insulting then being too overprotective and asking the person if they need help, because if the person runs away, that person might as well be calling me a bad name, or putting their middle finger up at me, thats just how it appears.. but I think some people are more afraid of me sueing them for tripping them on accident then anything else Susan was saying, but still, its a sad way of thinking and reacting towards something u don’t understand. Its like they teach u in school, “if u don’t understand something ask questions” even my instructors will stress the imprtance of asking questions. I say, exactally.

same way in everyday life too, if u don’t understand something about something a person is doing and you feel afraid, ask, don’t just run away or stare, because thats more insulting to the other person if you ask me, and although I could care less at Walmart what people think of me, at school its a totally different story, because part of my grade later will be working in a group with these people, and if there the type that runs the other direction when they see a blind person, thats a problem. I just think it sad to act like that towards people. Makes me realize this is truly Lucifer’s domain, and that people no longer care about one another like they say they do. like the whole Bush thing that people say “bush cares more about the people in iraq then the people here in the US” well, he isn’t the only one…